With hopes of returning to the Class 2A Iowa State District finals for the second year in a row, the West Liberty High School baseball team of coach Troy Wulf lost a heartbreaker to Camanche Tuesday, July 13, falling in extra innings, 5-4.
After leading most of the game, the visiting Comets gave up a pair of runs in the bottom of the fifth inning and could not get another run across the remainder of the night to finish their season at 10-15.
Camanche which came into the tourney at 19-5 and a first round bye, came from behind to win the game in the eighth inning after the Comets held off two sixth and seventh inning jams, including turning a double play after the Indians loaded the bases in the sixth.
West Liberty beat West Branch in the opening round of the 12-team tournament by taking a 4-1 victory. Camanche went on to win the District 10 title with a 9-1 win over Wilton, who had upset Durant in the semi-finals 2-1 after topping Tipton in the opening round 11-1.
Camanche, at 22-6, was to play Beckman Catholic in the State Qualifier game on Tuesday evening. July 20.
The Comets finished their season 8-11 in River Valley Conference play.
The two teams traded blows to start the ball game, both scoring two runs in the first inning, Camanche matching the Comets in the bottom half of the inning for their first comeback of the game.
The bats went quiet for both teams until the fifth when West Liberty’s Ty Jones hit a key two-out single to score two RBI and take a 4-2 lead, but the rally ended, leaving two runnings on the bases.
The Indians answered back in the bottom half of the frame for their second comeback. The Comets escaped back to back jams in both the sixth and seventh innings to force the game into extras. The Indians ended the game in the bottom of the eighth, pushing across the game winner and ending the Comets season in the District semifinal.
Drake Collins led the Comets on the mound. In seven innings of work, the West Liberty hurler fanned five in eight hits and allowed four earned runs. Ty Jones led the Comet bats with his two RBI in the fifth, going two for four at the plate.