Oakwood Comets Rally to Three Straight Wins, Including Two Shutouts, After Season’s Rocky Start

By Fred Kroner

After dropping its first two games of the baseball season, the Oakwood Comets have rebounded with three consecutive wins, two of which were shutouts.

The winning streak started on Saturday (March 16) with a 9-0 triumph over Decatur St. Teresa. On Monday (March 18) Oakwood won at Danville, 11-0, and on Wednesday (March 20), the team scored in the bottom of the seventh inning to edge visiting Fisher, 3-2.

Against St. Teresa, freshmen shared the pitching duties for the first six innings. Starter Carsen Dudley earned his first varsity win, working three innings while allowing two hits and no walks. He struck out six Bulldogs.

He was followed by Alex Wallace, who threw three hitless innings, and walked two while also fanning six batters. Senior Brody Taflinger completed the shutout, yielding only one walk in the final inning. He struck out two hitters.

The offensive heroics were supplied by Chase Harrison, who was 3-for-4, including a home run. He knocked in four runs and scored twice.

Teammates with two hits were Taflinger, Bryson Marcinko and Derek Drews. Taflinger swatted a double and Drews collected a triple.

Carsen Dudley, Jackson Dudey and Alec Harrison all registered one hit. Jackson Dudley’s hit was a double.

Drews tallied three runs and Taflinger scored twice. Marcinko and Alex Harrison each crossed home plate once.

Against Danville, Chase Harrison pitched a complete game (five-inning) one-hitter. He walked one and struck out eight.

Drews was 3-for-3 (including a triple) and Alec Harrison was 2-for-3 (including a double). Adding one hit apiece were Chase Harrison, Jackson Dudley, Cort Vermillion and Loudyn Hughes.

Drews and Jackson Dudley knocked in three runs apiece. Contributing two RBI each were Chase Harrison and Hughes. Carsen Dudley ended with one RBI.

Drews, Alec Harrison and Hughes all scored two runs.

Against Fisher, neither starter Alec Harrison nor first reliever Hughes yielded a hit over six innings.

Harrison worked 4 2/3 innings, but was removed after hitting the mandatory pitch count of 105. He struck out 13 hitters, but also walked seven.

Hughes went 1 1/3 innings and issued two walks.

Fisher scored twice against Marcinko in the top of the seventh, making the most of its two hits.

After plating a run in the bottom of the inning, Marcinko picked up the pitching win.

In an 11-0 loss to Arcola on Saturday (March 16), the lone Oakwood hits were singles by Drews and Chase Harrison.

Dudley worked the first 2 2/3 innings and suffered the loss. He walked three batters and fanned two.

Oakwood (3-2) returns to action on Thursday (March 21) at home against Monticello.