Comets baseball players seemed determined to win against the Napa Valley College Storm in their March 16 game, but despite a strong start, they fell short of victory.

The Comets had a strong showing during the first inning. Napa Valley failed to score after the Comets’ amazing defensive performance. Followed by outstanding offense, as infielders Jasper Brown and Khalil Freeman both scored to gain the upper hand.

The Comets were doing all the right things on both sides of the field and it seemed like a win was possible with a 2-0 score at the start.

However, the momentum started to shift over the next few innings. Although infielder Robert Crivello scored in the bottom of the third, the Comets’ efforts began to wane. By the end of the fourth inning, Napa Valley had not only stolen several bases, but they had also stolen the lead. The score was 3-7 going into the fifth. 

“The game, at first, was going good – good energy from both sides. Good game but came up short though,” Comets pitcher Aldo Icazbalceta said. “Do we need improvement? Yes, we do – but there’s always room for improvement everywhere. It’s upsetting that we lost, but I got faith in my boys.”

Just as Napa Valley’s momentum was ramping up, infielder Khalil Freeman scored in the bottom of the fifth. The home crowd became vocal, as this was the motivation that the Comets needed. For the next few innings, Napa Valley failed to score as the Comets played excellent defense. The score was left at 4-7 going into the eighth.

Although a sudden Comet comeback seemed somewhat possible, the Storm put on an impressive offensive display, scoring four more runs in the top of the eighth inning. After this, both teams appeared to cruise through the rest of the game.

Following the final out, the scoreboard read 4-11, and Napa Valley walked away with the victory.

“We couldn’t ask for anything better,” said head coach Albert Strane after the game. “Unfortunately we’re still not at the juncture where we can close out the game with 27 outs. Today we gave them 30-35 outs. Our objective is to catch the ball and help out our pitchers. We got a good ball club, it’s not a disaster, but we’ll be better.”

Athletic director Kyle Alavardo praised the team’s fortitude.

“The team played hard and unfortunately we couldn’t pull off a win today, but they’re trying their best and we’re going to just keep working,” Alvarado said.

The Comets remain hopeful for the rest of the season, as they face Marin College at home on Tuesday, April 2, at 2:30 p.m.