The hosting Velma-Alma Comets struggled in their opening games of the 2017 Jake Leffler Tournament, losing both to be eliminated on Friday afternoon.

The Comets opened the tournament with a laid-back attitude, and that cost them a shot at the winners bracket and their ace pitcher.

Velma committed over 10 errors in Thursdays matchup against the Lindsay Leopards. Six of those double-digit errors would come in the second-inning of Thursdays game.

Velmas Tyler Martin was forced to throw to the entire Leopard lineup in that second-inning nightmare. Martin was able to get his outfield five chances at catchable fly balls in the inning, but the Comet outfielders would only field one of them successfully.

Lindsay would score seven runs on six errors and two hits in that second-inning, setting the stage for the Leopards to run rule the home team in four-innings.

With all the maroon disappointment of the opening game, Velma didnt back down from their opponent in Fridays elimination game.

The Comets gave a run at the Sterling Tigers after Sterling had been relinquished to the losers bracket by Comanche in a 3-2, extra inning win over Sterling on Thursday.

The Comets seemed unimpressed by the air of favoritism that often cloaks itself around the Sterling Tigers, at least in the early innings. Velma jumped on top of the tigers as early as possible, after plating a run in the top of the first inning.

Velmas Gabe Bench was able to reach base successfully after drawing a walk. Tyler Martin reached next, advancing Bench to second. Martin navigated the bases aggressively, and that would draw a pickoff attempt from Sterlings catcher. The attempt went awry.

As the ball rolled into the outfield, Bench rounded third and score.

Velma wasnt bent on being a one-inning wonder, and fought back against the Tigers in the second. After enough Comets reached safely to load the bases, Bench hit an RBI-single to tie the game at 2 runs each.

The outfields inability to field a ball successfully would come to cost the Comets again, and, just like Thursdays game, it happened in the second inning.

With their rotation-leading pitcher Tyler Martin burned in Thursdays loss, Sophomore Everett Wade would get the call to the mound against the Tigers. Wade performed almost as well as Martin did on Thursday, by giving his fielders multiple opportunities at outs.

The Comet defense failed to prop up their pitcher, however, giving up two errors in the outfield that ultimately resulted in six Sterling runs. Velma would be unable to come back from Sterlings grasp of the momentum, and, with the help of a four-run third inning, they defeated the Comets by 12-2 in four innings.

Link:

Velma-Alma Comets eliminated from Jake Leffler Tournament - Duncan Banner