Cardinal fights back, falls short

OTTUMWA — The Cardinal baseball certainly went out punching when the Comets took on top-seeded Chariton in Tuesday night’s Class 2A Substate 5 final.

The Comets furiously battled back from an early 3-0 deficit to get with one run of the Chargers, but ran out of time before the comeback was completed, falling one game short of the state tournament, by the score of 4-3.

Chariton put its first two runners on and scored three total runs in the bottom of the first inning, setting the Comets back right off the bat after Cardinal had given up just two runs in its two previous tournament games.

Cardinal battled back for one run in the third inning, as Jacob Figueroa reached base on a leadoff hit-by-pitch, and Drake Durflinger knocked him in with a single down the line, but the Comets did leave the bases loaded.

Cardinal cut the lead to 3-2 with a run in the top of the fifth, when Durflinger sent a solo shot over the outfield fence for the only home run of the game. Chariton, however, would respond with one in the bottom half and it was 4-2 Chargers.

Bode Ferrell stepped up and sent an RBI double to left field to cut the Chariton lead to 4-3 in the top of the sixth.

Down by one in the top of the seventh, Brody Phillips was hit by the pitch with one out, and that sparked a rally attempt, which ended with the bases loaded and two outs. A fly ball to center was caught by the Chariton center fielder, and the Comets ended one run short.

Cardinal finished the 2025 season at 17-11 overall and 12-9 in the SCC. The Comets lose five key seniors to graduation.