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It’s been an Iowa high school state baseball tournament to remember for North Polk.
The Comets went from playing a half inning before getting rained out Monday to playing extra innings and beating Western Dubuque in the 10th; the Comets left it all out on the field.
But on Wednesday, July 22, it came to an end. Dubuque Wahlert defeated North Polk, 3-2, with a walk-off single from Noah Krapfl, ending the Comets' chance at a state title.
Errors plagued North Polk, and two of them in the first inning led to the game's first run and a 1-0 lead for Wahlert.Then a dropped third strike that led to a passed ball allowed Wahlert to grab a 2-0 lead in the fifth inning.
But just before it seemed North Polk used up everything it had over an emotional few days, the “Cardiac Comets” returned Wednesday evening to make things interesting. Trailing with just six outs to play with, North Polk tied things up in the sixth.
Bryce Burke got the rally started with a deep single, and then Ryan Zoske reached on an error, and all of a sudden there were two on with just one out.
Then, Jack Spieker singled to left field, and as Burke was rounding third, he was gunned down at home by Wahlert outfielder Hunter Hill.
But with a runner still on, Easton Ingle hustled down the first base line on a dropped third strike to reach safely, moving Zoske to second. Then Chase Fjelland, who clinched the state title for the Comets in 2024, came through with a two-RBI single to tie the game.
The comeback was very much alive, and in the bottom of the sixth, Ty Lamfer got out of a jam, leaving a Wahlart’s runner stranded at third base. But a scoreless top of the seventh gave way to a Wahlert rally in the bottom half of the frame, capped off by Krapfl's walk-off single.
Overcome with emotions, North Polk walked out with their head held high and another season finishing in the top four in Class 3A.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: North Polk falls to Wahlert Catholic in Iowa baseball state semifinal
