After four batters in the bottom of the first inning Thursday, the Fatima Comets held a 3-0 lead against the Hickman Kewpies.
It just went downhill from there for the Comets, who dropped a 12-3 decision to the Kewpies in the opening round of pool play in the Capital City Invitational at the American Legion Post 5 Sports Complex.
"We just laid down," Fatima coach Scott Kilgore said. "We came out of the gates blazing, but we couldn't do much after that. We didn't make any adjustments at the plate that we needed to make.
"But that's what happens when you don't play for two weeks."
The weather had kept Fatima off the diamond since a 5-2 win March 23 against Russellville.
"Coming into this game, it almost felt like we were starting a new season," Kilgore said. "You can hit in the cage, you can scrimmage if the weather allows you to get on the field. But there's nothing like seeing live pitching in a game."
Jacob Crede led off the bottom of the first for the Comets with a triple to right-center. Trey Herzing followed with a single to make it 1-0. Drew Bax and Gage Bax then hit back-to-back doubles and it was 3-0.
But the Comets would get just three more hits the rest of the game.
Meanwhile, the Kewpies tied the game with three runs on four hits in the top of the second, then took the lead with a run in the third as they scored at least one run in each of the final six innings.
Hickman made it 5-3 in the top of the fourth when Cameron Chick powered a 1-2 pitch over the fence in right field for a rare home run at the Complex. Hickman added a run in the fifth and two more in the sixth before closing the scoring with four in the seventh on just one hit to go along with three walks.
"We saw some good things, we saw some things we have to work on," Kilgore said. "We're still figuring some things out."
Ben Robertson took the loss for Fatima, working four innings. Josef Keilholz got two outs in relief before John Becker pitched the final 2 innings.
Fatima (1-4) is scheduled to wrap up pool play today with games at the Complex against Lutheran: St. Charles at 1:15 p.m. and Helias at 5:45 p.m.
Teague Robertson got the win for Hickman, pitching the first five innings. Hickman (9-2) will face Helias at 11 a.m. and Lutheran: St. Charles at 3:30 p.m.