Momence baseball is looking to start a new chapter this season under new head coach Jeremy Rozhon, and the last two days have certainly been positive steps in that direction.

After coming from behind to pick up a walkoff win Tuesday, Momence (4-7) was in the opposite position against Reed-Custer (5-14) on Wednesday, trying to defend a four-run lead in the seventh inning.

The visiting Comets made things interesting, rallying for three runs and putting the go-ahead run on second with two outs, but Daulton Mitchell struck out Reed-Custer’s Cole Yeates looking to end the game in a 7-6 Momence win.

Senior Jackson Ford picked up the win on the mound, allowing three earned runs while striking out four in 5⅔ innings. He also scored the winning run in Tuesday’s walkoff win.

He said these last two games have been high points in a season where he and his teammates are looking for wins each day while also helping build for the future.

“It’s been fun,” he said. “The culture is changing around here, and that’s something very important that was emphasized early on. We want to change the culture I think we’re starting to show that and really come together.”

Reed-Custer struck first Wednesday on a Dhane Debelak double in the top of the first, but Ford settled in to retire 12 of the next 15 batters.

Ford also chipped in on the offensive end, walking and coming in to score along with Evan Sherwood on a two-run double from Kingston Wood in the first and driving in Sam Fitzgerald with a single in the third to make it 3-1.

The Comets answered back in the fifth with an RBI hit from Debelak, but Momence added three vital insurance runs in the bottom half when Mo Macari scored on an error and Gabe Fitzgerald and Dakota Lewke picked up RBI singles.

Each team tacked on a run in the sixth to make it 7-3, and that score held until there were two outs in the top of the seventh.

That’s when the Comets got two runs on a single from Jon Doran. A wild pitch with the bases loaded brought in another run and moved the remaining runners to second and third before Mitchell’s strikeout ended the game.

Ford finished 1 for 2 with two walks, an RBI and a run, Sherwood was 2 for 3 with a run and Wood was 1 for 4 with two RBIs. Sam Fitzgerald was 1 for 3, was hit by a pitch and scored two runs.

Fitzgerald and Ford are the most experienced varsity returners for the newcomer Rozhon, who said their impact this season has been helpful in his transition while also providing a strong example for the large number of juniors and underclassmen that will look to continue the program’s growth next season.

“If I didn’t have those two guys, I don’t know where we’d be right now,” Rozhon said. “They’ve stepped in and enjoyed what I’ve brought. They’ve bought into it and are passing it down.

“We’ll pretty much be bringing back this entire team except for these two leaders. Hopefully, we’ve got others that are going to step up and be leaders next year.”

Fitzgerald said that he learned a lot from last year’s senior class, including players like Shane Cook, Braeden Merrill and Nick Charbonneau.

Now that he’s a senior, he’s enjoyed taking on that leadership role.

“I’m seeing a lot of improvement from the guys,” he said. “Last year I had a lot of great role models who knew how to be leaders on this team. I feel like, for me and Jackson, we’re taking after them. We have so much more to do, but we’re making a great team here.”

Reed-Custer was led by Debelak and Doran offensively, with each going 2 for 4 with a pair of RBIs and a run scored.

The Comets are also a young team rebounding from the departure of a large senior class, and while the team’s comeback push came up a hair short, head coach Jake Evans said he’s been encouraged with what he’s seen this season.

“I’ve seen growth as the season has gone along,” he said. “We’ve played in a lot of tight ballgames, which is what we want. We’re young, we’re battling the injury bug in a big way, so guys are getting opportunities and doing their darndest to make the most of it.”