Comets return to State

Charles City tops top-ranked Benton Bobcats, 2-1, to win Class 4A-Region 4 title

By John Burbridge sports@charlescitypress.com

VAN HORNE — It’s been said that the best thing about freshmen is they become sophomores.

Charles City ace pitcher Sami Heyer was a freshman at last year’s State Softball Tournament. It was an education for her.

“Last year things didn’t go so well,” Heyer said of being roughed up a bit in a relief performance during a first-round 12-0 loss to Carlisle.

“But I think I’m more mentally prepared for this year.”

Nonetheless, Comet coach Brian Bohlen saw that his now sophomore was a little too edgy going into Tuesday’s Class 4A-Region 4 final against the top-ranked Benton Bobcats, last year’s Class 3A champion before moving up to 4A this season.

“Sami was nervous going into this game,” Bohlen said. “I just had to tell her that she’s a much better pitcher than she thought she was.”

Against the Bobcats, Heyer pitched perhaps one of her best games of her 22-win season. While mixing up her change-up and rising heater, Heyer struck out 10 while scattering four hits and yielding no walks in the Comets’ 2-1 championship victory, sending them back to Fort Dodge next Tuesday where they finished fifth last year.

“Defensively, we’ve been solid as we were today,” Bohlen said, “but I don’t think they hit too many hard balls against Sami.”

For the most part, the Comets didn’t hit the ball that hard against Bobcat senior Anna Stenberg. But they managed to manufacture two runs in the third inning to draw first blood.

After leadoff hitter Payton Reams got on with an infield single, Ciana Sonberg sacrificing Reams to second ahead of Tayler Schmidt’s infield single placing runners at the corners, Reams scored on a wild pitch.

Schmidt advanced all the way to third on the play prompting a wild throw which allowed her to also score.

The Bobcats cut the lead in half in the bottom of the fourth on Stenberg’s fielder’s choice RBI after Angela Gorkow and Jaicee Lyons singled and doubled in order after one out.

The Comets displayed their usual grit while improving to 32-6 for the season.

Comet left fielder Sara Martin was able to hang on to a fly ball hit by Benton’s Samantha Rabe after colliding with shortstop Bailey Mitchell. And third baseman Sonberg had a line-shot hit by 15-homer slugger Gorkow deflect off her forehead. It was a scary moment as it looked as if Sonberg might go down. Instead, she quickly regained her bearings and signaled to Martin — who was backing up the play — to get the ball to second base to hold Gorkow to a single.

Sonberg was 2 for 3 with a sacrifice — we mean the bunt not the bump on the head.

Class 4A-Region 4 Championship

CHARLES CITY 2, BENTON 1

CHARLES CITY 002 000 0 — 2 5 1

BENTON 000 100 0 — 1 4 2

Charles City — Ciana Sonberg 2-3, Sac; Payton Reams 1-4, run scored; Tayler Schmidt 1-2, walk, run scored; Lisabeth Fiser 1-3; Sami Heyer 7 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 10 SO, 0 BB.

Benton — Grace Martensen 2-3, 2B; Angela Gorkow 1-3; Jaicee Lyons 1-3, 2B; Anna Stenberg 7 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 4 SO, 3 BB.