STATE SOFTBALL: Comets bounce back with convincing win over Crusaders

By John Burbridge  |  sports@charlescitypress.com

FORT DODGE — After a humbling loss against top-ranked Carlisle in the opening round, the Charles City Comets were out to prove they belonged in the State Softball Tournament.

They did so in convincing fashion when shutting out the 26-win Bishop Heelan Crusaders, 6-0, in the Class 4A consolation semifinal Thursday morning at the Harlan and Hazel Rogers Sports Complex.

Megan Roethler earned her 15th win of the season after striking out seven and yielding four hits and two walks in a game that was called after six innings due to a 90-minute time-limit rule imposed on the consolation brackets.

Against change-up maestro Lexi Ricke, the Comets were held in check through the first two innings as the first six Charles City hitters were retired in order.

Then with one out in the third, Jamie Sindlinger ripped a single which Cianna Sonberg followed with a double. Payton Reams hit an infield single for the third-straight hit of the inning, which scored Alex Litterer — running for Sindlinger — for the first run of the game.

One out later, Tayler Schmidt doubled in a run ahead of Sara Martin’s RBI single. Then when Roethler’s hard-hit grounder went through Crusaders star shortstop Lexie Stolen’s legs, it resulted in two more runs and suddenly the Comets were up 5-0.

Roethler drove in another run in the fifth inning with a RBI single, which would cap the scoring.

Early on, it looked as if the Comets were going to have to play catch-up. The Crusaders’ first two batters of the game, Ellie Cropley and McKenzie Pratt, respectively reached with a walk and a single. Then the third hitter Stolen, who leads the team with a .511 batting average and seven home runs, ripped a line shot to right-centerfield.

Comet center fielder Shae Etherington got a great jump on the ball and made a leaping catch while ranging to her left.

Roethler retired the next two batters in order, and the Crusaders — with the exception of having two runners on base with two outs in the fifth inning — didn’t posed another such threat the remainder of the game.

Not to be outdone for “Web Gem” honors, Comet first baseman Sindlinger tracked down an adventurous popup hit by Katelyn Lawler to end the fourth inning.

After stumbling over the bag and dealing with a brisk wind blowing in from the outfield, Sindlinger made an all-out diving catch in foul territory.

Class 4A State Softball Tournament Consolation Semifinal

CHARLES CITY 6, BISHOP HEELAN 0

Scoring By Innings

Charles City 005 010 — 6 7 1

Bishop Heelan 000 000 — 0 4 1

WP — Megan Roethler (CC) 6 IN, 4 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 7 SO.

LP — Lexi Ricke (BH) 4 IN, 6 H, 5 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 4 SO.

Leading Hitters — Charles City: Tayler Schmidt (1-3, 2B, RBI), Cianna Sonberg (1-3, 2B), Payton Reams (1-2, RBI), Sara Martin (1-3), Jamie Sindlinger (1-3), Megan Roethler (1-3, RBI), Bailey Mitchell (1-3); Bishop Heelan: Lexi Stolen (2-4), Ellie Cropley (1-1, 2 BB), McKenzie Pratt (1-3).

— 20160722 — cb