Comets fall to Ballard, 6-1, in Class 4A semis

Charles City to face 2016 champs Oskaloosa in 3rd-place game

By John Burbridge sports@charlescitypress.com

FORT DODGE — It was one of those days where you didn’t want to stay out in the sun too long.

So the Ballard Bombers did the Charles City Comets no favors when they forced them to remain in the field for a prolonged period of time during what proved to be a decisive 4-run rally in the top of the second inning of Thursday’s sweltering Class 4A semifinal at the State Softball Championships.

To the Comets’ credit, they didn’t wilt or throw in the towel … or rather Charles City sophomore pitcher Sami Heyer did use a towel while working in the circle to keep perspiration off her hand and the ball. She also kept the Bombers off the scoreboard for four out of the next five innings.

But after spotting their opponents a 5-0 lead, the Comets were unable to mount a comeback against the No. 3-seeded team in the bracket and eventually lost, 6-1.

For Ballard (35-5), which is making its first state tournament appearance since winning the Class 3A title in 2012, it will face No. 1-seed Winterset (34-7) at 10:10 a.m. Friday for the Class 4A championship.

The Comets (33-7) will battle last year’s Class 4A champions Oskaloosa (30-13) in the third-place game at 9:30 a.m. Friday.

Charles City is already assured a better placing at this year’s tournament than last year when it won the consolation bracket and took home the fifth-place trophy.

The Bombers drew first blood in the first inning when Skylar Rigby ran over Comet third baseman Tayler Schmidt while rounding third on a passed ball. The umpires ruled that Rigby was obstructed and awarded her the extra base for the run.

During the 4-run second inning, the Bombers recorded five-straight singles in order by Hannah Elliott, Isabella Johnson, Jenna Moody, Rigby and Rachel Newell — but four of them weren’t hit out of the infield.

Several pitches finding their ways to the backstop also added to the Comets’ ordeal, but when Charles City finally got out of that half of the inning hope was immediately reignited.

Senior Sara Martin connected for her 13th homer of the year. But that would be the first of only five scattered hits off Bomber left-handed ace Abby Carlin, who struck out eight and walked none for her 23rd victory of the season.

Charles City was forced to shakeup their defense after losing the services of junior catcher Kelby Katcher due to a broken thumb. Still, the Comets managed to pull off several “web gems” to keep the Bombers contained after they took their 5-run lead.

Right-fielder Lisabeth Fiser had several running catches, most notably the one when she tracked down Maggie Larson’s drive to the gap for the third out in the fourth inning after the Bombers loaded the bases.

Charles City shortstop Bailey Mitchell was able to make an over-the-shoulder back-handed catch of Elliott’s looper for the first out of a 1-2-3 top of the seventh.

State Softball Championships

Class 4A Semifinal

July 20

BALLARD 6, CHARLES CITY 1

BALLARD AB R H BI         CHARLES CITY AB R H BI

Skylar Rigby 3 2 1 0                     Payton Reams 3 0 0 0

Rachel Newell 4 0 2 0                  Ciana Sonberg 3 0 1 0

Abby Carlin 2 0 0 0                      Tayler Schmidt 2 0 1 0

Isabell Hobbs 4 0 2 0                        Sara Martin 3 1 1 1

Maggie Larson 4 0 0 0                  Bailey Mitchell 3 0 0 0

Karlee Ahrenholtz 3 0 0 0       Shantel VanHauen 3 0 1 0

Kate Rietz 0 0 0 0                      Samantha Heyer 2 0 0 0

Hannah Elliott 3 1 1 0                       Cora Crooks 1 0 0 0

Isabella Johnson 4 1 1 0             Madeline Peters 3 0 0 0

Jenna Moody 4 2 2 1                     Lisabeth Fiser 3 0 1 0

TOTALS 31 6 9 1                                 TOTALS 26 1 5 1

BALLARD 140 001 0 — 6

CHARLES CITY 010 000 0 — 1

LOB–BALLARD 10, CHARLES CITY 6. ERR–Abby Carlin, Rachel Newell, Samantha Heyer, Tayler Schmidt, Lisabeth Fiser. 2B–Shantel VanHauen. HR–Sara Martin. SACB–Hannah Elliott, Tayler Schmidt, Payton Reams. SB–Skylar Rigby, Rachel

Newell, Maddie Kyhl, Hannah Elliott.

BALLARD IP H R ER BB SO HR

Abby Carlin (W)                                       7.00 5 1 1 0 8 1

CHARLES CITY

Samantha Heyer (L) 7.00 9 6 5 4 6 0

PB–Ciana Sonberg (8). WP–Samantha Heyer (2). SO–Rachel Newell, Maggie Larson, Karlee Ahrenholtz (2), Isabell Hobbs, Jenna Moody, Samantha Heyer, Madeline Peters (3), Shantel VanHauen, Payton Reams, Cora Crooks, Sara Martin. BB–Abby Carlin (2), Skylar