Comets fall to Go-Hawks, 3-2, for first NEIC loss of season

By John Burbridgesports@charlescitypress.com

WAVERLY — There’s a saying in football that can apply to other areas — “When in doubt … punt.”

Likewise when facing a dominant pitcher … “bunt”.

The Waverly-Shell Rock Go-Hawks did that effectively when hosting Class 4A No. 1-ranked Charles City on Thursday while going up against Comet ace fireballer Sami Heyer.

While mixing in aggressive and opportune baserunning, the Go-Hawks were able to manufacture an early lead before hanging on to win, 3-2.

For the Comets, the loss halted a 12-game winning streak as well as serving as their first setback in Northeast Iowa Conference play. They are now 19-1 overall and 10-1 in the NEIC, where they are still in good shaped to win second-straight conference title.

For Heyer, who gave up four hits and one earned run, it was her first loss of the season to go with 14 wins.

The Go-Hawks laid down four successful sacrifice bunts as well as a bunt triple — or at least that’s how it should go down in the scorebook — by Britney Young who took advantage of several lapses in Charles City’s defense that allowed her to advance to second base when no one was looking and then to third base when no one was covering.

Young eventually scored on a safety-squeeze sacrifice bunt by Hanna Fanter, which put the Go-Hawks up 3-1 through three innings.

Fanter also was the complete-game winner while getting plenty of help from her defense.

Center fielder Molly McNally was able to throw out Charles City counterpart Payton Reams at second base after Reams drilled a Fanter pitch through the gap in right-center field and went for a would-be double to start the second inning.

Go-Hawk catcher Emma Robson threw out a Comet would-be base-stealer — only the second time that’s happened to Charles City this season; and McNally recorded another outfield assist later in the game when she hauled in a long flyball off the bat of Kelby Katcher and doubled the runner off at second when she didn’t tag up before trying to advance.

Still, the Comets almost caught them.

In the sixth inning, pinch-hitter Allie Cross nearly gave Charles City a sudden lead with a deep drive to right field with two on, but it stayed in the park and was caught for the third out.

In the seventh inning, Lisabeth Fiser slapped a two-out RBI single through the infield — her second hit of the game — to draw the Comets within 1.

But with the tying run on second base and the go-ahead run at first, Fanter got one of Charles City’s best hitters, Ciana Sonberg, to hit a grounder to shortstop Young, who made a nice play ranging to her right and forced the runner at third to end the game.

For the Go-Hawks, who were ranked in the Top 15 in Class 4A according to the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union at the start of the season, they avoided the regular-season sweep from NEIC rivals and improved to 12-6 and 6-3.