Step away from returning to state

Comets to play 2016 Class 3A champions Bobcats after breaking Mustangs in semis

By John Burbridge sports@charlescitypress.com

CHARLES CITY — Mustang sophomore MacKenzie Hupke was matching zeros with counterpart Comet sophomore Sami Heyer through three innings of Saturday’s Class 4A Region 4 softball semifinal pitting Independence against hosting Charles City at Sportsmen’s Park.

One differential, though, was that Hupke had yet to be touched with a hit.

That changed with one aboard and no outs in the bottom of the fourth when Tayler Schmidt laid down a bunt three feet in front of the plate that caught Independence off guard as a throw wasn’t even attempted to prevent the pending infield hit.

With Schmidt on first and Ciana Sonberg, who previously walked to represent the Comets’ first base runner on second, Sara Martin singled to load the bases — still with no outs.

Bailey Mitchell’s infield out to the right side scored Sonberg for the first run of the game before consecutive walks to Shantel VanHauen and Kelby Katcher forced in another.

Soon after, Madeline Peters was credited with an RBI infield single for the third run of the inning.

Charles City managed to take the 3-0 lead into the seventh inning where it had to survive some late-game drama.

Mustang senior Kaitlin Niedert led off the inning with a solid single to right-center, then Hupke nearly connected for a two-run homer as her double off the left-centerfield fence placed runners at second and third with no outs.

Heyer managed to get a big strikeout against Allison Doyle before Lydia Butters drove home Niedert with a sacrifice fly to leftfield.

With pinch-hitter Megan Brock representing the tying run, Heyer struck her out — her ninth of the game — to advance the Comets to the regional championship.

One win away from returning to state where they finished fifth last year, the Comets will face Benton Community 7 p.m. Tuesday in Van Horne for the regional championship.

Last year, the Benton Bobcats won the Class 3A title before moving up to 4A.

ARLES CITY 3, INDEPENDENCE 1

INDEPENDENCE AB  R  H BI                CC AB  R  H BI

A Zieser             3  0  0  0  Payton Reams          3  0  0  0

Abby Davis        3  0  0  0  Ciana Sonberg         2  0  0  0

K Niedert             3  1  2  0   Alex Litterer        0  1  0  0

MacKenzie Hupk3  0  1  0  Tayler Schmidt        3  1  1  0

Allison Doyle         3  0  0  0  Sara Martin           3  1  2  0

Lydia Butters         3  0  1  0  Bailey Mitchell       3  0  0  1

Nichole Stephens  1  0  0  0  Shantel Vanhauen2  0  1  0

Megan Brock      1  0  0  0  Kelby Katcher         1  0  0  1

M Puffett            2  0  0  0  Madeline Peters       3  0  1  1

Abby Meiborg       2  0  0  0  Lisabeth Fiser        2  0  0  0

TOTALS            24  1  4  0  TOTALS               22  3  5  3

INDEPENDENCE 000 000 1 — 1

CHARLES CITY 000 300 x — 3

LOB–INDEPENDENCE VARSITY 3, CHARLES CITY VARSITY 5. ERR–Abby Davis. 2B–MacKenzie Hupke. SB–Kiki Connell, SaraMartin.

IND IP    H    R   ER   BB   SO   HR

M. Hupke (L)6.00    5    3    3    4    6    0

CHARLES CITY      

S. Heyer (W)7.00    4    1    1    1    9    0

SO–M Puffett, A Zieser (3), Abby Davis, Allison Doyle, Nichole Stephens, K Niedert, Megan Brock, Lisabeth Fiser, Madeline Peters (2), Payton Reams, Sara Martin, Ciana Sonberg. BB–Nichole Stephens, Kelby Katcher (2), Ciana Sonberg, Shantel Vanh