Numbers don’t lie, Comets among state’s best
Though it appears in this photo that Charles City freshman Alex Litterer (No. 10) is trying to disrupt a doubleplay relay throw from Benton shortstop Alyse Harvey during last week’s regional championship game, Litterer is actually advancing a base after tagging up on a running catch in the outfield — unbeknowst to Harvey, who wheeled to throw to first thinking she could double Litterer off the bag. Such aggressive and opportune base running is one of the reasons why the Comets are among the Class 4A leaders in stolen bases and runs scored.
By John Burbridge sports@charlescitypress.com
Brackets are meant to be busted.
And even before the start of Class 4A bracket play this week at the State Softball Tournament at Rogers Sports Complex in Fort Dodge, the Charles City Comets had already shaken up the hierarchy.
On way to securing their second-straight state appearance, the Comets knocked off No. 1-ranked Benton Community, 2-1, in their regional final.
Last season, Benton won the Class 3A state title before moving up a class.
Amid the eight-team bracket, the Comets (32-6) are seeded No. 7 and are scheduled to play No. 2-seed Fairfield (33-9) in the first round 5 p.m. Tuesday on the complex’s Buena Vista University Field.
Though the Comets are seeded No. 7, they are ranked at the top or near the top in a variety of categories among the other qualifiers in their bracket.
With a team batting average of .384, a team slugging percentage of .454 and a team on-base percentage of .454, the Comets rank second in all categories to No. 6-seed Carlisle (.400 BA, .566 SP, .463 OBP). Last year, Carlisle defeated the Comets in the first round.
If both teams win their first-round games on Tuesday, they will play each other in the semifinals 1:30 p.m. Thursday.
So far this season, the Comets have clubbed 33 home runs which leads the bracket. Ballard, the No. 3 seed, is the next best with 27.
Charles City senior Sara Martin leads the Comets with 12 home runs. Mount Pleasant senior Bailey Johnson and Ballard freshman Maggie Larson also have 12 homers to top all Class 4A state qualifiers.
Needless to note, all teams in the bracket are blessed with excellent pitching. But the numbers Charles City sophomore ace Sami Heyer has put up glare out at you.
With a record of 22-5, Heyer’s win total is four games shy of junior Sophie Stover (26-5) who leads No. 1-seed Winterset’s staff. Oskaloosa senior Alexis Groet is also a 22-game winner.
Heyer’s earned run average (1.39) is also impressive, but it’s not the top of the class. Ballard senior Abby Carlin has a Bob Gibson-like 1.12 ERA.
But as indicated by opponent batting average, Heyer is the toughest regular starter to hit against (.145) while opponents have hit .153 against Groet.
Heyer also leads the bracket, as well as entire Class 4A, in strikeouts with 267. Groet is the nearest to that total with 255, yet Heyer has faced far fewer hitters as she has accumulated her total against 586 opponent at-bats while Groet has dealt with 758 opponent at-bats.
When it comes to stealing bases, the Comets are one of the more aggressive as well as successful teams in the bracket.
Often utilizing track standouts for courtesy runners and pinch runners, the Comets have stolen 127 bases out of 134 attempts. Freshman Lisabeth Fiser has stolen 28 of 28 attempts to lead the team ahead of junior Tayler Schmidt (25 of 25).
Amid the bracket, only Carlisle (148 out of 160 attempts) has more stolen bases.
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