Comets sweep DH from Huskies on ‘Senior Night’

By John Burbridge sports@charlescitypress.com

CHARLES CITY — Before heading down to Iowa City to play in a highly competitive weekend softball tournament featuring several of the best Class 5A teams in the state, the Charles City Comets are due to play six games in three days with a string of doubleheaders against Northeast Iowa Conference foes.

While not expecting any help along the way, the Comets can clinch their second-straight NEIC title by winning four of those six games.

While sweeping Oelwein with a couple of mercy-rule shortened finals Tuesday in the first of those DH’s, Charles City is now halfway there ahead of Wednesday’s twin-bill against New Hampton at Mikkelson Park and Thursday’s pair against Decorah at Decorah.

In the first game against the Huskies, senior Tayler Schmidt drove in 7 of Charles City’s 11 runs while clubbing two home runs over the center field fence.

The first was a grand-slam — Schmidt’s second GS of the season. The latter was a 3-run “walk-off” shot — also her second WO of the season — that ended the game at 11-0 in the sixth inning.

Schmidt now leads the Comets with nine homers.

Ciana Sonberg had two hits and also homered in the first game — her eighth of the season. Yet Sonberg and her future North Iowa Area Community College softball teammate Schmidt have been a little out of synch lately since going back-to-back in consecutive games a little more than a week ago.

Almost needless to note, the 11 runs were more than enough for Comet ace Sami Heyer to protect as she struck out 11 in a two-hit shutout for her 19th win of the season.

After the 2-HR, 7-RBI game, Schmidt almost completed a perfect night when she took to the circle in the second game. Almost.

Only a hit batsmen prevent her from recording a four-inning perfect game as Schmidt held the Huskies hitless while striking out three for her sixth win (6-0) of the season.

Sonberg had a bases-loaded-clearing 3-RBI double, Ashlyn Hoeft had two hits including a double and 2 RBIs, and Payton Reams had 2 RBIs for the Comets, who improved to 27-2 and 13-1 in the NEIC where their closest competitors already have four losses as of Tuesday.

Also in the second game for the Comets, leadoff hitter Lisabeth Fiser went 3 for 3 with 3 runs scored and a pair of RBIs. Fiser also had two hits in the first game and was 5 for 7 for the night.

Tuesday’s doubleheader was Charles City’s final home appearance for the regular-season though the Comets have home-field advantage throughout the regionals.

It was also “Senior Night” as Reams, Schmidt, Sonberg, Kelby Katcher and Maddie Peters were honored between games with their parents, several of whom with other parents, volunteers and Comet coaches and players worked to get the field ready after the rain falls the night before and earlier in the day.