Comets hold off Vikings 7-6, remain undefeated in NEIC

By John Burbridge

sports@charlescitypress.com

DECORAH — Whenever players take their bats out into the field … i.e. returning to their positions with their heads hung low after striking out with the bases loaded … it usually isn’t a good thing.

But sometimes when players bring their gloves to the plate … coming to bat still aglow after making a spectacular play in the field … the heroics tend to continue.

A good example of the latter came in the form of Charles City junior Morgan Maloy late into the Comets’ away Northeast Iowa Conference softball game against Decorah on Tuesday.

The Comets had taken a 5-0 lead through two-and-a-half innings. But as the sweltering evening turned somewhat pleasant, the game itself took an ominous turn for Charles City.

The Vikings had pulled within 2 (6-4) in the bottom of the sixth with Decorah’s multisport star Bryar Duwe in the on-deck circle representing the go-ahead run. The left-handed hitting Duwe had been smoking the ball during her three previous at-bats which included a 2-run homer to get the Vikings on the board, and a pair of doubles. She was due at least one more at-bat, but would it come with two runners aboard in the sixth, or leading off in the seventh where even a solo home run would still leave the Comets in front.

That’s when Maloy denied the former scenario when, from second base, she made an all-out diving catch of Lydia Frank’s liner heading for right field for the final out of the sixth.

Then in the top of the seventh, Maloy drove a two-out RBI single down the left-field line to add to the Comets’ lead.

The extra insurance run proved to be needed as the Comets held off a late rally in the latter half of the frame to win 7-6.

The victory improved Charles City’s overall record to 10-4 while keeping its undefeated NEIC record (7-0) intact.

The Vikings, who could have caught the Comets in conference standings, fell to 7-4 and 5-2.

Charles City senior Rachel Chambers hit her fifth home run of the season — a solo shot — which adds to her Charles City all-time best career total (40).

Junior Natalie White picked up her seventh win of the season while earning the complete-game victory.

For those willing to brave the heat to watch two of the top teams in the NEIC, it proved to be an entertaining game that featured several disputed calls by the umpire as well as clutch defensive plays from both teams.

The inning before Maloy’s webgem, Comet first baseman Ava Ellis alertly threw behind a Viking runner rounding second base after a 6-3 putout for a doubleplay to end a Decorah threat in the fifth.

Comet catcher Alex Wohlers, who had two hits including a double off the left-field fence, threw out her second would-be base-stealer in as many games.

And Charles City sophomore Lauren Staudt was able to track down several long drives in left field that either ended or contained Viking threats.