Comets’ winning streak ends with DH split against Go-Hawks

By John Burbridge

sports@charlescitypress.com

CHARLES CITY — During Tuesday’s Northeast Iowa Conference softball doubleheader against Waverly-Shell Rock, the hosting Charles City Comets extended their winning streak to 15 with a 4-1 victory in the first game, but had that run stopped in the second game with the Go-Hawks rallying from behind to win the nightcap 5-2.

It was the Comets’ first setback in nearly a month — Cedar Falls defeated CC 2-1 on May 24.

The Go-Hawks threatened early in the first game as they loaded the bases in the top of the first only to leave three runners stranded. WSR later took a 1-0 lead on Megan Heyer’s RBI single in the third inning.

Payton Hadley’s 2-RBI single in the fourth inning put the Comets ahead for good.

The Go-Hawks posed several threats in the latter innings while advancing runners as far as third base. But what has become a pattern throughout this season, the Comets and starting pitcher Addison Ellis repeatedly shut the door while retiring batters for the second and third outs in an inning with runners 60 feet away from scoring.

Ellis struck out nine while scattering eight hits in seven innings for her 15th win of the season. She also had a pair of singles, one of which drove in a run.

Alex Wohlers was 2 for 3 with a double for Charles City in the first game.

Hadley made a case for her second go-ahead hit/RBI in as many games when she chased home Wohlers with a double in the second inning to put the Comets up 1-0.

With Ellis back in the pitching circle, it appeared that 1 run would be enough to complete the sweep, especially with some fine defense backing her up which included three straight nifty glovework putouts from Comet first baseman Mya Rimrod to send the Go-Hawks away in order in the third inning.

But WSR would score an unearned run in the fourth inning to tie it, and then with the Comets back in front (2-1), the Go-Hawks took advantage of three Charles City errors in the sixth inning ahead of Emma Thompson’s 2-RBI double, capping a 3-run rally.

The Go-Hawks scored their fifth run in the seventh with Natalie Beck’s two-out single chasing home Sally Gade, who previously doubled.

WSR’s second-game starter Addie Ham held the Comets to four hits in seven innings — Hadley had two of them.

The doubleheader split adjusted Charles City and Waverly-Shell Rock’s respective overall records to 16-2 and 11-6. Both teams have one loss in NEIC league play with the Go-Hawks up one game in the win column — 7-1 to 6-1.

The regular-season finale between the two teams July 8 at WSR will likely determine the NEIC championship.

The Comets will be back in action on Friday when they host Crestwood in a NEIC doubleheader which includes a makeup second game from a previous scheduled DH in Cresco that was postponed due to weather conditions.

On Saturday, Charles City will participate in a tournament hosted by Dunkerton High School.