Comets shut out Vikings 7-0 to get back on winning track

Press Staff Report

CHARLES CITY — For the third time in as many tries, the Charles City Comets defeated Northeast Iowa Conference rival Decorah this regular season.

The Comets completed the series sweep Monday at home with a 7-0 shutout victory — the previous two wins were also shutouts.

Charles City eighth-grade ace Addison Ellis took a no-hitter into the seventh inning before Lillian Olson’s one-out single broke it up. Ellis struck out seven and walked two while earning her 20th pitching win of the season.

Much of the Comets’ damage  was inflicted by the top of the order. Leadoff hitter Emerson Bohlen and No. 2 hitter Lauren Staudt each had two hits and 3 RBIs — Staudt drove Bohlen home with an RBI double in the sixth inning to cap the scoring.

Alex Wohlers had two hits including an RBI single, and Brooklyn Molitor had two hits for Charles City, which improved to 21-4 overall and 10-1 in the NEIC.

The Vikings fell to 8-15 and 5-6.

Decorah sophomore pitcher Clara Hjelle held the Comets scoreless through two innings and the first time through the lineup before Staudt’s two-out, 2-RBI single in the third broke the scoreless tie.

Charles City has a doubleheader on the road against Waukon on Tuesday and a road game against Waverly-Shell Rock next Monday (July 8) to close out the NEIC schedule and the regular season.

The Comets and Go-Hawks both only have one NEIC loss this season.

Charles City is due to face the Vikings one more time — in the Class 4A-Region 7 quarterfinals on July 11 hosted by the Comets.

Waverly-Shell Rock is also in the bracket, as well as No. 8-ranked Western Dubuque and No. 12-ranked Clear Creek-Amana.

* On Saturday, the Charles City Comets had their four-game winning streak stopped and suffered back-to-back losses for the first time this season during the Rick Doran Classic held in an around the University of Iowa Softball Complex.

In the morning game against Class 5A-No. 7-ranked Muscatine, the Comets lost 4-1 despite Addison Ellis going 2 for 3 at the plate, and Alex Wohler doubling home Charles City’s lone run.

Wohlers had two hits in Charles City’s subsequent 7-0 loss to Bettendorf.