Comets keep rolling with 12-0, 3-inning win over Saints

By John Burbridge
sports@charlescitypress.com
CHARLES CITY — Some players are overdue.

Some teams are overdue … even those who have won 23 straight games.

The Charles City Comets’ offense has been lighting up the scoreboard for most of this season. Many of their games never see the light of the fourth or fifth inning due to mercy-rule stoppages.

Still, the Comets were overdue by the fact that they had yet to hit back-to-back home runs … something the team normally achieves by this juncture in the season.
That “drought” came to a close in first inning of Monday’s non-conference softball game against visiting Saint Ansgar.

With leadoff hitter Liz Fiser aboard, Comet freshman Rachel Chambers clubbed her team-leading 10th homer of the season deep to left-center.

Cleanup hitter Ashlyn Hoeft, another freshman, followed with a solo shot — this one to dead center.

And away we go again as Hoeft later would hit another solo homer in the third inning — giving her five four-baggers for the season — which served as a “walk-off” scoring the 12th run in a 12-0 abbreviated final.

The win improved Charles City’s undefeated record to 24-0 while the team continues to pace the state in victories this season.

Sami Heyer, who had a pair of doubles during the game — the latter of which she was able to round the bases and score due to a throwing error — picked up her 22nd win of the season after striking out seven of the 10 Saints she faced.

Heyer’s season career-high in victories is 23, which she has achieved the last two seasons.

Chambers later singled while going 2 for 2 during the game, and Sadie Gebel went 2 for 2 with a pair of singles.

Those who were hoping that Charles City would get a needed regular-season challenge on Tuesday had reason to have some faith in the Saints. Saint Ansgar came into Sportsmen’s Park winners of nine of its last 10 games.

But the Comets set the tone early with Heyer striking out the first two Saints of the game as part of a 1-2-3 first and the Charles City offense batting around to score 7 runs in the latter half of the frame.

There is a chance the Comets may be challenged on Wednesday when they travel to Central Springs to take on the 18-5 Panthers, who are IGHSAA-ranked No. 8 in Class 2A and are leading the Top of Iowa-East Conference standings.

The Class 4A No. 3-ranked Comets are due to face other ranked teams in the near future.

On Thursday, Charles City will travel to Mikkelson Park face Northeast Iowa Conference foe New Hampton, which is ranked No. 13 in Class 3A and is the Comets’ closest competitor for the top spot in the NEIC.

One of Charles City’s postponed away games — at Class 4A No. 5-ranked Independence — has been rescheduled for June 28.