Comets shut out Cadets to finish with a perfect 18-0 NEIC record

By John Burbridge
sports@charlescitypress.com
CHARLES CITY — It was the type of home run little leaguers joyfully relate to their grandparents over the phone, about how they put the ball in play before — for the first time ever — making a complete circuit around the bases.

They just leave out all the pratfalls that made it possible.

Charles City leadoff hitter Lis Fiser hit one of these types of “homers” as the Comets closed out their Northeast Iowa Conference schedule Monday against Crestwood.

Vying for her second slap hit of day against Cadet starter Laken Lienhard, Fizer initiated a two-base error from a throw that wouldn’t have gotten her anyway, and then another wayward throw trying to belatedly get her at third base, giving her passage to home plate.

Sometimes the best throw is the one you don’t make. And when the track and field star Fiser gets a jump out of the batter’s box or along the base paths, your best bet is just to pocket the ball.

So for those scoring at home … give Fiser a single and the Cadets a pair of errors as the play helped give Charles City a 2-0 lead in the third inning on way to a 4-0 final.

Fiser opened the scoring much the same way in the first inning. She opened with a single, stole second base and then stole third base initiating a wild throw allowing her to score with Comet No. 2 hitter Lydia Staudt still at bat.

After Fiser scored the second run in the third, Staudt, Rachel Chambers and Ashlyn Hoeft — all freshmen — singled in order to produce the third run.
In the bottom of the fourth, Sami Heyer scored Alex Litterer from third on a suicide squeeze bunt.

Heyer picked up her 29th win of the season after striking out 13 in a two-hit shutout. For the Class 4A No. 2-ranked Comets, it improved their undefeated record to 31-0.

It also capped a perfect NEIC-championship record at 18-0.

For the Cadets, which thus far has been the toughest opponent for the Comets this season with Charles City needing extra innings to beat them in the second game of a doubleheader back in May, the loss dropped them to 19-12 and 10-6.