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Bobcats best BCLUW at the Classic

Marshalltown softball snaps six-game slide against Comets with 7-5, six-inning victory

T-R PHOTO BY ROSS THEDE - The Marshalltown softball team flocks around freshman Autumn Finch (9), whose three-run home run in the fifth inning provided what would later prove to be the game-winning runs in the Bobcats’ 7-5 defeat of BCLUW in Friday’s final game at the Dave Lee Classic in Conrad.

CONRAD — The Marshalltown and BCLUW softball teams figured out just how important the third out is, whether you’re trying to get it defensively or avoid it offensively.

In the end, both learned that the aggressor has the advantage. On Friday night at the Dave Lee Classic, that team was the Bobcats.

The Marshalltown High School softball team defeated Class 1A No. 5 BCLUW for the first time since 2013, handing the host Comets a 7-5 decision in a game that only made it six innings because of the tournament’s time limit.

Having rallied from a seven-run deficit to make it a two-run game, BCLUW would have given just about anything for that one last chance to get a win the night the school board commissioned the high school softball diamond as David Lee Field.

Marshalltown (3-5) scored all seven of its runs with two outs, highlighted by a five-run explosion in the bottom of the fifth inning that freshman first baseman Autumn Finch capped with her first-career home run.

T-R PHOTO BY ROSS THEDE - Marshalltown freshman pitcher Avery Mull, right, delivers to the plate during the top of the sixth inning of Friday night’s game at the Dave Lee Classic in Conrad.

Finch’s three-run shot seemed at the time like simply icing on top of a blowout, but BCLUW (10-5) came charging back the next chance it got. The Comets scored five times their third time through the batting order, too, with three of those runs coming across with two outs in the top of the sixth.

BCLUW got the potential tying run to the plate but couldn’t keep the rally going. Moments later the home plate umpire informed both head coaches that the event’s time limit had been reached, meaning the home team — Marshalltown in this instance, having won the coin flip — didn’t need to complete its at-bat to claim victory.

“They’re smiling, they’re happy with the win, but they know they could have done better,” Marshalltown head coach Jim Palmer said of his squad. “That’s a big win for our program. We’ve been working toward doing better here and we’re getting there.”

The Bobcats ended a six-game losing streak to BCLUW, which includes the previous five meetings during Conrad’s annual Black Dirt Days celebration as well as one instance at the Bobcat Classic in Marshalltown. MHS actually held a four-game win streak over the Comets from 2011-2013 prior to BCLUW’s latest reign.

“They did hit the ball well,” BCLUW co-head coach Megan Yantis said of the Bobcats. “I feel Bailey [Ashton] was maybe a little tired after pitching the first game, but I was confident in our offense and figured they would step up right away and we took a little too much time for that.”

T-R PHOTO BY ROSS THEDE

Marshalltown struck first, against Ashton, with two runs in the bottom of the third inning. A two-out walk to leadoff batter Gabby Himes was followed by Erica Johnson’s single up the middle — the Bobcats’ first hit, in fact — and Madi Finch forced them both home with her double to deep right field.

Ashton gave way to Kiersten Kruse in the circle with the Comets facing a 2-0 margin after four innings, but the deficit quickly expanded from there. Marshalltown greeted Kruse with four hits and cashed in on three walks, with singles for Marina Rosalez and Johnson setting the stage for Kyra Feldman’s two-out, two-run blooper to right field and Autumn Finch’s ensuing three-run bomb to left field.

“At first I didn’t even think it was out because it was so high,” Autumn said. “I started screaming on the basepaths I was so excited, I didn’t know what to do really.

“Typically when we get one hit we get pumped and we keep going and going and going.”

After getting mowed down by Ashton the first time through the batting order, the Bobcat offense figured out the BCLUW senior had no intention of issuing any walks. Instead of looking at called third strikes, Marshalltown started putting bat to ball and broke out to a 7-0 lead because of it.

T-R PHOTO BY ROSS THEDE

“It took a little bit here, we got it going after the third inning,” said Palmer. “We asked the to make certain adjustments and they started hitting the ball well. I think we should be able to hit any of the pitchers we’ve faced so far. BCLUW has a great coaching staff and a great pitching staff — they could play in our conference — but we just have to be ready to swing the bat.”

Suddenly down seven runs, the Comets came to life. It just proved to be too little and too late.

Madison Ubben started the top of the sixth with a single back through the circle, and Parker Scurr slapped a bloop double that just eluded Johnson’s glove down the third-base line.

Moments after Palmer made a visit to the pitcher’s mound to stress the importance of getting outs instead of stressing the two Comet baserunners, freshman pitcher Avery Mull uncorked a wild pitch but fielded Kruse’s comebacker and got the out at first instead of playing on the speedy Scurr at home.

“It’s iffy, and if you don’t get it the runner’s sitting on second and there’s nobody out,” Palmer said. “Avery did exactly what I had just told them to do in that situation.”

T-R PHOTO BY ROSS THEDE

Mull proceeded to walk Olivia Hughes but struck out Easton Swanson before Cate Nason knocked a double to left, Kennedy Williams snuck a single through the middle and Lili Wilson flared a single in to left. The Comets’ five-run rally had suddenly made Autumn Finch’s three-run round-tripper the most important hit of the night for Marshalltown.

“I’m proud of how we came out and got our bats going,” Autumn said.

Both BCLUW and Marshalltown had seven hits, with Wilson going 2-for-3 with an RBI to pace the Comets and Johnson going 2-for-3 to lead the Bobcats.

Mull struck out four and walked only one in the win. Ashton struck out six and walked two in four innings for the loss, surrendering two earned runs on three hits.

The Dave Lee Classic resumes at 10 a.m. today as BCLUW takes on Cedar Falls and Marshalltown meets Sumner-Fredericksburg in the first of two games for both teams. Marshalltown closes against Central DeWitt at 1:30 p.m., while the Comets compete in the final round of games at 3:15 p.m. against Gilbert.

BCLUW 8, Sumner-Fredericksburg 2

The Comets broke open a close game with a three-run sixth inning to pull away from Sumner-Fredericksburg, 8-2, in the first game of the Dave Lee Classic.

Lili Wilson homered for the second game in a row and added a double to her 3-for-4 day at the dish, while Olivia Hughes was 2-for-4 with four RBIs. Jaelyn Allen’s lone hit was a double while Madison Ubben had two hits, an RBI and one run scored.

Bailey Ashton struck out five and walked one over five innings for the win, allowing two hits and no runs. Kruse struck out three, walked one and allowed one hit in her two frames of relief, surrendering two earned runs.

David Lee Classic

At Conrad

Friday’s Games

BCLUW 8, Sumner-Fredericksburg 2

Cedar Falls 8, Gilbert 7

Central DeWitt def. South Hardin

Marshalltown 7, BCLUW 5

Saturday’s Games

10 a.m. — BCLUW vs. Cedar Falls (HS); Sumner-Fredericksburg vs. Marshalltown (REC)

11:45 a.m. — Gilbert vs. Central DeWitt (HS); Cedar Falls vs. South Hardin (REC)

1:30 p.m. — Sumner-Fredericksburg vs. South Hardin (HS); Central DeWitt vs. Marshalltown (REC)

3:15 p.m. — BCLUW vs. Gilbert (HS)

——

Marshalltown 7, BCLUW 5

BCLUW 000 005 — 5 7 1

MHS 002 05X — 7 7 0

Bailey Ashton, Kiersten Kruse (5) and Lili Wilson; Avery Mull and Emma McWherter. W–Mull. L–Ashton. 2B–BCLUW: Parker Scurr, Easton Swanson, Cate Nason; MHS: Madi Finch. HR–MHS: Autumn Finch (1). LOB–BCLUW 3, MHS 5.

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