Bailey Ashton made darn sure it didn’t happen in Saturday’s finale of the Dave Lee Classic.

Ashton, a senior left-hander, pitched an eight-hit shutout as the Class 1A No. 5 BCLUW softball squad stifled Gilbert 4-0 in the last of 11 games in the Comets’ annual two-day tournament that coincides with the town’s Black Dirt Days festival.

Saturday’s opener, however, was a 14-12 loss to Cedar Falls that the Comets managed to put behind them to close out the weekend with a victory.

“Going 2-2 in this tournament, and there’s some tough teams here and a few bigger schools, so you never know what you’re going to come out with,” said Yantis. “I’m OK with 2-2, we would have liked to maybe go 4-0, but we’ll take it and hopefully we’ve learned from this weekend and move on.”

T-R PHOTO BY ROSS THEDE - BCLUW junior Kiersten Kruse, right, is hit by the throw to Gilbert shortstop Riley Nelson, left, while successfully stealing second base in the fourth inning of Saturday’s game at the Dave Lee Classic in Conrad. Kruse eventually scored what would prove to be the game-winning run as the Class 1A No. 5 Comets defeated the Tigers 4-0 in the tournament finale.

Yantis’ lesson plan starts and ends with finishing games, but there’s room for other focal points in between. The Comets led Cedar Falls 12-7 entering the seventh inning before the Tigers put up a seven-spot to score an improbable come-from-behind victory.

Not since Ballard scored 19 runs against BCLUW last May has 12 runs not been enough for the Comets to come out on top.

“Our defense is usually pretty solid and that kind of hit us hard against Cedar Falls,” Yantis said. “It’s just the little things that we need to sharpen up a little, and one turns into two and it needs to just be one-and-done.

“I think it’s being focused every single pitch. I feel like the last two games in the sixth inning and the seventh inning we lost focus or didn’t have the confidence we needed, but coming back in this game against Gilbert, we were in it every pitch and made the plays that we needed to.”

The Comets (11-6) chased off every threat Gilbert could develop, leaving five runners stranded in scoring position along the way. Ashton finished with seven strikeouts and one walk, and the BCLUW defense didn’t flinch when the Tigers got runners on base.

T-R PHOTO BY ROSS THEDE

Ashton also limited the last five batters in the Gilbert lineup to just one hit and one walk.

“Bailey pitched a great game,” said Yantis. “Seeing her buckling down and coming through and finishing this game out is really good.

“She’s pretty hard to read and she does seem to keep her calm, and that’s really good to have in a pitcher and she doesn’t seem to let too many things bring her down.”

BCLUW’s bats also came through in the clutch, doing a lot more with its eight hits and the three walks issued by Gilbert’s Halli Nissen. Stuck in a scoreless tie in the bottom of the fourth, Kiersten Kruse beat out a grounder to second base to start the inning with a single. She promptly stole second base, moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Olivia Hughes and scored on Easton Swanson’s grounder back to the pitcher’s circle.

The Comets tacked on three runs in the bottom of the sixth, even though the rally had an inauspicious start. Kruse flied out and Hughes singled, but she was caught stealing on the first pitch to Swanson. Swanson eventually walked, Cate Nason singled and Kennedy Williams delivered another hit to left that drove in Swanson. After Kenna Paxson walked, Jaelyn Allen came through with a two-run single to left-center field that made it 4-0.

“I just think we buckled down and knew we needed a few more runs to get some insurance,” said Yantis. “It was nice to see some of our girls in the bottom of the lineup step up this weekend and it was good to see them play a big part in our wins.”

Kruse and Allen both had two hits to lead the Comets, while Hughes, Nason, Williams and Lili Wilson added singles.

BCLUW remains at home for the seventh-straight game when West Marshall visits Conrad on Monday for an NICL West Division showdown.

David Lee Classic

At Conrad

Friday’s Games

BCLUW 8, Sumner-Fredericksburg 2

Cedar Falls 8, Gilbert 7

Central DeWitt 12, South Hardin 0

Marshalltown 7, BCLUW 5

Saturday’s Games

Cedar Falls 14, BCLUW 12

Marshalltown 10, Sumner-Fredericksburg 3

Central DeWitt 13, Gilbert 3

Cedar Falls 11, South Hardin 3

South Hardin 14, Sumner-Fredericksburg 7

Central DeWitt 7, Marshalltown 2

BCLUW 4, Gilbert 0

——

Marshalltown 10,

Sumner-Fredericksburg 3

MHS 244 0 — 10 7 2

S-F 210 0 — 3 5 1

Kailee Pollard, Ella Grife (4) and Emma McWherter; Chantelle Nuss, Abby Meyer (2), Jordan Burrows (3) and Landree Kobliska. W–Pollard. L–Nuss. LOB–MHS 10, S-F 5.

Central DeWitt 7, Marshalltown 2

CD 014 200 — 7 8 2

MHS 010 100 — 2 4 4

Mya Cavanagh and Talbot Kinney; Avery Mull, Grife (5) and McWherter, Paige Wertzberger (5). W–Cavanagh. L–Mull. 2B–CD: Emily Swanson, Mackenzie Rosenboom; MHS: Marina Rosalez. HR–MHS: Autumn Finch. LOB–CD 5, MHS 6.

BCLUW 4, Gilbert 0

GIL 000 000 0 — 0 8 0

BCLUW 000 103 X — 4 8 1

Halli Nissen and Emma Mostek; Bailey Ashton and Lili Wilson, Kenna Paxson (3). W–Ashton. L–Nissen. 2B–GIL: Riley Nelson. LOB–GIL 9, BCLUW 5.

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