Briley Danielson carried her hitting struggles into the pitcher’s circle the last time she toed the rubber against BCLUW.

The Marshalltown sophomore left her hitting woes in the dugout for Friday’s rematch in the Bobcat Softball Classic, and the Comets couldn’t repeat their feat.

Danielson scattered three hits over five innings for the complete-game victory and also contributed a single on offense as Marshalltown (11-18) avenged its June 13 loss to BCLUW with a 9-0 triumph on Friday night at Marshalltown Community College.

Danielson allowed three singles and two walks while striking out three for the victory, even overcoming an error on the first play of the game. Her defense helped bail her out of the early situation, and Danielson put her faith in the gloves behind her the rest of the way.

“I have more confidence in myself because the first time we played them I was just in my head a lot with pitching and my hitting,” said Danielson. “This time I just had more confidence in myself.”

BCLUW (16-5) got off to a good start when Cassie Nason’s bouncer back to the circle glanced off Danielson’s glove, giving the Comets a leadoff runner on base. Klayre Gallentine’s groundout advanced Nason to second, but she was thrown out at third trying to advance on Eden Ladehoff’s flyout to right field.

Aubree Mundt’s throw was on the mark to Kendall Brummel at third, and she applied the tag for an inning-ending double play.

The Bobcats turned the defensive momentum into offense right away, getting to Gallentine for three runs in the bottom of the first. Gianna Baune blooped a single to right field, and after back-to-back walks to Kate Sandvick and Laney Danielson, Mundt plated Marshalltown’s first run with a sacrifice fly to Nason in center.

With two outs and two runners in scoring position, Abby Janssen bounced a single up the middle, driving in both Bobcats to make it 3-0 Marshalltown.

It was a marked improvement from the first meeting for MHS, which trailed 6-2 after Briley Danielson’s rough start in the circle at the Dave Lee Classic in Conrad. Danielson surrendered five runs without recording an out before pulling herself out of the game in an eventual 10-2, six-inning defeat.

“I just hadn’t been hitting very well, so then that just makes me get in my head because I’m usually not a bad hitter,” Briley said. “But scoring early helps a lot. Hitting right away helps a lot because if you wait until like the second or third inning, then it’s just not going to work.”

The three-run lead was all Briley and the Bobcats would need on this night, as the Comets simply couldn’t punch through. They left two runners stranded on base in the second and fourth innings, and they went down in order in the third.

Marshalltown’s defense was 12-for-12 on balls in play after Briley’s opening miscue, and the Bobcat offense kept the pressure on.

Back-to-back singles by Laney Danielson and Mundt started the third, and consecutive run-scoring groundouts by Olivia Wise and Janssen made it 5-0 after a wild pitch moved both runners into scoring position.

In the fourth, Baune and Sandvick started with singles, and a walk to Laney Danielson loaded the bases. Mundt drove in a run with her grounder when Baune beat shortstop Raegan Crawford’s throw home, and Wise’s single to center plated two more. Mundt scored Marshalltown’s ninth and final run on a wild pitch after a sacrifice bunt by Janssen.

Leading 9-0, Briley Danielson worked around a one-out walk to Sarah Garber by getting back-to-back groundouts to end the game.

“I just went out there and had more confidence and I trusted my defense more this game than the last time we played them, so that helps a lot,” Briley said.

Gallentine was tagged for nine earned runs on eight hits and four walks while striking out three over four innings. Grace Farnsworth finished 2-for-2 at the plate and Eden Ladehoff hit a leadoff single in the fourth. Ladehoff was the only Comet to advance beyond second base.

“Credit to Marshalltown, they were hitting the ball and putting the ball in play and making the plays that they needed to,” said BCLUW head coach Megan Yantis. “I think this was good for us. Sometimes when you’re on a high and you keep being on that high, you forget about the lows. I think this was a good kind of wake-up call and hopefully we bounce back and play a little better tomorrow.”

The win ended Marshalltown’s losing streak at eight games after opening Friday’s tournament play with a 13-0, four-inning loss to Class 3A No. 5 Davenport Assumption. Sandvick and Mundt had the Bobcats’ only hits in the game.

The Knights then knocked off BCLUW 6-2 before the Comets turned right around for the rematch with Marshalltown. BCLUW ended the Bobcats’ nine-game win streak in the series with their win in Conrad two weeks earlier, but MHS was ready this time around.

“They know,” Bowers said. “They saw the article in the paper and they heard the radio stations and things like that when they beat us up there. I think maybe that’s what gave us a little bit of fire.”

Baune led the Bobcats with two of their eight hits, scoring twice. Wise and Janssen both had a single and drove in three runs apiece. Mundt was 2-for-2 with two runs and two RBIs, and Sandvick was 1-for-2 with two runs scored.

Laney Danielson was 1-for-1 with two walks and three runs scored, and Briley Danielson added a single.

In today’s Bobcat Classic action, Marshalltown will meet Colfax-Mingo at 9:30 a.m. and Grundy Center at 11:15 a.m. BCLUW faces Pella at 11:15 a.m. and Colfax-Mingo at 1 p.m.

Marshalltown Bobcat Softball Classic

At Marshalltown Community College/MGSA

Friday’s Games

Davenport Assumption 13, Marshalltown 0

Davenport Assumption 6, BCLUW 2

Marshalltown 9, BCLUW 0

Saturday’s Games

9:30 a.m. — Marshalltown vs. Colfax-Mingo (Field 1); Pella vs. Grundy Center (Field 2)

11:15 a.m. — Marshalltown vs. Grundy Center (1); Pella vs. BCLUW (2)

1 p.m. — Colfax-Mingo vs. BCLUW (1)