CONRAD — Raegan Crawford wasn’t sure when the last time the BCLUW softball team beat Marshalltown was, but she was certain she hadn’t been a part of one until Friday night.

The Comet senior shortstop went 3-for-4 with a game-ending home run to lead off the bottom of the sixth inning, lifting BCLUW to a mercy-rule, 10-2 triumph over the Bobcats to kick off the Dave Lee Classic.

Crawford had three of BCLUW’s 13 hits to help her team snap a nine-game losing streak against Marshalltown, which had beaten the Comets in their last five meetings at the Classic (2019, 2021-24).

For the first time in Crawford’s career, her Comets came out on top, and you could see it in her face as she ran down the third-base line on her way to touching home plate for the final run of the game.

“This has been a long time coming,” she said. “Every year we’ve played Marshalltown and it’s been something where we get right there, but we just can’t manage to get over.

“I think that hit wasn’t just my hit — it was a team hit and I definitely felt the team behind me and felt their energy going into that last inning where you’re like ‘we’ve got to do this.’ We’ve got to put an end to this, so I’m glad that we could finally get over the edge.”

Friday’s contest began in the Bobcats’ favor as two batters into the game, Marshalltown led 2-0. Gianna Baune reached safely on an error and Briley Danielson followed with a two-run homer.

MHS (4-10) got four more runners on base in the inning, but none of them were able to advance safely to third and the fast start fizzled.

BCLUW (10-1) responded in kind, sending 11 batters to the plate with seven of them getting hits and another reaching on an error. The Comets came away with a six-run inning and never trailed again.

“It just feels really good,” said BCLUW head coach Megan Yantis. “I think we’ve wanted them for the last few years and they’ve gotten us, and I think that was actually maybe one of our goals this year was to get them. It’s just a nice way to start the weekend.”

The Dave Lee Classic, in conjunction with Conrad’s town festival — Black Dirt Days — will include eight more games on Saturday. The Comets got the kickstart they wanted with a momentous win over Marshalltown, scoring 10 runs or more for the fifth time this season.

“We always kind of hang with Marshalltown, it’s just that finishing part,” Crawford said. “We knew we could come back, we’ve seen their pitchers before and we’ve faced some tough pitchers this year. So I think it was just that adjustment, and then once we were able to get ahold of it, it was a team effort all the way through.”

Crawford’s home run was her first of the season and the second of her career, coming two years and two weeks after the first. It came on the second pitch of the inning against Hanna Osgood, who pitched five innings in relief for Marshalltown. The Comets chased Danielson, the starter, from the circle before she could record an out in the first inning.

After scoring six times in the first, BCLUW added three more runs in the second. Eden Ladehoff and Crawford started with singles, and both eventually came around to score. Allison Ward hit a sacrifice fly, Morgan Bergman reached on a fielder’s choice, and her pinch-runner came around to score on a hit by Marissa Schnathorst.

The score remained 9-2 for four more innings until Crawford came through with the final run.

“This is a big game for the community,” she said. “This is one of the games that we look forward to every year. And to be able to come out and perform for the community, perform for me individually and for my team, and for the team to be able to be there for me, it’s great.”

Comet senior pitcher Klayre Gallentine overcame the early hiccup to settle into a groove, getting six scoreless innings after Marshalltown’s two-run start. Gallentine finished with one walk, one hit batter and seven strikeouts, giving up just six hits.

Danielson was tagged for six runs — five earned — on five hits. Osgood allowed four runs on eight hits with a walk, a hit batter and three strikeouts over five frames.

Laney Danielson, Aubree Mundt, Abby Janssen and Brooklyn Smith each had a single for the Bobcats, who face South Hardin at 10 a.m. and AGWSR at 1:30 p.m. today in Conrad.

“It’s kind of been our M.O. for a while now, we’re struggling to play mightily,” said MHS head coach Jason Bowers. “We seem to be swinging at balls and not swinging at strikes. And right now, up and down the lineup, I don’t have one girl that goes up there with confidence.

“I felt like we could hit the pitching but we just got into another rut of not swinging at very good pitches, chasing early in the count, stuff like that all game long.”

Crawford and Ladehoff both finished with three hits, while Gallentine and Schnathorst had two apiece. Cassie Nason, Sarah Garber and Bergman each added singles to the win.

The Comets return to the diamond today with games against AGWSR at 10 a.m. and South Hamilton at 1:30 p.m.