Comet softball secures one win, one loss
by Norv & Mary Coblentz · July 14, 2010

The West Liberty High School softball team surprised the West Branch Bears Thursday, July 8, beating them in the first round of regional action, 5-2, at West Branch.

The Comets had a strong first inning. Kathy Kaalberg led off with a walk after working the count full. A bunt single by Tyanna Wescott put runners at first and second. Jessica Newton hit a sacrifice bunt to advance the runners to second and third. On a 3-1 count, Kaity Martin hit a two-RBI single to the left field fence. She would likely have had a double, but she stumbled going around first and played it safe, going back to first base. Martin advanced to second on a passed ball, and the next West Liberty batter flew out to center field. With two outs, Hayley Simon hit a bunt single, and the Comets had runners at first and second. On a double-steal, a bad throw by West Branch to third base scored Martin. An infield bouncer was handled nicely by the Bears’ defense for the third out, but the damage was done, and the Comets led 3-0.

In the bottom of the first, the first batter grounded out to Wescott at third base, and the second popped out to Shelby Martin at second. A double to right center field was all the Bears got as the fourth batter lined out to Wescott to end the inning.

“We came out and jumped on top of them then played good, solid defense the whole game,” West Liberty coach Dave Reynolds said. “Our pitcher threw strikes and made them hit the ball. They were very aggressive hitters and hit a lot of balls into the dirt tonight at our third baseman (Wescott). The fly balls, except for tone, all stayed in the park, and we caught them.”

The Comets were retired in order in the second inning. In the West Branch second, the lead off hitter lined the ball into left field for a single. The next batter popped out to Kristi Feldman at first base for the first out. A home run over the left field fence put the Bears on the board with two runs. The next two batters grounded out.

West Liberty threatened to score again in the third inning. A lead off single to shallow center field by Wescott was followed by a hit batsman, Newton. The next batter flew out to left field, and a nice catch by the West Branch center fielder gave the Comets two outs with runners at second and third. Simon bunted, but was hit by the ball for the third out.

The Bears went down in order in the top of the third, and the Comets returned the favor in the top of the fourth.

In the bottom of the fourth, the Bears got a lead off double. A one-out sacrifice fly put the runner at third base, but a fly out ended the inning.

The Comets had three up, three down in the top of the fifth. In the bottom of the fifth, the Bears got a lead-off single hit into the gap in short right center field, but a strike out and two groundouts to the pitcher ended the inning.

Nice defense by the Bears kept the batters to three for the Comets in the top of the sixth. In the bottom of the sixth, a pop out to Samantha Smith in right field, a ground out to Wescott at third and a fly out to Haley Smith in center field ended the inning.

West Liberty added some insurance runs in the seventh inning. Feldman started off the offense by beating out a throw to first base for a single. Shelby Martin sacrifice bunted Feldman to second base. A single by Morgan Weaver to left center field put runners at the corners with one out. Feldman scored on a passed ball and a bad throw from the West Branch catcher to the pitcher at home plate. Kaalberg hit a single and stole second base. Wescott was walked, and Newton struck out, but the ball was dropped and Newton reached first safely. A single by Kaity Martin went over the third baseman’s head and scored Weaver for a 5-2 West Liberty lead. The last batter popped out to third base.

The first two outs of the seventh went to Wescott at third base. Feldman caught a pop up in foul territory to end the game.

West Branch co-coach Brooke Kaalberg was disappointed in the loss, but not in the way the game was played.

“We played well,” she said. “It was just that first inning that really hurt us.”

“We like to play small ball when we can, and I wanted to put the pressure on them and see if they could make the plays,” Reynolds said. “The kids played hard. They’ve been working hard, and they finally put it all together in one solid effort.”

The Comets weren’t so successful Friday, as they were beat 13-0 in four innings by No. 3 Wilton in the second round of Class 2A regional play.

Due to West Liberty errors in the first and second innings, the Beavers scored 10 runs in the first two innings.

“It wasn’t a great end to the season, but we played one extra game that we didn’t plan on playing,” Reynolds said. “We got past West Branch, and I think a lot of people didn’t expect that.”

The Comets finished the season 7-22 overall and 1-13 in the Cedar Valley Conference.

“I think we’ll change a few things next year and we’ll practice harder,” Reynolds said. “I had a lot of fun and I don’t have any regrets whatsoever.”