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Comets softball defeats Missouri Valley College JV at home
By Eric Wade
Nevada Daily Mail
Just a day after the second weather-related cancellation of the Cottey College Comets' softball season, head coach Shelli Stanley's squad made its home debut on a cold, but sunny Wednesday afternoon.
Heading into just the third and fourth games of the season with Wednesday's doubleheader against the Vikings of Missouri Valley College, the Comets entered the day needing just one win to match last season's total of two. That win came in Wednesday's opening game as the Comets battled through the elements to take the victory by a final score of 5-4.
The Comets' first win of the season came three weeks ago, when they split a doubleheader at North Arkansas Community College in Harrison, Ark. That twinbill was not only the last time the Comets won a game, but the last time they were on the field at all, thanks to lingering winter weather.
Wednesday was the first day of spring, but it certainly didn't feel that way as both fans and players alike were subjected to windy conditions and temperatures in the upper 30s. The effects of those conditions could be seen almost immediately as both pitchers struggled with control and holding onto the ball throughout the first game of the day.
The Comets were the first to take advantage of those struggles, putting up three runs in the home half of the opening frame. That three-run rally began when Christine Nevins reached on a one-out error by Dani Hernandez and was later driven in by Lexi Johnson when she hit a hard line drive double to the fence in left center.
Selena Gochenour knocked in Johnson and Comets starting pitcher Emma Rathe -- who reached on a ground ball single that made its way through the infield -- with a double of her own to give the Comets a 3-0 lead heading into the second.
Right fielder Jenn Burnette got two of those runs back for the Vikings in the top of the second inning when she hit a line drive double with two out to bring home Juliana Talancon and Brenda Broadwater, but the Comets defense held on. Rathe and the rest of her defense bent, but didn't break and brought the inning to a close, still up by one at 3-2.
The Comets padded their lead in the home half of the fifth as two more players added their names to the RBI list. Stevie Van Horn knocked in the first run of the frame as she brought home Danielle Womack with her groundout to third.
The Comets' fifth double of the game knocked in the final run for Cottey as Hallie Comer brought home Gochenour with a hard-hit fly ball to right center. That sent the game into the sixth inning with the Comets in command, up by three runs at 5-2.
The Vikings weren't quite done yet, though, and nearly made a valiant comeback. but for the second time in the contest, the Comets' defense bent, but didn't break.
The Vikings put up two runs in the frame on a Shelby Schmitz double and a Cassandra Smith single, but it wasn't quite enough to close the gap and the Comets took the victory by a final score of 5-4.
Results of the second game of Wednesday's twinbill were not available at press time.
The Comets are scheduled to be back in action at 2 p.m., Friday, hosting East Central Community College, but the weather forecast isn't promising with regard to Stanley's hopes of getting those games in.