Update June 27, 2017 - thank you to all who donated to Nicole Fight. Nicole latest prognosis is not the best news. Please pray for her family and in particular are 2 beautiful daughters. We were able to make a generous donation towards Nicole Medical Expenses.. THANK YOU and please pray for this amazing woman and her family

Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers. Unfortunately we have received bad news. On Friday we discovered that Nicole's cancer has spread to her liver, the bone mets have grown, and she very likely has metastatic disease in the lining of her brain. Her oncologist on Friday suggested she has less than 6 months and there are really no other treatments that will help stop the cancer, although we suspect her time with us is much shorter. We had her admitted for symptom control this weekend and palliative care is helping. She will be started on Hospice tomorrow morning. She is extremely tired, and we are focusing on, as best we can, keeping her comfortable and giving her the best quality of time we can. We did tell the girls last night that we can't beat the cancer and "mommy is going to heaven." Nicole did an amazing job of, of course, leading the talk and carrying everyone through it. They are doing as well as can be expected during these times and seem to do better when we remain upbeat around them. We are taking things day by day, hour by hour. We will need continued support and help, however at any given time it can be difficult in the chaos of this awful disease to know what. If you are nearby and available, please feel free to leave on here your availability in the coming weeks, what you might be able to help with, and your number and if I need something I promise I will call. And lastly, if Nicole hasn't gotten back to you, it's due to this disease. She appreciates your messages and love, but doesn't have the ability right now to respond to everyone. Thank you.

The Comets will have donations boxes at all sites for the Comets Tournament - we are all in to support our very own Comets alum Nicole Schneider Bomberger who is for the fight of her life. Nicole played for the Comets for many years and then starred at Notre Dame Academy and Millersville University. We attended an amazing benefit last month at Heritage Ballroom where over 500 people attended to help Nicole and her family with medical expenses that are building - Nicole works for Hershey in Hershey PA and commutes to Abramson Cancer Center at Penn. Facebook page is

nicole's fight with metastatic breast cancer. You can follow the fight there her updates are truly inspiring and so very sad at the same time.

Nicole Bomberger (38), wife of Torrey, Mom of Hailey Ann (7) and Kinsey Mae (5) , was diagonosed with Stage 4 Recurrence ofMetastatic Breast Cancer in December 2016. She is currently and will continuously be receiving treatment at Abramson Cancer Center at Penn. Please join us in collecting any donations to show your support for Nicole and help contribute towards her ongoing medical expenses.

Attached is the article that appeared in Delco Times her story !

and pictures of her beautiful young family.

The Comets will be donating a portion of the admission fees to help with the fight. Feel free to pay 20.00 for the weekend or throw a few bucks in the boxes provided. Every lit bit helps.

http://www.delcotimes.com/general-news/20170510/sharon-hill-women-plan-friday-night-benefit-for-sister-battling-cancer

Link:

Comets Girls Basketball

An image of Halley's Comet taken in 1986.

Halley's Comet is arguably the most famous comet. It is a "periodic" comet and returns to Earth's vicinity about every 75 years, making it possible for a human to see it twice in his or her lifetime. The last time it was here was in 1986, and it is projected to return in 2061.

The comet is named after English astronomer Edmond Halley, who examined reports of a comet approaching Earth in 1531, 1607 and 1682. He concluded that these three comets were actually the same comet returning over and over again, and predicted the comet would come again in 1758.

Halley didn't live to see the comet's return, but his discovery led to the comet being named after him. (The traditional pronunciation of the name usually rhymes with valley.) Halley's calculations showed that at least some comets orbit the sun.

Further, the first Halley's Comet of the space age in 1986 saw several spacecraft approach its vicinity to sample its composition. High-powered telescopes also observed the comet as it swung by Earth.

Halley's in history

The first known observation of Halley's took place in 239 B.C., according to the European Space Agency. Chinese astronomers recorded its passage in the Shih Chi and Wen Hsien Thung Khao chronicles.

When Halley's returned in 164 B.C. and 87 B.C., it probably was noted in Babylonian records now housed at the British Museum in London. "These texts have important bearing on the orbital motion of the comet in the ancient past," noted a Nature research paper about the tablets.

This portion of the Bayeux Tapestry shows Halley's Comet during its appearance in 1066.

Halley's most famous appearance occurred shortly before the 1066 invasion of England by William the Conquerer. It is said that William felt the comet heralded his success. In any case, the comet was put on the Bayeux Tapestry which chronicles the invasion in William's honor.

Another appearance of the comet in 1301 possibly inspired Italian painter Giotto's rendering of the Star of Bethlehem in "The Adoration of the Magi," according to the Britannica encyclopedia.

Astronomers in these times, however, saw each appearance of Halley's Comet as an isolated event. Comets were often foreseen as a sign of great disaster or change.

Even when Shakespeare wrote his play "Julius Caesar" around 1600, just 105 years before Edmond Halley calculated that the comet returns over and over again, one famous phrase spoke of comets as heralds: "When beggars die there are no comets seen; The heavens themselves blaze forth the death of princes."

Discovery of Halley's recurrence

Astronomy began changing swiftly around the time of Shakespeare, however. Many astronomers of his time held that Earth was the center of the solar system, but Nicolaus Copernicus who died about 20 years before Shakespeare's birth published findings showing that the center was actually the sun.

It took several generations for Copernicus' calculations to take hold in the astronomy community, but when they did, they provided a powerful model for how objects move around the solar system and the universe.

Edmond Halley

Edmond Halley published "A Synopsis of the Astronomy of Comets" in 1705, cataloguing what he had found from searching historical records of 24 comets appearing near Earth between 1337 to 1698. Three of those observations appeared to be very similar in terms of orbit and other parameters, leading Halley to propose that one comet might be visiting Earth again and again.

The comet appeared in 1531, 1607 and 1682. Halley suggested the same comet could return to Earth in 1758. Halley did not live long enough to see its return he died in 1742 but his discovery inspired others to name the comet after him.

On each successive journey to the inner solar system, astronomers on Earth turned their telescopes skyward to watch Halley's approach.

The comet's pass in 1910 was particularly spectacular, as the comet flew by about 13.9 million miles (22.4 million kilometers) from Earth, which is about 1/15 the distance between Earth and the Sun. On that occasion, Halley's was captured on camera for the first time.

According to biographer Albert Bigelow Paine, the writer Mark Twain said in 1909, "I came in with Halley's Comet in 1835. It is coming again next year, and I expect to go out with it." Twain died on April 21, 1910, one day after perihelion, when the comet emerged from the far side of the sun.

This photo of Halley's comet was taken by the Russian Vega 2 spacecraft, one of two Soviet probes (Vega 1 was the other) to rendezvous with the comet during its 1986 trip through the solar system in March 1986. The closest approach of Vega 1 to Halley was 8890 km while Vega 2 had a close encounter at 8030 km.

Halley's in the Space Age

When Halley's Comet came by Earth in 1986, it was the first time we could send spacecraft up to look at it.

That was a fortunate occurrence, as the comet ended up being underwhelming in observations from Earth. When the comet made its closest approach to the sun, it was on the opposite side of that star from the Earth making it a faint and distant object, some 39 million miles away from Earth.

Several spacecraft successfully made the journey to the comet. This fleet of spaceships is sometimes dubbed the "Halley Armada." Two joint Soviet/French probes (Vega 1 and 2) flew nearby, with one of them capturing pictures of the heart or nucleus of the comet for the first time.

The European Space Agency's Giotto got even closer to the nucleus, beaming back spectacular images to Earth. Japan sent two probes of its own (Sakigake and Suisei) that also obtained information on Halley.

Additionally, NASA's International Cometary Explorer (already in orbit since 1978) captured pictures of Halley from 17.3 million miles (28 million kilometers away.)

"It was inevitable that this most famous of all comets would receive unprecedented attention, but the actual magnitude of the effort has surprised even most of those involved in it," NASA noted in an account of the event.

Sadly, the astronauts aboard Challenger's STS-51L mission were also scheduled to look at the telescope when they arrived in the orbit, but they never got the chance. The shuttle exploded about two minutes after launch on Jan. 28, 1986, due to a rocket malfunction.

It will be many decades until Halley's gets close to Earth again, but in the meantime you can see its remnants every year. The Orionid meteor shower, which is spawned by Halley's fragments, occurs annually in October. Halley's also produced a shower in May, called the Eta Aquarids.

When Halley's sweeps by Earth in 2061, the comet will be on the same side of the sun as Earth and will be much brighter than in 1986.

One astronomer predicted it could be as bright as apparent magnitude -0.3. This is relatively bright, but well below that of the brightest star in Earth's sky: Sirius, at magnitude -1.4 as seen from Earth.

Elizabeth Howell, SPACE.com Contributor

Continued here:

Halley's Comet: Facts About the Most Famous Comet

Illustration of Echeclus. Credit: Florida Space Institute at UCF

Scientists pursue research through observation, experimentation and modeling. They strive for all of these pieces to fit together, but sometimes finding the unexpected is even more exciting. Thatswhat happened to University of Central Floridas astrophysicist Gal Sarid, who studies comets, asteroids and planetary formation and earlier this year was part of a team that published a studyfocused on the comet 174P/Echeclus. It didnt behave the way the team was expecting.

This is another clue that Echeclus is a bizarre solar system object, said University of South Florida physics research Professor Maria Womack, who leads the team.

Comets streak across the sky and as they get closer to the sun look like bright fuzz balls with extended luminous trails in their wake. However, comets are actually bulky spheres of mixed ice and rock, many of them also rich in other frozen volatile compounds, such as carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, hydrogen cyanide and methanol.

Comets heat up as they get closer to the sun, losing their icy layers by sublimation and producing emission jets of water vapor, other gases and dust expelled from the comet nucleus, Sarid said. Once they move away from the sun, they cool off again. But some comets start showing emission activity while still very far from the sun, where heating is low.

Thats what Sarid and Womack research as they study these kinds of distantly active comets. Womack and graduate student Kacper Wierzchos used the Arizona Radio Observatory Submillimeter telescope to observe Echeclus last year as it approached the sun. This work will be part of Wierzchos doctoral dissertation in applied physics at USF. Sarid provided theoretical expertise for interpreting the observational results.

Echeclus is part of the population of objects called centaurs, which have orbits around the sun at distances between that of Jupiter and Neptune. It is also part of a special group within the centaurs, which sometimes exhibit comet-like activity. Previous research indicated that Echeclus might have been spewing carbon monoxide as its icy material changed phases.

The team found that the levels of carbon monoxide were nearly 40 times lower than typically expected from other comets at similar distances from the sun. This suggests that Echeclus and similar active Centaurs may be more fragile than other comets. Echeclus may have gone through a different physical process from most comets that caused it to lose a lot of its original carbon monoxide, or it may have had less of that substance to begin with.

Understanding the composition of comets and how they work will help researchers understand how our solar system was formed. It will also aid space explorers plan for their travels things to avoid and perhaps hidden resources found within the nucleus of comets that may be useful on deep space missions.

These are minor bodies that we are studying, but they can provide major insights, Sarid said. We believe they are rich in organics and could provide important hints of how life originated.

Sarid is determined to solve the puzzle. This week he hosts a group of comet experts at UCF to discuss the mysterious activity of Echeclus and other similar bodies. The idea for the workshop is to capitalize on the local expertise in observation, laboratory and theoretical work that is required to fully understand the mysteries of active comets at great distances from the sun. The inaugural Florida Distant Comets workshop was held a year ago at USF.

I guess Ive always liked challenges, Sarid said from his office at the Florida Space Institute at UCF, where he spends his days trying to decipher the models and mathematical equations related to his work.

Sarid has a Ph.D. in geophysics and planetary Sciences from Tel Aviv University in Israel and completed postdoctoral work at the Institute for Astronomy and the NASA Astrobiology Institute in Hawaii, followed by a second postdoctoral research appointment at Harvard University. He was a part of a team that used the telescopes in Hawaii for several years chasing comets and asteroids for NASA observing campaigns and space missions before joining UCF in 2014.

He teamed up with Womack in 2016 and on this most recent study provided theoretical expertise for interpreting the observational results.The National Science Foundation funds the project, under a grant awarded to USF, with Womack as the principal investigator and Sarid as a co-investigator.

They will continue to look at centaur-type comets and measure the level of their carbon monoxide emission and related activity.

View post:

Bizarro comet challenging researchers - Astrobiology Magazine (registration)

OBSERVER-DISPATCH

Free agent forward Curtis Valk, the Utica Comets' second-leading scorer this past season, was signed Saturday by the Florida Panthers.

On the first day of National Hockey League free agency, the Panthers announced they had signed the 24-year-old Valk to a one-year, entry-level contract.

In his first full American Hockey League season with the Comets, Valk played in 75 games and scored 46 points - including 16 goals and a team-high 30 assists. The 5-foot-6, 166-pound native of Medicine Hat, Alberta, played one game with the Comets in 2014-15 and 12 more with Utica in 2015-16.

Valk has played in 88 AHL games and had 18 goals and 34 assists.

Two other former Utica Comets - left wing Tom Sestito of Rome and defenseman Frank Corrado - were resigned by the Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins. Sestito played 13 NHL games this past season and had two assists and 48 penalty minutes. Also signing Saturday were former Comets Cal O'Reilly (Minnesota Wild) and Joe Cannata (Colorado Avalanche).

Go here to read the rest:

Florida Panthers sign Comets forward Valk - Utica Observer Dispatch

The last day of June is an international recognition of Asteroid Day, a global, public discussion of the hazards posed to Earth and our civilization by asteroid and comet impacts.

June 30, 2017 marks the 109thanniversary of the 40-meter-wide asteroid impact over Tunguska, Siberia, that flattened 2000 square km (800 square miles) of conifer forest. That 3- to 5-megaton explosion, generated by an asteroid impact that occurs on average every millennium, is a reminder of the devastation that awaits our society if we fail to act to prevent a future impact.

Last year the United Nations recognized Asteroid Day as a global education event, aimed at raising awareness of cosmic impacts and the need for nations to work together to head off a future impact event. The professional society of astronauts and cosmonauts, theAssociation of Space Explorers, introduced the United Nations measure that recognized Asteroid Day.

We space fliers have seen the cosmic scars on Earth created by past impacts, and our international collaboration in space is an example of how we should apply our joint skills in space technology to find rogue asteroids and divert them from a collision with Earth.

Asteroid Day is a 24-hour global conversation kicking off on the eve of June 30, and features a day-long live broadcast from this years Asteroid Day headquarters in Luxembourg. The broadcast features asteroid science documentaries, interviews with scientists, astronauts, and policy makers, and interactive conversations with asteroid experts around the globe. In addition, close to a thousand events celebrating Asteroid Day will take place around the globe; you can see the program and the map online atAsteroidDay.org. You can also participate on Twitter at #AsteroidDayLive.

During my astronaut training, I explored the depths of Arizonas Meteor Crater, hiked the floor of Texas Odessa impact crater, and took in the view from the rim of the Henbury Crater complex in Australias great red Outback. From orbit, I observed a dozen or more impact scars scattered across the globe, some of the approximately 190 craters showing how our home planet has endured billions of years of cosmic bombardment.

We humans will endure another devastating asteroid or comet impact one that could wipe out a city, a region of a continent, or our global civilization unless we work together at finding dangerous asteroids and demonstrate our ability to change the orbit of one headed our way.

We need to support efforts to launch an infrared space telescope to hunt for the million or so objects that could threaten us, and ask your lawmakers to fund a deflection demonstration, like the joint NASA-ESA AIDA mission to nudge the orbit of a harmless asteroid with a high-speed spacecraft collision.

Were all piloting this spaceship Earth together, and Asteroid Day is a wonderful opportunity to learn how to protect it.

On behalf of the Association of Space Explorers, Ill be speaking about Asteroid Day and the asteroid hazard at theKennedy Space Center Visitor Complexon June 30. Lets talk asteroids!

For more information go towww.AstronautTomJones.com.

Tom Jones is a planetary scientist, author, and veteran NASA astronaut. He was a member of the 2012 Keck Institute for Space Studies asteroid retrieval study team. For more visit: AstronautTomJones.com.

See the original post here:

Asteroid Day 2017 - rogue comets and diverting them from Planet Earth - Fox News

June 29, 2017 Credit: University of Central Florida

Scientists pursue research through observation, experimentation and modeling. They strive for all of these pieces to fit together, but sometimes finding the unexpected is even more exciting.

That's what happened to University of Central Florida's astrophysicist Gal Sarid, who studies comets, asteroids and planetary formation and earlier this year was part of a team that published a study focused on the comet 174P/Echeclus. It didn't behave the way the team was expecting.

"This is another clue that Echeclus is a bizarre solar system object," said University of South Florida physics research Professor Maria Womack, who leads the team.

Comets streak across the sky and as they get closer to the sun look like bright fuzz balls with extended luminous trails in their wake. However, comets are actually bulky spheres of mixed ice and rock, many of them also rich in other frozen volatile compounds, such as carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, hydrogen cyanide and methanol.

Comets heat up as they get closer to the sun, losing their icy layers by sublimation and producing emission jets of water vapor, other gases and dust expelled from the comet nucleus, Sarid said. Once they move away from the sun, they cool off again. But some comets start showing emission activity while still very far from the sun, where heating is low.

That's what Sarid and Womack research as they study these kinds of distantly active comets. Womack and graduate student Kacper Wierzchos used the Arizona Radio Observatory Submillimeter telescope to observe Echeclus last year as it approached the sun. This work will be part of Wierzchos' doctoral dissertation in applied physics at USF. Sarid provided theoretical expertise for interpreting the observational results.

Echeclus is part of the population of objects called centaurs, which have orbits around the sun at distances between that of Jupiter and Neptune. It is also part of a special group within the centaurs, which sometimes exhibit comet-like activity. Previous research indicated that Echeclus might have been spewing carbon monoxide as its icy material changed phases.

The team found that the levels of carbon monoxide were nearly 40 times lower than typically expected from other comets at similar distances from the sun. This suggests that Echeclus and similar active Centaurs may be more fragile than other comets. Echeclus may have gone through a different physical process from most comets that caused it to lose a lot of its original carbon monoxide, or it may have had less of that substance to begin with.

Understanding the composition of comets and how they work will help researchers understand how our solar system was formed. It will also aid space explorers plan for their travels things to avoid and perhaps hidden resources found within the nucleus of comets that may be useful on deep space missions.

"These are minor bodies that we are studying, but they can provide major insights," Sarid said. "We believe they are rich in organics and could provide important hints of how life originated."

Sarid is determined to solve the puzzle. This week he hosts a group of comet experts at UCF to discuss the mysterious activity of Echeclus and other similar bodies. The idea for the workshop is to capitalize on the local expertise in observation, laboratory and theoretical work that is required to fully understand the mysteries of active comets at great distances from the sun. The inaugural Florida Distant Comets workshop was held a year ago at USF.

"I guess I've always liked challenges," Sarid said from his office at the Florida Space Institute at UCF, where he spends his days trying to decipher the models and mathematical equations related to his work.

Sarid has a Ph.D. in geophysics and planetary Sciences from Tel Aviv University in Israel and completed postdoctoral work at the Institute for Astronomy and the NASA Astrobiology Institute in Hawaii, followed by a second postdoctoral research appointment at Harvard University. He was a part of a team that used the telescopes in Hawaii for several years chasing comets and asteroids for NASA observing campaigns and space missions before joining UCF in 2014.

He teamed up with Womack in 2016 and on this most recent study provided theoretical expertise for interpreting the observational results. The National Science Foundation funds the project, under a grant awarded to USF, with Womack as the principal investigator and Sarid as a co-investigator.

They will continue to look at centaur-type comets and measure the level of their carbon monoxide emission and related activity.

Explore further: NEOWISE identifies greenhouse gases in comets

More information: K. Wierzchos et al. Carbon Monoxide in the Distantly Active Centaur (60558) 174P/Echeclus at 6 au, The Astronomical Journal (2017). DOI: 10.3847/1538-3881/aa689c , https://arxiv.org/abs/1703.07660

M. Womack et al. CO and Other Volatiles in Distantly Active Comets, Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific (2017). DOI: 10.1088/1538-3873/129/973/031001 , https://arxiv.org/abs/1611.00051

After its launch in 2009, NASA's NEOWISE spacecraft observed 163 comets during the WISE/NEOWISE prime mission. This sample from the space telescope represents the largest infrared survey of comets to date. Data from the survey ...

ESA and NASA's Solar and Heliospheric Observatory, or SOHO, saw a bright comet plunge towardthe sun on Aug. 3-4, 2016, at nearly 1.3 million miles per hour. Comets are chunks of ice and dust that orbit the sun, usually ...

(Phys.org)A team of researchers with the Center of Planetary Science (CPS) has finally solved the mystery of the "Wow!" signal from 1977. It was a comet, they report, one that that was unknown at the time of the signal ...

Though not visible to the naked eye or even with binoculars, the green-tailed Comet 45P/Honda-Mrkos-Pajdusakova (HMP) did not escape the gaze of the world-renowned Arecibo Observatory. Scientists from the University of Arizona's ...

A new study has revealed similarities and relationships between certain types of chemicals found on 30 different comets, which vary widely in their overall composition compared to one another. The research is part of ongoing ...

The true identity of centaurs, the small celestial bodies orbiting the sun between Jupiter and Neptune, is one of the enduring mysteries of astrophysics. Are they asteroids or comets? A new study of observations from NASA's ...

Japan has revealed ambitious plans to put an astronaut on the Moon around 2030 in new proposals from the country's space agency.

There are no mechanics on Mars, so the next best thing for NASA's Curiosity rover is careful driving.

Rocky planets are probably a whole lot more common in our galaxy than astronomers previously believedaccording to the latest release of Kepler Space Telescope data last weeka scenario that enhances the prospects for ...

(Phys.org)An international team of astronomers has identified a new extrasolar planet from the data provided by Kepler spacecraft's prolonged mission known as K2. The newly found exoworld, designated EPIC 228735255b, is ...

In our solar system, an asteroid orbits the sun in the opposite direction to the planets. Asteroid 2015 BZ509, also known as Bee-Zed, takes 12 years to make one complete orbit around the sun. This is the same orbital period ...

As NASA's Parker Solar Probe spacecraft begins its first historic encounter with the sun's corona in late 2018flying closer to our star than any other mission in historya revolutionary cooling system will keep its solar ...

Please sign in to add a comment. Registration is free, and takes less than a minute. Read more

Excerpt from:

Bizarro comet challenging researchers - Phys.org - Phys.Org

Miranda Brunner made the North Eastern Conference Honorable Mention softball team as a utility player. Greg Seubert Photo

June 29, 2017

By Greg Seubert

Three Waupaca softball players received all-conference recognition from the North Eastern Conference.

Junior Markie Ash, senior Victoria Nowak and junior Miranda Brunner made the Honorable Mention team as a catcher, infielder and utility player, respectively.

First Team

Pitcher: Payton Dorn*, junior, Freedom; MaKayla Neinas*, senior, Wrightstown; Samantha Birling, senior, Fox Valley Lutheran.

Catcher: Abby Bergholz, sophomore, Fox Valley Lutheran; Abby Chada, junior, Denmark.

Infielder: Madysen Thayse*, senior, Luxemburg-Casco; Leah Hansen, senior, Denmark; Danielle Nennig, senior, Wrightstown; Brooke Garrett, junior, Freedom.

Outfielder: Abby Cardew*, senior, Freedom; Jayden Laurent*, junior, Denmark; Dana Deterville*, senior, Luxemburg-Casco.

Designated player: Taylor Ullman, junior, Denmark.

Utility player: Morgan Witt, senior, Freedom.

Second Team

Pitcher: Grace Nys, sophomore, Denmark; Chloe Lambie, junior, Marinette.

Catcher: Virginia Misco, senior, Oconto Falls; Hannah Bearson, sophomore, Marinette.

Infielder: Calista Brockman, sophomore, Freedom; Katie Joten, freshman, Little Chute; Heather Renard, senior, Wrightstown; McKenzie Bebo, junior, Marinette; Brianna Prevost, junior, Luxemburg-Casco.

Outfielder: Hannah Wilson, senior, Fox Valley Lutheran; Lori Meyer, senior, Freedom; Mariah Tebon, senior, Luxemburg-Casco.

Designated player: Ally Dart, sophomore, Luxemburg-Casco.

Utility player: Morgann Jensen, senior, Fox Valley Lutheran.

Honorable Mention

Pitcher: Aubrie Hermsen, freshman, Little Chute; Sierra Shefchik, freshman, Luxemburg-Casco.

Catcher: Markie Ash, junior, Waupaca.

Infielder: Sadie Pankratz, senior, Oconto Falls; Megan Lonigro, junior, Little Chute; Taylor Guns, junior, Wrightstown; Taylor Wolchenske, junior, Denmark; Cassie Dart, senior, Luxemburg-Casco; Victoria Nowak, senior, Waupaca; Melany Lorge, freshman, Clintonville.

Outfielder: Bailey Mikkelson, freshman, Clintonville; Bailey Magnin, senior, Oconto Falls; Breanna Collins, junior, Denmark; Kyla Lesperance, senior, Marinette.

Utility player: Miranda Brunner, junior, Waupaca.

Player of the Year: Payton Dorn, junior, Freedom.

* Denotes unanimous selection

View original post here:

Three Comets singled out | Waupaca County Post - Waupaca County News

Ben Birnell

UTICA Trent Cull knows the importance of one aspect of his job.

The 43-year-old coach and former player acknowledges helping the next generations best hockey players grow in an effort to make it to the National Hockey League has great significance to him.

As the Utica Comets newest head coach, Cull will get the opportunity to help shape some of the games top prospects in the American Hockey League. Cull was announced Wednesday as the replacement for Travis Green, who was promoted to the NHLs Vancouver Canucks in April after four seasons leading the Comets.

I feel that one of my strengths is developing players, said Cull, who recently helped the North Division rival Syracuse Crunch to a Calder Cup finals appearance as an assistant coach. I want to develop our team and our players because then were going to have a better team.

To have a kid sit in a chair in front of you and tell him hes going to the NHL, is probably the best feeling. Its almost like a proud father. (To have) a kid youve worked with for two days or five years and send them on their way and reach their goal their dream thats exciting.

So how will the Comets play on the ice? Cull said he wants to continue the detailed, hard-working structure associated with Greens teams, which made the playoffs twice in his four seasons, including a run to the Calder Cup finals in 2015.

I know I have some big shoes to fill, said Cull, who showed a confident and good-natured demeanor at a news conference Wednesday at the Utica Memorial Auditorium. Travis is a great coach.

Culls pro coaching experience comes as an assistant, spending eight of the last 11 seasons with Syracuse. He was also head coach of the junior Ontario Hockey Leagues Sudbury Wolves from 2010 to 2013, compiling a regular-season record of 94-88-11-11.

A former defenseman, Cull said he wants his teams to play with speed, but also be defensive-minded.

Obviously, were not going to be the Pittsburgh Penguins, but we want to play the game fast, Cull said. We want to be a team that plays hard. Hard is such a different word now than what has happened in the past. Its not about fighting, but it is about being firm. We want to make sure were playing the game with a little bit of a snarl.

The Syracuse rivalry aside, Cull has another link to the Mohawk Valley. He crossed paths briefly with Whitesboro native and Comets President Rob Esche while both were in the Phoenix Coyotes' system during the 1999-2000 season. The NHL organization was then affiliated with the Springfield Falcons.

In total, Cull spent his 10-year career playing in the AHL and the now-defunct International Hockey League. He totaled 435 regular-season AHL games with St. Johns, Springfield, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Houston and Syracuse, accumulating 70 points with 1,049 career penalty minutes. Cull was a member of Wilkes-Barre/Scrantons Calder Cup finals team in 2000-01.

For me, it just stinks when you dont win, Cull said. When you know youre good enough to win and (don't), its something to chew on for a while. I have to find a way to do that with the (Comets)."

Esche said Vancouver officials did their due diligence and were massively excited about adding Cull to the organization. Cull said he met with Green and Vancouver officials last weekend at the NHL draft in Chicago.

"He's just a remarkable guy," Esche said. "I think he's got a genuine passion for development. It doesn't matter even if you're in the NHL you're always developing. Every day is about getting better. ... You dont get to places (Green) and Trent have been without getting better every day.

Jason King, who joined the Comets last season as a full-time assistant, remains on the staff. Cull said another assistant will be added to replace Nolan Baumgartner, who joined Green in Vancouver. With Cull set to help at the Canucks prospects camp next week in the Vancouver area, he said another assistant will be among the topics discussed.

Cull said his experience with Utica is limited to visits to the Aud. He said he looks forward to establishing roots in the area with his wife, Marcia and their three young boys.

When you feel the vibe of (the Aud) you see everybody come and its almost like a family atmosphere, Cull said. It is just kind of a great pride around the rink.

For Vancouver having their team here, I think is a win-win. Im excited to be part of that. Not only the team here in the building, but being part of the fabric of the community. Were going to be around. I just look forward to the whole opportunity.

Follow @OD_Birnell on Twitter or call him at 315-792-5032.

The rest is here:

Trent Cull named Utica Comets head coach - Utica Observer Dispatch

Details Published on Thursday, June 29, 2017

By Justin Froese

Submitted

Two games and two wins for Rivers Comets this week, so we clinched a playoff berth and improved our record to 6-6 on the season.

Our first game took place Wednesday, June 21 as Comets travelled to Elkhorn to take on the Expos. Comets rode a stud, complete game pitching performance by Eric Truscott to a 5-3 win. Dustin Asham had a pair of hits to help lead the offence.

Game 2 was after a six-day layoff, but thankfully being put on ice didn't slow the offence down. On Tuesday, June 27 Cody Nolan pitched a complete game, striking out three to lead Comets to a 16-4 win over Reston Rockets. Dana McNish, Eric Truscott and Chris Hillis each had three hits; Justin Froese went 4-5 with a home run and three RBIs.

Theres one calendar week left until our regular season wraps up. Wednesday, June 28 we played our final home game against Elkhorn Expos before hitting the road Friday to take on Deloraine Royals on June 30. Our regular season finale is Monday, July 3 when we hit the road and take on the Red Sox in Hamiota.

For more recent Comets information, check out the Rivers Comets Baseball Club Facebook group!

See the article here:

Rivers Comets Corner - June 29, 2017 - myWestman.ca

Ben Birnell

A total of 36 players will take part in the Vancouver Canucks three-day development camp, which begins Tuesday, July 4 in British Columbia.

The camp, which includes on-ice practice and community events, features a prospect scrimmage on Thursday, July 6 at Rogers Arena in Vancouver. The annual meeting features the Canucks top prospects, including some who have spent time with the Utica Comets, this years draft class as well as a few invitees.

That game will have prospects play 5-on-5 in the first period, 4-on-4 in the second and 3-on-3 in the third. The game will also be streamed live on the Canucks Facebook page, according to the team. The game is set for 9 p.m. Eastern.

Some of the notable players attending the camp include high-end prospects Brock Boeser, Jonathan Dahlen, NCAA-bound forwards Adam Gaudette and William Lockwood as well as 2016 fifth overall draft pick Olli Juolevi. One familiar name to Comets fans attending is Michael Carcone, who had 18 points in 61 games as a rookie with Utica last season. Recent signees Brett McKenzie, Zack MacEwen, Griffen Molino and Alexis DAoust are each set to attend.

Also expected to attending the camp will be all eight players selected at last weekends NHL draft in Chicago, including fifth overall pick Elias Pettersson.

Heres the roster:

Forwards

Boeser, Brock

Carcone, Michael

Cressey, Jackson

Dahlen, Jonathan

DAoust, Alexis

Gadjovich, Jonah

Gaudette, Adam

Iacobellis, Steven

Isaacson, Nick

Lind, Kole

Lockwood, Will

Luchuk, Aaron

MacEwen, Zack

McKenzie, Brett

Molino, Griffen

Palmu, Petrus

Parizek, Justin

Pettersson, Elias

Ratelle, Joey

Rice, R.T.

Stukel, Jakob

Defensemen

Brassard, Matt

Brisebois, Guillaume

Brubacher, Adam

Candella, Cole

Chatfield, Jalen

Chen, Simon

Gunnarsson, Kristoffer

Irving, Aaron

Jamieson, Aiden

Juolevi, Olli

Kellenberger, Matthew

Rathbone, Jack

Goaltenders

DiPietro, Michael

Marotte, Francis

Marshall, Linden

Read more:

Some Utica Comets prospects set to attend Canucks development camp - Utica Observer Dispatch

CONRAD Twelve runs was more than enough for the Class 2A No. 13 BCLUW softball team to beat Dike-New Hartford in Tuesdays cross-NICL contest, and all 12 runs arrived in one inning.

BCLUW scored a dozen runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to reach the mercy rule, winning 12-0. Leah Yantis connected on her seventh home run of the season a two-run shot as the Comets (24-8) poured it on after playing three scoreless innings with Dike-New Hartford (4-21).

Sara Sharp had two hits including a double and drove in two runs, while Kate Goecke had two singles and two RBIs. Samantha Ubben and Jordyn Beeghly both singled and doubled and drove in a run. Olivia Hughes and Lauren Anderson both singled and had an RBI.

Ubben tossed a no-hitter in her four-inning pitching effort, striking out six and walking one.

The Comets go on the road tonight to face 3A No. 9 West Marshall in a pivotal NICL West Division clash.

Errors hurt East Marshall baseball team

STORY CITY Only one of Roland-Storys 11 runs were earned to East Marshall pitching as the host Norsemen defeated the Mustangs 11-1 in a six-inning non-conference contest here Tuesday night.

Gage Hulin, Justin Ridout, Kam Hoskins and Lansin Lacina had hits for East Marshall (5-17), while losing pitcher Zane Johnson scored the teams only run, coming across on an error in the top of the sixth inning.

Johnson allowed five hits and seven unearned runs in three innings, walking four and striking out one.

East Marshall is at home for the rest of the week, hosting Gladbrook-Reinbeck tonight, Aplington-Parkersburg on Thursday and South Hardin on Friday.

Trojans wrap up NICL West crown

STATE CENTER The West Marshall baseball team secured the outright NICL West Division title by beating the opponent it had shared the last two crowns with, defeating East Marshall 11-2 in Mondays league game.

Ross Randall improved to 5-0 on the mound by allowing just three hits and two runs one earned over six innings for the win. He struck out 10 and walked three. Jake Storjohann got the last three outs for the Trojans (20-5, 10-0).

Alex Dickey went 2-for-3 at the plate, driving in four runs to lead West Marshalls barrage. Cody Mead was 2-for-3 with a double and two RBIs, and Jake Tollefson finished 2-for-3 with a run scored. Cameron Bannisters only hit was an RBI double, and he scored twice as well.

Chandler Sponseller and Parker Hulbert added singles, while Randall scored three runs and David Disney stole three bases, drove in two runs and scored twice.

East Marshalls three singles came from Gage Hulin, Justin Ridout and Austin Elliot. Hulin and Zane Johnson scored the Mustangs runs in the top of the fourth, but West Marshall led 7-2 by that point. Losing pitcher Jordan McAnulty had the lone RBI for East Marshall (5-16, 3-7).

Rebels keep BCLUW out of the hunt

REINBECK The Gladbrook-Reinbeck baseball team eliminated BCLUW from the race for the NICL West Division title by bumping off the Comets 6-2 on Monday night.

The win was the fourth-straight for the Rebels (10-6, 6-4), who led 6-0 before BCLUW (11-9, 7-3) rallied with two runs in the top of the seventh.

Tyler Tscherter tossed 5 2/3 innings of no-hit ball for G-R, walking two while striking out nine. Joe Smoldt struck out one of the two batters he faced, before Kyle Koppen was tagged for two runs in the seventh.

Smoldt led the Rebel bats, going 2-for-4 with a double and two runs scored. Koppen and Mason Skovgard both drove in two runs, while Tscherter had two hits and scored a run. Walker Thede added an RBI single and scored.

AGWSR outlasts South Hardin baseball

ELDORA Luke Starr allowed two hits over 5 1/2 innings and Caleb Bartling had a triple to help lead the AGWSR baseball team past South Hardin 5-1 in Mondays NICL West Division tilt.

Starr allowed one unearned run on two singles and a walk while striking out nine. Liam Stubbe got the final five outs for the save, striking out four batters.

Stubbe also went 2-for-2 atop the batting order for the Cougars (7-6, 6-5), walking twice, stealing two bases and scoring three times. Bartling went 2-for-4 with a triple and two RBIs, while Joe Wiarda and Tate Hofmeister added singles.

Aaron Nederhoff and Kaleb Roling had the only hits for South Hardin (4-9, 3-8), and Roling scored the Tigers run. It was South Hardins fourth consecutive loss.

Redhawks run win streak to 12 games

RICEVILLE The North Tama baseball team ran its win streak to 12 games with a 13-3, six-inning rout of Riceville in Mondays Iowa Star Conference clash.

Cameron Hoeg struck out 13 in a five-hitter for the Redhawks (19-4, 11-2), allowing two earned runs on three walks while going all six innings on the mound. He also went 2-for-3 at the plate with three runs scored and three RBIs.

Cael Kopriva led the North Tama offense, finishing 4-for-4 with a stolen base, four runs scored and two RBIs. Joe Earley and Cael Even had two hits apiece.

Kyle Bauer and John Miller had two hits each to lead Riceville (11-14, 8-7).

Dunkerton baseball beats Royals 17-7

DUNKERTON The Dunkerton baseball team ended a 12-game losing streak with a 17-7, six-inning victory over Colo-NESCO on Monday in Iowa Star Conference play.

The host Raiders scored in every inning, highlighted by a six-run third that provided the eventual game-winning runs. Dunkerton (3-17, 3-13) racked up 10 hits and benefitted from 14 walks issued by Colo-NESCO pitching.

Matthew Hill, Sean Cutler and Phil Bower had two hits apiece to lead Colo-NESCO (6-16, 4-11). Cutler doubled and drove in three runs, Bower plated two more, and Garrett Packer added the only other hit for the Royals.

Ruffcorn helps Royals defeat Raiders

MC CALLSBURG Mackenna Ruffcorn pitched a five-hitter from the circle and drove in three runs from the batters box to lead the Colo-NESCO softball team to an 8-3 win over Dunkerton in Mondays Iowa Star Conference clash.

Ruffcorn allowed one earned run in a complete-game pitching performance, walking two while striking out six. She also went 2-for-3 at the plate with a double, two runs scored and three RBIs.

Grace Kettwig was 2-for-4 with two RBIs and Chelsea Henze was 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored to help the Royals (112-15, 11-5) to the conference victory.

Ranked Clarksville clouts GMG softball

GREEN MOUNTAIN Class 1A No. 7 Clarksville turned 10 hits and 10 walks into a four-inning Iowa Star Conference softball victory over GMG on Monday night, winning 16-3.

Belle Duncan and Angel Schewe both hit doubles for the Wolverines, while Zoe Duncan, Maesa Groth, Emily Vaughn, Eve Gallentine and Alyssa Raymond added singles.

Marion pitching stifles STC baseball

TAMA Marions Brady Donahue and Rick Atkins both pitched one-hitters as the Class 3A No. 6 Indians baseball team swept WaMaC West Division foe South Tama County by scores of 5-0 and 7-0 on Monday night.

Donahue struck out nine and walked two, allowing only a Jackson Beltz single, and Cael Kelloggs hit was the only blemish on Atkins chart. Atkins struck out eight and walked none for Marion (20-6, 16-3).

Kellogg and Jonah Bearden got the pitching losses for STC (4-19, 3-19), which has lost 18 in a row.

URBANDALE The Class 5A No. 6 Urbandale softball team totaled 26 hits and 26 runs in its doubleheader sweep of ...

The rest is here:

SPORTS SHORTS: Comets erupt for 12 runs, beat D-NH - Marshalltown Times Republican

CHARLES CITY For as long as Sara Martin can remember, she has been able to hit a softball a long way.

It wasnt until she got serious about it that she realized how far she can send a ball into orbit.

The Charles City senior and future Wartburg College softball player has socked 21 home runs the past two seasons, and her 10 home runs this season tie her for fifth among all Class 4A hitters.

I dont know where the power came from, but I just have always been a powerful hitter, Martin said. As far back as I can remember when I was playing on a travel team, I was the clean-up hitter.

When Martin, who is batting .483 with 42 RBIs and 30 runs scored for the 15th-ranked Comets (25-3), got to high school she found the weight room.

As a three-sport athlete, Martin discovered she liked getting better.

The work ethic is something my dad instilled in me, Martin said. He was always saying if you want to be better you need to work harder than the others. I like pushing myself to be better and I enjoy making myself a better player.

Charles City head coach Brian Bohlen says that is exactly what he sees from his leftfielder.

It starts in the weight room, Bohlen said. She always puts in her time there and not only for softball, but for track and volleyball, too. She has put in the work and has great core strength that really helps her in all of her sports.

She is part of a core group of girls who want to put in extra work ... girls who are willing to get the keys to the shed and come early for a game night and take 200 extra swings before I get there.

Martin has not only starred for the Comets softball team, but was a valuable member for the volleyball team that reached the state tournament for the fifth time in six years in November and recently finished fourth in the Class 4A shot put at the state track and field championships.

Bohlen feels she has saved her best for last.

She is really seeing the ball well this year, even better than last year, Bohlen said. Last year, she had the tendency to pull her head. She is staying on the ball and is hitting everything hard every time she makes contact.

Not all of her home runs are 50 feet in the air, shes had several that have been 10 feet off the ground, just hard line drives that carried out. Shes also hit a lot of home runs that are pushing 250, 260 feet.

For her part, Martin says she doesnt go to the plate looking to hit home runs.

I really just want to put a good swing on it and hit it hard, hit a line drive, Martin said. Its never about hitting a home run.

With 21 home runs and 91 RBIs the past two seasons, Martin has been a key component for a Charles City squad looking for back-to-back state tournament berths.

A year ago, the Comets pulled off a big upset in the regional finals over West Delaware to reach their first state tournament since 2009 where they eventually finished fifth in Class 4A.

Currently, Charles City is riding a nine-game winning streak and at 12-2 in the Northeast Iowa Conference is a game back of Crestwood in the league standings.

Martin believes the current team has what it takes to get back to Fort Dodge.

Last years team had amazing chemistry that helped carry us to the state tournament, Martin said. I think that chemistry carried over to this year and I feel we can go as far as we want to.

Originally posted here:

Prep of the week: Martin powering Comet softball surge - Waterloo Cedar Falls Courier

COLLINS The Collins-Maxwell/Baxter baseball team had just two hits in a 12-0, six-inning loss to North Polk on Monday during Heart of Iowa Conference play.

The Comets remained in the hunt for the Heart of Iowa Conference title after piling up three runs in each of the first two innings and then ending the game early with a four-run sixth.

CMB senior Brady Kemp and freshman Cole Damman each had a hit for the Raiders, who lost their fifth straight game. Senior Tucker Maxwell walked twice and senior Brady Ross and junior Bryce Bacon also drew walks.

Ben Rupe (3-0) struck out seven and walked four in six innings for the Comets, who are now 18-6 overall and 10-3 in the HOIC.

Junior Travis Lindemoen took the loss for CMB, allowing six earned runs on seven hits in two innings. Senior Creighton Caple, Bacon and Damman all pitched in relief

CMB (3-17, 2-12) plays at Saydel at 5:15 p.m. Thursday in Des Moines.

Visit link:

Raider baseball shut down by Comets - Newton Daily News

By Charles Curcio

Sports Editor

The North Carolina Baseball Coaches Association has released its selections for the All-State teams.

Two North Stanly players earned All-State honors from this years team that finished 23-7 overall and reached the Regional Finals Series for the first time in school history: Will Moore and Carson Lowder.

Senior Will Moore finished the season with a 9-3 pitching record on the mound with a 2.18 earned-run average. He had 14 appearances on the season and threw the most innings of any Comets pitcher (70.2). Moore allowed 22 earned run on 59 hits with 25 walks and a team-high 67 strikeouts. Opposing batters hit just .218 against Moore this season.

The North senior was also one of the teams standouts offensively. Moore was second for the Comets in batting average (.352) with 32 hits in 105 at-bats and 28 RBIs. He had five doubles, two home runs along with an on-base percentage of .419 and a .472 slugging mark.

Moore was named to the 2017 All-SNAP baseball team as well.

Will was a great senior leader and great pitcher for us this year,North head coach Will Davis said.

He never had a bad outing all year. He stepped up to every situation as a senior should. He wanted to throw and finish every game in every opportunity he had.

Davis said that North will miss him this coming year but hopefully his leadership has rubbed off on the others.

One of those others returning next year is Lowder, a sophomore.

He had a big year at the plate for North Stanly. Lowder led the Comets with 11 home runs, tops among hitters in Stanly County. The North sophomore led his team with 41 hits and 32 RBIs while scoring 37 runs. He also led the Comets with a .536 OBP and a .922 slugging percentage.

The North sophomore was also named as the 2017 SNAP Hitter of theYear.Recently, Lowder participated in the Powerade State Games playing for Region 6.

It's a honor to be picked all state as a sophomore but I couldn't have done it without my team and coaches pushing me to work harder everyday to get better especially the seniors Will Moore and Holden Davis, Lowder said.

Carson is a good all-around hitter. He works hard; he is who you want at the plate late in the game to win it...he is a threat every time he is at the plate, Davis said.

Norths head coach also said Lowder is a talented shortstop with a good arm and good range.

To submit story ideas, call Charles Curcio at (704) 982-2121, ext. 26, email charles@stanlynewspress.com or contact him via Twitter (@charles_curcio).

See the original post:

Two Comets named to All-State team | Sports | thesnaponline.com - Stanly News & Press

Members of the Halifax County High School varsity and junior varsity baseball teams received a final round of recognition Thursday night, gathering for the final time of the season for the annual Comets baseball post-season awards dinner.

Standout senior pitcher Andrew Abbott, as expected, received the most honors and was named as the recipient of the team Most Valuable Player Award in recognition of his outstanding season.

Abbott also received the Halifax Insurance Agency Comets Player of the Year Award in recognition of his outstanding season.

Coaches recognized Abbott for having garnered Player of the Year honors from the Piedmont District, 5A North Region Conference 16, and 5A North Region in addition to having received the Virginia 5A State Player of the Year Award.

Abbott was also honored for having received the 2017 Gatorade Virginia Baseball Player of the Year Award. That award recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character on and off the field.

Abbott finished the season with a 9-0 record on the mound with one save, a .289 ERA, 158 strikeouts and having allowed only four walks through the Comets 25-game season.

He led the teams regular starters in batting with a .447 average, had 12 RBIs and one home run.

Comets catcher Clay Lloyd, a First Team all conference, all-region and all-state pick, received Offensive Player of the Year honors. Lloyd had a .377 batting average with a team-high 21 RBIs.

First baseman Hunter Watts and centerfielder Brayden Moore were co-recipients of the team Defensive Player of the Year. Watts had a team-high 130 putouts and a .981 fielding percentage and was recognized as the teams 5A North Region Conference 16 Tournament Most Valuable Player.

Drew Harlow and Alex Lowery were named co-recipients of the team Pitching Award. Harlow had a 2-0 record for the season with five saves and a .488 ERA. Lowery was 3-3 on the season with a 2.172 ERA.

Holt Powell received the LeRave Jewelry Sportsmanship Award. Tylik Powell received the team Utility Player of the Year Award and Tyler Duffer received the Coaches Award.

Outfielder Josh Barker received the Halifax Insurance Agency 5A State Tournament Most Valuable Player Award as well as the teams 5A North Region Tournament Most Valuable Player Award.

Barker was noted for having a .375 batting average in the two games with two game-winning RBIs.

Players on the Comets junior varsity baseball team also received honors in recognition of their play during an outstanding season that saw the team lose only game,

Shaun Perkins was named as the recipient of the Offensive Player of the Year Award. Perkins had a .571 batting average with 18 runs scored and 20 RBIs. Dylan Clark received the Highest Batting Average Award with a .583 average. He had 14 RBIs and scored 19 times.

The Pitching Award went to Tyler Mabe who logged five wins in 24 innings pitched and struck out 37 batters. Will Wallace received the Coaches Award. He had a .439 batting average, logged 10 RBIs and scored 17 times.

Most Improved Player Awards went to Zack Lowery and Colt LaRue. Lowery had a .341 batting average, had 7 RBIs and had three wins on the mound. LaRue batted .421 for the season with 9 RBIs and had three wins on the mound.

Go here to read the rest:

For Comets diamonders, a final round of recognition - YourGV.com

Workington Comets 87 Newcastle Diamonds 92 (aggregate): Workington Comets blew a 16-point lead to crash out of the Knockout Cup in a controversial second leg at Newcastle.

Comets cruised to a 53-37 win at Derwent Park this afternoon, led by British Champion Craig Cook with a 15-point maximum and sensational new track record.

But they fell apart at the Diamonds Brough Park home tonight, with James Sarjeant withdrawing and an injury for Robert Lambert doing nothing to slow the Diamonds comeback to win 92-87 on aggregate.

The second leg ended in farce as Cook was excluded from the final heat rerun after missing the two minutes due to his bike being damaged in a crash in the last race.

Thomas Jorgensen, who was also hurt in the incident, completed four laps in agony knowing that progression was almost impossible.

In the entertaining first leg, an opening string of 4-2s saw Cook, Sarjeant, Matt Williamson and Thomas Jorgensen register wins for the home side, the Dane in particular impressing with a box office last bend pass on Steve Worrall, before Lambert hit back for the away side with a stylish ride in heat five to share the points.

Comets quickly got back to winning ways with a 5-1 through Cook and Campton in heat six, the latter holding off Worrall with a determined ride from the gate, but the Diamonds responded with a 5-1 of their own as Jorgensen shed a chain and Sarjeant couldnt catch Ludvig Lindgren or Lewis Rose.

Former Comet Ashley Morris made the most of a good start to win heat eight for a 4-2 with Ben Hopwood, but Ty Proctor motored past Worrall on the first bend of heat nine to cancel it out with a Comets 4-2.

Heat 10 saw one of the rides of the day as Cook went from last to first in one lap for another 4-2, this time cancelled out by Newcastle with a 4-2 in heat 11 thanks to Lamberts classy win.

Rose split Proctor and Sarjeant in heat 12 for a Comets 4-2, before Cook shot to the front in heat 13 and a feisty battle between Worrall and Jorgensen saw the Comet emerge behind his team-mate for a crucial 5-1.

Williamson delivered the goods again with a win in heat 14, with Sarjeant behind Lindgren for another 4-2.

And a final heat 3-3 gave Cook his maximum and left Workington a 16-point lead to defend.

Comets picked up where they left off with a 4-2 in the second legs first heat thanks to Cook showing Lambert the fastest way around Brough Park, with Campton third.

Heat two was awarded as a 3-2 before Lindgren and Rose team-rode to a 5-1 which took a chunk out of Comets lead in heat three.

A draw followed in heat four as Jorgensen and Shuttleworth chased Worrall, then Cook led Rose and Lindgren for another 3-3.

Comets suffered a blow as Sarjeant withdrew from the meeting with a suspected broken metatarsal, before Lambert took a tumble in heat six and was excluded for his troubles, with Morris winning the rerun ahead of Jorgensen and Shuttleworth.

A fourth consecutive draw in heat seven saw Worrall beat Proctor and Williamson before the hosts broke the streak with a two 4-2s to chip away at Comets lead, only for their leading light Lambert to withdraw from the meeting.

Worrall stepped in to replace him in heat 10 and dealt a devastating blow to Workington, combining with Morris for a 5-1 to slash the away sides aggregate lead to just five points.

And the Diamonds No5 beat Campton and Cook in the next race to keep the pressure on, before a Rose/Hopwood 4-2 cut the aggregate gap to just three points.

Cook won heat 13 to give Comets' hope that they could hold on, but it wasn't to be as the home side produced a pair of 5-1s to break West Cumbrian hearts and end a day of speedway on a sour note.

WORKINGTON COMETS 53: Craig Cook 15, Ty Proctor 9, Matt Williamson 8+1, Thomas Jorgensen 7+1, Mason Campton 6+1, James Sarjeant 6, Rob Shuttleworth 2 NEWCASTLE 37: Robert Lambert 10, Steve Worrall 7+1, Ludvig Lindgren 7, Lewis Rose 6+1, Ashley Morris 4, Ben Hopwood 3, Dan Greenwood 0.

2nd leg NEWCASTLE 55: Steve Worrall 16+1, Ludvig Lindgren 14+2, Ashley Morris 8+1, Lewis Rose 8+1, Ben Hopwood 7+1, Robert Lambert 2, Dan Greenwood 0 WORKINGTON COMETS 34: Craig Cook 10+1, Thomas Jorgensen 7, Ty Proctor 6, Mason Campton 5, Rob Shuttleworth 4+2, Matt Williamson 2+1, James Sarjeant 0. Newcastle win 92-87 on aggregate.

Read more from the original source:

Workington Comets suffer late heartbreak in controversial Knockout ... - News & Star

Local Sports

Jun 24, 2017

T-R PHOTO BY ROSS THEDE Colfax-Mingos Mackensie Brown (12) slides safely into second base with a double ahead of the tag by Marshalltown shortstop Regan Mazour during Fridays game at the Bobcat Softball Classic at Marshalltown Community College. The Class 1A No. 11-ranked Tigerhawks topped the Bobcats 6-0.

If the Marshalltown softball team learned anything from its fleeting five-game win streak, head coach Jim Palmer hopes his squad discovered that the energy and enthusiasm they need to succeed must come from within.

MHS opened its annual Bobcat Softball Classic on Friday afternoon with a 6-3 victory over Des Moines Roosevelt, but ended with a 6-0 loss to Class 1A No. 11 Colfax-Mingo.

The Bobcats (7-20) scored three runs in their first at-bat of the tournament, going in front to stay against a fellow Central Iowa Metropolitan League program, but managed only three hits against the backup pitcher of a ranked 1A squad.

Marshalltowns success ebbed and flowed throughout the day, and Palmer hopes his squad can find a way to manufacture positive vibe even when things arent going the Bobcats way.

Youve got to bring that energy to every game, said Palmer. Theyve got to have their own drive and fire in their belly.

T-R PHOTO BY ROSS THEDE Marshalltowns Madi Finch lifts a single to left field during the Bobcats 6-0 loss to Class 1A No. 12 Colfax-Mingo on Friday evening.

Erica Johnson went 2-for-3 with a run and three RBIs, and McKaylee Dawson was 2-for-3 with two RBIs as Marshalltown took down Des Moines Roosevelt in the days opener. Dawson dealt a five-hitter from the circle as well, limiting the Roughriders (13-18) to five singles in a complete-game performance. She struck out three and did not walk a batter, and only one run was earned to the junior left-hander.

We played really good defense and McKaylee Dawson pitched a really good game, said Palmer. Roosevelt made a comeback toward the end, but by then we were just trying to trade outs for runs after we got up 6-1.

Dawsons two-run single capped Marshalltowns three-run eruption in the bottom of the first inning, and a throwing error led to two more Bobcat runs in the second.

Marshalltown went up 6-1 when Johnson drove in McKenna Major with a single in the fourth, before Roosevelt tallied single runs in the fifth and the seventh.

Well take a win any way we can right now for this team, Palmer said.

T-R PHOTO BY ROSS THEDE

Colfax-Mingo stung Dawson for 11 hits in 5 1/3 innings, chasing her from the circle when Amy Russell ripped her seventh home run of the season a two-run shot to make it 6-0 in the top of the sixth.

Marshalltown simply couldnt match the Tigerhawks offensively, finishing with three singles against C-M sophomore Colbee Cunningham. The right-hander generated a lot of weak contact from the Bobcat bats as she struck out only one and walked two, and her defense committed just one inconsequential error.

We just didnt hit, said Palmer. Their pitcher wasnt overpowering by any means, but they did a good job of keeping us off-balance.

The Bobcats made three errors, but only one run came unearned to Dawson.

Regan Mazour, Madi Finch and Major had Marshalltowns three singles. Major and Mazour reached on back-to-back infield hits with two outs in the fifth, but Colfax-Mingo escaped unscathed.

Tigerhawk leadoff hitter Ries Wilson finished 3-for-4 at the plate with a double and two runs scored.

In todays Bobcat Classic, Marshalltown meets up with Marion at 11:45 a.m. and BCLUW at 1:30 p.m. The Bobcats lost 4-3 to BCLUW during the Comets home tournament two weeks ago.

Comets beat Lisbon, get roughed up by Roosevelt

The Class 2A No. 13 BCLUW softball team edged 12th-ranked Lisbon, 3-2 in eight innings, before getting 10-runned by Des Moines Roosevelt during Fridays Bobcat Softball Classic.

The Comets (20-8) used their small-ball specialty to scratch out the game-winning run in the bottom of the eighth inning against Lisbon thanks to the international tiebreaker rule. Pinch-runner Kiersten Kruse moved to third on Easton Swansons sacrifice bunt and scored the winning run without a play after Sara Sharps well-placed bunt.

Samantha Ubben struck out eight, walked three, and scattered five hits and two unearned runs for the win in the circle.

BCLUW scored single runs in the first, sixth and eighth innings, while the Lions tallied a run in both the fifth and sixth but couldnt capitalize on the free baserunner in the top of the eighth.

Ubben led the Comets with three of their eight hits, and Sharp had two singles. Jenna Willett, Jordyn Beeghly and Swanson each had a hit.

Des Moines Roosevelt racked up 13 hits against BCLUW hurler Lauren Anderson and the Roughriders ran away with an 11-1, five-inning victory.

Leah Yantis went 2-for-3 at the top of the batting order for BCLUW. Beeghly doubled and scored the Comets only run on a groundout by Sharp. Ubben and Willett added singles in the lopsided loss.

BCLUW opens today with a 10 a.m. game against Bondurant-Farrar (7-19) and faces host Marshalltown (7-20) at 1:30 p.m.

Marshalltown Bobcat Softball Classic

At Marshalltown Community College

Fridays Games

Marshalltown 6, Des Moines Roosevelt 3

BCLUW 3, Lisbon 2, 8 innings

Colfax-Mingo 11, Bondurant-Farrar 7

Lisbon 6, Marion 3

Des Moines Roosevelt 11, BCLUW 1

Colfax-Mingo 6, Marshalltown 0

Marion 4, Bondurant-Farrar 3

Saturdays Games

10 a.m. Des Moines Roosevelt vs. Lynnville-Sully (1); Colfax-Mingo vs. Marion (2); BCLUW vs. Bondurant-Farrar (3)

11:45 a.m. Marshalltown vs. Marion (1); Lisbon vs. Lynnville-Sully (2); West Marshall vs. Des Moines Roosevelt (3)

1:30 p.m. Marshalltown vs. BCLUW (1); Colfax-Mingo vs. Lisbon (2); Bondurant-Farrar vs. West Marshall (3).

JOHNSTON The Marshalltown baseball team found no reprieve outside the Central Iowa Metropolitan League this ...

STATE CENTER Eight different batters drove in a run as the Class 3A No. 9 West Marshall softball team shut out ...

AMES Former Iowa State guards Nazareth Mitrou-Long and Matt Thomas have both agreed to play for NBA teams ...

STATE CENTER Cody Mead tossed a one-hitter and the West Marshall baseball team scored nine times in the first ...

Read the original here:

Bobcats and Comets both break even - Marshalltown Times Republican

Local Sports

Jun 25, 2017

T-R PHOTO BY ROSS THEDE BCLUW second baseman Samantha Ubben, left, readies her throw to first base for the double play after recording the force-out of Marshalltowns Erica Johnson (1) during the fourth inning of Saturdays game in the Bobcat Softball Classic.

As Emily Hass crossed home plate as the game-winning run in the bottom of the seventh inning, Marshalltown head softball coach Jim Palmer kept waving as McKenna Major rounded third base inconsequentially.

Majors run would not have counted, but the Bobcats head coach is trying to use every chance he has to translate game situations into opportunities to improve.

Marshalltown made the most out of its last chance against Marion, upending the Indians 10-9, but couldnt gain an edge against Class 2A No. 13 BCLUW as the Comets captured an 8-1 victory Saturday over the hosts of the annual Bobcat Softball Classic.

MHS (8-21) finished the weekend 2-2 with splits on both days of the event, highlighted by the walk-off win against Marion. The Indians (9-21) scored twice in the top of the sixth inning and got another run in the seventh to overtake the Bobcats, 9-8, but Marshalltown got off to a fast start in its last chance.

Bridget Carroll came through with a leadoff single through the left side, and Emily Hass followed in kind. Marshalltown eighth-grader Kyra Feldman dropped down a sacrifice bunt to advance both runners, and McKenna Majors grounder to the left side allowed Carroll to slide home safely ahead of a close play at the plate.

T-R PHOTO BY ROSS THEDE Marshalltowns Regan Mazour, left, slides safely across home plate as BCLUW catcher Kate Goecke looks across the infield during the sixth inning of Saturdays game at the Bobcat Softball Classic. The Class 2A No. 13 Comets beat the Bobcats 8-1.

With two runners still in scoring position, Bobcat leadoff batter Regan Mazour slapped a grounder to the left side, and Marions shortstop threw wild to first base instead of attempting to prevent Hass from scoring the game-winning run.

As the throw skipped away across the diamond, Palmer implored Major to keep digging for home plate as if the season was on the line. It wasnt, but it will be one day down the line.

We wanted that game, that was one we knew we could get if we played well, said Palmer of the Marion matchup. I like those kinds of games for us. We need one with that pressure so we know we can play in close games and play from behind.

Marshalltown amassed 11 hits against Marion hurler Megan Kessens, who allowed six earned runs on one walk, one hit batsman while striking out seven. The Bobcats needed all the offense to keep pace with Marion slugger Sydney Nielsen, who hit a two-run home run in the top of the first and a solo shot in the seventh that put the Indians in front late, 9-8.

MHs doubled up on Nielsens first blast, scoring four times in the bottom of the first to take the lead. Madi Finch singled, Erica Johnson doubled, Ciara Feldman walked and Finch scored on a passed ball. McKaylee Dawsons bunt single drove in Johnson, and Bridget Carrolls bunt scored another. The Bobcats made it 4-2 when Dawson scored on a throw down to second base intended to stop Carroll from stealing.

T-R PHOTO BY ROSS THEDE Marshalltowns Bridget Carroll runs toward first base as her run-scoring sacrifice bunt is fielded by Marion pitcher Megan Kessens during the first inning of Saturdays game. Carroll reached safely on a throwing error that allowed another Bobcat to score in their eventual 10-9 victory.

But for every Marshalltown hit or run, Marion matched it. The Indians scored one in the second, as did the Bobcats, and then tallied three runs in the third. Marshalltown regained an 8-6 lead with three runs in the fourth, sparked by singles from Major and Mazour. Finchs sacrifice bunt was misplayed, allowing Major to score, and Mazour crossed home on Johnsons sacrifice fly. An errant throw by Marions outfield found the dugout, allowing Finch to score and made it a three-run game, 8-6.

The Indians scrambled up two runs in the sixth to tie, 8-all, before Nielsen gave her team a 9-8 lead with her sixth home run of the season. MHS sophomore pitcher Abby Brennecke surrendered back-to-back hits to follow, but the Bobcat defense got out of the jam with no further damage done before rallying for the win in the bottom of the seventh.

Brennecke finished with four strikeouts and two hit batsmen in the win, allowing 11 hits and seven earned runs. Johnson went 2-for-3 at the plate with a double, a run and an RBI, while Finch was 2-for-3 with an RBI and three runs scored. Dawson added two singles.

The Bobcats turned around to take on Class 2A No. 13 BCLUW in a rematch of their meeting during the Black Dirt Days tournament two weeks ago in Conrad, but the Comets separated themselves in convincing fashion. After edging the Bobcats 4-3 in their first showdown, the Comets pounced on early scoring chances and cruised to victory.

BCLUW junior pitcher Lauren Anderson allowed one hit over five innings for the win on her 17th birthday and the Comets made no errors behind her in an 8-1 win.

T-R PHOTO BY ROSS THEDE

Anderson did not allow a hit until Johnsons leadoff single in the fourth, but that Bobcat baserunner was erased moments later on a slick 6-4-3 double play. She ended with five strikeouts, two walks and one hit batter, and Samantha Ubben surrendered Marshalltowns only run before nailing down the Comets third win of the weened.

BCLUW reached Dawson and eighth-grader Kailee Pollard for a total of 14 hits and eight earned runs. Marshalltown also made no errors, unless you count pitching to Jordyn Beeghly. The Comets senior first baseman finished 3-for-4 at the plate with RBI singles in each of her first three plate-appearances.

BCLUW set the table for Beeghly with its trademark small-ball style of play, utilizing bunts and aggressive baserunning to driving opposing defenses to the limit. Marshalltown stood its own, but the Comets simply performed when the moments arrived.

I thought for our entire game we were sharp at everything we did, said Comet head coach David Lee. We played well in the Lisbon game [on Friday] and today we executed everything we needed to. It makes things a lot easier when you put the ball in play.

BCLUW, which bested Bondurant-Farrar 8-0 in Saturdays opening round, led 7-0 before Johnson broke up Andersons no-hitter with a leadoff single in the bottom of the fourth.

T-R PHOTO BY ROSS THEDE

Johnson finished with two of Marshalltowns three hits, including an RBI single against Ubben that plated the Bobcats lone run. Mazour welcomed Ubben into the circle with a single up the middle and Finch was hit by a pitch before Johnson came through with her second hit of the game.

Ubben settled down to strike out five of the next seven batters she faced to seal the Comets victory.

That first game [against Marion] we battled hard and we expended some energy, said Palmer, who was missing starting senior third baseman Aspen Chadderdon from his lineup on Satuday. So then we ran into coach Lee and we had some players out of position, and when that happens youre going to run into trouble. But were still a work in progress and we know that.

BCLUW acknowleges the work ahead of it, too, but it looked like a well-oiled machine most of the time on Saturday.

We were a little more fine-tuned today with the stuff we do offensively and defensively, said Lee. Today we didnt give anybody anything. We played pretty well.

Beeghly and Jenna Willett had three hits apiece, with Willett scoring twice, while Leah Yantis had a pair of RBI singles. Olivia Hughes had two infield hits while Swanson, Anderson doubled, and Sharp and Kate Goecke each had a single.

Dawson was tagged for seven earned runs on 10 hits over four innings, walking two while striking out one. Pollard allowed one run on four hits and a walk in two innings of relief pitching for the Bobcats, who play their final eight regular-season games against ranked 5A teams starting with a road trip to No. 6 Urbandale on Monday.

To me, that kind of competition helps us get better for regionals, said Palmer.

BCLUWs bid for the NICL West Division title comes down to two games this week. The Comets go to Gladbrook-Reinbeck on Monday before squaring off with 3A No. 9 West Marshall on Wednesday night in State Center in a game that will likely decide the conference championship.

Trojans roll to 2-0

West Marshall, like BCLUW, took a pair of wins away from Saturdays stay at the Bobcat Softball Classic. The Trojans (25-3) slipped past Des Moines Roosevelt, 3-1, before beating Bondurant-Farrar, 9-1.

The Trojans tallied single runs in the first, third and fifth innings to take down Roosevelt in Saturdays second round of games. Kallie Malloy twirled a three-hitter from the circle, striking out five and walking none, and the Roughriders lone run was unearned to the senior pitcher.

Renae Schaper went 3-for-3 at the plate with an RBI to lead West Marshall offensively. Brooke Snider singled and scored a run, and Kayla Cripps was 1-for-3 with two RBIs. Emma Meyer and Malloy both chipped in with singles, and Georgia Porter walked twice and scored a run. Schapers pinch-runner Catherine Sjoblom scored once as well.

Malloy again tossed a three-hitter, this time over 5 2/3 innings, as the Trojans finished off Bondurant-Farrar in six frames, 9-1. Payton Halverson pitched for the final out.

Karisa Blocker and Snider both went 2-for-4 with a double, an RBI and a run scored for West Marshall. Katie Price was 1-for-3 with an RBI, a stolen base and two runs scored, while Grace Porter was 1-for-1, walked twice and scored once. Pinch-runner Grace deNeui scored once in Porters place as well.

Malloy and Cripps also contributed singles for the Trojans, who host East Marshall on Monday night before playing a non-conference game Tuesday at South Hamilton. West Marshall entertains BCLUW on Wednesday in an NICL West Division clash of the conferences current co-leaders.

Marshalltown Bobcat Softball Classic

At Marshalltown Community College

Fridays Games

Marshalltown 6, Des Moines Roosevelt 3

BCLUW 3, Lisbon 2, 8 innings

Colfax-Mingo 11, Bondurant-Farrar 7

Lisbon 6, Marion 3

Des Moines Roosevelt 11, BCLUW 1

Colfax-Mingo 6, Marshalltown 0

Marion 4, Bondurant-Farrar 3

Saturdays Games

Lynnville-Sully 9, Roosevelt 7

Colfax-Mingo 14, Marion 5

BCLUW 8, Bondurant-Farrar 0

Marshalltown 10, Marion 9

Lisbon 2, Lynnville-Sully 0

West Marshall 3, Roosevelt 1

BCLUW 8, Marshalltown 1

Colfax-Mingo 13, Lisbon 12, 10 innings

West Marshall 9, Bondurant-Farrar 1

Marshalltown 10, Marion 9

Marion 213 002 1 9 11 6

MHS 410 300 2 10 11 3

Megan Kessens and Sydney Nielsen; Abby Brennecke and Erica Johnson. WBrennecke. LKessens. 2BMAR: Maddie Knapp, Maddie Steffen; MHS: Johnson. HRMAR: Nielsen 2. LOBMAR 5, MHS 8.

BCLUW 8, Marshalltown 1

BCLUW 202 310 0 8 14 0

MHS 000 001 0 1 3 0

Lauren Anderson, Samantha Ubben (6) and Kate Goecke; McKaylee Dawson, Kailee Pollard (6) and Johnson. WAnderson. LDawson. 2BBCLUW: Anderson. LOBBCLUW 6, MHS 6.

JOHNSTON The Marshalltown baseball team found no reprieve outside the Central Iowa Metropolitan League this ...

STATE CENTER Eight different batters drove in a run as the Class 3A No. 9 West Marshall softball team shut out ...

AMES Former Iowa State guards Nazareth Mitrou-Long and Matt Thomas have both agreed to play for NBA teams ...

STATE CENTER Cody Mead tossed a one-hitter and the West Marshall baseball team scored nine times in the first ...

Link:

Comets turn two on Bobcats | News, Sports, Jobs - Times Republican - Marshalltown Times Republican

Comets suffered their heaviest defeat since the sport returned to Workington on the road at Foxhall last season and it was another night to forget in Suffolk yesterday.

If Craig Cook was in the clouds after Mondays British title win, he was brought firmly back to Earth when he wound up last from the gate and could only pass his team-mate Mason Campton as the Witches started with a 5-1 through Danny King and Kyle Newman.

It got worse for Comets when James Sarjeant started with a 15-metre handicap for touching the tapes and was excluded from the re-run when he jumped again, leaving the hosts duo to romp to a second 5-1 ahead of Rob Shuttleworth.

Only a late pass from Ty Proctor to split Cameron Heeps and Justin Sedgmen stopped another 5-1 in heat three, before Rory Schlein won ahead of Thomas Jorgensen and Nathan Greaves to put Ipswich 12 points up and leave Comets in a desperate situation.

The captain stepped up to try to drag Comets back into the meeting on a tactical ride but, when bike problems caused him to miss the two minutes, he was forced to start from the back and could only climb to second to share the points.

Another home 5-1 followed as King raced away from Sarjeant and Newman and the latter passed his man on the third lap.

It was Camptons turn to start from 15 metres as he broke the tapes in heat eight and he finished at the back as Newman and Greaves nabbed a fourth Ipswich 5-1.

Yet another tapes offence saw Jorgensen handicapped from the gate in heat nine and Sarjeant could only split Sedgmen and Heeps on his old track to limit the Witches to a 4-2.

Newman and King combined for another 5-1 in heat 10 before an extended interval as paramedics checked over Jorgensen, who was withdrawn from the meeting.

Cook and Campton gave any Comets fans still paying attention something to enjoy at least with a 5-1 in heat 11 and a Comets 4-2 followed in heat 12.

But the damage had long since been done and, although King destroyed the tapes in heat 13, Schlein beat Cook and Sarjeant for a 3-3 before the hosts wrapped up the meeting with a 4-2 and another 5-1 to leave Comets with plenty of food for thought.

Excerpt from:

Workington Comets fall under Ipswich's spell - Times & Star

Local Sports

Jun 24, 2017

T-R PHOTO BY ROSS THEDE Colfax-Mingos Mackensie Brown (12) slides safely into second base with a double ahead of the tag by Marshalltown shortstop Regan Mazour during Fridays game at the Bobcat Softball Classic at Marshalltown Community College. The Class 1A No. 11-ranked Tigerhawks topped the Bobcats 6-0.

If the Marshalltown softball team learned anything from its fleeting five-game win streak, head coach Jim Palmer hopes his squad discovered that the energy and enthusiasm they need to succeed must come from within.

MHS opened its annual Bobcat Softball Classic on Friday afternoon with a 6-3 victory over Des Moines Roosevelt, but ended with a 6-0 loss to Class 1A No. 11 Colfax-Mingo.

The Bobcats (7-20) scored three runs in their first at-bat of the tournament, going in front to stay against a fellow Central Iowa Metropolitan League program, but managed only three hits against the backup pitcher of a ranked 1A squad.

Marshalltowns success ebbed and flowed throughout the day, and Palmer hopes his squad can find a way to manufacture positive vibe even when things arent going the Bobcats way.

Youve got to bring that energy to every game, said Palmer. Theyve got to have their own drive and fire in their belly.

T-R PHOTO BY ROSS THEDE Marshalltowns Madi Finch lifts a single to left field during the Bobcats 6-0 loss to Class 1A No. 12 Colfax-Mingo on Friday evening.

Erica Johnson went 2-for-3 with a run and three RBIs, and McKaylee Dawson was 2-for-3 with two RBIs as Marshalltown took down Des Moines Roosevelt in the days opener. Dawson dealt a five-hitter from the circle as well, limiting the Roughriders (13-18) to five singles in a complete-game performance. She struck out three and did not walk a batter, and only one run was earned to the junior left-hander.

We played really good defense and McKaylee Dawson pitched a really good game, said Palmer. Roosevelt made a comeback toward the end, but by then we were just trying to trade outs for runs after we got up 6-1.

Dawsons two-run single capped Marshalltowns three-run eruption in the bottom of the first inning, and a throwing error led to two more Bobcat runs in the second.

Marshalltown went up 6-1 when Johnson drove in McKenna Major with a single in the fourth, before Roosevelt tallied single runs in the fifth and the seventh.

Well take a win any way we can right now for this team, Palmer said.

T-R PHOTO BY ROSS THEDE

Colfax-Mingo stung Dawson for 11 hits in 5 1/3 innings, chasing her from the circle when Amy Russell ripped her seventh home run of the season a two-run shot to make it 6-0 in the top of the sixth.

Marshalltown simply couldnt match the Tigerhawks offensively, finishing with three singles against C-M sophomore Colbee Cunningham. The right-hander generated a lot of weak contact from the Bobcat bats as she struck out only one and walked two, and her defense committed just one inconsequential error.

We just didnt hit, said Palmer. Their pitcher wasnt overpowering by any means, but they did a good job of keeping us off-balance.

The Bobcats made three errors, but only one run came unearned to Dawson.

Regan Mazour, Madi Finch and Major had Marshalltowns three singles. Major and Mazour reached on back-to-back infield hits with two outs in the fifth, but Colfax-Mingo escaped unscathed.

Tigerhawk leadoff hitter Ries Wilson finished 3-for-4 at the plate with a double and two runs scored.

In todays Bobcat Classic, Marshalltown meets up with Marion at 11:45 a.m. and BCLUW at 1:30 p.m. The Bobcats lost 4-3 to BCLUW during the Comets home tournament two weeks ago.

Comets beat Lisbon, get roughed up by Roosevelt

The Class 2A No. 13 BCLUW softball team edged 12th-ranked Lisbon, 3-2 in eight innings, before getting 10-runned by Des Moines Roosevelt during Fridays Bobcat Softball Classic.

The Comets (20-8) used their small-ball specialty to scratch out the game-winning run in the bottom of the eighth inning against Lisbon thanks to the international tiebreaker rule. Pinch-runner Kiersten Kruse moved to third on Easton Swansons sacrifice bunt and scored the winning run without a play after Sara Sharps well-placed bunt.

Samantha Ubben struck out eight, walked three, and scattered five hits and two unearned runs for the win in the circle.

BCLUW scored single runs in the first, sixth and eighth innings, while the Lions tallied a run in both the fifth and sixth but couldnt capitalize on the free baserunner in the top of the eighth.

Ubben led the Comets with three of their eight hits, and Sharp had two singles. Jenna Willett, Jordyn Beeghly and Swanson each had a hit.

Des Moines Roosevelt racked up 13 hits against BCLUW hurler Lauren Anderson and the Roughriders ran away with an 11-1, five-inning victory.

Leah Yantis went 2-for-3 at the top of the batting order for BCLUW. Beeghly doubled and scored the Comets only run on a groundout by Sharp. Ubben and Willett added singles in the lopsided loss.

BCLUW opens today with a 10 a.m. game against Bondurant-Farrar (7-19) and faces host Marshalltown (7-20) at 1:30 p.m.

Marshalltown Bobcat Softball Classic

At Marshalltown Community College

Fridays Games

Marshalltown 6, Des Moines Roosevelt 3

BCLUW 3, Lisbon 2, 8 innings

Colfax-Mingo 11, Bondurant-Farrar 7

Lisbon 6, Marion 3

Des Moines Roosevelt 11, BCLUW 1

Colfax-Mingo 6, Marshalltown 0

Marion 4, Bondurant-Farrar 3

Saturdays Games

10 a.m. Des Moines Roosevelt vs. Lynnville-Sully (1); Colfax-Mingo vs. Marion (2); BCLUW vs. Bondurant-Farrar (3)

11:45 a.m. Marshalltown vs. Marion (1); Lisbon vs. Lynnville-Sully (2); West Marshall vs. Des Moines Roosevelt (3)

1:30 p.m. Marshalltown vs. BCLUW (1); Colfax-Mingo vs. Lisbon (2); Bondurant-Farrar vs. West Marshall (3).

AMES Former Iowa State guards Nazareth Mitrou-Long and Matt Thomas have both agreed to play for NBA teams ...

STATE CENTER Cody Mead tossed a one-hitter and the West Marshall baseball team scored nine times in the first ...

ACKLEY The East Marshall softball team handed Class 1A No. 4 AGWSR its second consecutive NICL West Division ...

Read the rest here:

Bobcats and Comets both break even | News, Sports, Jobs - Times ... - Marshalltown Times Republican