Its aggressive style on the basepaths thrived to start the day.
It also made the difference later for BCLUW as it swept its pair of games on Friday at the Bobcat Softball Classic.
The Class 2A No. 13 Comets' speed on the bases overpowered Colfax-Mingo, while pitcher Nicolette Simpson also did her part with a perfect game in a 12-0 five-inning victory.
Article Photos
T-R PHOTO BY MARK PAWLAK
BCLUW catcher Sarah McCoy makes a diving catch of a foul ball during the Comets’ matchup with Roland-Story at the Bobcat Softball Classic on Friday. The Comets won 1-0 at the Marshalltown Community College diamonds.
Nicole Montgomery's steal of home plate provided the winning run in a 1-0 triumph against Roland-Story. Olivia Callaway threw a shutout for BCLUW in the win.
The Comets had a pair of runners thrown out at the plate over the first three innings against Roland-Story.
With one-out in the sixth, Danielle Montgomery drew a walk from Roland-Story pitcher Bryce Holmgren. Nicole Montgomery entered as a pitch runner and moved from first to third on Jessica deNeui's sacrifice bunt.
Fact Box
Bobcat Softball Classic
At Marshalltown Community College
Friday's Scores
BCLUW 12, Colfax-Mingo 0, 5 innings
Marion 8, West Marshall 2
Roland-Story 10, South Hardin 2
Marshalltown 9, South Tama 1
Bondurant-Farrar 5, East Marshall 2
Marion 6, South Hardin 1
West Marshall 4, Colfax-Mingo 3
BCLUW 1, Roland-Story 0
Bondurant-Farrar 18, South Tama 1
Marshalltown 4, East Marshall 1
Saturday's Games
9 a.m. - Colfax-Mingo vs. Gladbrook-Reinbeck (D1); Oskaloosa vs. South Tama (D2); South Hardin vs. Dallas Center-Grimes (D3)
10:45 a.m. - East Marshall vs. Lisbon (D1); West Marshall vs. Dallas Center-Grimes (D2); Marion vs. South Tama (D3)
12:30 p.m. - Marshalltown vs. Oskaloosa (D1); Roland-Story vs. Gladbrook-Reinbeck (D2); South Hardin vs. Bondurant-Farrar (D3)
2:15 p.m. - Lisbon vs. BCLUW (D1); Colfax-Mingo vs. East Marshall (D2); Bondurant-Farrar vs. Roland-Story (D3)
4 p.m. - West Marshall vs. Marshalltown (D1); BCLUW vs. Marion (D2)
Nicole Montgomery moved far enough off third base to draw a throw from the Norse catcher, then she broke for home and scored.
"Nicole did a great job. She went first to third, which is exactly what we needed to happen," said BCLUW head coach David Lee. "It was going to be a fake squeeze to test them, but she really went too far and when they came up and threw, she just went. There wasn't even at play at the plate."
Callaway forced Roland-Story to strand two runners on base in the sixth and had a 1-2-3 seventh to finish it. Callaway's shutout included six strikeouts and she allowed four hits.
Game one against Colfax-Mingo saw BCLUW's wanting to apply pressure to the opposing defense pay all kinds of dividends. The Tigerhawks had no answers for the Comets' bunts and speed.
That same aggressiveness wasn't there all the way through against Roland-Story.
"I think we could have scored two or three (against R-S), if we would have been more aggressive," Lee said.
"I told the kids we have to do the same thing no matter who we're playing," Lee added. "We can't worry about who it is, when the situation is there, we have to do what we know to do."
As the Comets were racing around the bases to beat out bunts, be safe on fielder's choices and score on errors or wild pitchers, Simpson keep every Colfax-Mingo batter off the bases.
Simpson struck out five, got five groundouts and five flyouts.
"It feels really good to get one," Simpson said of the perfect game. "It's not just a pitcher that has a perfect game, it's your team out there that backs you up."
"I felt like it was one of my better games," she added.
The sophomore Simpson is now 14-7 for the season.
"She struggled there a few games a week ago and this week she's really thrown it well," Lee said. "She was in command of the game. Even her off-speed stuff was downward and couldn't be driven somewhere, which we've been having trouble with. Both pitchers did a good job today."
The defense made all the plays. One of the most important was catcher Sarah McCoy's diving catch of a foul ball with the bases loaded against Roland-Story. Callaway followed with a strikeout to end the inning.
"The defense was under pressure and we made the plays, we didn't buckle. We didn't muff one and give them a chance when it was in those situations," Lee said. "I'd like to think that means that we're getting better as we're coming to this point in the season."
Leadoff hitter Amundson scored three runs and had an RBI against Colfax-Mingo. Kendall Scurr added three hits and a pair of runs and RBIs.
The Comets have a pair of intriguing matchups in today's play at the Classic. BCLUW opens with Class 1A No. 5 Lisbon at 2:15 p.m. and follows with Marion at 4 p.m.
Friday's wins move the Comets to 20-8 for the season and marks the seventh consecutive year they've had 20 wins.
"We had a good day today and that's because we worked on some things in both ballgames," Lee said. "That's just the advantage of playing different teams. Different teams do different things with their offense and with their defense and you have to react to it. I hope we get better because we get to see all those different situations."