Ankeny Centennial softball falls in doubleheader
The Ankeny Centennial softball team lost two in a row after playing Fort Dodge in a doubleheader on June 20.
The Dodgers defeated the Jaguars 5-1 in game one and 10-1 in game two.
Head coach Brett Delaney said Fort Dodge has a good squad that took advantage of some of the mistakes the Jaguars made in the games.
“We were in it for part of the way and they had a big fourth or fifth inning where they got a few runs and kind of put it out of reach,” Delaney said.
Centennial also appeared to struggle on offense, as they were not able to get much going in either game.
The Jaguars finished with a .087 batting average as a team in the first game, which Delaney said was due to the Dodgers’ pitcher, senior Jalen Adams.
Adams threw seven strikeouts in the first game, and with the victory over Centennial, she picked up her 100th victory as a varsity starter, according to Delaney.
“We struggled with different pitches that Jalen was throwing and just didn’t make any solid contact until kinda late in the game,” Delaney said.
The Jaguars now move to a 14-8 record with a few weeks remaining in the regular season.
Delaney said with Centennial in the CIML conference, they have faced one of the toughest conferences in the state, with four of the seven teams ranked in the top 10.
“It’s just a tough night in and night out of competition,” Delaney said. “We always say to be the best you gotta play the best and beat the best.”
He added that despite the team falling in some of those top matchups, the Jaguars have been in every game they have played this season, which he attributed to the pitching and defense the team has.
Delaney said junior pitchers Jadeyn Stahr and Lauren Gustofson have kept Centennial in a lot of games, while the defense has been making every routine play and is led by returning seniors and juniors.
Despite last year’s state runner-ups losing plenty of seniors, Delaney said this year’s team still has a shot of making a run in the postseason.
“This group has every bit of talent and experience and I’m excited to see where it goes,” Delaney said.
The Jaguars will look to bounce back in a doubleheader against Waukee Northwest beginning at 5 p.m. June 22 at Ankeny Centennial High School.
Ankeny baseball picks up two more
The Ankeny baseball team added a couple more wins to its record after taking on Mason City in a doubleheader June 20.
The Hawks defeated the River Hawks 6-3 in game one, boosted by a three-run seventh inning to win the game.
Leading the team in the win was senior Dylan Schlee, who went two for two at the plate for one run batted in as well as a run of his own. Schlee also stole a base.
Junior Alex Griess pitched seven innings for the Hawks, throwing eight strikeouts for an ERA of 1.00 and the win.
The Hawks then won once more, winning game two 14-10, behind a strong first inning where the Hawks scored 10 runs.
Junior Ben Sandvig led with three RBIs, going two for four at the plate for a double to do so while senior Thomas DeBrower added two RBIs and three runs scored.
Schlee, junior Reid Johnson and senior Sam Andrews combined for 10 strikeouts to get the win.
Ankeny will look to make it six in a row when the Hawks take on Ames in a doubleheader beginning at 5 p.m. June 22 at Ames High School.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Ankeny Centennial softball falls in doubleheader
