Zoe Baker powered the Ankeny softball team to a 14-0 victory at Ballard of Huxley on Wednesday.
Baker went 2-for-4 with a home run, a double and four RBIs. She also scored three times as the Hawkettes raised their record to 3-1.
“The ball she hit probably ended up in the Sam’s Club parking lot in Ames,” Ankeny coach Dave Bingham said of Baker’s homer. “She just crushed it.”
Jasmine Rumley also had a pair of extra-base hits for Ankeny, which took a 7-0 lead in the first inning and never looked back. Rumley went 2-for-3 with a double and a triple.
“We had a big first inning, and I didn’t know if we were going to stop,” Bingham said. “We just have a lot of chemistry going right now, and we’re not even playing the short game. We’re just hitting the ball.”
Kennedy Thomas went 2-for-4 and scored two runs in the win. She also had two of the Hawkettes’ five stolen bases while batting in the leadoff spot for the third straight game.
“KT’s just an intense kid, and we haven’t lost since we moved her to leadoff,” Bingham said. “I’m superstitious, so we’ll probably keep her there for now.”
Paige Jacobsen (2-0) allowed just one hit over the first 4 1/3 innings. She walked one and had three strikeouts before being relieved by Shelbie Chambers, who got the final two outs.
Ballard dropped to 0-3 on the season. The Bombers have been outscored by their opponents, 28-1.
“Ballard was in the state championship game last year and they lost a lot of kids, but they’re still a good team,” Bingham said.