Two steps forward, two steps back.
After sweeping a doubleheader against then-No. 4 Waukee on Wednesday, the Ankeny Centennial softball team struggled on Thursday at ninth-ranked Johnston, dropping both ends of a non-conference twinbill without scoring a run.
The Dragons posted a 6-0 victory in the opener, then won the nightcap in five innings, 11-0, to extend their winning streak to six games. They are now 13-6 on the season, while Centennial’s record dropped to 9-9.
Ella Schulz had a hit in both games for the Jaguars, who had their five-game winning streak snapped in the opener. They were held to just three hits in both contests.
Johnston took a 2-0 lead in the first inning of the first game. The Dragons then added four more runs in the fifth.
Haley Gatica (7-4) took the loss for Centennial. She pitched four-plus innings and allowed five runs, just one of them earned, on one hit.
Karlie Kaiser (0-2) was the losing pitcher in the second game. She allowed six earned runs in two-plus innings before being replaced by Madi Huisman.
The Jaguars will compete in the Barney Dennis Elite Eight tournament on Friday and Saturday at Urbandale.