The Ankeny Centennial baseball team showed on Thursday that it can win games in a variety of ways.
The Jaguars opened their season by sweeping a doubleheader at Des Moines Lincoln, which had split a twinbill against Valley on Monday.
In the first game, Centennial posted a 6-0 victory behind a strong pitching performance by Trey Morris, who allowed just four hits and had six strikeouts over the first six innings.
Then, in the nightcap, the Jaguars relied on their bats to roll to a 20-4 win, pounding out 11 hits in the five-inning contest.
“It was a good way to start the season,” said Centennial coach Mark Hey. “Lincoln’s a good team, so we were very happy to get the sweep. Our kids played very well.”
Centennial scored in every inning of the second game. The Jaguars took a 3-0 lead in the first inning, then added four runs in the second, five in the third, one in the fourth and seven more in the fifth.
Cory Prange went 2-for-3 with a double and drove in four runs. Ryan Vermeer went 2-for-3 with two doubles and two RBIs, while Avery Gates went 2-for-2, scored two runs and knocked in two more.
Josh Meador also drove in two runs after going 4-for-4 with two doubles and one RBI in the opener.
“I think we’ve got some good hitters,” Hey said. “I know this is a small sample size, and we want them to be consistent throughout the season. These guys aren’t going to be satisfied with these two games.”
Tyler Heinzerling was the winning pitcher in the second game. He allowed four walks over three scoreless innings, but did not give up a hit.
In the opener, Morris helped his own cause by going 2-for-3 at the plate. He doubled and had two RBIs.
Derek Boike and Vermeer each went 2-for-4 in the win. Boike had a double and scored a run, while Vermeer knocked in three runs.