On the opening night of the high school baseball season, Ankeny Centennial allowed just three total runs in a non-conference doubleheader on Monday at Ottumwa.
Somehow, the Jaguars lost both games.
Ottumwa posted a 2-1 victory in the first game in walk-off fashion, then completed the sweep with a 1-0 triumph in the nightcap. Centennial had just three hits in the twinbill–all of them singles.
In the opener, the Bulldogs took a 1-0 lead in the second inning. Adam Denniston hit a leadoff triple against Centennial starter Joey Oakie, then came home on a grounder by Max Thomason.
The Jaguars tied the game in the fourth. Trey Hansen reached on an error and eventually scored.
Ottumwa started its game-winning rally with two outs in the seventh inning. Jesus Jaime singled off Centennial reliever Easton Miller and went to second on another hit by Mitch Wood.
Adam Greiner then followed with a single to right, driving in Jaime with the winning run.
“We were joking in the dugout right before I went up there to bat and we were kind of like running through scenarios and one of the scenarios we ran through was a walk-off single from me,” Greiner told the Ottumwa Courier.
Gabriel Monosmith and Andrew Tilton each had a hit for the Jaguars. Oakie, a freshman, had seven strikeouts over the first four innings in his varsity debut.
Each team had just one hit in the second game. Monosmith had his second single of the night, while Colton McKinnon singled for Ottumwa to knock in the game’s only run.
McKinnon also pitched the first four innings. Jackson Saunders got the next four outs but struggled with his control, allowing three walks.
Tanner Schark came in with runners on the corners in the sixth, and he recorded back-to-back strikeouts to get out of the jam. He then struck out the side in the seventh to end the game.
“Just a lot of confidence, that’s all I had,” Schark told the Ottumwa Courier. “I had confidence in all three pitches and I just had a ton of confidence walking out there actually.”
Damin Churchman started on the mound for Centennial and had four strikeouts over the first four innings, allowing just one unearned run. Kyle Miller then tossed two scoreless innings of relief.
The Jaguars will play a non-conference game at No. 3 Johnston, the defending Class 4A state champion, on Wednesday.
