Saturday’s Johnston Invitational showed that the Ankeny Centennial softball team could be a contender to win the Class 5A state title this season.
It also showed that the 11th-ranked Jaguars are capable of being on the short end of a run-rule game.
In two drastically different contests, Centennial pounded out 19 hits in a 10-0 victory over No. 12 Bettendorf in six innings, then had just two hits in a 13-0 loss to No. 10 Johnston in four innings. It was the first defeat for the Jaguars, who are now 4-1 on the season.
The game against Bettendorf (1-4) was scoreless until the third inning, when Centennial took a 1-0 lead. The Jaguars scored four times in the fourth, once in the fifth and then added four more runs in the sixth to end the game.
Mackenzie James, Sydney Morris and Alee Edwards each went 3-for-4 in the win. Morris doubled twice and drove in three runs, Edwards had two RBIs, and James had a double with one RBI.
Addi Starr went 2-for-3 with a double and one RBI. Morgan Severseike also went 2-for-3 and knocked in a run.
Lauren Gustofson went 2-for-4 with a double and one RBI. Payton Drefke also went 2-for-4 and drove in a run.
Gustofson (2-0) earned the win for the Jaguars. She tossed a three-hitter, allowing just one walk while recording six strikeouts.
In the loss to Johnston (5-1), the Dragons had 12 hits off two Centennial pitchers. Maggie Fisher (0-1) started for the Jaguars, allowing three earned runs over the first 1 2/3 innings.
Johnston took a 3-0 lead in the first inning, then added four runs in the second. A six-run outburst in the fourth inning ended the contest.
Morris had a double for Centennial. Drefke had the Jaguars’ other hit.
Centennial will host a doubleheader against No. 1 Fort Dodge (5-2) on Tuesday in a rematch from last year’s Class 5A semifinals, which was won by the Dodgers. It will be the CIML Iowa Conference opener for both teams.
