Ankeny Centennial pitcher Sam Klug racked up 16 strikeouts in a 10-inning softball game on Monday night.
Fellow senior Maggie Fisher had just two in another complete game, but she was equally effective.
The 11th-ranked Jaguars got a pair of outstanding pitching performances en route to a doubleheader sweep at Ames. They posted a 6-4 victory in 10 innings in the opener, then completed the sweep with a 5-4 triumph.
Centennial remained one game behind No. 2 Fort Dodge in the race for the CIML Iowa Conference title. The Jaguars are now 6-2 in the league and 12-4 overall, while Ames’ records dropped to 4-4 and 10-6.
“The conference race is a goal to go out and win,” said Centennial coach Brett Delaney. “Ames is a good team and is still playing very well. We were excited to get a couple of victories.”
In the opener, Centennial built a 4-0 lead before Ames rallied to tie it. The Jaguars then won the game with two runs in the 10th.
Anna Christiansen singled with one out and moved to second on an error to start the rally. Pinch-hitter Jenna Wendt singled with two outs to put runners at the corners, then Lauren Solis singled down the left-field line to drive in the go-ahead run.
Addi Starr added an RBI single to score Morgan Severseike.
“That was a 10-inning grinder,” Delaney said. “The girls just continued to make plays and found ways to get a couple of runs in the 10th inning.”
Starr went 3-for-6 and had two RBIs, while Mackenzie James went 3-for-6 and drove in a run. Christiansen went 2-for-4.
Lauren Gustofson went 2-for-5 with a solo homer, her second of the season. Solis also went 2-for-5 with a double.
Klug went the distance for the Jaguars, scattering 11 hits. She walked none while raising her record to 5-2.
“She’s always been a power pitcher,” Delaney said of Klug’s 16-strikeout effort. “She took the steps in the offseason to really hone in her craft. This was the first time she was a softball only kid in the offseason and her hard work is really paying off for her. When she’s on and locating her pitches, we’re really tough to beat.”
In the nightcap, Ames scored four runs in the first inning to erase Centennial’s 2-0 lead. The Jaguars then rallied for three runs in the fifth to win the game.
“After the first inning, Maggie really stepped up and got dialed in,” Delaney said. “She just continued to grind out the rest of the game. She never panicked and made the pitches she needed to in order to give us a chance to get our bats going in the fifth inning.”
Fisher (2-1) finished with a nine-hitter. She allowed just two earned runs.
Starr and James hit back-to-back singles to start the fifth-inning rally. After a double steal, pinch-runner Hanna McSparen scored when Sydney Morris reached on an error.
A sacrifice fly by Lizzy Klunder scored James with the tying run. Wendt then singled up the middle to score Malin Vallejo with the winning run.
Wendt and Christiansen each went 2-for-4 for the Jaguars. Wendt and Klunder each had two RBIs.
Starr went 2-for-3, while McSparen made a nice catch in left field to end the game.
Centennial will host a non-conference game on Tuesday against Carlisle (14-4), the No. 4 team in Class 4A.
