The Ankeny softball team will close out the regular season on Tuesday by hosting its final CIML Iowa Conference doubleheader against Ames. The two squads, who split a twinbill on June 16, are battling for third place in the league.
Ankeny (9-9, 19-16) had its four-game winning streak snapped on Saturday with a 7-3 loss to visiting North Polk in a non-conference game. North Polk, the No. 15 team in Class 4A, evened its record at 14-14.
“We did not play well at all,” said Ankeny coach Dave Bingham.
Ames (9-9, 19-17) is making its second trip to Ankeny in the last week. The Little Cyclones were swept in a doubleheader on Wednesday at No. 10 Ankeny Centennial, which allowed the Jaguars to wrap up a second-place finish in the conference.
Ames has lost six of its last seven games. The Little Cyclones are coming off a 6-3 loss on Friday to Ballard, the No. 9 team in Class 4A.
Both teams are looking to build some momentum for postseason play. Ankeny will play at Centennial on Saturday in a Class 5A regional semifinal.
“I think that the only thing (beating Ames) could help is our confidence, but I think that we’re pretty much getting there already and we’re going to be ready for postseason no matter what,” Ankeny outfielder Madeleine Murphy said on the Ankeny Fanatic weekly podcast on Monday.
