Bouncing back from a loss earlier in the day, the second-ranked Ankeny Centennial softball team rallied for two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to beat No. 6 Bettendorf, 5-4, on Friday at the Johnston Invitational.
Lizzy Klunder capped the rally with a walk-off hit that drove in pinch-runner Addie Pollock from third with the winning run.
“She came through for us,” Centennial coach Brett Delaney said of Klunder. “She’s the leader of our team, and we were excited that she had the opportunity to get that game-winning hit for us.”
Centennial (3-1) overcame an early 3-1 deficit to tie the game. After Bettendorf (1-2) scored a run in the top of the seventh to regain the lead, the Jaguars rallied again.
“We battled that whole game,” Delaney said. “We got down early, but we chipped away.”
Lauren Gustofson (2-0) tossed a seven-hitter to earn the win. She allowed two earned runs and had six strikeouts.
Jordyn Kennedy hit a solo home run, her second of the season. Jessica Lathrop doubled and drove in a run.
Earlier, the Jaguars lost to No. 3 Johnston, 10-0, in five innings. The Dragons (3-0) ended the game with a four-run outburst in the fifth.
Ava Smithson, Audrey Till and Kaylee Einerston each had a home run for Johnston, which also got a two-hitter from Kira Draeger.
“They came out ready to go,” Delaney said of the Dragons. “We were ready to go too, but we just made a few mistakes early and they got ahead of us. They swung the bats very well, and we didn’t swing the bats well.”
Kennedy provided both of Centennial’s hits. The eighth grader went 2-for-2 and is now batting .750.
Jadeyn Stahr (1-1) took the loss. She allowed five earned runs on six hits over the first two innings.
The Jaguars will play a CIML Iowa Conference doubleheader at No. 1 Fort Dodge (3-1) on Tuesday. It’ll be a rematch of last year’s Class 5A championship game, which was won by the Dodgers, 2-0.
Centennial’s lineup could be strengthened by the addition of Payton Drefke, who was a second-team all-conference pick as an outfielder as a freshman. She played in the girls’ Class 4A state golf meet on Thursday and Friday at Otter Creek, shooting a 36-hole total of 161 to tie for 15th place.
“Payton is one of those special kids who is a part of more than one program, and she’s earned every opportunity that she has gotten,” Delaney said. “It was just neat to see her succeed in her goals. We’re proud of her, and we’re also excited to get her back out on the softball field.”
