After dropping a 2-1 decision in the first game of Monday’s doubleheader at seventh-ranked Waukee Northwest, the Ankeny Centennial baseball team needed somebody to step up in the nightcap.
Junior pitcher Easton Pratt did just that.
Pratt tossed a two-hitter and had 11 strikeouts as the Jaguars posted a 1-0 victory to salvage a split of the twinbill.
“Easton threw a really nice game,” said Centennial coach Mark Hey.
Pratt (3-0) also drove in the game’s only run in the fifth inning as Centennial improved to 4-4 in the CIML Iowa Conference and 6-7 overall. The loss snapped a four-game winning streak for the Wolves, who are now 6-2 and 9-5.
Easton Miller went 2-for-3 in the win. Nick Severson went 1-for-3 and scored the lone run.
The two teams combined for just four runs and 12 hits in the two games.
“It just wasn’t a hitter’s night,” Hey said. “The wind was blowing in a little bit from left, and some balls that were hit pretty hard kind of hung up in the air. I knew our pitchers were going to be really good, and I thought we’d see at least two of (Northwest’s) top three guys.
“We expected the second game to be a tight one, too. Defensively, our kids rose to the challenge and made all the routine plays,” he added.
In the first game, Northwest’s Anthony Watts outdueled Centennial’s Sean Stewart to earn the victory. Watts threw a two-hitter and had 10 strikeouts.
“He’s a special pitcher,” Hey said of Watts. “He’s going to Creighton, and he’ll have a great career. I was very impressed with him.”
Northwest scored both of its runs in the first inning. The Wolves capitalized on a pair of walks from Stewart, who went on to toss a three-hitter with eight strikeouts.
“I started to get my two-seamer going in the second inning,” Stewart said.
Joey Oakie went 1-for-3 and knocked in Centennial’s only run in the third inning. Severson had the Jaguars’ other hit.
Stewart led off the seventh inning with a walk and stole second.
“I thought we were going to tie it up at least,” Stewart said. “We tried to get a bunt down and it didn’t work, but I still got over (to second). It is what it is.”
Watts retired the next three batters on a strikeout and two fly balls to end the game. Stewart’s record dropped to 1-2.
“Stewart didn’t really feel his mechanics right the first couple of hitters, but after that they didn’t score on him,” Hey said. “He shut them down the rest of the way.”
The Jaguars will host a non-conference game against Sioux City West (7-5) on Friday at 4 p.m. It will be the team’s Senior Night.
