Monday’s hot and humid weather provided a challenge for the Ankeny Centennial baseball team.
The Jaguars overcame the stifling conditions to sweep a doubleheader against visiting Ames. They posted an 8-5 victory in the opener, then completed the sweep with a 17-2 win in four innings.
“It was our first real hot day of the year, and you worry about your kids–especially the pitcher and the catcher, because they’re working so hard,” said Centennial coach Mark Hey, whose team moved into a third-place tie with Ames in the CIML Iowa Conference. “But I was just really proud of the team effort and how hard everybody worked.”
Centennial improved to 6-4 in the conference and 9-9 overall. The Little Cyclones’ records dropped to 6-4 and 11-9.
After Ames jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning of the nightcap, the Jaguars answered with six runs in the bottom of the frame. They added three runs in the second, seven in the third and one more in the fourth to end the game.
“We hit the ball extremely well all night,” Hey said. “We’ve been working on a lot of things with them individually with their hitting, and I thought tonight a lot of the guys bought into it and did the things they’ve been working on. I was just happy to see them have some success, and we did it against some good pitchers.”
Cole Grider went 2-for-4 with a triple, a home run and five RBIs. It was his second homer of the season.
“He hit a blast to left-center field,” Hey said. “It was probably 400 and some feet.”
Damin Churchman went 3-for-3 with two doubles and drove in four runs. Joey Oakie went 2-for-3 with two doubles and one RBI, while Kyle Miller went 2-for-2 with a double and two RBIs.
Lincoln Lacey went 2-for-2 and knocked in a run. He also stole two bases and scored three runs.
Easton Pratt (4-0) was the winning pitcher. He allowed two earned runs on three hits while recording six strikeouts.
“Pratt threw really well,” Hey said. “I was very happy with both of our pitchers. They kind of grinded it out and competed.”
Sean Stewart (2-2) allowed four earned runs on eight hits over the first six innings to earn the win in the first game. He had eight strikeouts.
Stewart also hit an RBI double in the bottom of the sixth to ignite a three-run rally that broke a 5-5 tie. Grider then took the mound and got the final three outs.
Miller went 2-for-4 with a double and three RBIs. Churchman went 3-for-4 with a double and one RBI, while Lacey went 2-for-4 and scored a run.
Grider added a double for the Jaguars, who pounded out 12 hits.
“We minimized the damage (on defense), and I thought we just really grinded it out,” Hey said. “I hate to keep using that word, but that’s really what it was. It was an exhausting effort to just stay with it.”
The Jaguars will play an Iowa Conference doubleheader at Mason City (9-10) on Wednesday.
