For the second time this week, the Ankeny baseball team couldn’t hold on to a seventh-inning lead.
Carlisle rallied for two runs in the top of the seventh to post a 7-6 victory at 10th-ranked Ankeny in a non-conference game on Wednesday. Both squads are now 10-8 on the season.
On Monday, the Hawks rallied for six runs in the seventh inning to take an 8-7 lead in the first game of a doubleheader at Fort Dodge. But the Dodgers then won the game on a walk-off, three-run homer by Eli Elsbecker in the bottom of the frame.
On Wednesday, Ankeny twice rallied to tie the game before scoring a run in the bottom of the sixth to move ahead, 6-5. The Wildcats then rallied in the top of the seventh against Thomas DeBrower (0-1), one of four pitchers used by Ankeny coach Joe Balvanz.
Trey Lee drove in two runs for Carlisle, which had lost two straight games and five of its previous seven. Joe Goodhue went 2-for-4 with a triple and scored two runs.
DeBrower went 3-for-5 and had one RBI in the loss. Max Watson went 3-for-4 and drove in a run.
Jamison Patton went 2-for-3 with a triple and scored twice. Dylan Schlee went 1-for-2, walked twice and knocked in three runs.
Schlee started on the mound and needed 97 pitches to get through five innings. He allowed four earned runs on nine hits.
The Hawks will host a CIML Iowa Conference doubleheader against No. 7 Waukee Northwest (14-7) on Thursday. The Wolves split a twinbill at Ames on Wednesday and continue to lead the league with an 11-3 record.
Ankeny is currently in second place at 9-3 and needs a sweep to move into first.
