It might be too late for the Ankeny softball team to contend for the CIML Iowa Conference title.
But the 14th-ranked Hawkettes could still finish ahead of their crosstown rival.
Ankeny won both games of a doubleheader on Monday at Mason City, 4-0 and 13-0 in four innings, to move into a third-place tie in the league with No. 5 Ankeny Centennial–which was swept by No. 4 Fort Dodge. Both the Hawkettes and Jaguars are now 10-6 in the conference with eight games left, including a doubleheader between the two teams on June 30 at Centennial.
“On paper, I know it might be difficult to win the conference,” said Ankeny coach Dave Bingham, whose team trails co-leaders Fort Dodge and No. 1 Waukee Northwest by three games. “If we had started like we’re playing now, we’d be in good shape. We kind of let our opportunity get away with Northwest, but we’re going to try and finish as high as we can.”
Ankeny (18-7) extended its winning streak to four games with Monday’s sweep. The Hawkettes swept the season series against Mason City, which dropped to 2-14 in the league and 6-15 overall.
Ashtyn Billings (7-3) tossed a seven-hitter in the first game. She walked none and had three strikeouts.
“Every time she got in trouble, she got out of it,” Bingham said. “(Catcher) Reagan (Enright) picked a girl off third early in the game, and that was big.”
Enright also went 2-for-3 with a double and two RBIs.
“(Mason City pitcher Adyson) Evans is really good for a sophomore, so we really didn’t get a lot going,” Bingham said. “But Reagan had a big two-out double in the fourth inning, and that was huge. That gave us a boost and kind of sealed it, the way that Ash was pitching.”
Mariah Parton went 2-for-3 with a double, while Billings went 2-for-4. They each drove in a run in the seventh inning.
Larissa Miller and Eva Fulk each went 2-for-4 in the win. Fulk had five of the team’s eight stolen bases.
In the nightcap, Ankeny jumped out to a 6-0 lead in the first inning. The Hawkettes then added three runs in the second and four more in the fourth.
Alysa Lowe went 2-for-2 with a double and three RBIs. Rylee Riesberg also doubled and knocked in a run.
“Everybody got involved,” Bingham said. “We were patient, and we got our doubles and singles. Riesberg and Lowe kind of set the tone with their back-to-back doubles.”
Fulk went 2-for-4 with a double and one RBI. Winning pitcher Kendra Winfrey drove in two runs to help her own cause.
Winfrey (8-2) allowed three hits and had three strikeouts.
The Hawkettes will play another Iowa Conference doubleheader at No. 12 Ames (14-11) on Wednesday. The Little Cyclones were swept at Ankeny on June 6 and also lost to the Hawkettes at the Fort Dodge Invitational on Saturday.
