The Ankeny softball team didn’t need a lot of help from its opponent on Saturday.
The 11th-ranked Hawkettes got some anyway.
Ankeny pounded out nine hits and took advantage of six errors by visiting Cedar Rapids Kennedy to defeat the Cougars, 13-2, in five innings in a Class 5A regional semifinal.
“It was awesome,” said Ankeny outfielder Eva Fulk, who went 2-for-4 and scored three times. “We knew we just needed one (win), and now we can get on a roll.”
Kendra Winfrey hit a two-run double in the first inning to ignite the rout. She finished with four RBIs.
“We knew their pitcher was young and could throw her stuff if she needed to,” Winfrey said. “But we showed up to practice this morning and were ready to go.”
The Hawkettes (27-12) advanced to Tuesday’s regional final at No. 7 Southeast Polk (24-12). Kennedy finished the season at 24-16.
Addy Alber hit a two-run homer in the third inning for the Cougars, but by then Ankeny had already built an 8-0 lead.
“That No. 3 was a concern, and she showed it. She hit that bomb,” Ankeny coach Dave Bingham said of Alber. “If we wouldn’t have been so aggressive and scored so many runs early, it would have been a different game.”
Sophomore Abby Rusher (3-1) tossed a two-hitter to earn the win. She walked none and had nine strikeouts.
“I felt pretty confident,” said Rusher. “In warmups my pitches were working pretty well.”
Rusher had not pitched in nearly a month. Her last appearance came on June 13, when she threw a five-hitter to beat defending state champion Fort Dodge, 2-1, in nine innings.
“She just wasn’t available,” Bingham said. “She’s pretty special with what matchups we have and right now with the postseason she’s just somebody that not a lot of people have seen, but I really believe we’re going to need some of our other pitchers and I thought about making a move tonight. But she did a nice job.”
Both Winfrey and Fulk said they had confidence in Rusher.
“Abby is a phenomenal pitcher who knows how to throw and does what she needs to do,” Winfrey said. “She shows up and does the work.”
Added Fulk: “We love her, and we knew she’d do a great job.”
Ankeny’s big first inning took some of the pressure off Rusher. Winfrey’s blast to left field drove in Larissa Miller and Fulk, then Mariah Parton came home on a bunt by Ashtyn Billings, who reached base on a throwing error that allowed Winfrey to score.
“That was really nice,” Rusher said. “It’s always nice to get ahead early as the pitcher so you can just relax a little bit and do your own thing.”
Rusher helped her own cause in the second inning. She hit a two-run single to right field to cap another four-run outburst that broke the game open.
“Our lineup is solid throughout so that really helps to just hit constantly,” Winfrey said. “It really pays off.”
The Hawkettes later erupted for five more runs in the fourth. Alysa Lowe doubled to deep center field to drive in the last two runs.
“It was good to get started at the beginning,” Fulk said. “That was our plan to get some runs early and just keep it going.”
Parton went 2-for-2, scored three runs and had one RBI. Billings knocked in a pair of runs.
“We were well prepared,” Bingham said. “I knew Abby would be a good matchup, especially if she was on. But I don’t think we’ve seen her peak performance yet.”
Southeast Polk advanced to the regional final with a wild 20-15 win over Cedar Rapids Jefferson. The Rams used a seven-run sixth inning to erase a 14-13 deficit.
Sydney Potter hit her 16th home run of the season for the Rams, which is tied for second in the state. Sydney Matthaidess also homered and had five RBIs.
“They’ve got two or three dominant hitters that if we make a mistake, they’ll do some damage,” Bingham said. “We’ve just got to play good defense. I think if we play well and get good pitching, we’re going to be tough.”
