The seventh-ranked Dowling Catholic baseball team extended its winning streak to seven games with a walk-off win against visiting Ankeny on Wednesday.
The Maroons scored the winning run with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning to post a 5-4 victory. They improved to 7-5 in the CIML Conference and 16-5 overall, while Ankeny’s records dropped to 5-7 and 10-11.
The two teams had split a doubleheader on May 22.
“I don’t complain about (umpires) because we need them, but I thought the guy who scored we had thrown out at second base,” said Ankeny coach Joe Balvanz. “And then we missed the tag at home plate on a really good throw from (leftfielder) Jack Clevidence. But the kids played hard, though. They played their hearts out. I can’t fault them.”
Will Davies (2-2) took the loss in relief of starter Zach Halverson. Halverson allowed four earned runs on five hits over the first five innings.
Davies gave up two hits and had two strikeouts over the final 1 2/3 innings. The run he allowed was unearned.
“Zach threw well,” Balvanz said. “And Will continues to come in and compete as a freshman. It was tough to lose that way, but I see growth in these kids every day.”
The Hawks jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning. Dowling starter Joe Broderick got only three outs before being replaced by Jack Clendenin, who allowed just one run on four hits and had three strikeouts over the last six innings.
“They brought in a lefty, and he did a good job of keeping us off-balance,” Balvanz said. “But our guys still grinded out some really good at-bats.”
The Maroons chipped away one run at a time and eventually took a 4-3 lead in the fifth inning. Ankeny tied it in the top of the seventh, but missed an opportunity to take the lead.
“We hit into an inconvenient double play,” Balvanz said. “We’d have been ahead otherwise, but things just didn’t go our way.”
Ryan Maire went 2-for-2 with a walk in the loss. He is now batting .412 on the season, which leads the team.
Evan Irlmeier went 1-for-2 and drove in a run. Max Watson and Kinnick Vos each went 1-for-3 with an RBI.
Carson Agan also knocked in a run, his 13th of the season. Watson leads the team with 14 RBIs.
Ankeny will host a conference doubleheader against Waukee (9-11) on Thursday. The Hawks dropped a 5-4 decision at Waukee on May 24.
