The Ankeny Centennial softball team moved closer to the CIML Conference title by sweeping a doubleheader on Thursday at Urbandale.
The top-ranked Jaguars rolled to a 15-0 victory in three innings in the first game, then completed the sweep with a 3-0 win. They improved to 10-0 in the conference and 19-2 overall, while the J-Hawks’ records dropped to 1-9 and 4-17.
Centennial has six league games remaining. Every other team in the conference already has at least four losses in CIML play.
“Our goal is to play our best every game and learn from our mistakes,” said Centennial shortstop Mariah Belzer, whose team bounced back from a 3-1 loss on Tuesday to Carlisle, the new No. 1 team in Class 4A. “And, of course, winning the conference.”
Belzer went 3-for-3 with a double and four RBIs in the opener of the twinbill. Mady Ott also went 3-for-3 and drove in four runs, finishing a triple shy of hitting for the cycle.
Ott blasted her fourth home run of the season. It was the Jaguars’ 24th as a team, just two shy of the state lead.
Payton Drefke went 2-for-2, stole two bases and scored three runs. Sydney Morris had three RBIs, while Addi Starr doubled and knocked in a run.
The Jaguars pounded out 13 hits off Urbandale pitcher Izzy Johnson. They took a 4-0 lead in the first inning, then added four runs in the second and seven more in the third.
Lauren Gustofson (5-0) tossed a three-hitter to remain unbeaten. She walked one and had three strikeouts.
In the nightcap, Centennial took a 1-0 lead in the first inning. The Jaguars added insurance runs in both the sixth and seventh frames.
Morris went 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI. Drefke and Ott each doubled and scored a run, while Belzer and Cora Boyle each drove in a run.
Lauren Sandholm (7-1) threw a three-hitter to earn the win. She needed just 48 pitches to go the distance.
Centennial will play a non-conference doubleheader at Cedar Falls (7-11) on Friday.
