The only thing that could slow down the Ankeny softball team on Saturday was an untimely visit from Mother Nature.
The second-ranked Hawkettes advanced to the championship game of the Fort Dodge Invitational before the tournament was called off due to rain.
“We played our best softball of the year,” said Ankeny coach Dave Bingham. “The culture is so strong. We are also proud of the competitive fight level on the field.”
Ankeny outscored its three opponents in the 16-team tournament by a 31-0 margin. The Hawkettes are now 20-5 on the season.
On Saturday, Ankeny rolled to an 8-0 victory over Williamsburg in the semifinals before the rain arrived at Harlan Rogers Park. The Raiders (20-3) are ranked No. 1 in Class 3A.
Cassie Johnson went 3-for-4 with a pair of solo homers in the win. She now has 11 home runs on the year, which ranks third in the entire state.
After missing four games earlier in the week due to an illness, Johnson went 8-for-11 in the tournament with three homers and two doubles. She raised her batting average to .544.
“Being out was tough,” Johnson said. “But I definitely feel like myself again!”
Kendra Lewis and Lily Hans also homered for the Hawkettes–the first of the year for both players. Lewis went 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles and two RBIs, while Hans also drove in two runs.
Abby Rusher (14-3) had five strikeouts over the first four innings to earn the victory. She combined with Kendra Winfrey on a four-hitter.
On Friday, the Hawkettes opened the tournament with a 13-0 victory over Sioux City Heelan (7-12) in four innings. They used a five-run fourth to end the game.
Johnson went 4-for-4 with a double and a home run to lead Ankeny’s 14-hit attack. She had three RBIs.
Larissa Miller went 3-for-3 with two stolen bases and two runs scored. Lewis tripled and drove in two runs, while Kennedy Palmer and Hans each doubled and had two RBIs.
Winfrey went 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI. Rusher also knocked in a run.
Winfrey (6-0) was the winning pitcher. She tossed a two-hitter and had six strikeouts.
The Hawkettes then defeated Ames, 10-0, in five innings in the quarterfinals. The Little Cyclones’ record dropped to 15-11.
Ankeny scored two runs in the third inning, two in the fourth and then ended the game with a six-run fifth. The Hawkettes pounded out nine hits, four of them for extra bases.
Palmer went 2-for-3 with a double and three RBIs. Johnson, Lewis and Hans each doubled and drove in a run.
Winfrey went 2-for-3 and scored a run. Rylee Riesberg scored twice.
Rusher threw a one-hitter to earn the win. She walked two and had five strikeouts.
Ankeny will return to Fort Dodge on Wednesday for a non-conference game against the Dodgers (16-5), who are ranked third in Class 4A.
