Ankeny softball coach Dave Bingham doesn’t want his summer vacation to begin anytime soon.
“I’m enjoying coaching these kids, and I hope I get four more (games),” Bingham said.
The second-ranked Hawkettes opened postseason play on Saturday with a 10-0 victory over visiting Cedar Falls in five innings in a Class 5A regional semifinal. The Tigers finished the season with a 14-24 record.
Ankeny (30-6) extended its winning streak to 10 games and moved one win away from its first trip to the state tournament since 2015.
“We’ve been really successful over the years in the first round,” Bingham said. “Confidence wise, it’s always good to get the jitters out of the way.”
Ankeny took a 4-0 lead in the first inning. The Hawkettes then added six more runs in the third, highlighted by Cassie Johnson’s grand slam.
It was Johnson’s 13th home run of the season, which is tied for ninth in the entire state.
“I was looking for an outside pitch that I could barrel up, and that’s what she threw me,” said Johnson.
Johnson went 2-for-3 in the win. She also leads the team with a .525 average and 46 RBIs.
Larissa Miller and Abby Rusher each went 2-for-2. Miller and Kendra Lewis each doubled and drove in a run.
Rylee Riesberg had two RBIs for the Hawkettes. Kendra Winfrey and Kennedy Palmer each knocked in a run.
“This has pretty much been our story at the end of the year,” Bingham said. “We didn’t let anybody score, and we put up enough runs to win the game. We’ll take that.”
Rusher and Winfrey combined on a four-hit shutout. Rusher (19-4) earned the win, racking up four strikeouts over the first three innings.
“Abby was good for a regional game, and so was Kendra,” Bingham said. “I think (Aubrey) Lensmeyer will be good, too, if we need her. We’ve got three really good arms.”
Johnson said the Hawkettes have benefited from taking one game at a time.
“As a team, we have made it an emphasis to mentally be where our feet are,” she said. “I think that’s exactly what we did (Saturday), and if we can continue with that mentality I am super confident we will make it to Fort Dodge!”
Ankeny will host No. 14 Waukee (17-22) in the regional final on Tuesday at 7 p.m. The Warriors advanced with a 9-0 win over Council Bluffs Jefferson.
The two teams split a doubleheader at Ankeny on June 15.
“Confidence and competitiveness are huge right now, along with the communication part,” Bingham said. “If we do that and play good defense, we’re going to be a tough team to handle. It’ll be exciting for us.”
