The Class 5A semifinals at the state softball tournament on Wednesday will feature a pair of rematches between conference rivals. Ankeny Fanatic publisher Dan Holm and photographer Drue Wolfe will be making an aerial trip to Fort Dodge with local pilot Chris Janssen, and luckily we’ll be able to walk across the street to Harlan Rogers Park from the Fort Dodge airport.
Here are Ankeny Fanatic’s predictions for the two games:
No. 1 Ankeny Centennial (34-5) vs. No. 4 Southeast Polk (31-9): The Jaguars split a CIML Conference doubleheader at Southeast Polk on June 29. The Rams won the first game, 9-8, in 11 innings as Sydney Potter and Aubrey Bacon each homered and drove in four runs. Centennial then rolled to a 20-4 victory in four innings in the nightcap. Mackenzie James went 4-for-4 with a home run and five RBIs for the Jaguars, who pounded out 38 hits in the twinbill. Lauren Sandholm tossed a four-hitter in the second game, having trouble only with Potter–who homered twice and knocked in all four of the Rams’ runs. Centennial coach Brett Delaney has started Lauren Gustofson in the pitcher’s circle in all three postseason games, and she has been outstanding–allowing just two earned runs on nine hits across 16 innings. But she was roughed up for seven runs on eight hits in just three innings in the first game at Southeast Polk last month. Will Delaney use the same formula that has been successful in the postseason, or will he consider going with Sandholm? The Rams will likely counter with Jayda Long, who tossed an eight-hitter in a 5-2 win over No. 5 Valley on Monday. Long earned the win against Centennial 19 days ago, despite giving up 18 hits. She threw 167 pitches in the marathon contest, so the Jaguars have likely seen every weapon in her arsenal. This one could be another slugfest. Southeast Polk ranks second in the entire state with 46 home runs, while Centennial is tied for ninth with 35 roundtrippers. The Jaguars placed third in 2020 and finished second in 2021, and I think they’ll punch their ticket to another championship game…in a nailbiter. Prediction: Ankeny Centennial 6, Southeast Polk 5.
No. 7 Muscatine (33-6) vs. No. 6 Pleasant Valley (31-9): These two Mississippi Athletic Conference rivals met in the quarterfinals last year, with the Muskies posting a 4-0 win en route to a third-place finish. Maura Chalupa tossed a two-hitter with 11 strikeouts in that game, and she has now thrown back-to-back shutouts to get her team within two victories of a state title. On Monday, Chalupa threw a two-hitter and had eight strikeouts in a 3-0 upset over No. 2 Ankeny. Pleasant Valley, meanwhile, avenged two earlier losses with a 5-4 win over No. 3 Waukee Northwest, the defending champion. The Spartans swept two games against Muscatine last month by scores of 2-1 and 8-5. Chalupa allowed just three hits in the first game, but one of them was a home run by Iowa State recruit Jessie Clemons. Clemons also started on Pleasant Valley’s state championship basketball team, but I think her quest for another crown will come to an end thanks to another strong outing from Chalupa. Prediction: Muscatine 3, Pleasant Valley 2.
