After making an early mistake, Ankeny pitcher Abby Rusher buckled down on Monday night.
Rusher gave up a leadoff homer to Sophia Schlader to start the game, then shut down third-ranked Waukee Northwest the rest of the way as the eighth-ranked Hawkettes posted a 2-1 victory in 10 innings in the opener of a CIML Conference softball doubleheader at Ankeny.
It was the Wolves’ first loss of the season.
“Abby was unbelievable,” said Ankeny coach Dave Bingham. “Without having our captain (Cassie Johnson) back there (behind the plate), we can’t do anything without our other catchers. Ava (Tomlinson) kept Abby in check and called a great game.”
Rusher (3-3) allowed just three more hits after Schlader connected for her solo blast. She walked three and had five strikeouts.
Ankeny tied the game in the second inning, then eventually won it in the 10th. Autumn Leinen walked, and pinch-runner Morgan Fisher stole second.
Fisher, an eighth grader, then raced home on a hit by Avery Nelson.
“Nellie smacked one down the line to win it,” Bingham said. “She’s been pressing to be a clutch performer with runners in scoring position, so that was good to see.”
Nelson, who also had the game-winning hit in a 5-4, 10-inning victory over the Wolves last season, went 2-for-4 for Ankeny. Kensington Arringdale had a double.
“We showed some toughness and grit in that game,” Bingham said. “We didn’t have that same toughness in the second game.”
Ankeny held a 6-5 lead after five innings in the nightcap and had a chance for the sweep, but the Wolves then scored two runs in the sixth and three more in the seventh to post a 10-6 win for the split. Schlader drove in four runs with two more homers and now has eight roundtrippers on the season, tied for the most in the entire state with Izzie Moore of Wayne (Corydon).
Aubrey Lensmeyer (2-2) took the loss. She allowed seven earned runs on 10 hits over the first 5 1/3 innings.
“She didn’t have her best stuff,” Bingham said. “We were right there, but we just didn’t finish.”
Arringdale went 3-for-3 with a homer and two RBIs for the Hawkettes. Lensmeyer added a solo blast for her third homer of the year.
Kaylyn Miller doubled and scored a run.
“We swung it pretty well in the second game, but we also struck out way too much,” Bingham said.
Northwest is now 5-1 in the league and 11-1 overall. Ankeny’s records are 3-1 and 5-5.
The Hawkettes will travel to Urbandale (7-7) on Thursday for another conference doubleheader.
“We haven’t really even started playing well yet,” Bingham said. “I expected more out of my team this year, but it’s going to take some time.
