No. 4 Centennial baseball team sweeps Rams, extends winning streak to 7 games

Ankeny Centennial’s Johnathan Carrasco (right) celebrates with teammate Pratim Amin after both players scored a run during the first game of Thursday’s doubleheader against visiting Southeast Polk. The Jaguars rallied from a 6-0 deficit to post a 13-6 victory, then completed a sweep of the twinbill with a 10-3 win. (Photo by Drue Wolfe)

It’s already been a good week for the Ankeny Centennial baseball team.

It got even better on Thursday as the fourth-ranked Jaguars extended their winning streak to seven games by sweeping a doubleheader against visiting Southeast Polk, the No. 6 team in Class 4A. Centennial rallied for a 13-6 victory in the opener, then completed the sweep with a 10-3 win.

“It’s been a tough week, but our guys have responded very well,” said Centennial coach Mark Hey, whose team swept No. 1 Johnston on Monday before edging Ankeny, 4-3, on Wednesday. “I feel very good about the direction we’re heading right now.”

In the opener, the Rams jumped out to a 6-0 lead in the second inning against Centennial starter Carter Smalley. Brett Nicodemus had a two-run single in the outburst, then Connor Duong followed with a two-run homer to right field.

**Ankeny Centennial’s Isaac Bruhl steals second base as the throw eludes Southeast Polk shortstop Maddox O’Connor during the first game of Thursday’s doubleheader. (Photo by Drue Wolfe)**

“The wind was obviously a big factor,” Hey said. “They had a couple of wind-blown hits, and one of them was the homer. I think (Smalley) threw pretty well, but they got up on us and it was just really good to see our kids battle back.”

Centennial got back into the game with three runs in the third, then erupted for seven more in the fourth. The Jaguars added another run in the fifth and two in the sixth.

Johnathan Carrasco went 2-for-4 with a triple and three RBIs. Isaac Bruhl, Sean Stewart and Pratim Amin each had two hits, scored twice and drove in a run.

Kohen Bollwinkel went 2-for-3 with an RBI. Preston Glatt doubled and knocked in a run.

Ankeny Centennial reliever Elijah Starr pitches to a Southeast Polk batter during the first game of Thursday’s twinbill. He earned the win by allowing no runs on just two hits over the final five innings. (Photo by Drue Wolfe)

Sophomore Elijah Starr (1-0) earned the win with five scoreless innings of relief. He allowed just two hits, walked one and had five strikeouts.

“Eli pitched outstanding,” Hey said. “We not only needed him to shut them down but to eat up some innings, and he just did an outstanding job of doing both of those things.”

Centennial never trailed in the nightcap. The Jaguars scored three runs in the third to build a 5-1 lead, then used a five-run fifth to put the game away.

Leyton Kolln went 3-for-3 and drove in three runs, while Emerson Alberhasky went 2-for-4 and also had three RBIs. Glatt went 2-for-4 and knocked in a run.

Joey Oakie went 3-for-4, and Carrasco went 2-for-3. They each scored a pair of runs.

**Ankeny Centennial’s Reed Anderson hits the ball during the second game of Thursday’s doubleheader. He drove in a run in the Jaguars’ 10-3 win. (Photo by Drue Wolfe)**

Reed Anderson also had an RBI for the Jaguars, who pounded out 14 hits off two Southeast Polk pitchers.

Tripp Rawlings (2-0) scattered six hits over the first six innings to earn the win. He walked one and had six strikeouts.

Centennial improved to 7-2 in the CIML Conference and 12-2 overall. The Rams’ records dropped to 4-6 and 13-6.

The Jaguars will play two non-conference games at Mount Mercy University in Cedar Rapids on Saturday. They will face Ames (6-9) and No. 2 Cedar Rapids Kennedy (16-1).