This year’s edition of the Ankeny baseball team isn’t the most talented squad that Joe Balvanz has coached during his tenure with the Hawks.
But it might be one of the grittiest.
Ankeny bounced back from a 15-11 loss at fourth-ranked Johnston on Monday with an 8-7 victory in the second game of a doubleheader. The Hawks snapped their three-game losing skid while ending a seven-game winning streak for the two-time defending Class 4A state champions.
“I thought we played really hard the entire doubleheader,” said Balvanz. “It’s hard to win over there. They’re a pretty established program, and they don’t really rebuild–they reload. Coach (Michael) Barta does a tremendous job with what goes on over there. We just went out there to play hard and to have fun, and I told the guys some good things would happen if we did that.”
After Johnston scored three runs in the fifth inning to take a 5-4 lead in the nightcap, Ankeny answered with two runs in the sixth and two more in the seventh to build an 8-5 advantage. The Hawks then held on for the win.
Jack Goodwin (2-0) earned the victory in relief of Travis Gerstel. He allowed three earned runs on four hits and had four strikeouts over the last three innings.
“Goodwin is a bulldog out there,” Balvanz said. “He just takes the ball, and he is a gamer.”
Jack Clevidence went 2-for-3 with two doubles and two RBIs in the win. He went 2-for-2 with a double, a home run and four RBIs in the first game.
It was the first homer of his varsity career.
“Clevidence had a great doubleheader,” Balvanz said.
Samuel Sandvig and Evan Irlmeier each went 2-for-3 in the second game. Irlmeier scored two runs and drove in another.
“Irlmeier just keeps grinding,” Balvanz said. “It isn’t always pretty, but he is gritty.”
Blake Morgan went 2-for-4 with a double and knocked in what proved to be the game-winning run. Kinnick Vos went 2-for-5 and also had an RBI.
“We did a good job of situational hitting,” Balvanz said. “The guys just battled their tails off at the plate. Johnston brought in (Sam) Kemmer to relieve the lefty (Cade Ogden), and we got to him.”
In the first game, Ankeny used a four-run third inning to break a 1-1 tie. But the Dragons then answered with seven runs in the bottom of the frame to take the lead for good.
Johnston’s rally began with a two-run double by Will Nuss down the third-base line that might have been a foul ball. Adam Kayko followed with an RBI single and later hit a home run, his first of two on the night.
Kayko went 3-for-4 with a double and three RBIs. Cole Kinman went 2-for-4 with a double, a homer and two RBIs.
“They have some dudes in that lineup who can swing it,” Balvanz said. “But our guys were great tonight, too. Twenty-five hits in a doubleheader at Johnston is nothing to shake a stick at.”
Karsten Bernholtz had two RBIs for the Hawks, who are now 6-10 in the CIML Conference and 11-17 overall. Vos went 2-for-5 with a double and drove in a run, while Irlmeier went 2-for-4 and had an RBI.
Will Davies (1-3) took the loss. He allowed 10 earned runs on nine hits over the first 3 2/3 innings.
“These guys give their best effort, and that’s all you can ask out of a group in the middle of June when you’re sitting on 10 wins,” said Balvanz, whose team rallied for four runs in the seventh and had the potential tying run in the on-deck circle before Sandvig flied out to deep left to end the game. “I’m tremendously proud of them.”
The win was the 400th career victory for Barta, who has won five state titles at Johnston. The Dragons, who are now 12-4 in the league and 21-4 overall, remained a half-game ahead of No. 2 Ankeny Centennial atop the conference.
The Hawks will play another CIML doubleheader at No. 10 Southeast Polk (16-10) on Thursday. The Rams posted a 6-4 win at Ankeny on May 31.
