‘Tonight was a special night’: Seniors help Jaguars to another sweep, into first place

The eight seniors on the Ankeny Centennial softball team were honored during Monday’s doubleheader against visiting Dowling Catholic. They helped the Jaguars to a sweep of the twinbill. From left are Lily Bauch, Cora Boyle, Payton Drefke, Jessica Lathrop, Ellie Lorenz, McKenna Vallejo, Addie Pollock and Addi Starr. (Photo courtesy of Jerrad Downer)

Just call it a perfect dozen.

The Ankeny Centennial softball team extended its winning streak to 12 games with a doubleheader sweep over visiting Dowling Catholic on Monday. The fifth-ranked Jaguars posted a 10-0 victory in six innings in the opener, then followed with a 10-2 win in the nightcap.

“Tonight was a special night for us,” said Centennial coach Brett Delaney, whose team is now tied for the seventh-longest current winning streak in the state. “It was our Senior Night, and we had a chance to honor our eight seniors throughout the night.”

The sweep allowed Centennial to move into sole possession of first place in the CIML Conference. The Jaguars are now 9-1 in the league and 21-4 overall, while Dowling’s records dropped to 1-9 and 7-14.

Ankeny Centennial’s Addie Pollock gets ready to run home from third base during the first game of Monday’s doubleheader. She went 1-for-2 with a walk and scored twice as the Jaguars posted a 10-0 victory in six innings. (Photo courtesy of Jerrad Downer)

Centennial now owns a two-game lead over No. 2 Waukee Northwest, which was swept by No. 6 Valley on Monday.

“It’s one game at a time, one pitch at a time and one out at a time,” Delaney said of his team’s current hot streak.

All eight of the seniors started the second game. One of them, McKenna Vallejo, went 3-for-3 with two runs scored and two RBIs.

Mady Ott hit a three-run double for the Jaguars. Senior Ellie Lorenz also doubled and knocked in a run.

Cora Boyle, another senior, went 2-for-4 and drove in a run. She was also the winning pitcher.

Ankeny Centennial’s Cora Boyle throws a pitch during the nightcap of Monday’s twinbill. She improved to 12-0 on the season as the Jaguars rolled to a 10-2 triumph. (Photo courtesy of Jerrad Downer)

Boyle (12-0) allowed one earned run on seven hits over the first 6 2/3 innings before Lauren Sandholm came in to get the final out, handing the Maroons their eighth consecutive loss.

“The second game the wind died down a little bit, and the ball was able to fly a little more,” Delaney said. “The girls are playing really well. We’re just trying to fine-tune a couple of things and get ready for this run at the end of the season.”

Sandholm (9-2) tossed a one-hitter and had 10 strikeouts in the first game. She also had an RBI.

Centennial erupted for seven runs in the first inning and cruised to the win. Mary Brantley went 2-for-3 with two runs scored and three RBIs, including a walk-off single in the sixth inning.

Ankeny Centennial’s Makenna Foster hits the ball during the first game of Monday’s doubleheader. She went 2-for-3 with a double and had two RBIs in the Jaguars’ victory. (Photo courtesy of Jerrad Downer)

Senior Jessica Lathrop went 3-for-3 with a triple and drove in a pair of runs. Makenna Foster went 2-for-3 with a double and two RBIs.

Addi Starr, another senior, went 3-for-4 in the win. Boyle went 2-for-3 and had an RBI.

“We had to battle the elements in the first game, so it was really a team effort,” Delaney said. “I’m not sure if we hit a ball past the middle part of the outfield. We just had to execute some small things and take advantage of the mistakes that they made.”

The Jaguars will have a few days off before playing a non-conference doubleheader at Des Moines Lincoln (15-7) on Friday.

“We get a little bit of a break now,” Delaney said. “We’re a little dinged up here and there, and some girls are battling some illnesses. It’ll be a good break for us.”