Abby Rusher and the Ankeny softball team took a big step forward on Saturday.
Rusher racked up 26 strikeouts across 13 innings as the eighth-ranked Hawkettes posted a pair of victories at Oskaloosa, capped off by a 4-0 win over North Polk. The Comets are the No. 1 team in Class 4A.
“This was definitely a key day in our season,” said Ankeny coach Dave Bingham. “I think we flipped a switch today, and some of the lights went on.”
Rusher tossed a one-hitter against North Polk. She walked one and had 11 strikeouts while raising her record to 11-5.
“Today definitely boosted our confidence,” said Rusher. “We got the offense fired up and strung together some hits when we needed them most during the seventh inning. I’m really happy with our performance, and it just reassured us of what we can achieve.”
Ankeny (17-12) scored all of its runs via the long ball. Ava Tomlinson broke a scoreless tie with a three-run homer, then Kaylyn Miller followed with a solo shot.
It was Miller’s third home run of the season. It was Tomlinson’s second blast.
“Those are two grinders,” Bingham said of the duo. “Tomlinson hit one, and I guess Miller decided to follow it up.”
The loss snapped a 21-game winning streak for the Comets (25-3).
“North Polk is as good of a team as we’ve seen,” Bingham said. “Their pitcher throws as hard as anybody we’ve faced–I’m very impressed with her. That’s why I think this is a monumental moment in our season. We didn’t have any fear, and we hung in there. I was very proud of the girls.”
Earlier, the Hawkettes handed Oskaloosa a 10-5 defeat. The Indians dropped to 10-14.
Rusher allowed just one earned run on four hits over six innings. She walked two and had 15 strikeouts.
“I’ve been feeling off lately, but today I found my groove again,” Rusher said. “The spin felt a lot better, and I felt good overall with my pitching today.”
The Hawkettes played without Aubrey Lensmeyer, who was out with an illness.
“We didn’t have Aubrey, so we had to balance that,” Bingham said. “There was no hesitation with Abby today. She wanted the ball, and she had a couple of hits, too. What a day for her.”
Kensington Arringdale went 3-for-5 with a double, a homer and two RBIs. It was the second homer in two games and the third of the season for Arringdale, who also scored three times.
Avery Nelson went 3-for-4 with a double and drove in two runs. Grace Rood and Rusher also had two RBIs apiece.
Lily Hans doubled and knocked in a run. Tomlinson went 2-for-3, while Miller went 2-for-4 and scored a run.
Morgan Fisher had an RBI in the win. Brylee Bach scored two times.
“A lot of kids are contributing,” Bingham said. “They’ve been through a lot of tough stuff, and now they’re just playing with a lot of confidence. We play a tough schedule–we always do and always have. And sometimes that breaks you down, and sometimes it builds you up. I feel like we are really tough right now.”
The Hawkettes will play a CIML Conference doubleheader at No. 1 Ankeny Centennial (22-5) on Wednesday. They dropped a 4-2 decision to the Jaguars at the Johnston Invitational on May 24.
