Despite scoring just six runs over the last 21 innings, the Ankeny Centennial baseball team will take a three-game winning streak into postseason play.
The fifth-ranked Jaguars closed out the regular season on Tuesday with a 1-0 victory over visiting Valley. They won a pitcher’s duel for the third time in the last 24 hours after sweeping a doubleheader on Monday against Urbandale by scores of 4-1 and 1-0.
After watching Will Morris and Tripp Rawlings toss back-to-back gems against the J-Hawks, Emerson Alberhasky needed just 79 pitches to throw the complete-game shutout on Tuesday. He scattered four hits, walked none and had six strikeouts.
“I was definitely geared up for the start, especially considering it’s my last guaranteed start of my high school career,” said Alberhasky, who raised his record to 5-1. “Will and Tripp pitched amazing (on Monday), and I just wanted to follow suit.”
Centennial scored the game’s only run in the bottom of the sixth inning. Isaac Bruhl led off with a double, moved to third on a grounder and then scored on a two-out infield single by Joey Oakie.
Alberhasky then retired the Tigers in order in the top of the seventh for the Jaguars’ second straight shutout and sixth of the season.
“I definitely threw the kitchen sink at Valley,” Alberhasky said. “I have been working on a cutter at the end of this season and threw it quite a bit this game. I thought I mixed all five of my pitches well and didn’t need many to go the distance. I give my catcher Leyton (Kolln) a ton of credit for being able to adjust to me adding a new pitch at the end of the season, and he called a phenomenal game.”
Oakie went 2-for-2 with a walk. He is now batting .324 and leads the team with 32 RBIs.
Bruhl went 2-for-3 in the win. Kohen Bollwinkel had Centennia’s only other hit.
The Jaguars finished 17-7 in the CIML Conference and improved to 28-10 overall. Valley’s records dropped to 6-16 and 13-20.
Centennial will host Marshalltown (5-30) in a Class 4A substate quarterfinal on Friday at 7 p.m. The Bobcats have lost by 10 or more runs 17 times this season, including a 26-0 decision at Des Moines Roosevelt on May 22.
With a win, the top-seeded Jaguars would receive a bye in the semifinal round. They would host the substate final on Wednesday, July 17.
