(Story by Stephen McDaniel)
There’s no question that Ankeny Christian Academy’s softball team knew they had some serious talent in the lineup. But with it being the first season in the program’s history, the 2024 season was all about laying the foundation.
So while the Eagles saw their season come to an end following a 7-0 loss at fifth-ranked Collins-Maxwell in the Class 1A Region 3 semifinals Friday, they also knew there was plenty to keep their heads raised high.
“We’re pretty happy about the season,” said Ankeny Christian Academy coach James Crosby.
A lot of newly formed programs usually go through a buffer period where they try to get the wheels turning before they start seeing success.
Unlike the others, Ankeny Christian Academy softball hit the ground running.
The Eagles turned a 12-1 loss in their season opener against Southeast Warren into a seven-game winning streak where they outscored their opponents 98-9. They end the season with an 18-7 overall record with a 10-2 conference mark in the Bluegrass West standings.
One of the Eagles’ top wins of the season was back on June 19 when they traveled to Collins and snapped a 14-game winning streak for Collins-Maxwell by handing the Spartans their second of only three losses all season.
Ankeny Christian Academy then rallied from a 7-0 deficit for a 9-8 victory over Coon Rapids-Bayard in the regional quarterfinals for the program’s first postseason win.
“We didn’t want to put pressure on them and put numbers on it,” Crosby said. “But we knew we had talent. We thought we had a chance to push some regionals, and we did what we thought we could.”
But the win against Coon Rapids-Bayard put the Eagles right back into Collins for a semifinal matchup against the Spartans, who were looking to avenge their prior loss while contending for the Class 1A state title.
Their biggest hurdle between them and reaching their first regional final was Collins-Maxwell’s standout senior pitcher Erica Houge.
Houge racked up 17 strikeouts in the first meeting and currently ranks first in the state in ERA (0.16), strikeouts (350), opponent batting average (.080), WHIP (0.37) and earned runs allowed (4).
The Eagles weren’t able to find the same success they had late in the first matchup with the Spartans. Houge had a perfect game bid going into the top of the seventh when Katie Quick broke it up with an infield single for ACA’s first base runner of the game.
“(Collins-Maxwell) is a phenomenal team with a phenomenal pitcher,” Crosby said. “We knew we had to play a perfect game to keep up with them. We weren’t quite there, but we’re a player or two away from that being a tight game in the end. That’s where we want to be, have a chance at the end.”
Any chance of reaching the regional final was going to have to see the Eagles rally back from down seven runs for the second straight game.
Collins-Maxwell led 3-0 after the first inning thanks to a successful bunt from Emma Pasquariello and a two-RBI knock from Jayden Peters. An error on a catch in the fourth inning allowed the Spartans to plate four more runs off two-RBI hits from Pasquariello and Haylee Merryman.
ACA’s lone senior, Riese Gjerde, tried to keep the Eagles in it by recording nine strikeouts while surrendering seven hits and seven runs. She lost for only the second time in 12 decisions this season.
“Riese had quit playing softball for a couple years, so we were really excited that she wanted to come in, play, contribute to this team, put the uniform on for her school and get one more chance to go out there and play,” Crosby said.
The Eagles will have to find a way to fill Gjerde’s spot in the lineup, but with two juniors, five sophomores, six freshmen and two eighth graders, they’ll have plenty returning to build off their first-year successes next summer.
