Ankeny senior Abby Rusher was named to the Class 5A all-tournament team after leading the Hawkettes to a fourth-place finish in the state softball tournament this week at Fort Dodge.
Rusher went 4-for-10 at the plate with at least one hit in all three games. She went 2-for-3 and had a solo home run, her first of the season, in the Hawkettes’ 8-1 loss to top-ranked Valley in Wednesday’s semifinals.
Rusher also had a pair of doubles. Her leadoff double in the fifth inning ignited a two-run rally that allowed Ankeny to beat No. 4 Waukee Northwest, 2-0, in Monday’s quarterfinals.
Rusher tossed a two-hitter and had four strikeouts against the Wolves. The Creighton recruit finished the season with a 15-11 record, helping her team to a 22-22 mark.
“I think this group of seniors has shown immense grit and passion for the game,” Rusher said after the tournament. “We deepened this team’s culture and showed no matter your role, it matters. We made sure that everyone felt important and valued on the team. I think we set the bar high, but we are handing this team off into good hands and I’m excited to see what this team will do next year!”
Jessie Clemons of Pleasant Valley was selected the captain of the all-tournament team. She went 4-for-5 with two homers, a double and four RBIs to lead the Spartans to a 14-11 victory over Valley in Thursday’s championship game.
Clemons was joined on the squad by teammates Kaitlyn Merkel, Ashley Hansen and Mary Paige Withers. Others named to the team were Kari Rose, Alexa Stevermer, Marin Heller and Mackenzie Mohler of Valley, Audrey Bender of Muscatine and Kyra Kain of Urbandale.
Kain homered and drove in three runs to lead the J-Hawks to a 6-5 win over Ankeny in Thursday’s third-place game.
