It’s never easy to win on the road against the Johnston baseball team.
Sweeping a doubleheader against the Dragons on their home turf is almost impossible.
But that’s exactly what Ankeny Centennial did on Thursday, posting back-to-back wins of 6-1 and 6-3 against the most dominant program in Class 4A over the last decade.
“Our guys played very well,” said Centennial coach Mark Hey. “Obviously, Johnston is a great opponent and very highly ranked and very well coached. It was a good night.”
The Jaguars never trailed in either contest. They used a four-run fifth inning to break open the first game.
Will Morris went 2-for-4 with a double and two RBIs. Jackson Reed and Nolan Powell each had two hits, including a double, and drove in a run.
Darin Severs (2-0) earned the victory on the mound. He allowed one earned run on three hits over 5 1/3 innings.
Elijah Starr got the final five outs to earn a save.
“Darin threw outstanding and kept them off-balance,” Hey said. “He got tired a little bit late in the game, so Eli came in and finished up.”
Morris (2-0) went the distance in the nightcap. He allowed three earned runs on four hits and had five strikeouts.
Morris also went 2-for-3 with a double and three RBIs.
“Will had a real gutty performance,” Hey said. “The last inning he just really attacked their hitters. He’s just such a competitor and wants the ball in that situation.”
Isaac Bruhl went 3-for-3 with a triple and four runs scored. Kohen Bollwinkel also had a triple, while Reed Anderson went 2-for-4 with a double and two RBIs.
“We hit the ball solid all night long,” Hey said. “Just up and down the lineup, the guys kept battling for 14 innings. That’s a tough place to play over there, so I’m really proud of them.”
The Jaguars are now 2-1 in the CIML Conference and 4-2 overall. Johnston’s records dropped to 1-2 and 5-3.
Centennial will play a conference game at Ankeny on Monday.
