It was a much-needed win for the Ankeny softball team.
After dropping a 3-2 decision at 11th-ranked Southeast Polk in the opener of a doubleheader on Thursday, the No. 13 Hawkettes ended a four-game losing skid with a 6-4 victory in the nightcap.
Ankeny took a 1-0 lead in the first inning, then used a four-run second to break the game open. The Rams later scored twice in the seventh to make things interesting, but could not get any closer.
Freshmen Brylee Bach and Ava Schlee each went 2-for-3 in the win. Bach doubled and scored a run, while Schlee had an RBI.
Aubrey Lensmeyer doubled and knocked in a run. Autumn Leinen and Madison Meyers each added an RBI.
“Offensively, we made an adjustment at the plate in the second game,” said Ankeny coach Sarah Saladino. “We just had to trust the process. ‘Sixty feet’ is what we are focused on.”
Kaylyn Miller (2-1) was the winning pitcher. She scattered 10 hits, walked one and had one strikeout.
Jesslyn Stairs went 2-for-4 with a double and three RBIs for the Rams.
In the first game, Lensmeyer (1-4) took the loss despite giving up just three earned runs on eight hits. She had three strikeouts.
“Both pitchers were pretty sound on the mound,” Saladino said. “Defensively, we played strong in both games.”
The Hawkettes took a 2-0 lead in the second inning, but Southeast Polk tied it in the bottom of the frame. The Rams then scored the go-ahead run in the sixth.
Southeast Polk’s Karter Price tossed a five-hitter and had nine strikeouts. She also went 2-for-3 with a double and two RBIs.
Ankeny’s Avery Nelson went 2-for-4 and drove in a run. Morgan Fisher had a double, and Meyers added an RBI.
The Hawkettes are now 3-5 in the CIML Conference and overall. Southeast Polk’s records are 4-2 and 4-4.
Ankeny will host a conference doubleheader against No. 2 Waukee Northwest on Monday. The Wolves are 5-2 and 7-3.