Last Thursday, the Ankeny baseball team rallied for six runs in the seventh inning to earn an improbable 12-8 victory at Southeast Polk in the second game of a doubleheader.
On Monday, the Hawks experienced the other side of a dramatic rally.
Visiting Waukee Northwest scored four runs in the seventh inning to forge a 6-6 tie, then plated four more in the eighth to post a 10-6 triumph that allowed the fourth-ranked Wolves to complete a sweep of a doubleheader. Ankeny also lost the first game, 12-4.
“Our inexperience hurt us at times, but hopefully we can learn from it,” said Ankeny coach Joe Balvanz.
Ankeny starter Zach Halverson allowed just two runs through six innings in the nightcap. But he got just one more out in the seventh before Balvanz brought in Cole Nuzum (3-1), who allowed two earned runs on four hits over the next 1 1/3 innings.
“Zach was sharp. He just kind of ran out of gas at the end,” Balvanz said of Halverson, who scattered eight hits and had four strikeouts. “Cole came in, and he’s been really good for us. But we just didn’t execute pitches when we needed to.”
Kobe Behrens drove in two runs for the Hawks, while Ben Taylor and Samuel Sandvig each added an RBI. Easton Lowe had a double.
“We did a really good job of getting the lead, and we had an opportunity to extend it but we didn’t,” Balvanz said. “And then in the seventh, things just didn’t go our way and they came back and tied it. And then we lost it in extras.”
Tyler Honkomp went 2-for-4 with a triple and two RBIs for the Wolves. Cameron Rourke doubled and also drove in two runs.
In the opener, Northwest’s Trey Stepleton went 2-for-3 with two doubles and three RBIs. Tanner Jackson hit a two-run triple to ignite a five-run first inning after Ankeny starter Will Davies (0-3) left the game due to an injury.
Davies faced just two batters before being replaced by RJ St. Romain. The Hawks used five more pitchers in the game.
“We’ll find out more (Tuesday) on Will’s injury,” Balvanz said. “But with him having a short start like that, it’s hard to overcome. The lineup is all set, and then it gets jumbled. That was a difficult spot to put RJ in.”
Jackson Romig and Lennon Perrine each knocked in a run for Ankeny, which is now 3-7 in the CIML Conference and 5-11 overall. The Wolves raised their records to 6-3 and 12-3.
“I was proud of our fight in that first game,” Balvanz said. “It could have gotten messy there, but it didn’t. We kept playing hard.”
The Hawks will host a conference game against Dowling Catholic on Wednesday. The Maroons (1-6, 5-7) were swept at Ankeny Centennial on Monday.
