A trip to Creston may have provided a midseason spark for the Ankeny softball team.
After getting off to a 4-7 start, the Hawkettes traveled to Union County over the weekend and won three of four games in the John Stephens Classic. The last three games were against Class 4A rated opponents.
Ankeny (7-8) closed out the tournament on Saturday with an 8-7 victory over fifth-ranked Dallas Center-Grimes. The Mustangs (17-2) lost for the second time in four games after opening the season with a 15-game winning streak.
“We’re just really starting to trust the process at the plate–the things that we’re implementing at practice,” said Ankeny coach Sarah Saladino. “I’m just really proud of the grittiness that we’re starting to show.”
Dallas Center-Grimes jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the first inning, but the Hawkettes answered with five runs in the bottom of the frame. The Mustangs then regained a 7-5 advantage in the third before Ankeny took the lead with three runs in the bottom half.
“We got down early, but we just talked to the girls about our approach at the plate and just kind of took it as it came,” Saladino said. “We turned around and scored five runs right away.”
Sarah Munger led Ankeny’s bats, going 2-for-2 with a home run and four RBIs. It was her first homer of the season.
Autumn Leinen doubled and drove in a run. Brylee Bach went 2-for-3, and Kaylyn Miller knocked in a run.
Aubrey Lensmeyer (4-5) held Dallas Center-Grimes scoreless over the last two innings to earn the win. She allowed seven earned runs on five hits, walked two and had four strikeouts.
Earlier on Saturday, the Hawkettes dropped a 6-2 decision to No. 11 Bondurant-Farrar. The Bluejays are now 12-4 on the season.
Miller (3-3) took the loss, allowing four earned runs on 13 hits. She had Ankeny’s lone RBI.
Leinen and Madison Meyers each had two hits, including a double. Tenley Heidemann also had a double, while Lensmeyer went 2-for-3.
On Friday, the Hawkettes opened the tournament with an 8-5 win over Atlantic. The Trojans (10-7) trailed by just 4-3 before Ankeny broke it open with a four-run fourth inning.
Heidemann had a huge game at the plate, going 2-for-2 with a double and a grand slam–her third homer of the season. She scored three runs and drove in five more.
“We’ve done some different things with our lineup, and it’s really starting to show as those kids become more comfortable at the plate,” Saladino said. “It’s great to see.”
Miller had two RBIs, and Lensmeyer knocked in a run. Avery Nelson went 2-for-3 and scored a pair of runs, while Ava Schlee had a double.
Lensmeyer earned the win in the five-inning contest. She allowed three earned runs on five hits and had seven strikeouts.
Ankeny later used a five-run third inning to post a 5-2 win over No. 13 Creston. Leinen had the big hit in the outburst with a two-run homer, her first of the year.
Bach doubled, scored a run and drove in another. Munger also doubled and scored, and Lensmeyer added an RBI.
Miller took a shutout into the sixth inning before the Panthers (14-5) scored two runs in their final at-bat. She allowed six walks, but gave up no earned runs on just three hits.
“We’re just really proud of them as a staff,” Saladino said.
Ankeny will travel to Valley on Monday for a CIML Conference game against the No. 3 Tigers (12-6).