The Ankeny Centennial softball team moved within a half-game of first place in the CIML Conference by sweeping a doubleheader against visiting Waukee on Tuesday.
The fourth-ranked Jaguars posted a 3-0 victory in the first game, which resumed on Tuesday after being suspended due to rain last Wednesday. They then routed the No. 13 Warriors, 10-0, in four innings in the nightcap.
Centennial avenged a 4-3 loss at Waukee on May 28. The Jaguars also lost to Waukee, 3-0, in a Class 5A regional final last year.
“The girls knew that the pitcher they were facing today (Lillie Struck) was the one that knocked them out last year and got us earlier in the season,” said Centennial coach Brett Delaney. “It was something where we learned and grew, and we had a game plan going in. They were talking about (getting revenge) a little bit, and they just came in and took care of business.”
Centennial’s Aubrey Scieszinski (10-2) outdueled Struck in the first game. Scieszinski tossed a three-hitter, walked one and had eight strikeouts.
“We just went back to Aubrey since she had started the game last week, and she was lights out tonight,” Delaney said. “And then Kori (Lincicum) pitched really well in game two. It was a big victory for both of them.”
Mary Brantley went 2-for-3 and drove in all three runs in the opener. She had a double and a home run, her third of the season.
Mady Ott also went 2-for-3.
In the nightcap, the Jaguars erupted for eight runs in the first inning and then added two more in the third against freshman Elsa Kopriva. They pounded out 10 hits, three of them for extra bases.
Jordyn Kennedy went 2-for-2 with a home run and two RBIs. It was her 14th homer of the season, moving her into a tie with Nyah Hulbert of Norwalk and Katie Pilcher of Cedar Rapids Xavier for the state lead.
Kennedy needs one more homer to tie the single-season school record of 15, which was set by Kendyl Lindaman in 2016.
Brantley also had two RBIs. Lincicum and Makenna Foster each doubled and drove in a run.
“It’s just fun to sit back as a coach and watch them go to work at the plate,” Delaney said of his lineup. “They’re doing a great job of making adjustments.”
Lincicum (5-4) tossed a three-hitter for the win. She walked none and had five strikeouts.
Centennial improved to 12-3 in the league and 20-7 overall, while the Warriors’ records dropped to 5-9 and 10-12. No. 1 Waukee Northwest leads the conference with a 12-2 mark.
The Jaguars will host a CIML doubleheader against Ankeny on Wednesday before hosting a single game against Northwest on Thursday.