The three seniors on the Ankeny Centennial softball team took a bow before leaving Tuesday’s non-conference game against visiting Fort Dodge.
With two outs in the top of the seventh inning, Centennial coach Brett Delaney replaced the trio of pitcher Aubrey Scieszinski, catcher Makenna Foster and left fielder Mary Brantley as the third-ranked Jaguars held a comfortable lead on their Senior Night.
“It was a great night to celebrate our three seniors, and it was a great opportunity to play a quality opponent late in the season in a one-game setting,” Delaney said after his team had completed its 8-2 victory over the Dodgers, the No. 8 squad in Class 4A.
Scieszinski (11-3) allowed just one earned run on seven hits over the first 6 2/3 innings. She had five strikeouts before freshman Peyten Spiegel took over in the circle and got the final out.
Brantley went 1-for-2 with a walk. She also contributed a sacrifice along with Foster.
The seniors got plenty of help from their teammates. Kori Lincicum went 2-for-4 with a double, a home run and three RBIs.
Jordyn Kennedy went 3-for-4 and drove in a run, while Ava Faber added a two-run homer. Camden Starr went 3-for-3 with a double, scored two runs and knocked in another.
“Cami had a really good night at the plate,” Delaney said.
Mady Ott went 2-for-4 and scored twice for the Jaguars, who used a four-run second inning to take a 4-1 lead and then added a pair of runs in each of the next two frames to break it open. Lauren Bartine doubled and scored a run.
“We made some high-level defensive plays which carried over to good offensive approaches,” Delaney said. “Overall, it was an #AsOne night!”
This was the second meeting of the season between the two teams. Centennial also beat the Dodgers, 11-2, in five innings in the fifth-place game of the Fort Dodge Invitational on June 21.
The Jaguars raised their record to 24-9. Fort Dodge dropped to 23-11.
Centennial will play a CIML Conference game on Wednesday at Dowling Catholic (4-14, 8-15). The Maroons were swept in an earlier doubleheader on June 9.
The Jaguars are 15-5 in the league and need to win out to keep their faint title hopes alive. No. 1 Waukee Northwest (19-2) can clinch the outright crown with a victory over visiting Ankeny on Wednesday.
