It would not have been ideal for the Ankeny softball team to enter regional play on a seven-game losing skid.
A dramatic rally in the first game of Monday’s doubleheader against fourth-ranked Valley allowed the Hawkettes to avoid that scenario.
Ankeny overcame a 9-2 deficit on its home field and got a walk-off double from Avery Nelson in the bottom of the eighth inning to post a 10-9 victory over the Tigers, who then rebounded with a 7-4 victory in the nightcap to earn a split.
“It was just great timely hitting and some solid defense to get us ready for the postseason,” said Ankeny coach Sarah Saladino.
The Hawkettes started their comeback with four runs in the fifth inning to cut Valley’s lead to 9-6. Tenley Heidemann then hit a three-run homer in the seventh, her fourth of the season, to tie the game.
In the eighth, Nelson slapped a pitch from Valley’s Maddie Zlomke into the gap in left-center field to score Brylee Bach from first base.
“We started off a little bit slower than we wanted to, but we had some big hits and Aubrey (Lensmeyer) settled in and found her groove on the mound,” Saladino said.
Lensmeyer (9-12) allowed seven earned runs on nine hits and had six strikeouts. She gave up a pair of home runs to Mackenzie Mohler, who now ranks third in the state with 19 homers, but then held the Tigers scoreless over the last three innings.
Lensmeyer also went 3-for-4 at the plate with a pair of doubles and two RBIs. Heidemann went 2-for-4 with a double and drove in four runs, while Nelson went 2-for-4 and had two RBIs.
Morgan Fisher went 2-for-5 and scored a run. Bach went 2-for-4.
Valley’s Ilsa Harvey went 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBIs in the second game. Mohler went 3-for-3 and scored a pair of runs.
Kaylyn Miller (3-11) took the loss. She allowed six earned runs on 13 hits and had two strikeouts.
Heidemann doubled and had two RBIs for the Hawkettes. Miller also drove in a run, while Fisher and Lensmeyer each had a double.
The Tigers finished 13-11 in the CIML Conference and are now 26-11 overall. Ankeny’s records are 7-17 and 12-26.
Valley took fourth place in the league–even though it’s the No. 4 team in Class 5A.
“That’s the way the conference is,” Saladino said. “They’re a great ball club, and it was great to have this matchup at the end (of the regular season).”
The Hawkettes will now prepare for Saturday’s regional semifinal at No. 11 Ames (29-10).
