With only one senior on its roster, the Ankeny Christian Academy baseball team didn’t have a lot of expectations this season.
But the Eagles are growing up fast.
First baseman Tyson Fincham hit a two-run single in the ninth inning and ACA moved two wins away from its first trip to the Class 1A state tournament with a 5-3 victory at Southeast Warren in a district semifinal on Tuesday. The Eagles (14-10) avenged a 13-2 loss on June 10.
“The first time we played them, they embarrassed us at home,” said first-year ACA coach Konrad Christensen. “We were like the Bad News Bears–we made six errors. But the boys played like animals tonight. They were amazing–no errors and just one all-star play after another.”
Lucas Erickson (6-4) allowed just one earned run on six hits and had 10 strikeouts over 8 1/3 innings. He was replaced by Landon Curtis with one out in the seventh inning, but later returned to the mound and retired six consecutive batters to close out the win.
“I felt like everything was working for me,” said Erickson. “I was just mixing (pitches) with my off-speed, just really keeping them off-balance. I was originally being saved for Saturday, and then when the game got close I told coach, ‘I can come back in and shut them down.’ And that’s what I did.”
Southeast Warren (15-7) twice rallied to tie the game. Austin Ledlie went 4-for-4 for the Warhawks and hit a tying two-run homer with no outs in the bottom of the eighth, his second of the season.
After Curtis walked the next two batters, Christensen brought Erickson back to the mound.
“I don’t know what it was,” Curtis said of his control issues. “Something in my head, but I’ll get it next game though. Erickson did amazing.”
Southeast Warren’s Dalton Spear tried to bunt the runners over, but Erickson fielded the ball quickly and threw to third for a force play. Trey Fisher then popped out to Fincham in foul territory before Erickson fanned Caden Crow to end the inning.
“He wanted that ball, and he brought it,” Christensen said of Erickson.
Brody Butler drew a walk off Ledlie (3-2) to begin the ninth-inning rally. He advanced to second on a balk and then went to third on a single by Tyler Davis.
After Braley Miller drew another walk to load the bases, Fincham greeted reliever Drake Steil with a bouncer up the middle to score the go-ahead runs.
“I had two strikes, and I was really just trying to battle. Anything off-speed, I just had a foul ball,” Fincham said. “And the last at-bat I struck out outside so I knew what the zone was looking like a little bit. I just put the bat to the ball, and it went up the middle.”
Erickson then retired the Warhawks in order in the bottom of the ninth. Ledlie was on deck when the game ended.
“I was going to walk him if he came up again,” Christensen said. “He had the game of his life.”
Southeast Warren starter Brody Crow allowed just one unearned run on three hits in the first 6 2/3 innings and had nine strikeouts. ACA took a 1-0 lead in the third inning when Miller led off with a single, moved to second on an errant pickoff attempt, advanced to third on a bunt by Fincham and scored on a grounder by Conner Crosby.
The Warhawks tied it in the fourth after a leadoff single by Ledlie. Pinch-runner Conlan Miller took second on a wild pitch, was bunted to third and then raced home on another wild pitch.
Southeast Warren had a chance to win it in the bottom of the seventh. Fisher hit a one-out single on the first pitch from Curtis, then advanced to second on a balk.
After Steil was intentionally walked with two outs, Madden Merfeld hit a sinking liner down the right-field line that could have ended the game. But ACA freshman Anthony Abbas made a sliding catch to force extra innings.
Erickson also made a leaping catch at shortstop for the second out of that inning.
“They didn’t hit me very well at the beginning of the season, and we had a lot of errors,” Erickson said. “We felt like we just needed to clean that up, and the defense made a lot of plays tonight and that’s why we won.”
Lucas Herbel went 3-for-5 and scored a run for the Eagles. He reached on an infield single with one out in the eighth before Curtis ripped a two-run double to left field.
“I was just thinking fastball,” Curtis said. “I got it, and hit it with the sweet barrel. I just went for it.”
Ledlie then tied the game in the bottom of the frame with his towering blast, but the Eagles responded once again.
“It was like that Lynnville game (last year in the substate final),” Christensen said. “I told these guys, ‘They had the heart of seniors.’ The guy hits a two-run bomb, and they come together and overcome it. Erickson says, ‘Give me the ball again,’ so I give him the ball again.
“I’m pretty proud of them,” he added.
The Eagles will play Baxter (17-6) in the district final on Saturday at 7 p.m. at Lynnville-Sully, following a 5 p.m. game between Lynnville-Sully (22-2) and North Mahaska (14-9). The winners will then meet in the substate final on Tuesday.
“We won’t have (Erickson pitching) next time, but you’ve got to win this one before you can move on,” Christensen said. “So we’ve got Curt and a good freshman in Tyler. We’ll go at Baxter with everything we’ve got.”
Curtis said he and his teammates will be ready.
“Considering how young we are, I’ve been surprised by how we’ve done,” he said. “But we’ve had some upsets and done really well. We’ve persevered, and I believe in us.”
