The Ankeny Christian Academy softball team entered Monday’s game at Mason City Newman having scored a total of 220 runs in the previous 19 contests.
But the Eagles hadn’t seen a pitcher like Newman righthander Sami Kruckenberg.
The hard-throwing junior tossed a two-hitter and had 12 strikeouts to lead the ninth-ranked Knights to a 2-0 victory over No. 11 ACA in a Class 1A regional final.
“You tip your cap to her,” said ACA coach James Crosby. “She pitched a heck of a game tonight.”
While Newman (24-5) earned a trip to next week’s state tournament at Fort Dodge, ACA finished with a 17-3 record. The Eagles completed their second season as a varsity program.
“It’s as far as we’ve ever gone before,” said freshman shortstop Breeze Bentz. “It still sucks to lose, but we had an amazing season and we have high hopes for next year.”
ACA senior Katie Quick tossed a three-hitter in her final game. She had a pair of strikeouts.
“I don’t think I could have done anything better,” said Quick. “They got some lucky runs there in the first inning, and we just couldn’t respond.”
Quick (13-3) was coming off back-to-back shutouts against AGWSR and BCLUW in regional play. But the Knights took advantage of four ACA errors, two of which came in the first inning.
With one out, Brooke Bleile reached on an error and then went to third when Kruckenberg reached second on another error. After Quick hit Rozlyn Jaspersen with a pitch to load the bases, Leah Brown followed with a two-run single to right field.
“Our girls fought until the end,” Crosby said. “One or two plays go the other way, and this is a 0-0 game in the seventh (inning).”
Kruckenberg, meanwhile, cruised through the first 5 2/3 innings. She retired 17 of the first 18 batters she faced, allowing only a two-out walk to Brynley Luce in the third inning.
With two outs in the sixth, ACA’s Katelyn Weathers drew another walk. That brought the potential tying run to the plate in Quick, who leads Class 1A with 13 home runs.
Quick jumped on the first pitch from Kruckenberg and lined out to center fielder Tess Weiner.
“I kind of knew that this was one of our chances to score,” Quick said. “If it was a good pitch, I was definitely going to go for it. I did, and it just went right to her.”
Kruckenberg took a no-hitter into the seventh before Bentz led off with a bloop single to left field.
“She’s really good at hitting her spots,” Bentz said. “Every pitch she made count, and going up there I just knew I had to get on and I thought it might be my last at-bat this season. Either a walk or a hit, I just had to get on somehow.”
Bentz then raced to third when Sicily Crosby followed with a double over the outstretched arm of Weiner in right-center field.
“That was amazing,” Bentz said. “As soon as it was off her bat, I thought it had a chance of going out. But she hit it in a good place, and that was great for us.”
Newman then elected to intentionally walk Abby Farrand to load the bases with no outs. Kruckenberg retired Livi Johnson on a pop fly in foul territory to first baseman Kinsey Anderegg, then got two more strikeouts to punch her team’s ticket to state.
Kruckenberg (21-4) lowered her ERA to 0.81. It was the 16th shutout of the season for the Knights, who have not allowed more than five runs in any game.
“She’s one of the faster pitchers we’ve seen this year,” Quick said of Kruckenberg. “I think she threw a little bit of a rise. I didn’t think it was amazing, but it was obviously good enough to get us.”
The Eagles will now have to replace Quick, who is headed to Drake in the fall to play volleyball.
“I don’t like to think that this is the last time I’m playing (for ACA),” Quick said.
With the rest of the roster returning, Crosby is confident that the team has a bright future.
“We got one step closer (to state), and next year we’ll try to keep moving it along,” he said. “We’re losing Katie, but we’ve got some good talent coming in with the eighth graders. We’ve also got a couple kids transferring in, so we’re prepped for next year.”
