(Story by Stephen McDaniel)
Mady Ott couldn’t have picked a better time to help etch the Ankeny Centennial softball team into the record books.
A sixth-inning three-run homer from Ott was not only the catalyst for the second-ranked Jaguars’ 5-3 come-from-behind victory over No. 6 Southeast Polk, but it helped Centennial tie the all-time single-season home run record of 61 that was set by Pleasant Valley in 2024.
“It’s crazy,” said Ott, a senior centerfielder who blasted her 12th homer of the year and her fourth in the last five games. “I think it’s definitely deserved though. Every single player 1 through 24 (on the roster) puts in the work.”
The Jaguars have been mashing the ball at such an unprecedented pace that it quickly turned the hunt for the all-time record into a matter of when, and not if, they would reach it.
Entering Monday’s game at Centennial, the Jaguars had hit 60 home runs over the course of 26 games with four of the top home run hitters in Class 5A. Jordyn Kennedy ranked second with 15, Ott ranked fifth with 11, Mylie Hatfield ranked sixth with 10, and Kori Lincicum was tied for seventh with nine.
But despite all of the success that the Jaguars have had at the plate this season, they were on the cusp of giving up a no-hit shutout to the Rams.
Centennial was held hitless through the first five innings as Southeast Polk starter Karter Price allowed just three runners. Kennedy reached base on a walk and a hit by pitch, and Ott also reached via a walk.
“Not only are we talking to them as coaches, but they’re talking to each other in the dugout about what they’re seeing, adjustments that need to be made, and they’re going up there and making them,” said Centennial coach Brett Delaney. “We probably didn’t make them early enough tonight when we kind of let ourselves get behind.”
It wasn’t until Lincicum and fellow senior Ava Faber led off the bottom of the sixth with back-to-back walks that Centennial finally got a rally going.
Kennedy recorded the Jaguars’ first hit of the night with an RBI single up the middle that scored Lincicum and cut Southeast Polk’s lead to 3-1.
Then Ott stepped into the box.
On a 2-1 count with two on and no outs, Ott hit a moonshot that cleared the scoreboard in left-center for the record-tying blast that also put her team ahead.
“We’d seen (Price) three times at that point, and I knew I had to make an adjustment,” Ott said. “I was just looking for my pitch and just trusting all the work that I’ve put in.”
The rally continued with sophomore Gracie Anderson delivering a pinch-hit single and Lauren Sandholm driving her in with a single that gave the Jaguars a 5-3 cushion going into the top of the seventh.
“I said at the end of the game that big-time players in big-time situations make big-time plays,” Delaney said. “(Southeast Polk) is a good team over there. That’s a team that you’ll have to beat to get to the state tournament and at the state tournament. We’re very fortunate for the opportunity tonight.”
Sophomore Peyten Spiegel (11-0) picked up the win in the circle after taking over for Sandholm going into the sixth inning. She threw 31 pitches and only allowed two hits and one walk while recording two strikeouts in her two scoreless innings.
“(Spiegel) is a special one,” Delaney said. “She’s put in the work, she’s taking advantage of some opportunities now, and she’s got some ice in her veins. She’s a special kid.”
Sandholm tallied three strikeouts in 96 pitches, but allowed three earned runs on seven hits over her five innings.
The Rams took a 2-0 lead in the second inning on an RBI double by Brinley Cope and a successful bunt attempt from Berkley Weiland.
An RBI single from Ivy Ohorilko in the fourth inning gave Southeast Polk a 3-0 advantage, but it wasn’t enough.
“(The win) feels really good,” Ott said. “We knew they were a good team, so we knew we had to make this game count.”
Centennial remained in sole possession of first place in the CIML Conference while extending its winning streak to 19 games and completing a sweep of the season series against the Rams, who had their own six-game winning streak snapped. The Jaguars are now 14-1 in the league and 26-1 overall, while Southeast Polk’s records dropped to 5-9 and 15-10.
Centennial will have a chance to break the all-time single-season home run record on Wednesday when the Jaguars head across town to Ankeny for a conference doubleheader against the Hawkettes, who are 5-10 in the league and 9-14 overall after dropping a 5-1 decision to Urbandale on Monday.
The Jaguars hammered five home runs during their 16-3 win over Ankeny in four innings on June 1.The mindset of the Centennial players won’t change, regardless of the situation.
“We just have to stay confident and trust ourselves,” Ott said.
