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Ankeny Fanatic Prep of the Week: Kailey Becker, Ankeny softball

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Senior second baseman Kailey Becker has helped the 15th-ranked Ankeny softball team to a 12-8 record. She is batting .279 with one triple, two doubles and 14 RBIs on the season. Becker went 2-for-4 and drove in four runs to lead Ankeny to an 11-8 victory over No. 5 Ankeny Centennial in the first game of a doubleheader on Wednesday. She was 2-for-2 with … [Read more...] about Ankeny Fanatic Prep of the Week: Kailey Becker, Ankeny softball

BUBBLE BURSTERS: Hawkettes hold off Urbandale to complete twinbill sweep

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The Ankeny softball team was three outs away from recording back-to-back shutouts in a doubleheader on Thursday at Urbandale. The 15th-ranked Hawkettes took a 6-0 lead into the seventh inning of the nightcap after winning the opener, 10-0, in five innings. Pitcher Ashtyn Billings cruised through the first six innings before running into trouble in the … [Read more...] about BUBBLE BURSTERS: Hawkettes hold off Urbandale to complete twinbill sweep

Fulk fans 8, hits 3 doubles in Hawks’ 12-2 victory over No. 3 Urbandale

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Ankeny's Weston Fulk relied on his left arm to shut down the Urbandale baseball team on Thursday. The junior's bat was pretty productive, too. Fulk racked up eight strikeouts over the first five innings and also went 4-for-4 at the plate with three doubles and three RBIs to lead the fifth-ranked Hawks to a 12-2 victory in six innings in the first game … [Read more...] about Fulk fans 8, hits 3 doubles in Hawks’ 12-2 victory over No. 3 Urbandale

Ankeny boys, girls earn all-American honors from NISCA

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Several Ankeny male and female swimmers have earned all-American honors from the National Interscholastic Swimming Coaches Association. The top 100 times in each event nationally were recognized as all-American efforts. Junior Trent Frandson, who led the Ankeny boys' team to a second-place finish at the state meet in February, is a four-time all-American. … [Read more...] about Ankeny boys, girls earn all-American honors from NISCA

Hawkettes, Jaguars placed in different softball regionals in Class 5A

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If there's another meeting between the Ankeny and Ankeny Centennial softball teams, it will have to come at the state tournament in Fort Dodge. The fifth-ranked Jaguars and No. 15 Hawkettes have been placed in different regionals by the Iowa Girls' High School Athletic Union. The postseason pairings were announced on Thursday. Centennial (15-5) is the … [Read more...] about Hawkettes, Jaguars placed in different softball regionals in Class 5A

‘The guys played at a high level’: Ankeny sweeps Jaguars behind pitching gems

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The Ankeny baseball team brought all of its pitching arms to Principal Park on Wednesday. That spelled trouble for the Hawks' crosstown rival. Fifth-ranked Ankeny got a pair of pitching gems from Bryce Rinderknecht and Brody Brecht to sweep a doubleheader against No. 10 Ankeny Centennial, 4-1 and 2-1. The Hawks gained some much-needed revenge after … [Read more...] about ‘The guys played at a high level’: Ankeny sweeps Jaguars behind pitching gems

‘We expected a lot of runs’: Hawkettes, Jaguars split high-scoring twinbill

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The Ankeny softball team got a much-needed victory Wednesday against its crosstown rival. Then Ankeny Centennial bounced back with one of its own. The two squads split a high-scoring CIML doubleheader at Ankeny, combining for 35 runs. The 15th-ranked Hawkettes ended a four-game losing skid with an 11-8 victory in the opener before No. 11 Centennial … [Read more...] about ‘We expected a lot of runs’: Hawkettes, Jaguars split high-scoring twinbill

Hawks sweep rival at Principal Park; Centennial salvages split in softball

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Nobody had to remind Brody Brecht what happened last year when his Ankeny baseball team played crosstown rival Ankeny Centennial. Brecht allowed just two hits over six scoreless innings and had 13 strikeouts to lead the fifth-ranked Hawks past No. 10 Centennial, 2-1, in the second game of Wednesday's doubleheader at Principal Park. Ankeny also won the … [Read more...] about Hawks sweep rival at Principal Park; Centennial salvages split in softball

Boyd’s blast, Bauer’s walk-off single allow Hawks to split with No. 2 Johnston

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Anytime a pitcher gets ahead in the count, it becomes increasingly difficult for the batter to get a hit. Ankeny's Jase Bauer and Cael Boyd proved on Monday that it's not always the case. Bauer hit a walk-off single in the bottom of the eighth inning--on a no-ball, two-strike pitch--to give the fifth-ranked Ankeny baseball team a 5-4 victory over No. 2 … [Read more...] about Boyd’s blast, Bauer’s walk-off single allow Hawks to split with No. 2 Johnston

‘It’s a karma thing’: Hawkettes drop both ends of twinbill against No. 3 Johnston

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After moving into the Class 5A rankings for the first time, the Ankeny softball team has yet to win a game. The 15th-ranked Hawkettes lost both ends of a doubleheader on Monday against visiting Johnston, the No. 3 team in Class 5A. The Dragons posted a 7-5 victory in eight innings in the opener, then rallied from a 5-2 deficit to complete the sweep with a … [Read more...] about ‘It’s a karma thing’: Hawkettes drop both ends of twinbill against No. 3 Johnston

Ankeny Fanatic Prep of the Week: Mo Watson, Ankeny baseball

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Senior catcher Mo Watson has helped the second-ranked Ankeny baseball team to an 8-4 record. He is batting .344 with three doubles, one triple and nine RBIs. Watson was also a standout last fall on the football field, where the linebacker made 53 tackles while helping the Hawks reach the Class 4A quarterfinals. He was an all-district second-team pick for … [Read more...] about Ankeny Fanatic Prep of the Week: Mo Watson, Ankeny baseball

‘I think we’re going to keep rolling now’: Somers sparks sweep with walk-off hit

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The Ankeny baseball players may have violated one of the social distancing guidelines on Friday. But in the Hawks' defense, they had a good reason to do so. Kade Somers hit a walk-off single in the bottom of the seventh inning to give second-ranked Ankeny a 2-1 victory over No. 5 Waukee in the first game of a CIML doubleheader. The host Hawks then … [Read more...] about ‘I think we’re going to keep rolling now’: Somers sparks sweep with walk-off hit

A PERFECT DOZEN: No. 2 Waukee sweeps Hawkettes, improves to 12-0

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The Ankeny softball team had a chance to knock off second-ranked Waukee in the first game of Friday's doubleheader at Ankeny. In the second game, the No. 15 Hawkettes never had a chance. Waukee held on for a 2-1 victory in the opener, then completed a sweep with a 16-2 win over the Hawkettes. The Warriors improved to 12-0 on the season, while Ankeny's … [Read more...] about A PERFECT DOZEN: No. 2 Waukee sweeps Hawkettes, improves to 12-0

Hawkettes move into rankings after handing Valley its first loss

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Slowly but surely, the Ankeny softball team is beginning to earn some respect. The Hawkettes moved into the Class 5A rankings for the first time this season on Thursday after splitting a doubleheader at No. 6 Valley on Wednesday. They are now ranked 15th with a 9-3 record. Ankeny coach Dave Bingham would have preferred to keep his team out of the … [Read more...] about Hawkettes move into rankings after handing Valley its first loss

Hawks end three-game slide, earn split with 13-6 victory over Valley

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With a No. 2 ranking in Class 4A, the Ankeny baseball team entered the season with some high expectations. The Hawks have placed a lot of pressure on themselves to meet those expectations--and haven't always succeeded. Wednesday's doubleheader at Valley may have been a turning point for coach Joe Balvanz and his players. After Ankeny suffered its third … [Read more...] about Hawks end three-game slide, earn split with 13-6 victory over Valley

Hawkettes rout S.E. Polk in nightcap to salvage split of twinbill

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For the second time in a week, the Ankeny softball team went on the road Tuesday and split a doubleheader against a ranked opponent. After dropping a 9-4 decision to No. 14 Southeast Polk in the opener, the Hawkettes rebounded to win the nightcap, 11-0, in five innings. They are now 8-2 on the season. "We got after it every inning as a unified force," … [Read more...] about Hawkettes rout S.E. Polk in nightcap to salvage split of twinbill

Blimpie Sub of the Week: Hannah Hogan, Ankeny softball

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Junior Hannah Hogan has helped the Ankeny softball team to an 8-2 record. She is batting .125 on the season. Hogan has played in six games and made two starts. She singled and scored a run as the Hawkettes posted an 11-0 victory over No. 14 Southeast Polk in five innings to salvage a split of Tuesday's doubleheader at Pleasant Hill. "She switched … [Read more...] about Blimpie Sub of the Week: Hannah Hogan, Ankeny softball

No. 3 S.E. Polk walks off with sweep over No. 2 Hawks

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The schedule got a lot tougher for the Ankeny baseball team on Monday night. The second-ranked Hawks discovered that they still have a lot of work to do. Ankeny traveled to No. 3 Southeast Polk for a CIML doubleheader and got swept by the undefeated Rams, 8-1 and 7-6. "They exposed some things that we need to work on," said Ankeny coach Joe … [Read more...] about No. 3 S.E. Polk walks off with sweep over No. 2 Hawks

Ankeny basketball star Bayless to play for juco power Indian Hills

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Ankeny basketball standout Braxton Bayless has verbally committed to play for juco powerhouse Indian Hills Community College in Ottumwa. Bayless announced his decision via Twitter last week. "100% Committed #JucoProduct #Bigger Plans," he tweeted. Bayless averaged 22.9 points and 6.6 rebounds per game while leading the Hawks to a 21-5 record and the … [Read more...] about Ankeny basketball star Bayless to play for juco power Indian Hills