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Baseball

Blimpie Sub of the Week: Austin Coyne, Ankeny baseball

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Austin Coyne is a member of the Ankeny baseball team. The senior pitcher has compiled a 1-1 record with one save in 14 appearances. The lefthander leads the Hawks with a 1.70 ERA. "Austin does a great job of leading by example and understanding his role," said Ankeny coach Joe Balvanz. "He has come through in some really tough spots for us on the … [Read more...] about Blimpie Sub of the Week: Austin Coyne, Ankeny baseball

Hawks rough up Riders, get no-hitter from Brecht and advance to state

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Brody Brecht's teammates gave him a five-run cushion before he even took the mound on Wednesday night. Then they just kept adding to the lead. After scoring five runs in the top of the first inning, the Ankeny baseball team added four runs in the second and seven more in the third to support Brecht's four-inning no-hitter as the Hawks rolled to a 16-0 … [Read more...] about Hawks rough up Riders, get no-hitter from Brecht and advance to state

‘We have faith in each other’: Brecht, Spear power Hawks past Mason City

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The rankings and the seedings--not to mention the records of both teams--suggested that Mason City was a better baseball squad than Ankeny. Monday's Class 4A substate semifinal at Roosevelt Field suggested otherwise. The visiting Hawks broke open a tie game with a four-run fifth inning and went on to defeat 10th-ranked Mason City, 9-2, in a Substate 2 … [Read more...] about ‘We have faith in each other’: Brecht, Spear power Hawks past Mason City

Revive Clinic and Spa Prep of the Week: Chris Spear, Ankeny baseball

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Senior pitcher Chris Spear has helped the Ankeny baseball team to a 19-17 record. He has compiled a 3-5 mark with a 4.46 ERA and 43 strikeouts. Spear came on in relief to earn his first save of the season on Friday. He got the final three outs as the Hawks defeated visiting Fort Dodge, 6-5, in a Class 4A substate quarterfinal. Here is some inside info … [Read more...] about Revive Clinic and Spa Prep of the Week: Chris Spear, Ankeny baseball

Hawks survive and advance, will play at No. 10 Mason City on Monday

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Survive and advance. That's what the postseason is all about for Chris Spear and the Ankeny baseball team. Spear got the final three outs after replacing Brody Brecht on the mound and the Hawks held on to defeat visiting Fort Dodge, 6-5, in a Class 4A substate quarterfinal on Friday. "It feels amazing," said Spear, who picked up his first save of … [Read more...] about Hawks survive and advance, will play at No. 10 Mason City on Monday

Hawks pound Hoover twice to close out regular season

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The Ankeny baseball team closed out the regular season on Monday with a pair of five-inning victories over visiting Des Moines Hoover. The Hawks used a five-run fourth inning to post a 13-0 win in the opener. They then erupted for eight runs in the second inning en route to a 14-0 triumph in the nightcap. The sweep assures Ankeny of finishing the … [Read more...] about Hawks pound Hoover twice to close out regular season

Jaguars deliver knockout blow, sweep season series against Ankeny

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Ankeny Centennial's Cory Prange was looking for a pitch that he could drive. He never got one. Prange walked on four straight pitches from Ankeny reliever Cooper Cox to force in the winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning, giving the seventh-ranked Jaguars a 4-3 victory and a sweep of Thursday's CIML Central Conference baseball … [Read more...] about Jaguars deliver knockout blow, sweep season series against Ankeny

Hawks drop both games at Marshalltown, fall to 16-15 on season

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After dropping a 6-1 decision in the first game of a non-conference doubleheader on Wednesday at Marshalltown, the Ankeny baseball team appeared to be on its way to a split after jumping out to a 5-1 lead in the nightcap. It didn't turn out that way. Marshalltown rallied for seven runs in the fourth inning, then added three more in the fifth to post an … [Read more...] about Hawks drop both games at Marshalltown, fall to 16-15 on season

Hawks get another walk-off win, hand Gilbert just its 3rd loss of season

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For the second night in a row, the Ankeny baseball team walked off with a win over a ranked opponent. The Hawks scored a run in the bottom of the seventh inning to beat Gilbert, 2-1, in a non-conference game on Tuesday. Gilbert, the No. 6 team in Class 3A, lost for only the third time in 24 games this season. Ankeny improved its record to 16-13. The … [Read more...] about Hawks get another walk-off win, hand Gilbert just its 3rd loss of season

Hawks earn another split against No. 1 Johnston on Lyons’ walk-off double

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Evan Lyons stepped to the plate on Monday night with a chance to be the hero. The Ankeny senior came through with his second walk-off hit of the season. Lyons ripped a one-out double to the gap in left-center field to drive in three runs and give the Hawks an 8-7 victory over top-ranked Johnston in the nightcap of a CIML Central Conference baseball … [Read more...] about Hawks earn another split against No. 1 Johnston on Lyons’ walk-off double

Revive Clinic and Spa Prep of the Week: Evan Lyons, Ankeny baseball

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Senior catcher Evan Lyons has helped the Ankeny baseball team to a 14-12 record, including an 8-8 mark in the CIML Central Conference. Lyons is batting .217 with one home run, six doubles and 13 RBIs. He also boasts a .986 fielding percentage. Here is some inside info on Lyons: How is the season going thus far? As a young team we still have … [Read more...] about Revive Clinic and Spa Prep of the Week: Evan Lyons, Ankeny baseball

No. 9 Maroons top Ankeny as Gehrke tosses 4-hitter, fans 10 in 6-1 victory

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Dowling Catholic righthander Nyanti Gehrke didn't throw nearly as hard as Ankeny pitcher Brody Brecht during Saturday's make-up game at Ankeny. But Gehrke was certainly effective. The junior tossed a four-hitter and had 10 strikeouts to lead the ninth-ranked Maroons to a 6-1 victory in a CIML Central Conference contest. The win allowed Dowling (10-8, … [Read more...] about No. 9 Maroons top Ankeny as Gehrke tosses 4-hitter, fans 10 in 6-1 victory

Hawks start off July with sweep, capped off by Andrews’ 2-hit gem

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Weston Fulk and his Ankeny teammates are hoping to play their best baseball of the season in July. The Hawks got the month off to a good start on Monday by sweeping a doubleheader against visiting Ames. After posting a 5-4 victory in the opener, Ankeny completed the sweep with an 8-1 triumph. "We're trying to get on a roll," said Fulk, who was the … [Read more...] about Hawks start off July with sweep, capped off by Andrews’ 2-hit gem

Blimpie Sub of the Week: Kade Somers, Ankeny baseball

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Kade Somers is a member of the Ankeny baseball team. The sophomore outfielder has helped the Hawks to a 14-11 record. He has played in 19 games, including 13 starts, and is batting .231 with one triple and four RBIs. "Kade brings a great attitude with him to the ballpark every single day," said Ankeny coach Joe Balvanz. "Regardless of what his role … [Read more...] about Blimpie Sub of the Week: Kade Somers, Ankeny baseball

Freshman pitcher leads Hawks to 4-1 victory in nightcap at No. 8 Urbandale

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Earlier this month, Weston Fulk provided the heroics as the Ankeny baseball team salvaged a split of a doubleheader against Urbandale, hitting a walk-off, three-run homer in the bottom of the 10th inning. On Wednesday, Samuel Andrews came to the rescue for the Hawks. The freshman pitcher earned his first varsity victory as Ankeny posted a 4-1 win at … [Read more...] about Freshman pitcher leads Hawks to 4-1 victory in nightcap at No. 8 Urbandale

Hawks respond to coach’s challenge with 9-4 win at Dowling in 2nd game

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The Ankeny baseball team was challenged by head coach Joe Balvanz after the Hawks dropped the first game of Monday's doubleheader at fifth-ranked Dowling Catholic. Balvanz's message was heard loud and clear by his players. The Hawks responded with a 9-4 victory in the nightcap to salvage a split of the twinbill. They are now 5-6 in the CIML Central … [Read more...] about Hawks respond to coach’s challenge with 9-4 win at Dowling in 2nd game

Hawks walk off with extra-inning win, earn split against D.M. East

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The Ankeny baseball team walked off with a win Thursday for the second time this season. The Hawks scored a run in the bottom of the eighth inning to beat visiting Des Moines East, 4-3, in the second game of a doubleheader. The Scarlets won the opener, 8-3. Ankeny is now 10-9 on the season. East's record is 11-7. Jase Bauer had a huge night at the … [Read more...] about Hawks walk off with extra-inning win, earn split against D.M. East