Ankeny Centennial, Waukee NW Advance in Iowa 5A Softball

Iowa high school state softball quarterfinals roll on

Ankeny Centennial's Makenna Foster helped the Jaguars advance in the Class 5A Iowa high school state softball tournament Monday. / Lily Smith/The Register / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Ankeny Centennial flexed its muscle in a dominating 9-0 win in five innings over perennial power West Des Moines Valley Monday at the Iowa high school state softball tournament.

The Jaguars advance to a Class 5A semifinal where they will take on top-seed and No. 1 Waukee Northwest, who handled Dowling Catholic, 4-0. That game will be part of semifinal Wednesday where all five classes take to the diamonds to determine who will play for state championships.

Mady Ott hit her 13th home run of the season during a six-run inning to spearhead Ankeny Centennial, who swept the three regular season encounters with the Tigers. Ott finished 2-for-2 with two runs scored and a pair of RBI, as Lauren Bartine also drove in two.

Ott, Ava Faber and Minnesota commit Jordyn Kennedy each had two hits. Both Ott and Faber are also juniors for the Jaguars.

Waukee Northwest received a record-breaking pitching performance from Sophia Schlader. The freshman, regarded as one of the top players in her class, struck out a 5A single-game record 15, allowing just four hits. 

Shay Davis, the No. 9 hitter in a potent Wolves lineup, had a home run, driving in two with two hits. Aunya Van Zetten and Leela Appledorn each had two hits. For Dowling, Abby Johnson collected a pair of hits.

Linn-Mar earned a 5-1 win over Pleasant Valley, plating all five runs in the fifth and sixth innings after falling behind 1-0 early. Emma Barnes hit a home run, finishing 2-for-4 with two RBI and two runs scored while Emily Koranda had three hits.

Koranda also struck out 12, allowing just two hits and one walk.

Up next for the Lions will be Cedar Falls, as the Tigers scored a thrilling 12-11 victory over Southeast Polk in their first state appearance. 

Lexi Trueg, Amanda Finck, Josie Turner and Sydney Runyan all hit homers for Cedar Falls, who erased a 10-6 deficit with a five-run fifth. Trueg also picked up the win inside the circle.

For Southeast Polk, Jesslyn Stairs and Kenna Brooker both had four hits, as Stairs drove in four and Brooker three with two runs.

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