Ames Softball Falls in Regional Final
In the Class 5A – Region No. 4 championship between Ames (23-17) and the No. 1 ranked Ankeny Centennial Jaguars (33-5), the Jaguars came out on top with a 10-1 victory.
Ames finished with four hits and sophomore Josie Theilen made several excellent defensive plays.
The game started with both Kaylee Mescher and Ali Frandsen, the first two batters for Ames, striking out. However, Ellie Lynch, a standout player for the Little Cyclones, brought the Ames faithful to their feet with a powerful swing, sending the ball sailing over the outfield wall for a single shot home run. Riesselman followed with a swinging strikeout, leaving the score at 1-0 in favor of Ames as they headed into the bottom of the first inning.
“It put us on the board and we got tight in our bats,” Ames head coach Meghan Von Behren said of the three hits that Ames had for the rest of the game.
Jaguar Mady Ott drove her teammate Mackenzie James across the plate for their first run of the game, but that’s all Ankeny Centennial scored in the first inning.
The third inning saw the hosts break the deadlock, scoring a total of four runs via a solo shot home run, an RBI triple and an RBI double. Little Cyclone Katie Riesselman got on base with a single but that was the only noise Ames made in the fourth inning.
Ankeny Centennial’s fifth inning saw a run tally equal that of the inning number, followed by a pair of scoreless innings for both teams, finalized the score at 10-1.
Ames’ four seniors: Ellie Lynch, Ali Frandsen, Ireland Buss, and Mia Vogel represented Ames for the final time.
“They gave it their all every night, night in and night out,” Von Behren said. “The team they did the best they could to help them. They’re great role models and great examples of how you go hard every night and leave it all out on the field. I hope everyone recognizes the hard work they put in this offseason to keep the program going up.”
In the visitor section of Tuesday’s game, there was a sizable Ames contingent all wearing orange and supporting our Little Cyclones. To coach Von Behren, that’s very special.
“All of those fans in the stands out there in orange, everyone came down here believing we were going to win this game, and that’s Ames High Pride right there,” she said. “We had a chance against the No. 1 team, we believed it and it didn’t go our way.”
Three of the seniors (Lynch, Frandsen, and Buss) each have their take on what Ames High Pride and what the sisterhood of softball is like:
Lynch: “It means everything. I’m going to miss this place. Our team this year was super close, I’m proud of all of us, we worked very hard for this. Obviously it didn’t go our way tonight, and I’m grateful for our community and everyone who supported us this year.”
Buss: “There’s so much tradition in Ames High. Leaving it out on the field with my best friends means the world. I couldn’t have asked for better people to do this with and I’m very thankful that’s what Ames High brought me.”
Frandsen: “Ames High Pride means being proud to wear this jersey every time I put it on whether it’s track or softball. Knowing what the school and community that’s always behind us, it’s being proud to represent.”