DES MOINES - Top-ranked Ankeny and fourth-rated Fort Dodge made it an all-Central Iowa Metro League final in Class 4A with their state baseball semifinal victories on Friday night at Principal Park.
Ankeny ran out to a 7-0 lead and held off No. 3 West Des Moines Valley, 8-4, while Fort Dodge's four-run lead outlasted 2010 champion Cedar Rapids Kennedy for a 4-2 victory.
Ankeny (42-2) returned to the state finals for the first time since 2005 with the win, scoring five times in the second inning to break away from Valley (34-10).
Chad Norris went 2-for-4 with a run and three RBIs, while Keaton McKinney, Matt Johnson and Brent Jones had two hits apiece for the Hawks.
McKinney (7-0) also went the distance on the mound for Ankeny, scattering 10 hits and two walks with six strikeouts.
Valley starter Nate Whitham didn't escape the second inning, surrendering five runs over 1 1/3 frames.
Fact Box
Iowa High School State Baseball Championships
At Principal Park, Des Moines
CLASS 2A
Quarterfinals
Dyersville Beckman 2, West Branch 1
Carroll Kuemper Catholic 9, Ogden 2
Davis County 1, Alta-Aurelia 1
North Polk 5, Forest City 0
Semifinals
Dyersville Beckman 6, Kuemper Catholic 3
North Polk 2, Davis County 1
Championship
Saturday, July 28
Dyersville Beckman (37-7) vs. North Polk (31-4), Noon
CLASS 1A
Quarterfinals
Martensdale-St. Marys 8, Treynor 2
Bishop Garrigan, Algona 3, North Tama 1
Lisbon 5, Lawton-Bronson 4
Mason City Newman 11, Earlham 2
Semifinals
M'dale-St. Marys 7, Bishop Garrigan 3 (8)
Mason City Newman Catholic 7, Lisbon 3
Championship
Saturday, July 28
Martensdale-St. Marys (39-5) vs.
Mason City Newman Catholic (35-4), 2 p.m.
CLASS 3A
Quarterfinals
Dallas Center-Grimes 3, Washington 2 (9)
Western Dubuque 12, Harlan 1 (5)
Decorah 5, Benton Community 3 (9)
Sioux City Bishop Heelan 5, ADM 3
Semifinals
Friday, July 27
Dallas Center-Grimes 12, W.Dubuque 2 (5)
Decorah 7, Sioux City Bishop Heelan 2
Championship
Saturday, July 28
Dallas Center-Grimes (35-2) vs. Decorah (28-10), 6 p.m.
CLASS 4A
Quarterfinals
WDM Valley 10, Iowa City West 5
Ankeny 14, Davenport North 4 (6)
Cedar Rapids Kennedy 13, Linn-Mar 1
Fort Dodge 5, Dowling Catholic 4
Semifinals
Friday, July 27
Ankeny 8, West Des Moines Valley 4
Fort Dodge 4, Cedar Rapids Kennedy 2
Championship
Saturday, July 28
Ankeny (42-2) vs. Fort Dodge (36-7), 8 p.m.
Fort Dodge (36-7) found its way to its first state final since 1989 with a 4-2 triumph over No. 2 Kennedy (33-7).
The Dodgers scored all four of their runs in the fourth inning, highlighted by a two-run single by Austin Halligan.
J.C. Hatcher went 6 1/3 innings on the mound for Fort Dodge, allowing only five hits and four walks with one strikeout. Luke VanderMaten, who led the Dodgers with two hits, gave up a hit but got the final two outs for the save.
Cody Bell went 2-for-4 with both RBIs for the Cougars.