The Linn-Mar Lions grabbed an early lead against the top-ranked baseball team in Iowa on Saturday, but it didn't last.

The Ankeny Hawks responded and spanked the Lions, 10-3, in the championship game of the Linn-Mar tournament.

A two-run triple by Mitch Stickney in the second inning gave Linn-Mar its early 3-1 advantage, but the Ankeny bats proved to be too much for the Lions as the visitors collected 12 hits.

Stickney had a hunch he'd get a good pitch to hit.

“I have faced him (Keaton McKinney) before,” said Stickney. “I went up there looking for a first-pitch fastball and that was exactly what I got and I jumped on it.”

Ankeny’s pitchers allowed seven walks and hit three batters, but they limited Linn-Mar to only two hits. Brandt Ollinger got the other safety with a leadoff double in the second inning.

“We got plenty of people on base,” said Linn-Mar Coach Chad Lechner. “We just couldn’t come up with any key hits when we needed them. We just need to keep improving.”

First team all-stater Tanner Buenting led the Ankeny attack with three hits and scored three runs. The big blow for the Hawks was a three-run homer by Matt Johnson in the fourth inning.

Linn-Mar defeated Muscatine, 9-5, in the first round to reach the finals. Ankeny (10-1) snuck past Fort Madison, 9-8, in the opening round.

Austin Stroschein and Ollinger collected three hits in the first game for Linn-Mar. Stickney added two hits and drove in three runs.

Devin Bettmann went the distance for the Lions in Game 1 to get the victory.

Linn-Mar (7-8) must prepare for six conference games this coming week.

LINN-MAR (3): Mortensen, cf, 1 0 0 0, Redmond, pr, 0 1 0 0, Wyant, rf, 2 0 0 0, Strellner, ss, 2 0 0 1, Stickney, rf/p, 4 0 1 2, Stroschein, dh, 2 0 0 0, Jennings, p, 0 0 0 0, McCullough, p, 0 0 0 0, Roth, 2b, 2 0 0 0, Banks, 3b, 2 0 0 0, Ollinger c, 3 0 1 0, Bettmann, cr, 0 1 0 0, Niemeyer, cr, 0 0 0 0, Reimer, 1b, 3 0 0 0, Larson, lf/p, 0 1 0 0, Kane, ph, 1 0 0 0. Totals 22 3 2 3.

ANKENY (10): Buenting, ss, 3 3 3 0, Jones, 2b, 4 1 2 3, Johnson, 3b, 3 2 1 3, McKinney, p/1b, 4 0 1 0, Morrissey, cr, 0 0 0 0, Olson, c, 3 0 0 0, Carey, cr, 0 0 0 0, Clayberg, rf, 4 1 1 0, Shultice, lf/p, 3 1 2 2, Hurst, dh, 2 0 1 1, Allenback, cf, 0 0 0 0, Schweers, 1b, 1 0 1 0, Ledvina, pr, 0 1 0 0, Severson, pr, 0 1 0 0. Totals 24 10 12 9.

Linn-Mar   030 000 0 - 3 2 3
Ankeny     121 420 x - 10 12 3

Jennings, McCullough (4), Stickney (5), Larson (6) and Ollinger. McKinney, Shultice (6) and Olson. W - McKinney. L - Jennings. 2B - Buenting, Jones, Ollinger. 3B - Stickney. HR - Johnson. SB - Buenting, Roth.

GAME 1

LINN-MAR (9): Mortensen, 5 1 1 0, Strellner, 4 1 0 1, Stickney, 4 2 2 3, Stroschein, 5 0 3 1, Roth, 2 1 1 0, Banks, 3 1 1 0, Ollinger, 4 1 3 1, Jacobs, 1 0 0 0, Larson, 2 1 1 1, Sillman, 1 1 0 0, Reimer, 0 0 0 0. Totals 31 9 12 7.

MUSCATINE (5): Moss, 4 0 0 0, Wieskamp, 4 1 2 0, Herman, 3 0 1 0, Calvert, 4 1 1 0, Jones 4 1 2 1, Torres, 3 1 0 0, Terry, 4 0 0 1, Minder, 3 0 0 1, Beatty, 3 0 2 1, Reed, 0 1 0 0. Totals 32 5 8 4.

Linn-Mar  100 800 0 - 9 12 3
Muscatine 000 101 3 - 5  8 1

W - Stratack. L - Bettmann. 2B - Stroschein, Ollinger, Larson, Herman, Beatty. 3B - Stickney, Ollinger, Beatty. SB - Stickney, Banks, Reimer, Minder.