By KLAS STOLPE
Sentinel Staff Writer
Sitka’s House of Liquor ruled the 42nd Annual Mudball Classic Softball Tournament over Labor Day weekend with championships in the Men’s and Women’s Upper Divisions at Moller Field Sunday night.
The tournament play did not disappoint as teams from around the panhandle, and some from outside it, gathered in Sitka to see who would have bragging rights until the start of next year’s Southeast softball seasons. Athletes played fast and hard and sometimes long into the night as over 30 teams battled for six championships.
Sitka House of Liquor celebrate their title win in the Mudball Women’s Upper Division title game at Moller Field on Sunday night. House defeated Juneau Quality Paint & Drywall 18-8.
The House of Liquor men beat down Juneau’s Ike’s 21-2 for their title, invoking the 15-run rule after five innings. The rule states that if a team is leading by 15 or more runs after five innings of play the game ends. House, batting as the home team, didn’t even get up to the plate in the fifth inning.
“We were just on fire,” House manager Kevin Boddy said. “Pretty much everybody in the line-up was hitting one after the other, then Juneau would make a mistake and we would get more hits.”
House scored 6 runs in the bottom of the first inning and 12 in the second, while holding Ike’s scoreless. Kale Perkins hit a shot over the fence in the first inning and Tyler McCarty, who homered twice earlier in the tourney, circled the bases with an inside-the-park homer in the second to lead House batters.
McCarty also rocked a triple in the game.
“I pulled my hammie going into third,” McCarty said, laughing. “I probably could have scored but my hamstring gave up.”
Boddy said after the second inning the team just wanted to get outs and not have anybody injured.
“We knew they were a really good team and that we had to stay on it because they can hit and score runs,” he said. “We were just kind of on our game.”
Ike’s ran into a stellar House defense and didn’t manage a hit until the third inning.
“Our defense was just where it was at,” Boddy said. “Making plays and doing their job. We always say ‘score every inning and don’t give them extra outs,’ and that is what we did.”
The House infield featured the battery combo of Boddy pitching and Mike Callahan catching, Perkins was on the hot corner, McCarty orchestrated positioning from shortstop, Willy Schrantz played second base, and tournament Most Valuable Player Jeff Wolfe first.
`“We hadn’t been playing well going into the championship game,” McCarty said. “Then we just hit a bunch and ended up blowing them out.”
Ike’s did make contact but balls to the outfield were also put away by left-fielder Syd Eubanks, left-center George Wathen, right-center Justin Pratt, and right-fielder Karl Kock. Added punch off the bench came from Stu Weathers, Nick Olney-Smith, Jorin Yocum and Jensen Yocum.
House scored another 3 runs in the bottom of the third inning, had a dry spell in the fourth and let their defense finish what it had started.
A huge Juneau following tried to get their team back into the game. At one point in the fourth inning the Juneau fans were chanting “score a run, score a run!” Ike’s got their 2 runs in the top of the fifth.
It was all about competition and good fun and the two clubs, who have played against each other for years in Sitka and Juneau, shook hands at the end and talked about the game later over beers.
“They didn’t stick around as long as we did, though, to celebrate,” Boddy said.
Roughly one hour earlier the House of Liquor women ran over Juneau’s Quality Painting and Drywall 18-8 in a full seven innings of work.
“It’s about time, House,” was the theme for the Sitka girls who had lost in the championship game for the past five years.
House coach, and right-center fielder, Ashley Haskins said the Sitka squad relied on their defense to spark the win.
“We were able to play defense without errors,” she said. “It really was a team effort on the defensive end to make it possible.”
Neither team could seriously dent the opponents until the third inning when Haskins hit an in-the-park home run to center field with two runners on base for a 4-1 advantage.
“I wasn’t even watching at all,” she said. “All I cared about was running and scoring.”
Haskins noted a stellar pitching effort by tournament MVP Annie Causey.
“She hadn’t really pitched much for us this year,” Haskins said. “Our usual pitcher had an injury so Annie said she would try it. She stepped into a position that she wasn’t quite used to and did a phenomenal job.”
The House battery also included catchers Tracie Harang and Jackie O’Jala, and pitcher Michelle Jones.
House found their bats in the fourth inning, scoring an impressive 7 runs. Juneau rallied in the sixth inning with 6 runs in part to the bats of Danielle Larson, Kim Morris and Megan Mauseth.
“They really put up a fight so we needed every player to contribute,” Haskins said.
House worked through a couple of key injuries that could have derailed their title train.
Star outfielder and leadoff hitter Jael McCarty went down early in the tourney, earning 40 stitches to her knee while sliding into a base and clean-up hitter Caitlyn Way was injured when an opposing base runner slide into her knee at third base.
Madi Kosma filled in for McCarty and Allison Massey filled in for Way, both of them making strong fielding plays. The infield included Margo Livermore at first, Paige Burks at second, and Katie “Taco-boat” Hagan at shortstop. The outfield featured right- fielders Dawn Johnson and Jill Hirai and left-center Jule Petterson.
“We are really just a group of girls that love to play softball,” McCarty said. “And love to play softball together. We enjoy each other. We appreciate that it is adult league softball and in the end it is not a big deal whether or not you win or lose. We are still living in the same town as many of these ladies so we just shake hands in the end.”
HOL’s Harang thanked all players in the tournament, the event organizers, and the team sponsor.
“All four upper division women’s teams were very competitive and great teams,” she said. “Juneau always brings over a tough team and it has been 10 years since an HOL women’s team has won the Mudball tournament.”
Following are the division championships, final standings, most valuable player and all-tournament team selections:
MEN’S UPPER DIVISION
Championship Game: HOL defeated Ike’s 21-2; 3rd-Kekambas (Juneau), 4th-Allen Marine (Sitka), 5th-Dirty 25 Sports MOB (Whitehorse), 6th-Diaz (Sitka), 7th-Ketchikan.
MVP: Wolfe (HOL). All-Tourney Selections: Perkins, McCarty, Eubanks, Koch (HOL); Rich Hayes, Collin Pilcher, Geoff Davis (Ike’s); Alec Chavez, Beau Damian (Kekambas); Marquis Johnson (Allen Marine).
WOMEN’S UPPER DIVISION
Championship game: HOL defeated QP&D 18-8; 3rd-Ludvig’s/White’s (Sitka), 4th- The Cellar (Sitka).
MVP: Causey (HOL). All-Tourney Selections: Hagan, Livermore, Kosma, Burks (HOF); Larson, Morris, Mauseth (QP&D); Lauren Bell, Breanne Erickson (Ludvig’s/White’s); Jessica Scouller (The Cellar).
MEN’S LOWER DIVISION
Championship Game: Rounders (Juneau) defeated E.L.I. (Sitka) 16-6; 3rd- JM Auto (Juneau), 4th- P.O.W. (Craig), Tied 5th- USCG Blue (Sitka) and USCG Gold (Sitka), Tied 7th- Ernie’s Steph’s Brats (Sitka) and Aspen Hotel (Sitka).
MVP: Rian Ellis (Rounders). All-Tourney Selections: Toby Staveland, Jesse McGraw, Justin Palmer, Phil Millard (Rounders); Devin Jones, J.R. Lindstrom, Dale Lindstrom (E.L.I.); Brad Sonesen, Carson Newport (JM Auto); Ben Bazinet (P.O.W.).
WOMEN’S LOWER DIVISION
Championship Game: AK Tech Gals (Juneau) defeated Ernie’s (Sitka) 12-8; 3rd- Juicy Contour (Juneau).
MVP: Kelly Collins (AK Tech Gals). All-Tourney Selections: Krista Perala, Heather Julsrud, Patty Wallingham, Joyce Dean (AK Tech Gals); Karimae Carlson, Tatiana Perkins, Mercedes Johnson (Ernie’s); Dody Miyasato, Elaine Bell (Juicy Contour).
COED UPPER DIVISION
Championship Game: S.E. Electric (Juneau) defeated McGivney’s (Juneau) 7-6; 3rd- Gilberts (Juneau), 4th- EL TIBURON (Sitka), 5th- Ernie’s (Sitka), 6th- Harbor Bar (Petersburg), 7th- Ketchikan (Ketchikan), 8th-Sitka Dental (Sitka).
MVP’s: Andrew Hall and Dee Boster (S.E. Electric). All-Tourney Selections: Richard Hayes, Geoff Davis, Sara Garcia Daniels, Amelia Rivera (S.E. Electric); Megan Mauseth, Vinny Isturis, Nolan Soney (McGivney’s); Patty Wallinghan, Andre Bykowski (Gilberts); Jess Coltharp (El Tiburon).
COED LOWER DIVISION
Championship Game: Killer Bees (Juneau) defeated Papa’s Good Guys (Sitka) 12-8; 3rd- Munchie Mart (Sitka), 4th- Joe’s Team Sucks (Juneau), 5th- Allen Marine (Sitka), 6th- Alcoballics (Juneau), 7th- Guardian Flight (Sitka).
MVP’s: Justin Palmer and Joyce Dean (Killer Bees). All-Tourney Selections: Adam DeRocher, Rian Ellis, Angi Truax, Tiffany Mahle (Killer Bees); Bobby Cox, Shaun Damong, Alex Kirby (Good Guys); Keri Gray, J.R. Lindstrom (Munchie Mart); Shilo Valle (Joe’s Team Sucks).
