By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Sports Editor
Propelled by two home runs in the second inning, the Sitka High Lady Wolves softball team earned an 8-6 win in their season opener against Thunder Mountain, Thursday afternoon at Moller Field.
Sitka took an early lead in the first inning, scoring 4 runs to the Falcons’ one. But Thunder Mountain pushed back in the top of the second and took a narrow lead by scoring four runs of their own.
In a game that was set to end after 65 minutes regardless of score or the number of innings played, the Lady Wolves’ bats found the right time to heat up.
After spending a full year recovering from injury, it was Dalila Callahan’s first opportunity to compete.
“It’s crazy. I was out last year so it’s an amazing feeling to be on the field again,” she said after the game.
When she stepped up to the plate in the bottom of the second, she was focused on the moment.
“Just make contact with the ball, keep in the mental game, be prepared for anything,” she said.
Callahan hit a home run out of the park.
“Best feeling ever.”
Sitka High’s Dalila Callahan smiles as she runs to home plate and is greeted by her teammates after hitting a home run out of the park against Thunder Mountain, Thursday at Moller Field. Sitka won 8-6. (Sentinel photo)
Sitka coach Jael McCarty was glad to have Callahan back in action.
“It was her first game back, she tore her ACL in basketball last year. She’s been working so hard to get back and this is her first game. She pitched the winning game and she hit a home run to do it,” McCarty said.
But Sitka wasn’t done. Nai’a Nelson hit another homer just moments later.
“You need to go up (to the plate) confident, because that’s the only way that you’re going to be able to hit the ball how you want to,” Nelson said. “Once you hit it, just put all your energy into running all of the bases, just so you get to home base. It’s about how bad you want it.”
While Thunder Mountain’s defense attempted to stop Nelson before she scored a run, the sophomore was too quick.
“Their outsider made a great run on it, dove, gave it everything and it just got into the corner,” McCarty said. “Nai’a is so fast you just can’t stop her when she starts, there was no holding her at third, you knew she was going to go.”
Sitka notched two more runs in the second, and while the Falcons earned one in the top of the third, the game hit the 65-minute limit and the Lady Wolves sealed their win.
“Oh, it feels great. Any win that we really deserve always feels great and like I said, it’s just going make us play better in our next game,” Nelson said.
She was happy to be back on the diamond for another softball season.
“Just being surrounded with our teammates again. The great energy and environment of softball is almost the best thing that we have. Just to see how the team has improved from last year, this was a great start for our season,” Nelson said. “That’s exactly how we want to start it.”
Callahan was pleased with the game’s result.
“That was a good one for us, a good start,” she said.
Callahan pitched all three innings for her team, earning three strikeouts and eight first pitch strikes.
With the Sitka High baseball team not scheduled to play until their season opener next week, the Lady Wolves played on the turf at Moller Field.
“Definitely being with my team on the field in an actual game - I always enjoy that, mainly just playing,” Nelson said. “We just love all the playing time we get. Playing on Moller, we didn’t play on Moller at all last year so this is awesome for us.”
Callahan was grateful to play softball on turf for a change.
“It’s amazing, just having no rocks in your shoes when you slide and you have rocks in your socks,” she said.
McCarty was happy that her athletes kept their composure in the season opener.
“We didn’t expect to play the games clean. It’s our first games coming off, we just got our basketball players back after their state run,” McCarty said. “I wasn’t afraid, Dalila was pitching pretty well, she was barely missing low, which is a good place to miss if you’re going to put it in play. I just knew we had to stop it now before it gets out of control, and that’s exactly what they did, they kept their composure, they shut it down.”
McCarty stressed the Lady Wolves’ ability at bat.
“They’re hungry to hit and they have a lot to give at the plate. So as long as we can stop those big innings before they spiral on us our bats are going to answer,” the coach said. “We’re not going to shut any team down with our pitching or our defense, but as long as we can keep it to a trickle, we’re going to do big things with our bats.”
Following the win over Thunder Mountain, Sitka lost 5-4 against Juneau-Douglas. At the bottom of the second, Sitka led 4-1, but Juneau’s offense gained momentum in the top of the third and the away-team scored 4 runs to turn the tables and secure a victory. In Sitka’s final game of the opening day, the Lady Wolves felled Palmer 16-4. Sitka earned 11 runs in the first inning alone. Nelson hit 3 runs batted in in that game.
McCarty was eager to see how her team grows through the season.
“We had some guest coaches come in and do some clinic work and I’m just looking forward to seeing what they can carry over into the game, especially with hitting and getting comfortable with each other, we’ve got a ton of freshmen,” she said.
The team plays again today and Saturday.
