By Sentinel Staff
The Sitka High Wolves were eliminated from the 2019 Region V baseball tournament at Juneau’s Adair Kennedy Field Saturday morning, falling to the Ketchikan Kings by the 10-run rule deficit of 16-6 in the sixth inning.
Trailing 3-0 heading into the top of the third inning, Sitka got to Ketchikan starting pitcher Brock King.
Wolves senior Brandon Massey-Jones earned a walk and stole second base, junior Gavin Flores singled, and sophomore Emmanuel Barragan reached on an error that scored Massey-Jones.
Sophomore Trevin Carley singled in Flores, and senior Morgan Simic earned a walk to load the bases with no outs. Senior pinch runner Michael Leach replaced Simic on first.
After a fly ball out, sophomore Keaton Koelling doubled to left field scoring Barragan and Carley, and Leach scored on the fielding throw for a 5-3 lead.
Ketchikan got three runs back in the bottom of the inning for a 6-5 advantage.
Sitka seemed to be in control of the game as the Wolves started another rally in the top of the fourth inning.
Massey-Jones again walked, and after an out Barragan and Carley hit back-to-back singles to load the bases.
Simic was awarded first base on a pitching balk that scored Massey-Jones to tie the game at 6-6 but the Wolves then hit into two outs to end the inning.
Wolves senior Cole Riggs hit a one-out single to lead off the fifth inning and Flores and Barragan earned two-out walks to load the bases but the Kings induced a pop up out to strand the runners.
Ketchikan than put up 6 runs in the bottom half for a 12-6 lead.
Sitka’s Simic singled to lead off the sixth inning and junior Kyler Brenton walked but Koelling hit a hard ground ball to third base that outed Simic and Kayhi third baseman Korbin Stack fired over to first base to nip Koelling. The Wolves grounded out to end the inning.
Sitka junior pitcher Kyler Brenton delivers to senior catcher Morgan Simic during Saturday’s Region V Baseball Tournament elimination game against Ketchikan at Juneau’s Adair Kennedy Field. The Wolves fell 16-6 to the Kings. (Photo provided to the Sentinel)
Kayhi’s King and Liam Kiffer drew lead off walks in the bottom of the sixth. After one out, Kody Kemble reached on an error scoring King and Kiffer, courtesy runner T Brown replaced Kemble, Gavin Salazar singled, CJ Paule singled in Brown, and Stack sacrificed in Salazar to stop the game by the 10-run rule.
Brenton took the loss for Sitka over 4.67 innings, throwing 124 pitches, 63 for strikes, allowing 13 hits and 12 runs (11 earned), striking out 2 batters and walking 7. Koelling relieved for 1 inning (41 P, 20 S, 3 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB).
King started for Kayhi (3 IP, 69 P, 34 S, 3 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 1 SO, 3 BB) and Kemble relieved (3 IP, 74 P, 40 S, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 SO, 5 BB).
Sitka’s Carley went 2-4 at the plate, with 1 run batted in and 1 run scored. Koelling had 3 RBI, Barragan 1; Massey-Jones scored 2 runs, Flores, Barragan and Leach 1 each; Flores, Barragan, Simic, Koelling, and Riggs had 1 hit each. Simic drew 3 walks, Massey-Jones 2, Flores, Barragan, and Brenton 1 each.
Ketchikan’s King, Kiffer, Kemble, Stack, and Azariah Schultz had 2 RBI each; King scored 3 runs and Paule had 3 hits.
Both Sitka and Ketchikan left 10 runners on base. The Wolves had 3 fielding errors, the Kings 1.
Ketchikan had already secured the Southeast number two state seed by virtue of the regular season conference best record. Sitka needed to win the tourney to advance to state.
Ketchikan defeated Juneau-Douglas Yadaa.at Kalé on Saturday afternoon 14-2 to give the Crimson Bears their first loss and force a game 2. The Kings then won 15-2 for the Region Tournament Championship and will be the Southeast number one seed to state on May 30 - June 1 at Anchorage’s Mulcahy Stadium, with JDHS the number two seed.
KTN’s Kiffer got the win in game 1 with six innings of work and 9 strikeouts. Kiffer also went 4-5 with 3 RBI and 1 home run. Wyatt Barajas had 4 RBI and 1 HR. JDHS’ Brock McCormick took the loss, going 3 innings and giving up 6 runs.
KTN’s Isaac Romano earned the win in game 2 with 2.67 innings of work (4 H, 2 R, 1 So, 6 BB). Kiffer went 2-3 (4 RBI, 2 R) with 1 HR; JDHS’ Christian Ludemon took the loss (.67 IP, 3 H, 6 R, 3 BB).
TOURNAMENT SCORES
Thursday: Petersburg 4 Thunder Mountain 1; JDHS 6 Sitka 5; KTN 14 PSG 4.
Friday: Sitka 7 TMHS 1; JDHS 7 KTN 5; Sitka 10 PSG 6.
Saturday: KTN 16 Sitka 6; KTN 14 JDHS 2; KTN 15 JDHS 2.
