The Southeast Conference champion Sitka Wolves softball team flew 592 miles to play in the ASAA/First National Bank Alaska Division II Softball State Championships at Anchorage’s Cartee Fields and defeated SEC runner up rival Ketchikan 9-2 in the second day of action on Friday, advancing to Saturday’s winners bracket for a chance to repeat as state champs.
Teams are playing until eliminated with two losses.
Sitka scored a run in the top of the first inning as senior Kaelynn Balovich hit a single to center field and scored on a triple by junior Allyson Mayville.
Ketchikan scored two runs in the bottom half on a home run by senior Mylee Gray with sophomore Mariah Pechay-Austin on base to take the lead but lost it the next inning.
A two-out rally by the Wolves had Bristol Clifton walk and Balovich double, Mayville singled in Clifton. Junior courtesy runner Molly Pepper and Mayville scored on Kayhi errors.
Sitka scored a run in the fourth inning as Mayville singled and junior Chalice Brenton doubled her home. The Wolves tacked on two runs in the top of the fifth as Clifton homered with sophomore Vada West on base and two runs in the seventh as Balovich doubled in senior Madison Campbell and Clifton.
Wolves junior Alina Lebahn pitched the seven innings, allowed eight hits and two runs, and struck out seven batters.
Balovich, Mayville and Clifton led with two RBI each and Brenton one. Balovich and Mayville led with three hits apiece, Brenton and Clifton two apiece, junior Sadie Saline, West and Campbell one each.
Kayhi’s Gray led the Lady Kings with two RBI, three hits and one run scored. Gray also pitched three innings, allowing four hits and four runs, walked five and struck out four. Sophomore Willow Vierra-Sonnenschein relieved for 1.1 innings (5H, 3R) and freshman Amanda Sivertsen for 2.2 innings (4H, 2R).
Sitka will play Soldotna in a Saturday morning semifinal. The Stars defeated Delta 19-11 and Kodiak 14-2 on Friday.
Sitka had run-ruled Soldotna 16-4 and Kenai 20-6 in pool play Thursday to determine bracket seeding for Friday.
Ketchikan defeated Delta 11-3 and lost to Kodiak 10-9 to open play Thursday and defeated Kenai 14-5 early Friday before falling to Sitka. In late Friday elimination game action the Lady Kings face Delta and Kodiak plays Kenai.
