Baseball
By KLAS STOLPE
For the Sentinel
With just one out waiting to be closed on Saturday, Sitka senior Bryce Compagno-Calhoun looked down from the pitcher’s mound toward senior catcher Tanner Steinson.
“It was, I don’t know, incredible, electric,” Compagno-Calhoun said. “I was getting really hyped when we had three outs left, now we were one away and we had been working towards this all year and getting that final strike call, I mean, it was a great feeling and we were all ready to celebrate.”
The Sitka Wolves had just proved their 22-0 Alaska season (26-2-1 overall) was for real as they toppled the Service High School Cougars 7-0 to claim the ASAA/First National Bank Alaska Division I Baseball State Championship at Anchorage’s Mulchay Stadium.
“I think Brett (Ross) at second got to me first, “Compagno-Calhoun said. “I tossed my glove in the air, turned around, and Brett came from behind and hugged me, and yeah, then everyone just started jumping around.”
Compagno-Calhoun faced 25 batters, throwing 105 pitches - 66 for strikes - and allowed just one hit. He walked three and struck out eight and his fielders took care of the 13 other outs needed.
“I’ve been envisioning this all through my high school career,” Compagno-Calhoun said. “You know, after getting second freshman year and then not having a good outing sophomore year, and then getting third last year, I was like, ‘This is our time,’ and I knew this team was really special, you know, going undefeated all through our season and then coming away with the championship to end my high-school career. It’s just an amazing feeling.”
In the 2022 state tournament, Sitka lost to South in the championship game. Compagno-Calhoun had been a player of the game that tournament, then freshman Chance Coleman and graduate Dylan Marx were all-state selections. In 2023, they lost to Service by a run to open state play and placed sixth with then-sophomore Steinson an all-tournament selection. Last season Sitka lost 15-1 to Service in the state semifinal and settled for an 11-3 third place win over South. Compagno-Calhoun, senior Mason McLeod and graduate Grady Smith earned state honors.
“Sitka baseball just has a good culture,” senior Tyson Bartolaba said. “We love baseball and we always have fans that follow us… We are so happy to do this for our town.”
On Saturday, the Wolves put the first runs of the game across in the bottom of the second inning as junior Caleb Calhoun hit a lead off single to center field, Compagno-Calhoun reached on an error and senior Josh Gluth hit a one-out double to center scoring both. Bartolaba hit a two-out double to left field scoring Gluth and junior Brett Ross reached on a ground ball error by the Service shortstop scoring Bartolaba for 4-0.
“I’m feeling ecstatic,” Ross said. “It’s so fun. I don’t know if it has hit me yet, honestly, that what we did and the magnitude of what we did… That triple, I didn’t really feel anything on the swing, that was the good part, the one you hate the best you don’t really feel… When the last out went I just ran looking for Bryce… I’d just like to thank our fans for their support and let them know we did it for them.”
The Wolves added their final three runs in the bottom of the fourth inning.
Josh McAlpin led off with a single, Ross hit a one-out triple scoring McAlpin and Coleman singled to left field scoring Ross for a 6-0 lead.
Steinson followed with a single to right field to advance Coleman to second and was replaced by junior courtesy runner Emmit Johnson. Compagno-Calhoun hit a two-out ground ball and reached on an error that scored Coleman for the 7-0 advantage.
“It is just surreal,” McAlpin said. “I’m happy for my team, happy for the seniors. It definitely means a lot for Sitka and for my family because my brother (Brayden Case) actually won state in 2014, so yeah, glad to repeat it…We knew they were a good team. They graduated some seniors but they were still good. I guess you can’t just get overwhelmed by saying, ‘Oh they’re so good and better than us.’ You just can’t be in that mindset and I guess we weren’t. But to win state 7-0 is surreal.”
A lead-off walk to Service sophomore Casey Stoops in the top of the fifth led to nothing as Wolves fielders McAlpin at third base, Gluth at first base and C. Calhoun in center field call caught fly ball outs.
In the top of the sixth inning, Compagno-Calhoun struck out the first two batters and the third grounded to Ross at second who threw to Gluth at first.
Compagno-Calhoun closed the night by striking out the first batter in the top of the seventh inning, watched as pinch hitting freshman Jazz Abad lifted a fly ball out to Bartolaba in left field and then struck out Service’s last hope.
“It just shows that Southeast actually has some power they don’t respect,” Sitka coach Ken Carley said. “They never give us anything here, we made a point today. They were a good team but we outplayed them today. It is just amazing. Our pitchers dominated all season. I knew they had it in them, it was just a matter of us making plays behind our pitchers and then scoring runs and we were able to do that today. I couldn’t have done it without the help of coaches Bryn Calhoun, Ryne Calhoun, Nick Anderson, Michael Svenson. They are a big part of the team. We love baseball as a whole in Sitka. We are trying to do our town proud… We had more fans at that game and we’re not even from here.”
Fans got a chance not only to see dominant pitching but athletic plays such as Ross diving for a pop up fly ball for an out and stopping Service momentum, or Gluth and McAlpin handling the “hot corners” at first and third, and Coleman orchestrating the infield from shortstop.
Gluth led the Wolves with two RBI on Saturday, Ross, Coleman and Bartolaba added one each. Ross and Steinson led with two hits and Coleman, C. Calhoun, Josh Gluth, McAlpin and Bartolaba one each. Ross, Coleman, C. Calhoun, B. Compagno-Calhoun, Gluth, McAlpin and Bartolaba scored one run each.
“All of it is pretty surreal,” Gluth said. “Going into the season I knew we had a pretty decent shot but going through the regular season undefeated and coming up to state, we didn’t play the Anchorage teams this year in the regular seasons so we kind of didn’t really know what to expect going up here because we’ve only really played Ketchikan and Juneau. Once we got here it was pretty much just do your work and do your job. And I know it’s pretty crazy, but that’s the best way you can think to go out.”
The Wolves won the title with three strong pitching performances and catcher Steinson was behind the plate through them all and every pitch this season.
“Catching all these guys, we just got a connection,” Steinson said. “I mean, we bond on and off the field. I call the pitches and with Caleb (Calhoun) he kills them, he likes to throw his own game. He’s a confident pitcher. Bryce and Levi (Hodges), I don’t remember one time they shook me off on a pitch. We just all connect so well, I know what pitch they want to throw next… It comes from years of playing with each other. I’ve played with each of them our whole lives it feels like... This state championship is something I’m going to remember forever. It’s like I’ve wanted this more than anything we’ve done. My freshman year, Bryce got to pitch in the championship game against South while he was a freshman and he did awesome but they were a good team and then this year he got his redemption and we beat South and he shut Service out.”
Steinson said the catching position is special, “because you get to stay in it the whole game. You throw pretty much more than the pitcher, you are in every play and, I mean, if you like action it’s a perfect spot.”
Sitka junior Caleb Calhoun was the first pitcher in action state, recording 15 strikeouts in a 3-1 win over South Anchorage on Thursday.
Calhoun threw 115 pitches, 70 for strikes, and faced 25 batters. He walked four and allowed just one run over seven innings and his fielders put out the six outs that escaped his slider. Bartolaba hit a key single with two outs and the bases loaded in the fifth inning with the Wolves trailing 1-0. The hit scored Partido and McLeod for a 2-1 lead and Ross followed with a single to short that allowed Gluth to speed home for the 3-1 advantage that would hold. In that game Bartolaba led the Wolves with two RBI and Ross added one. Ross and C. Calhoun led with two hits apiece, B. Calhoun, McLeod and Bartolaba one hit each. Partido, McLeod and Gluth scored one run apiece.
“It’s really exciting to be with this group of guys,” C. Calhoun said. “It is exciting to see how the games can go for us and how we can play because we have this kind of good chemistry. We’ve been playing together for so long and we all know each other, we know how we play and all are capable of doing it.”
In Friday’s semifinal, the Wolves nipped Colony 4-2 with senior Levi Hodges going seven innings and striking out 14 batters. Hodges threw 124 pitches, 81 for strikes (4 H, 2 R, 1 BB). Of the 29 batters faced, the fielders took care of the seven outs Hodges did not put down. Sitka led early and never trailed. C. Calhoun had two RBI, Coleman and Steinson one apiece. McAlpin had two hits, Ross, C. Calhoun, McLeod and Josh Gluth one each. Ross, Coleman, McAlpin and Bartolaba scored one run each.
“It feels good to be one of three pitchers because we all worked hard to get the state championship,” Hodges said. “I’m glad we all pitched well. It is kind of hard to believe, it feels surreal that we won but we are happy we won… It feels good to see my teammates or the other pitchers do good because when it is my turn going out there I know I’m going to do good too because my teammates did and we support each other. I feel like we all kind of go out there with a good attitude and know we are going to try to play our best.”
Sitka placed third at state last season behind Service and Eagle River, falling in the semifinal to Service 15-1 and beating South 11-3 for third place. They opened with an 11-1 win over West Valley. The Wolves placed sixth at state in 2023 and were runner-up in 2022 to South.
“The buildup to high school and growing up through the years it was always in the back of your head,” Gluth said. “Starting as a freshman and going through the years and through a program thinking about winning a state championship for your high school is always the number one goal… I think growing up together had something to do with our chemistry but we all have the same like mental agreement that everything is for the team. You can screw up but you got to get your head back in it and it’s not a single player game, everything goes through the team and it takes nine people to win a ball game, not one.”
When Saturday’s game ended, Gluth targeted one player first.
“I think I ran up to Bryce first, because he pitched the game,” Gluth said. “And it was all kind of crazy not giving up a run… but it was all a flash after… I don’t know. It’s been a long time coming but I’m glad it’s finally done and everything we’ve worked for has come up to this moment and it’s just crazy.”
Many of the Sitka roster had also been part of the Sitka Little League All-Star team that won regions, state and played into the Midwest Regionals in San Bernardino, California.
“One hell of a feeling,” Coleman said of Saturday’s championship. “We’ve been playing together since we were young. I was on that San Bernardino team and we won state in Little League but everybody looks at that and is like, ‘Oh, it’s just Little League.’ But we knew then that we had quite the team going into high school. And we even said, ‘Oh, when we’re seniors we’re going to have the same team and hopefully win state.’ And, I mean, that’s what we did. So we’ve been playing together forever. A storybook ending to my high school career... hey, winning little league was fun but this feels much more, well I’m more proud of this one, winning the DI state championship is pretty cool.”
Softball
By KLAS STOLPE
For the Sentinel
With the weight of the world on her shoulders, or that of a small town on a large rock in Southeast Alaska, Sitka High School junior Alina Lebahn hit a two-out, third-pitch, three-score, home run past the center field fence at Anchorage’s Cartee Fields on Saturday to give the Wolves a repeat state softball championship over Soldotna 16-13.
“My teammate Allie said to me as she came in, ‘I served them up for you and they are ready for you to hit them home,’” Lebahn said of junior Allyson Mayville, who had grounded out but moved runners into scoring position. “And in the box all I was thinking was just tap the ball. I just needed a base hit. So I literally just wanted to make contact, to tap the ball in a hole. I guess it worked out.”
This is the second title in three years for the Southeast Conference champion Wolves in the ASAA/First National Bank Alaska Division II Softball state tournaments. Sitka was runner-up in 2023 to Juneau-Douglas.
“This was definitely a team effort,” Lebahn said. “I could not have done it without any one of my teammates, even like when pitching, I could not have done without any of my fielders and this is kind of a special year where we really had to fight for this title, and I mean we earned this title and it was a team effort completely.”
Trailing by one run 13-12 with their final three outs looming in the bottom of the seventh inning Sitka found one more rally. Senior Madison Campbell patiently took four pitches and earned a walk but sophomore courtesy runner Brandy Pepper stole second and watched as classmate Penelope Blankenship hit a fly ball to center that was caught.
Sophomore Bristol Clifton then earned a walk to put runners at first and second with senior co-captain Kaelynn Balovich at bat. Balovich put a single into play scoring Pepper to tie the score at 13-13.
“Well, I struggle against slow pitchers,” Balovich said. “So I was really just holding my breath. But I knew I just had to hit it on the ground somewhere and it would work out. So when I saw that they made the error I was jumping up and down at first base.”
Unfortunately on the play, Clifton injured her knee going into second base and had to be replaced by sophomore pinch runner Otsitya Johnson-Knipes.
“She went all out to be safe at second and caught her leg a little bit funky and hurt her knee really bad,” coach Jael McCarty said.
Johnson-Knipes advanced to third and Balovich to second as Mayville grounded out for two away... and the stage was set for Lebahn’s championship swing.
“After I saw Alina’s hit go out and realized what that meant, my first thought was for Bristol because it was kind of a tough way to end the season for her but then everybody rallied around her and celebrated, it was kind of what you call a Disney Channel moment,” McCarty said.
When the last hit touched the bat the team began to swarm out of the dugout as the ball continued to fly away.
“Honestly, I don’t think it has set fully in yet,” Mayville said. “The one thing that keeps playing in my head, and everybody else’s, is Alina’s ball. I mean the second she made contact it was so obvious it was out, it was one of the best hits all season that we have had... Everyone was out of the dugout, we were jumping on each other, we were screaming, we were crying, there was a lot of emotions.”
Sitka usually has two home run celebrations. In one, the players fall back onto the turf when the hitter touches home plate, in the other the players lightly swat the hitters helmet when she crosses. Neither was appropriate.
“We all just started hugging,” Mayville said. “There was a lot of crying. I think a hug was the most appropriate for the moment.”
Sitka seniors Leia Daly, Audrey Brevick, Balovich, Campbell and juniors Mayville Pepper, Lebahn, Saline, Brenton and Delayna Barry were all on last season’s championship team. Balovich, Lebahn and Brenton were teammates on the Sitka Little League all-star team that played into the West Regionals in San Bernadino, California.
Balovich was an all-state tournament selection last season with older sister Kaiya.
“Well, now I have one more title than my sister,” Balovich joked. “That’s what my coach said too. This was different because last year’s team I had played with them my whole life. And this team was a little different. But it was just cool to see that we could do it without all the seniors last year and we are still the best.”
The game began with Sitka (22-14-4 overall record) behind early as Soldotna (27-11-1) took a 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning but the Wolves loaded the bases in the bottom half on walks to junior Allyson Mayville, Lebahn and an intentional walk to junior Chalice Brenton - the first of five intentional walks Soldotna used on Brenton.
“They respect her,” coach McCarty said. “And her three home runs in the tournament. I think all three were against Soldotna and they though that she should not be pitched to and I was okay with it because Sadie came right behind her and just kept tapping hits and it was great.”
Wolves junior Sadie Saline then laced a double into left field scoring Mayville and Lebahn to close to 3-2.
Sophomore Vada West earned a walk to reload the bases and senior Madison Campbell patiently went to a full count before earning a free base and an RBI to tie the game 3-3.
Sophomore Penelope Blankenship then lofted a fly ball to center field for a sacrifice that scored Saline to take a 4-3 lead.
After a strong defensive second inning the Wolves returned to bat and were threatening with a runner on base and two outs but Soldotna again intentionally walked Brenton and this time Saline hit a line drive out to end the threat.
Soldotna regained the lead in the top of the third inning as senior Isabella Cruz led off with a single to left field and senior Alyssa McDonald did the same to center. Cruz would score on a passed ball and McDonald on a single by sophomore Katie Debardelaben for a 5-4 lead.
Sitka pitcher Lebahn then struck out three batters to end the inning and strand two Soldotna runners on base.
The Wolves’ West led off the bottom half earning a walk, Blankenship reached on a one-out ground ball fielding error and Bristol Clifton singled into left field resulting in a fielding error that brought West, Blankenship and Clifton across the plate for a 7-5 lead.
Senior Kaelynn Balovich singled to left field and Mayville followed with a hit to left field that turned into an inside the park home run and a 9-5 advantage.
Soldotna put Sitka’s Brenton on base for the third time intentionally and Saline earned another walk but a fly ball out ended the Wolves’ score fest and the third inning.
“Well, I feel very respected in a sense because it is a great amount of respect for a hitter,” Brenton said. “I was annoyed at first but I do feel acknowledged and very proud of my hitting because in the end it is very liberating. Sadie or the runner after were always hidden, I don’t think there were many times I did not reached base and came home so in the end I don’t think it affected anything but it was very cool to experience that level of acknowledgement.”
Soldotna would not go away and led off the fourth inning with senior Tatum Cooper reaching on an error, Cruz hitting a one-out double scoring Cooper, McDonald singling to left field scoring Cruz to close to 9-7.
Sitka’s defense responded with shortstop Mayville tagging McDonald out as she tried to stretch the hit and second baseman Campbell fielding a ground ball and throwing to Clifton at first base to end the threat. Sitka threatened in the bottom half but left Blankenship and Clifton stranded on base.
Soldotna again battled back in the fifth inning, this time with a two-out rally that saw sophomore Aliya Blough single, Cooper walk and senior Isabella Gares hit a single scoring Blough to close to 9-8. Cruz then hit a first pitch over the right field fence for an 11-9 lead.
Sitka patiently responded in the bottom half as Lebahn earned a walk, Brenton was intentionally walked for the fourth time, Saline earned a walk to load the bases and West singled to center field scoring Lebahn and Brenton and tie the score at 11-11. The Wolves went down on a double play on a bunt attempt and a ground ball out.
Soldotna took a 12-11 lead in the top of the sixth inning with Debardelaben earning a walk from Wolves relief pitcher Campbell, stealing second base, advancing to third on a ground ball out by sophomore Lilly Dawley and tagging up and scoring on a fly ball out to center field by junior Juliet Innes.
Campbell struck out next batter to end the damage. In the bottom half, Clifton earned a lead off walk but Balovich and Mayville hit deep to the field for outs. Lebahn doubled to put runners on second and third and, once again, the Soldtona pitching core elected to intentionally walk Brenton for an astounding fifth time and load the bases.
“I was joking with the Soldotna coach,” Brenton said. “She was extremely nice and very respectful and we got along well. We were poking fun and joking around about stuff but I was happy to take the free base for the team because I knew I could rely on the next batter.”
The move again backfired as Saline was hit by a pitch, which forced Clifton home to tie the score at 12-12. Sitka grounded to third base to end their inning. Brenton said she might have thought of taking a poke at a wayward ball when going through her warmups each at bat.
“I was always under the impression that there’s a chance that I could hit if a pitcher was changed or something,” she said. “I just got off to the side, did my timing and then if they told me to go I was just going to go.”
Soldotna’s Gares hit a one-out single in the top of the seventh inning and Cruz was intentionally walked, setting the stage for McDonald to single to left field scoring Gares for a 13-12 lead. Sitka’s Brenton caught the second out in right field and Lebahn handled a third out ground ball at second base.
The end of the game is now etched in Sitka school history.
“This means we get to do it again next year,” Brenton said. “I think that’s the biggest thing is just to hopefully hold on to that title and earn something we can be know for again next year when we show up at state... You know, looking back at our time playing at San Bernardino and then to now I am just very proud of myself and my teammates.”
Lebahn also pitched the first five innings, allowed 13 hits and 11 runs, 10 earned, and walked two batters and struck out six. Campbell relieved (2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 1 SO).
Lebahn said the hits didn’t phase her.
“For us it was definitely like once we close them out each inning we are just going to go hit,” she said. “It definitely was that mentality of, ‘finish this inning, let’s go hit.’ Every inning. And I had complete faith in my field. I had not doubt that they were going to make outs for when I was serving up pitches.”
Lebahn and Saline led with three RBI apiece, Mayville and West had two apiece and Balovich, Campbell and Blankenship one each. Lebahn led with three hits, Balovich two, Mayville, Saline, West and Clifton one each. Brenton was walked five times, Clifton three, Lebahn, Saline, West and Campbell two each, Mayville and Blankenship one apiece.
Cruz led Soldotna with seven RBI, going 4-4 at the plate with four runs scored.
Gares, McDonald and Debardelaben had three hits each. Cooper and Gares scored three runs apiece. Cruz pitched for just one out (1 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 4 BB) and Debardelaben went the rest of the way (6.1 IP, 8 H, 12 R, 11 ER, 14 BB, 1 SO).
The celebration after was topped with a special trip.
“Well, we got to go watch our boys win state, which was kind of amazing,” Lebahn said. “And now we’re going to go get dinner.”
Mayville added, “It may not be paper-worthy but the victory dinner will be cool.
We also took a lot of photos, did our award ceremonies and then hurried to watch our boys win their first title in a while so that was nice. And I think it was really fun cheering them on. We only caught the last bit but I think it is important to be able to support everybody.”
Balovich said she would tell newcomers to the program, “leave it all on the field but at the end of the day it is just a game. Our slogan this year is ‘Finish it.’ And we did that. These last two games against Soldotna were a highlight for me. They were both very close and they are the best games we have had all season. It was definitely a different feeling from last year when we run-ruled Kodiak in the championship. So this was definitely a very different feeling because a lot more stress was involved. It was more rewarding, though.”
The two teams first clashed as undefeateds on Saturday morning and Sitka (22- 14-1) toppled Sodotna (27-11-1) 14-12 with the Wolves needing three runs in their final at bat to give the Stars their first loss in the bracket play tournament.
Trailing 12-11 to start the top of the seventh inning Balovich reached on a fly ball error to left field, Mayville hit a hard ground ball at third base and with one out, the reason for all Soldotna’s intentional walks began as Brenton put a second ball pitch over the left field fence for the 14-11 score.
In the bottom half of that inning, the Sitka defense stepped up as Wolves senior third baseman Audrey Brevick fielded the first out, Saline hauled in the second out in center field and Lebahn struck out the final batter in four pitches.
Campbell had started in the circle (0.2 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 1 BB) and Lebahn (6.1 IP, 9 H, 9 R, 3 ER, 6 SO) finished.
Brenton led with three RBI, Lebahn had two, and Balovich, Mayville, Saline and Clifton one each. Lebahn led with three hits, Balovich, Mayville and Clifton two each, Brenton, Saline and West one each. Balovich, Mayville and Lebahn scored three runs each, Clifton two, Brenton, Saline and Blankenship one each.
Soldotna had eliminated Kenai 18-10 to earn the rematch with the Wolves.
Kenai eliminated Ketchikan 14-11 in a Saturday morning loser’s bracket game.
The Lady Kings (16-20-2) led 6-2 after two innings but the Kardinals (20-19) scored five runs in the top of the third inning and seven in the top of the fourth and held on for the win.
Kayhi junior Willow Vierra-Sonnenschein started (7 IP, 8 H, 14 R, 10 ER, 7 BB, 6 SO) took the loss.
Senior Eleanor Shull led the Lady Kings with four RBI, Vierra-Sonnenschein, and sophomore Lilly Brakke one apiece. Shull had two hits, sophomore Mariah Pechay-Austin, senior Azriah McGarrigan, Vierra-Sonnenschein, Brakke one each.
Seniors Mylee Gray and Rylea Armstrong had three runs scored apiece, senior Vienna Pahang, Pechay-Austin, Shull, sophomore Brianna Gilson and freshman Jillian Hall one each.
Sitka returns nine varsity players next season and a full roster that played JV.
They also expect 15 incoming freshman, the majority of which traveled to San Bernardino, California last summer as part of the 2024 Sitka Little League state champions.
