By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Sports Editor
The Sitka High Wolves baseball squad earned a spot at the state tournament after a hard-fought win over the Thunder Mountain Falcons in the Region V tournament double elimination bracket, Friday evening at Moller Field.
In an intense game that swung back and forth, the Falcons tried for a seventh-inning comeback but a well-timed pick by the Wolves ended the game with Sitka on top 9-8.
The Regional title, however, went to the Juneau-Douglas Crimson Bears, who beat Sitka 12-2, Saturday morning in the final game of the regional tourney. Juneau and Sitka, the top two teams from the region, head north to the state championship later this week.
On the mound in the decisive moment of Friday’s game, Sitka sophomore Dylan Marx remembered the pick that gave Sitka the chance to compete up north.
“I liked it, I liked being the closer to throw the end of the game and stuff, because my dad used to be a pitcher when he played… You’ve got to pound the zone, not let it get in your head if you throw balls and even if they hit the ball, you’ve still got to keep throwing, get those strikes,” Marx said after Friday’s win. “It feels awesome, because you see everyone jump up and down, the crowd screaming, a lot of energy. And they’re all surrounding me and stuff and we’re in state. And it’s my first year playing.”
The Wolves celebrate their 9-8 victory over the Thunder Mountain Falcons by raising closing pitcher Dylan Marx, Friday at Moller Field. Sitka plays at state this week. (Sentinel photo by James Poulson)
When the Falcons stepped up to bat in the bottom of the seventh, Sitka led 9-6. But Thunder Mountain scored two quick runs and racked up two outs in rapid succession.
As the final inning began, Wolves coach Ken Carley said, “I felt confident having three runs more than them. The problem is that they scored two there, a couple errors that’s all it takes, and that’s what I told you before we were having issues with. And his two guys got on bases and both of them ended up scoring. We lucked out with that pick off to end the game right there, the top of their lineup was coming up.”
It was a do-or-die moment for both teams in the double elimination bracket. Both Sitka and Thunder Mountain went into the match with one loss, meaning the winner of Friday’s game would earn a regional spot, while the loser’s baseball season was over.
Sitka senior Emanuel Barragan recalled feeling nervous in the final moments of the game.
“Stay focused, telling the team what to do, all the guys know what we have to do. Keep the ball in front of us. What I was thinking, I was really nervous because it’s my senior season and it’s on the line, so just keeping that focus. And we had this guy (Marx) on the mound right there, he picked off at first,” Barragan said.
Looking forward to the state tournament, the senior stressed the need to keep the team’s energy high.
“We’re going to need that energy because we’re not going to be having this home crowd,” he said.
Marx noted that he played well, in part, because he wanted the seniors on the team to have a shot at state.
“Awesome to do it for those guys, Trevin (Carley) and Eman (Barragan). Because they needed it,” Marx said.
In a game where neither team ever led by more than a handful of points, freshman Grady Smith said it was a fight to the end.
“Our mindset - we came out swinging in this game. We just really wanted to win. We battled the whole game, it was never one sided,” Smith said. He hit a double in the third inning, giving the Wolves some much-needed momentum. In the opening innings, Thunder Mountain scored two runs and Sitka scored none, but by the end of the third, the teams were tied 3-3.
With the score still tight in the seventh inning, Wolves junior Stephen Harmon hit a double, sending the home crowd into a frenzy of cheering.
“It feels great. I got to first and I didn’t even know what to do. Coach was like, ‘Go! Go! Go!’ I was just amazed I hit it honestly – it’s a rush,” Harmon recalled after the game.
While the Wolves struggled to find their footing at bat earlier in the tournament, that was no longer true by Friday.
“This was a hitters’ duel for both of us… a couple of our guys got their first hit tonight,” coach Carley said.
Like his players, the coach noted the importance of the team’s energy level.
“Just trying to get them excited, they’re waking up. They’re keeping each other going. I’m sure you heard how loud our dugout was. It’s huge when your whole team gets together like that,” he said.
Heading into the bottom of the seventh, Harmon focused on good defense.
“Just keep it in front of you and nothing past you, because if it goes past me they’re advancing and we’re probably losing… There’s definitely more of an intensity, the whole team as a whole knows that if we win we get to go to state, which is amazing,” he said.
Like other Sitka High athletes, Harmon was glad the seniors earned a chance to compete at the state level.
“It feels amazing. I’ve always wanted to go to state and I’ve never gotten to. It’s a dream come true,” he said. “And for our seniors it’s great, they’ve never gotten to go to state either. It’s for them really.”
The junior had high hopes for the state tournament.
“I think we’re just a team that has grit and we’re going to try hard all the way,” Harmon said.
Sitka High faces Eagle River Thursday afternoon in Anchorage. It’s the Wolves’ first time in a state tournament since 2017.
But baseball players weren’t the only ones competing this weekend. Sitka’s track and field team closed out their season in the state championship in Anchorage. The Sitka softball squad fell to their regional rivals in the Region V tourney in Juneau as well, ending the team’s season. Additional pieces on sports activities this weekend will appear in the Sentinel through the week.
