By KLAS STOLPE
Sentinel Staff Writer
The Sitka High softball team needed to win one of two conference games at Ketchikan over the weekend to secure a berth into the Alaska School Activities Association State Tournament on Anchorage’s Cartee Fields, May 30 - June 1.
They won both.
The Wolves (10-2) defeated the Lady Kings (6-6) by the score of 11-1 on Friday and 10-7 on Saturday, to guarantee they will travel to state no lower than the Southeast number 2 seed by virtue of having the best regular season record.
Sitka senior Miah Dumag shut down the Lady Kings on Friday, pitching a run-rule shortened contest over five innings.
Dumag used just 55 pitches, allowed five hits and 1 run, while striking out three batters and walking one.
Dumag helped her cause by going 3-4 at the plate, scored 2 runs and had 2 runs batted in.
Seniors Nyla Duncan and Calista Gallant scored 2 runs apiece; seniors Abby Forrester, Avery Voron, and Kyleigh McArthur, junior Baylee Pearson, and sophomore Tyla Gleason 1 each. Duncan had 2 RBI, Forrester, Gallant, and McArthur 1 RBI each.
Sitka High School junior Baylee Pearson slides home safe past Ketchikan High School junior Jhaelah Schultz Friday during a 11-1 Sitka win at Dudley Field in Ketchikan. (Photo by Dustin Safranek/Ketchikan Daily News)
On Saturday the Wolves trailed 7-5 entering the top of the seventh inning and scored 5 runs for the lead including a two-run homer by Dumag. The Wolves defense held as Forrester fielded two line drive outs in center field and catcher McArthur threw out a base runner to end the night with Duncan making the put out.
Sophomore Makenna Smith started for two innings (5 H, 3 R) and Dumag relieved for five (7 H, 4 R, 2 SO).
Dumag again had a stellar day, going 4-5 (3 R, 3 RBI). Forrester and Pearson had 2 RBI, freshman Chloe Morrison 1; Duncan, Gallant, and Pearson had 2 RBI apiece, Morrison 1. Morrison had 3 hits, Gleason and Forrester 2 each, Duncan and Pearson 1.
Sitka is also the top seed in the Southeast Region V Tournament being played on the Wolves own Moller Field beginning Thursday. If Sitka wins the tournament they will be the SE number 1 seed at state, and the team they beat will travel as the SE number two.
Sitka will open region tourney play on Thursday at 6 p.m. against Juneau-Douglas (0-12).
Thunder Mountain (8-4) defeated JDHS over the weekend and will open region tourney play against Ketchikan on Thursday at 3 p.m.
The tournament is a double elimination format.
