Auke Bay Post 25 opens state with loss as several players fall ill

Team survives health scare to take the field after four players visit emergency room

In this photo Juneau's Auke Bay Post 25 American Legion baseball team celebrates a win against Dimond Post 21 at Adair-Kennedy Memorial Park recently. Juneau is currently in Alaska Legion State Tournament play at Anchorage's Mulcahy Stadium. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Independent)

Juneau’s Auke Bay Post 25 American Legion team faced their biggest challenge of the season as they opened pool play on Friday in the 73rd Alaska Legion Baseball State Tournament with numerous players falling ill and unable to play.

“We had four guys go to the ER and had to change to a whole new game plan,” Juneau head coach Joe Tompkins said. “They caught a virus and the fifth one got sick in the third inning.”

Juneau would fall 11-1 to Chugiak Post 33.

“I am so proud of our team,” Tompkins said. “They were very scrappy. They fought hard.”

Playing in the Denali Pool, the fifth-seeded Juneau boys struck first against fourth-seeded Chugiak, scoring their single run in the top of the third inning.

Brenner Harralston was hit by a pitch, Christian Brown earned a walk and Kasen Ludeman hit a sacrifice fly ball to right field that scored Harralston for a 1-0 lead.

Chugiak would score two runs in the bottom of the third and fourth innings, six runs in the fifth inning and a single run in the sixth inning.

Ludeman led Juneau with one RBI. Jacob Katasse led with one hit, and Harralston with one run scored. Ludeman, Landon Simonson, Micah Nelson and Brown earned one walk each.

Cayman Huff started on the mound and went three innings, allowed four hits and four runs - four earned runs - and walked two batters. Simonson relieved (1.1 IP, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 2 SO) and Brown closed (1 IP, 2 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 6 BB). 

Juneau used their pitching staff sparingly as they have two pool play games remaining and the possibility of more illness. The five ill players are doing better and isolated from the team.

In other opening action, the three seed, Wasilla Post 35, defeated sixth seed West Post 1 in the Alyeska Pool, 11-10. Top seed Service Post 28 toppled eighth seed Eagle River in the Denali Pool; and second seed Kenai Post 20 defeated seventh seed Ketchikan Post 3 in the Alyeska Pool 11-10 in eight innings. 

The state tournament runs through Wednesday.

Friday games: Chugiak 11, Juneau 1; Wasilla 11, West 10; Kenai 11, Ketchikan 10 (8Innings); Service defeated Eagle River.

Saturday: Ketchikan vs. Wasilla, Eagle River vs. Juneau, Chugiak vs. Service.

Sunday: Ketchikan vs. West, Wasilla vs. Kenai.

Monday: Eagle River vs. Chugiak, West vs. Kenai, Juneau vs. Service.

Tuesday semifinals: Denali 2nd vs. Alyeska 1st, Alyeska 2nd vs. Denali 1st.

Wednesday championship game: Winners of semifinals. The state champion advances to the Northwest Regionals in Billings, Montana, Aug. 6-11.

• Contact Klas Stolpe at kstolpe@juneauindependent.com.