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GCLL evens junior baseball state series with 13-3 win over Ketchikan
- Klas Stolpe
- 18 hours ago
- 8 min read
Baseball best-of-five tied at one game apiece; Softball girls behind 0-2 against AOR
By Klas Stolpe
Juneau Independent
A beautiful cloudless day at Adair-Kennedy Memorial Park field saw the Gastineau Channel Little League Junior Baseball All-Stars rain down hits and pour on a first-inning scoring deluge as they evened the best-of-five state championship series on Friday with a 13-3 win over Ketchikan, one day after falling 15-5.
“It is a hard thing for anybody to do,” GCLL manager Zach Kohan said. “And that was the task we as coaches asked them to do tonight. Figure out a way to flush it, throw it into the fire and kind of burn it and turn it over to the next day. We did some things pregame to loosen them up and be able to play their game, and that worked. And it was fun to watch…and there is a lot more in the tank.”
Bridger Lockhart pitched the run-rule shortened five innings and noted how GCLL turned their Thursday loss into a Friday win.
“Mainly just not overlooking them,” Lockhart said. “And bringing the energy from the ‘get,’ which is what we did. And then to keep it going, like a snowball effect, so we can keep scoring…it gave me confidence that I had 10 runs to work with. It felt good. I was just trusting my defense today, they have my back and I put my faith in them.”
Shortstop Gavin Kohan summed up the GCLL boys' turnaround from their opening loss in one word.
“Mentality,” Gavin Kohan said.
Kohan’s specialties are hitting, fielding and being a team player and he did all three to perfection on Friday.
Defense was key as the GCLL boys showed their fielding prowess to win the game in a run-rule shortened five innings with Kohan timing a fly ball into shallow center field with a leaping catch for the final out.
“I think every pre-pitch, where to go with the ball when I get it,” G. Kohan said. “Really I just knew that ball was mine right when he hit it, and the outfielder didn’t call me off so I just took it.”
It was GCLL instincts.
“People don’t understand the stuff that goes through your mind on defense,” G. Kohan said. “Like, where to go with the ball, and how important it is.”
The momentum took off in a flash as Max Hayes led off the game with a drag bunt single that brought the crowd to their feet and the GCLL boys yelling from the dugout.
“They are fairly hard, but you just have to remember to get the bat on the ball,” Hayes said of his bunt. “Because a lot of times you will forget to hit it before and just try to run, and then it goes foul or you miss it. You have to make sure you hit it and then, it is just wheels. I think it was important to get the momentum going for everyone, especially the first inning because everyone is kind of nervous. So if you just open that up it really helps.”
Once on first base, Hayes stole second.
“It was momentum, and then they can’t get a double play at second,” he said. “We do stay humble. I think a lot of us have been here before. A lot of us have been on the other side too. So just understanding that there will always be someone better than you, and understanding that while you feel good right now, just last night we were on the receiving end of that.”
Elias Lockhart followed with a double, Gavin Kohan singled in Hayes, a passed ball with Marquis Lim at bat allowed E. Lockhart to score for 2-0. Lim and Eli Hayes earned walks to load the bases, and after a fielder's choice hit by Colin Lockhart forced an out at home, B. Lockhart singled to score Lim for 3-0. Wyatt Hickok singled to score E. Hayes and Daniels for 5-0, Logan Fanning hit a deep sacrifice fly to left field to score B. Lockhart for 6-0, Mast Mallott earned a walk and a passed ball allowed Hickok to score for 7-0.
Ketchikan Little League felt the full heat of the GCLL defense in their first at bat. KLL’s Maximus Birch hit a line drive to center field, but GCLL’s E. Lockhart made a sliding catch for an out. KLL’s Rylan Jones hit a trailing fly ball to right field, but GCLL’s Daniels chased it down for out two. KLL’s Jack Sayer then became GCLL’s B. Lockhart strikeout victim number one.
GCLL added four runs in the top of the second inning with M. Hayes earned a one-out walk, E. Lockhart rapping a single and G. Kohan a double to score M. Hayes for 8-0. Lim doubled scoring E. Lockhart and G. Kohan for 10-0. E. Hayes singled and Daniels hit a fielder’s choice, scoring Lim for 11-0
KLL scored two runs in the bottom of the second inning with Blake Phillips earning a one-out walk, and Drake Abigania a two-out walk. Forrest Eide singled in Phillips and a passed ball allowed Abigania to score. GCLL’s B. Lockhart had fielded the first out and struck out the inning-ending batter, while G. Kohan fielded a hard ground ball for the second out.
Both sides had quiet offenses in the third inning but solid defense. GCLL’s Hickok earned a walk and Logan Fanning hit a hard ground ball that KLL pitcher Takeshi Schramm fielded to throw to first base for an out. Mast Mallott hit a hard ball but was put out at first and Hickok was thrown out stealing third. In the bottom half, KLL’s Ezra Jurzack grounded a ball to M. Hayes at third, who threw to first baseman Mallott for an out. After a single by KLL’s Mason Garrison, teammate Birch hit a fielder’s choice to GCLL’s G. Kohan, who put out Garrison. KLL’s Jones then popped out to G. Kohan.
There was less offense and more defense in the fourth inning. In the top half GCLL’s Rawley Cox grounded out, Reagon Talatoa popped out and M. Hayes grounded out. In the bottom half GCLL’s Hickok ran down a fly ball in right field, B. Lockhart caught a pop-up, and E. Lockhart slid into another fly ball out.
In the top of the fifth inning E. Lockhart singled, G. Kohan singled and Lim singled to score E. Lockhart for 12-2. E. Hayes was hit by a pitch to load the bases. A line drive out turned into a second force out, but B. Lockhart singled to score Lim for a 13-2 lead.
KLL’s Schramm led off the bottom of the fifth inning with a single and GCLL’s Lim caught a line drive for one out. KLL’s Forrest Eide singled and Newt Berntson hit a ground ball that became out number two. In a twist, GCLL pitcher B. Lockhart was called for a balk, which allowed KLL to score and trail 13-3.
GCLL’s G. Kohan then made the defensive catch, backing into center from his shortstop position and timing his leap to catch a fly ball that looked to be falling in safe territory.
Game three in the best-of-five series is at 2 p.m. Saturday on Adair Kennedy Memorial Park field. Game four is on Sunday and, depending on the outcome, an if-necessary game the same day.
The winner of the series travels to the Regional Championships in Bend, Oregon, July 22-30.
At the Junior Softball State Championships in Palmer the GCLL Junior All-Stars fell 13-3 in five innings on Friday to Anchorage’s Abbott-O-Rabbit.
GCLL’s Katelyn Sulser led Juneau with two hits, one run scored and one run batted in. Aisha Tapia had one hit, one run and one RBI. Brooklynn Boyden-Collison had one RBI. Porter Love scored one run and had one walk Ashlynn Zura had one hit. Hina'i Kuma, Paislee Shane and Alesandra Bohulano one walk each. Boyden-Collison pitched 2.2 innings and Tapia 2.1 and each threw one strikeout.
AOR’s Cayla Homerding pitched the five innings for the win, allowed four hits and three runs, walked four batters and struck out five. Skylar Samet was 3-3 (3 R, 3 RBI), Lylah Stratton 3-3 (2 R, 3 RBI), Adaire Robinson 2-3 (2 R, 2 RBI) and Ella Duffy 2-3 (2 R, 2 RBI). The best-of-five game series resumes Saturday. The winner of the series travels to the regional championships in Tucson, Arizona, July 23-29.
• Contact Klas Stolpe at sports@juneauindependent.com
