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GCLL junior all-stars fall in state championship opening games
- Klas Stolpe
- 4 minutes ago
- 5 min read
Baseball falls to Ketchikan 15-5 at Adair, softball falls to Abbott-O-Rabbit 16-1 at Palmer
By Klas Stolpe
Juneau Independent
The Gastineau Channel Little League Junior Baseball All-Stars fell to Ketchikan 15-5 in the opening game of their best-of-five state championship series on Thursday at Adair-Kennedy Memorial Park field, and the GCLL Junior Softball All-Stars fell to Abbott-O-Rabbit 16-1 in their state series opener at Palmer.
The baseball boys showed their speed by jumping out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning with Max Hayes earning a one-out walk and Marquis Lim hitting a two-out double. A Ketchikan passed ball allowed Hayes to steal home and triggered another error that allowed the lightning quick Lim to cross the plate for the second run.
Ketchikan would benefit in the bottom half of the inning as Maximus Birch reached base on a dropped third strike and stole second base. Rylan Jones earned a walk, and both stole a base to put runners at second and third. Jack Sayer earned a walk to load the bases. Two Juneau mishaps allowed Birch and Jones to tie the game at 2-2. With the bases loaded again, Juneau pitcher Gavin Kohan struck out a batter and reliever Mast Mallott struck out another.
Juneau made contact in the top of the second inning, but Ketchikan fielded three fly ball outs. In the bottom half of the inning Ketchikan put eight runs across. Newt Berntson singled and stole second, Ezra Jurzack singled and Mason Garrison doubled to score Berntson. Birch singled to score Jurzack and Jones singled in Garrison. Jack Sayer earned a walk. Kyle James reached on an error scoring Birch, Blake Phillips singled to score Jones and Drake Abigania earned a walk from new Juneau reliever Wyatt Hickok to load the bases. Forrest Eide doubled in James and Phillips for a 10-2 lead.
Juneau’s Rawley Cox earned a leadoff walk in the top of the third inning and the next three batters all had strong hits, but they stayed in the air long enough to be run down for outs.
Ketchikan added three more runs in the bottom of the third inning as Jurzack earned a one-out walk, Garrison singled, Birch singled to load the bases. Juneau’s Lim fielded a Jones ground ball and put out a runner at home, but Ketchikan’s Sayer walked to score Garrison and James singled to score Birch and Jones for a 13-2 lead. Phillips was hit by a pitch, but Juneau’s Lim struck out the next hitter to retire the inning.
Juneau scored a run in the top of the fourth inning with Bridger Lockhart reaching on a one-out fielder's choice and scoring on a single by Eli Hayes to trail 13-3. The Juneau defense stepped up in the bottom half with Lim fielding a ball for an out and shortstop Kohan making two athletic catches for outs, one a backpedaling over-the-shoulder grab.
Juneau added two more runs in the top of the fifth inning with Hickok hitting a one-out single, Mallot a single and Cox hitting a fielder’s choice, scoring Hickok to trail 13-4, and Reagon Talatoa hitting a single to score Mallott to trail 13-5. Juneau’s Lim would strike out the first batter in the bottom half of the inning, relief pitcher Colin Daniels struck out another and Kohan ran down another fly ball for an out at shortstop.
In the top of the sixth inning Juneau had a solid leadoff hit by M. Hayes that was caught for an out, and after Kohan and Lim singled, an unlucky play caught Kohan for an out, and E. Hayes had a strong hit that was caught in the air to retire the side.
Ketchikan would win the game by run-rule in the bottom of the sixth inning with Parker Jones earning a walk and stealing second, Sayer earned a walk and P. Jones stole third. A passed ball allowed P. Jones to score with James at bat and another miscue allowed Sayer to score and end the game one inning early at 15-5. Ketchikan’s Drake Abigani earned the win with four strikeouts and James closed.
Juneau’s Kohan had two strikeouts and five fielding putouts, Mallott two strikeouts, Lim four strikeouts and a putout, and Daniels one strikeout.
Game two in the best-of-five series is at 6 p.m. Friday on the Adair-Kennedy Memorial Park field.
The winner of the series travels to the Regional Championships in Bend, Oregon, July 22-30.
The GCLL Junior Softball girls fell 16-1 in four innings to Anchorage’s Abbott-O-Rabbit.
Juneau’s lone run came in the top of the fourth inning as Hina’i Kuma earned a walk and stole second base but was caught stealing third. Porter Love earned a walk and stole second base and advanced to third on a ground ball out by Victoria Petrie. Katelyn Sulser hit a ground ball and reached base on an error that scored Love.
Ashlynn Zura took the loss with two hits allowed, eight runs scored, six walked batters and one strikeout. Aisha Tapia relieved (3 IP, 10 H, 8 R). Kuma earned two walks for Juneau, Love and Augustine Metzgar one apiece. Sulser had the lone hit and Love the lone run. Kuma had three stolen bases and Love one.
Abbott-O-Rabbit’s Cayla Homerding earned the win (4 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 4 BB, 5 SO). Homerding also went 3-3 at the plate with three runs scored and two runs batted in. Skylar Samet went 2-3 (2 R, 2 RBI), Adaire Robinson 2-2 (1 R, 2 RBI), Lylah Strateman 1-3 (1 R, 3 RBI), Elsie Greeley 1-2 (2 R), Sadie Harrison 1-2 (2 R, Cady Callaway 1-1 (2 R), Ella Duffy (1 R), Lauren Zuspan (1 R, 1 RBI), Peytan Ellis (1 H) and Zara Nelson (1 R). Duffy, Greeley and Harrison had two stolen bases each, Robinson, Callaway, Suspend and Samet one each.
The winner of the series travels to the regional championships in Tucson, Arizona, July 23-29.
The GCLL Softball Majors All-Stars (10-12 year olds) lost their best-of-three state championship series in Anchorage last week, falling to Soldotna 3-0, winning 10-8 and falling 5-4. Soldotna plays in the regional championships in San Bernardino, California, July 18-23.
• Contact Klas Stolpe at sports@juneauindependent.com
