JDHS softball opens season with two wins, one loss at Kayhi
- Klas Stolpe
- 26 minutes ago
- 3 min read
Crimson Bears show grit and growl on road series with Kings
By Klas Stolpe
Juneau Independent
The Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé softball team opened its season winning two out of three games during a road trip to Ketchikan on Thursday and Friday.
The trip started with a JDHS 14-0 win on Thursday, in which junior Brynn Wheeler pitched three of the run-shortened four innings, allowing four hits. Senior Gwen Nizich pitched the final inning, allowing one hit.
JDHS senior Alayna Echiverri led with three runs batted in, sophomore Sadie Lockhart and junior Lily Hayes had two apiece, and junior June Troxel and Wheeler one apiece. Echiverri, Nizich, Troxel, junior Taylor Williams and sophomore Ari Ma’ake had two hits each, S. Lockhart, Hayes and Wheeler one each. Williams, Troxel and Ma’ake scored two runs each, Echiverri, Nizich, S. Lockhart and Hayes one each.
On Friday, the teams split a doubleheader. In the first of the two games, six runs in the first inning were more than enough for JDHS as they toppled Ketchikan 10-2.
Ketchikan responded in the second game with a 15-5 win, showing that while the two teams no longer play in the Division II Southeast Conference, the talent level across the panhandle cannot be taken lightly.
In the Crimson Bears’ win, senior Nizich pitched all six innings, allowed five hits and two runs, walked three batters, and struck out five.
Kayhi sophomore Peyton Nickich also went six innings, giving up 11 hits and the 10 runs, walking four and striking out two.
JDHS’ Nizich, Williams, Troxel and S. Lockhart all had two hits each, while Echiverri, Hayes and Ma’ake had one hit each. Troxel had three runs batted in, Williams, Hayes and Ma’ake two each and Lockhart one. Williams and Hayes scored two runs apiece, Echiverri, Nizich, Lockhart and Troxel one each. Hayes earned two walks, S. Lockhart and Wheeler one apiece.
Kayhi freshman Ashlyn Harold had three hits and classmate Emily Mendoza two. Junior Brianna Gilson and Mariah Pechay-Austin scored one run apiece, and freshman Aleigha Currall had one RBI.
In the nightcap, Ketchikan had the hot bats early and led 10-2 after two innings and 14-4 after three innings. The game ended after JDHS added just one run in the top of the fifth inning to trail by the 15-5 score.
JDHS freshman Maisey Mar started in the circle and went 1.2 innings, allowing two hits and nine runs, and walking four batters. Wheeler went 2.1 innings, allowed three hits and six runs, walked six and struck out three.
Kayhi’s Gilson pitched all five innings, allowed five hits and five runs, walked two batters and struck out three.
JDHS’ S. Lockhart went 2-3 with three RBI and one run scored to lead the Crimson Bears. Ma’ake had two RBI, while Nizich, Hayes and Ma’ake had one hit each. Freshman Blythe Lockhart, Nizich, Williams, S. Lockhart and Hayes scored one run each.
Kayhi’s Mendoza Currall and Harold had two RBI each and freshman Ashlyn Hanchey one. Pechay-Austin scored four runs, Currall three, junior Lilly Brakke two, Mendoza, Gilson, Harold, sophomore Cereniti Buendia and freshman Kendall Elliot one each. Mendoza, Pechay-Austin, Harold, Brakke and Hanchey had one hit each.
JDHS will host the Sitka Wolves at 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. Thursday, April 30 and 7 p.m. on Friday, May 1.
• Contact Klas Stolpe at klas.stolpe@gmail.com.
