Crimson Bears softball team gives seniors special win

Published 9:30 pm Saturday, May 24, 2025

The Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé Crimson Bears softball team swept the visiting Sitka Wolves in a pair of non-conference games, 15-6 on Friday and 16-14 on Saturday’s senior night celebrations, at Adair-Kennedy Memorial Park.

“I was really impressed with our team, and how we stayed up and stayed focused, and altogether came back and were able to pull off the win tonight for our senior night,” JDHS senior Taiya Bentz said Saturday. “It was impressive and really fun.”

Bentz and seniors Tatum Billings, Bryanna Eakes, Ella Schmidt, Jadela Saetern and Kayla Peter were honored.

“I think it is more special because it is senior night,” Bentz said. “It was our last home game and we beat them yesterday so we knew we could do it. We know our team had the ability so not having been able to do it would have been sad. It is very bittersweet…I love softball and I love the team and the fact that it is slowly coming to an end is very sad, but it feels good to have played four years and won.”

JDHS trailed 3-0 after one inning and 7-0 heading into the bottom of the second inning before Eakes earned a walk, sophomore Skylar Oliva singled, both advanced on a sacrifice fly by sophomore Brynn Wheeler, Eakes scored on a wild pitch and Bentz singled, scoring Oliva.

Sitka led 10-2 when JDHS scored five runs in the bottom of the third inning with Billings, junior Gwen Nizich, Oliva, sophomore Lily Hayes and Bentz crossing the plate. JDHS closed to 10-9 in the bottom of the fourth as Billings and Nizich scored.

Sitka pushed out to a 13-9 lead in the fifth inning, but JDHS took the lead 16-13 in the bottom half as Bentz walked, sophomore June Troxel singled, two outs occurred, Billings singled scoring Bentz and Troxel, Nizich singled in Billings, Eakes and Oliva walked, Wheeler doubled scoring Nizich and Eakes, and Bentz singled scoring Oliva and courtesy runner Hayes. Sitka would add a final run in the top of the sixth but Billings fielded an out in the seventh, Nizich struck out a batter and junior Alayna Echiverri caught the game-ending fly ball in left field.

Bentz led JDHS with five RBI, while Billings, Nizich and Wheeler had two each, and Eakes, Oliva and Troxel one each. Billings, Nizich, Bentz and Troxel had three hits each, Oliva, Wheeler two apiece and sophomore Cassie Chenoweeth one.

Sophomore Taylor Williams started in the circle, went 1.1 innings, allowed four hits and five runs, walked four batters and struck out one. Wheeler relieved for 3.2 innings, allowed eight hits and eight runs and walked five. Nizich closed for two innings, allowing two hits and one run and striking out two.

Sitka’s Alina Lebanon pitched 5.1 innings, allowed 11 hits and 11 runs and walked five. Madison Campbell pitched two outs, allowed six hits and five runs. Campbell led Wolves bats with four RBI, Lebahn and Chalice Brenton had three hits, Ally Mayville, Lebahn and Brenton scored three runs each.

“It was definitely really nerve-wracking in the beginning of the game as we were down, probably, by seven,” Billings said. “But it feels really nice, especially on the new field, it just means a lot. Just especially with how the year’s gone and the consolidation and having so many new people that you have never played with before. It was definitely a big win. I was very happy with how we played. I feel very confident going into state, I have high hopes for regions next week and I think we will do really good, I think we will be going to state the weekend after.”

JDHS and Colony have identical 7-1 Division I Railbelt Conference records. JDHS is 16-13-1 overall and Colony 28-8-1. The team with the higher strength of schedule, still being determined, receives a first-round bye in the RBC tournament next weekend in Fairbanks. West Valley is 2-4 (6-6), Lathrop 1-5 (8-9) and Wasilla 1-7 (11-18-1). The RBC will send two teams to the state tournament June 5-7 in Anchorage, along with the top four teams from Anchorage’s Cook Inlet Conference tournament. Sitka leads the DII Southeast Conference at 2-1 (14-12-4) with Ketchikan at 1-2 (13-14-2). They will have no conference tournament this season — just a regular season-ending series at Ketchikan and both advance to the DII state tournament in Anchorage, with the better record earning a higher seed.

“Today’s win means a lot to me,” JDHS’ Eakes said Saturday. “I am just grateful honestly that we had the chance to play on this field and our team has grown so much skill-wise and just getting closer throughout the whole season. And now our goal is winning state. Up north the fields are very grassy, rocky, nothing compared to this so it is definitely an adjustment but we’re used to it and I think we can do it.”

JDHS dominated Sitka 15-6 on Friday, going up 5-0 after one inning and 10-1 after two innings and never being threatened the rest of the way.

Eakes and Williams led with three RBI apiece, Nizich and Bentz had two apiece and Echiverri, Billings and Chenoweth one each. Nizich and Williams had three hits apiece, Billings, Eakes and Bentz two each, Echiverri, Oliva and Chenoweth one each.

Nizich pitched four innings, allowed six hits and four runs, walked three and struck out one. Oliva relieved for one inning, allowing one hit and two runs, walking two and striking out one.

Sitka’s Lebahn pitched two innings, allowing 12 hits and 11 runs for the loss, and Campbell relieved for two innings, allowing three hits and four runs. Sadie Saline led with three RBI, Mayville and Saline had two hits and Mayville scored two runs.

• Contact Klas Stolpe at klas.stolpe@juneauempire.com.