The Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé Crimson Bears baseball team played solid through a seven-inning, 5-0 loss to the Service Cougars on Thursday in their opening game at the ASAA/First National Bank Alaska DI Baseball State Championships at Anchorage’s Mulchay Stadium.
The Southeast Conference No. 2 seed Crimson Bears out-hit the Cook Inlet Conference No. 2 seed Cougars five to three in the contest as both teams put the ball into the field of play — but into the mitts of fielders as well.
“It was hard to find the ball through their infield, for sure,” JDHS coach Luke Adams said. “We were trying to get some energy, get some momentum, but credit Service they made the plays they had to make. It was a tough start and we just couldn’t get ahead of the game. Sometimes that is how baseball is…We didn’t make too many mistakes. We just weren’t able to score runs early, and one thing we have learned about our team this season is we are better when we get on the scoreboard early and get that momentum, and unfortunately we weren’t able to do that. All we can do is get back at it tomorrow.”
JDHS got the first hit of the game as junior Madden Mendoza hit a one-out single to left field and advanced on a ground out by classmate Nate Fick. Mendoza would be joined on the base paths by senior JJ McCormick, but both were stranded on base. Junior Riley Fick earned a walk in the second inning and senior Jacob Katasse reached base on a dropped third strike, but again both Crimson Bears runners were stranded on the bags.
Service broke the ice in the bottom of the second inning as senior Sebastian Fournier was hit by JDHS junior pitcher Cayman Huff, stole second and third base and scored on a bunt by junior Takumi Kosaka for a 1-0 lead.
Service added another run in the bottom of the third inning on a home run by junior Rilen Niclai. A Cougars single forced a JDHS pitching change with R. Fick replacing Huff. Service earned another walk, but JDHS got a strong fielding showing by second baseman Madden Mendoza and junior first baseman Marcus Mendoza who each fielded fly balls to get out of the inning.
JDHS forced Service into a pitching change in the top of the fourth inning as sophomore Noah Lewis led off with a bunt down the third base line and junior Marcus Mendoza singled to center field. Lewis advanced to third on a sacrifice fly to center field by R. Fick, and the Cougars substituted sophomore starter Weston Gracey with junior Braun Precosky, who then forced a fly ball out by JDHS senior Jacob Katasse and stuck out the Crimson Bears junior Tyler Frisby to end the inning.
With one out in the bottom of the fourth inning, JDHS reliever R. Fick walked three batters and the Cougars earned a ground out to Marcus Mendoza at first base scoring a run. The Crimson Bears Madden Mendoza fielded the third out to end the threat.
N. Fick and junior Chris Andersen both earned two-out singles in the top of the fifth but were stranded on base. The JDHS defense then handled the Service lineup in the bottom half.
JDHS could not get a rally started in the top of the sixth inning and a patient Service ball club had three batters earn walks to start the bottom half, forcing a pitching change by the Crimson Bears with Marcus Mendoza replacing R. Fick. A wild pitch allowed Service to score for a 4-0 lead and a catching error allowed another runner in for 5-0.
JDHS collected three strong hits in their final at bat, but all were fielded for outs in right field, at third base and in center field to end the game.
Huff pitched 2.1 innings, allowed three hits and two runs and struck out one batter. R. Fick relieved for 2.2 innings, allowed three runs, walked nine and struck out two. Marcus Mendoza relieved for one inning and walked two.
“All of our guys went out and did their best,” Adams said. “Credit Service. They hit the ball well off everybody. Defensively we feel we could have been a little better as well on our reads but overall it is not a matter of being disappointed, we just need to learn from it, grow and move on and prepare for tomorrow.”
Madden Mendoza, Marcus Mendoza, N. Fick, Andersen and Lewis had one hit each. McCormick and R. Fick earned one walk apiece.
Service senior Gideon Lesslie, Niclai and senior Landon Martindale had one hit each. Niclai, Martindale and Kosaka one RBI each.
Service starter Gracey went 3.1 innings, allowed three hits, walked two and struck out five. Precosky went 3.2 innings, allowed two hits and struck out two.
“Afterwards we told the kids that’s the game of baseball,” Adams said. “Unfortunately, it wasn’t our day. We have to reset, reevaluate where we are at, maybe make a few adjustments to our approach at the plate and do what we can to control our result tomorrow. We have a lot of really good players and for a lot of them this is a new stage that they haven’t experienced yet but we really have to be ready to compete right out of the gate and today we just didn’t find that energy early. The game had a low-energy feeling even though our kids were battling. We have to find another level to compete and they know that and they will respond tomorrow…There were a lot of new things that we experienced here on a new field, no excuses, overall this is a good experience and we will learn from it. The kids are doing just fine. We’ll watch a game tonight and see what kind of energy those other games have and hopefully take that and use that to our advantage.”
JDHS will play an elimination game at 1 p.m. Friday against Railbelt Conference No. 2 Wasilla, a 10-2 loser to CIC No. 1 seed Eagle River.
Service and Eagle River play a 7 p.m. Friday semifinal.
In other action, SEC No. 1 Sitka defeated CIC No. 3 South 3-0 and will play RBC No. 1 Colony, a 6-1 winner over CIC at-large Dimond, in a 4 p.m. Friday semifinal. South and Dimond play an elimination game at 10 a.m. Friday.
The tournament ends Saturday with the fourth/sixth-place game at 11 a.m., the third/fifth-place game at 1:30 p.m. and the championship game at 4:30 p.m.
