It was no easy dog walk for the hometown Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé softball team Friday at Melvin Park, but the Crimson Bears cleaned up after themselves nicely with a 6-3 win over the visiting Lathrop Malemutes before falling 11-1 in the nightcap.
“Our first game we played good defense and hit well,” JDHS coach Lexi Razor said. “It felt like everything came together, and the girls were talking well on the field and playing great together. In the second game we had several defensive errors and were not hitting. The second games just let us know we have a lot to still work on. We let Lathrop control the second game, which we don’t want to do again tomorrow.”
In the opener Lathrop put two runs up in the top of the first inning, but JDHS answered with three in the bottom half as senior Tatum Billings earned a one-out walk and scored on a wild pitch. Junior Gwen Nizich walked and scored on a double by senior Bryanna Eakes. Eakes scored on a double by sophomore Brynn Wheeler.
Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé baserunner Alayna Echiverri steals second base against Lathrop during the Crimson Bears’ 6-3 win over the Malemutes on Friday at Miller Park. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire)
JDHS added a run in the bottom of the second inning as junior Alayna Echiverri walked and scored on a ground-ball hit by Nizich.
JDHS’ final two runs came in the bottom of the third as Wheeler led off with a single, freshman Sadie Lockhart was hit by a pitch and sophomore Skylar Oliva singled to score Wheeler. Sophomore Cassie Chenoweth hit a sacrifice fly to score Lockhart.
Echiverri had two stolen bases and Nizich one. Wheeler led with two hits and Billings with two walks.
Oliva pitched four innings, allowed two hits and two runs, walked six batters and struck out five. Nizich relieved for one inning, allowed two hits and one run, walked one and struck out one.
Lathrop’s Halle Rainer pitched four innings, allowed five hits and six runs, walked four and struck out two. The Malamutes Peyton Hamilton had two RBI and Rainer two hits. Annabelle Foster, scored one run.
“We were aggressive on the bases in the first game,” Razor said. “We have a fast team and it is fun to watch them push their envelopes and play fast.”
Lathrop scored in the top of each of the four innings in game two, winning 11-1.
JDHS’ lone run came in the bottom of the second inning as Oliva hit a one-out single and advanced to third on a fielding error. Sophomore June Troxel walked and Chenoweth was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Sophomore Lily Hayes walked to score Oliva.
Sophomore Taylor Williams pitched the four innings, walked two and struck out five.
Lathrop’s Hamilton pitched, allowing one hit and one run, walking four and striking out five.
Hamilton had three RBI and three hits. Kaylee Himes went 3-3 with three runs scored and one RBI. Foster 2-2 with two runs scored and an RBI. Isla Holm had two RBI.
The first game was a conference game and the second was not, meaning the first game counts in the standings for the district tournament in May. Saturday’s double header will be the same format with the first game a conference matchup. Games times are 1 and 3 p.m. at Miller Park.(JV play Sitka JV at 5 and 7 p.m.)
• Contact Klas Stolpe at klas.stolpe@juneauempire.com.
