Both the Juneau-Douglas High School and Thunder Mountain High School softball teams played away games on their opening weekends, with JDHS travelling to Sitka and TMHS to Ketchikan.
Each team played three games, with JDHS winning their series against Sitka High School 2-1 and TMHS losing theirs 1-2 against Ketchikan High School. Coverage of Friday’s games appeared in Sunday’s paper and are available online.
TMHS 11, Kayhi 8
Thunder Mountain and Ketchikan High School played a high-scoring affair in the second act of their Saturday doubleheader with the Falcons coming out on top 11-8.
The teams combined for 28 hits with 11 of those going for extra bases. The Falcons and Kings traded the lead 12 times.
Ketchikan opened scoring off a walk in the first. The Falcons then struck back in the second with a two-RBI double to center field from junior Haleigh Dicarlo. Ketchikan took the lead back in the second with two runs of their own.
TMHS batted for a three-run effort in the third, capturing a 5-3 lead.
After Ketchikan narrowed the gap to 5-4 in the third, they added two more in the fourth to gain the lead back 6-5. TMHS tied the game in the fifth only to go behind when Ketchikan pushed back with two fifth-inning runs of their own.
TMHS gained the deciding lead in the sixth with a RBI single from senior Tracy Bourassa and a two-run double by sophomore Megan Dallas.
TMHS would hold Kayhi scoreless in the last two innings, while adding two more runs in the seventh off a Bourassa RBI double and sacrifice fly from freshman Nina Fenumiai, off which sophomore Rachel Macaulay tagged up and scored.
Kayhi 9, TMHS 1
Failing to close an eight-run gap, the Falcons lost the first game of their Saturday doubleheader to the five-inning mercy rule.
Ketchikan took the lead with a six-run second inning, scoring off a Kaileigh Krosse RBI single, a two-run Kassi Montero double and a Lexi Biggerstaff RBI triple. Montero scored Kayhi’s sixth run off an error.
Freshman Nina Fenumiai scored TMHS’ lone run in the third by tagging up after a fly ball from junior Alondra Echiverri. The game remained scoreless after a three-run third inning by the Kings.
Sitka 4, JDHS 2
The Crimson Bears fell 2-4 in an afternoon game against Sitka High School featuring stout defense from both teams. The game was ended early for scheduling purposes.
Sitka’s opened scoring in the bottom of the first. JDHS freshman Miranda Mitchell’s second-inning score tied the game 1-1.
The Crimson Bears earned a brief lead in the second when sophomore Abby Meiners scored on an error to center field. The Wolves responded with a two-run line drive double to left field in the third inning for the 2-3 Sitka lead. Sitka scored their fourth run off a single to right field, wrapping up scoring in the truncated second leg of their doubleheader.
JDHS 8, Sitka 4
JDHS scored six first-inning runs to help them to an 8-4 win over Sitka on Saturday.
Juneau-Douglas senior Amanda Bicknell opened scoring with a RBI single. Senior Quincy Bates followed her lead with a two-run single, sophomore Morgan Balovich had a RBI single and freshman Riley Stadt added a two-run triple to put JDHS up 6-0 in the first.
Sitka got a run back in the top of the second off a sacrifice fly. In the third, JDHS freshman Sophia Shauwecker hit a RBI single that brought freshman Skylar Hickok home.
Sitka scored again in the fifth with a RBI single to right field. JDHS added one run in the sixth and Sitka rallied in the top of the seventh behind a RBI triple and a RBI single to right field, ending Sitka’s bid for the comeback.
