Juneau Post 25 and Ketchikan Post 3 both lost on the first day of the 73rd Alaska Legion Baseball State Tournament at Mulcahy Stadium in Anchorage on Friday.
The Midnight Suns, the No. 5 overall seed, dropped an 11-1 decision to No. 4 Chugiak Post 33 in six innings, while the No. 7 Kings fell to No. 2 Kenai Post 20 11-10 in eight innings.
Juneau joins No. 8 Eagle River, which lost 10-0 to No. 1 Service Post 28, at 0-1 in the Denali Pool.
The top two in the pool will advance to Tuesday’s semifinals. Juneau plays Eagle River at 4 p.m. Saturday and Service at 7 p.m. Monday.
The Midnights Suns took a 1-0 lead in the top of the third inning when Brenner Harralston scored on an RBI from Kasen Ludeman.
After that, it was all Chugiak. The Mustangs scored twice in the third, twice in the fourth, six times in the fifth and enacted the mercy rule with a run in the sixth inning.
The Midnight Suns offense was not able to respond, with Jacob Katasse getting the lone hit of the game.
Cayman Huff gave up four runs on four hits in three innings for Post 25, while Landon Simonson yielded three runs in 1 1-3 innings and Christian Brown gave up four runs in an inning.
Ketchikan joins No. 6 West Post 1, which lost 11-10 to No. 3 Wasilla Post 35, at 0-1 in the Alyeska Pool.
The Kings face Wasilla at 1 p.m. Saturday and West at 1 p.m. Sunday.
The Twins came into the game on a 14-game winning streak, but the Kings pushed Post 20 to the limit.
Kenai took a 5-2 lead in the bottom of the fifth, but Post 3 scored once in the sixth and twice in the seventh to push the game to extra innings.
In the top of the eighth, the Kings crossed the plate five times. Post 20 answered with six runs in the bottom of the eighth, walking off with no outs in the inning.
At the plate for Ketchikan, Owen Mendoza was 2 for 5 with two runs and two RBIs, Ben Phillips had two RBIs, Cash Larson was 2 for 4 with two runs and two RBIs, Bryant Marquez was 2 for 5 with two RBIs, Julian Paule was 3 for 5 with an RBI and Rylan Hanchey was 2 for 5 with two RBIs.
On the hill, Ace Asper got the start and gave up five runs on five hits in five innings.
Larson yielded three runs on four hits in two innings, while Paule gave up three runs — one earned — on three hits without recording an out.
The Team of Excellence was announced after the Kenai-Ketchikan game.
Juneau and Ketchikan each put one player on the first team, while Ketchikan’s Andy Berntson was named co-coach of the year.
Ludeman was named to the first team at pitcher. In six appearances in the regular season, he was 4-0 with a save and a 1.13 ERA.
Mendoza made it at outfield for the Kings. In 19 games, he hit .446 and had 20 runs and eight RBIs.
The Midnight Suns also put Madden Mendoza on the second team at infielder.
In 23 games, Mendoza hit .368 with 26 runs and 10 RBIs.
Ketchikan’s Marquez got the second-team nod in the outfield. In 19 games, he hit .392 with eight RBIs and seven runs.
