Joey Klecka

Photo by Joey Klecka/Peninsula Clarion Post 20 Twins pitcher Joey Becher delivers a throw against West Post 1 Thursday afternoon at Coral Seymour Memorial Park in Kenai.

Twins sweep West; Becher dominates on mound

When a pitcher is as hot as the weather, it’s difficult to yank him off the mound. Thursday at a sun-splashed Coral Seymour Memorial Park… Continue reading

Photo by Joey Klecka/Peninsula Clarion Post 20 Twins pitcher Joey Becher delivers a throw against West Post 1 Thursday afternoon at Coral Seymour Memorial Park in Kenai.
Photo by Joey Klecka/Peninsula Clarion Peninsula Oilers catcher Jonathan Washam tags up to first base ahead of Fairbanks Goldpanner baseman Steven Weber, Tuesday at Coral Seymour Memorial park in Kenai.

Oilers beat Panners in walk-off style

Shih-Tsung Wang played the hero role twice Tuesday evening for the Peninsula Oilers, batting in a go-ahead run in the seventh inning and delivering a… Continue reading

Photo by Joey Klecka/Peninsula Clarion Peninsula Oilers catcher Jonathan Washam tags up to first base ahead of Fairbanks Goldpanner baseman Steven Weber, Tuesday at Coral Seymour Memorial park in Kenai.
Photo by Joey Klecka/Peninsula Clarion Peninsula Oilers center fielder Brian Ruhm (37) fist bumps short stop Jeff Chapuran after scoring a run Friday night against the Anchorage Glacier Pilots at Coral Seymour Memorial Park in Kenai.

Oilers, Pilots split a pair

In their first two opening games of the season against the Mat-Su Miners, the Peninsula Oilers used dominant pitching and stifling defensive play to take… Continue reading

Photo by Joey Klecka/Peninsula Clarion Peninsula Oilers center fielder Brian Ruhm (37) fist bumps short stop Jeff Chapuran after scoring a run Friday night against the Anchorage Glacier Pilots at Coral Seymour Memorial Park in Kenai.
Photo by Joey Klecka/Peninsula Clarion Women's 5K race winner LeeAnn Burns of Eagle River takes a quick drink midway through Saturday's Run for the River in Soldotna.

Seward’s Adams blitzes Run for River 10-miler to the tune of 52:40

Saturday morning’s Run for the River featured a pair of new faces and a pair of familiar ones in the winner’s circle.A crowd of 223… Continue reading

Photo by Joey Klecka/Peninsula Clarion Women's 5K race winner LeeAnn Burns of Eagle River takes a quick drink midway through Saturday's Run for the River in Soldotna.
Peninsula Oilers pitcher Billy Oxford winds up for the pitch Friday night against the Anchorage Glacier Pilots at Coral Seymour Memorial Park in Kenai.

Oilers enjoying hot start to season

In their first two opening games of the season against the Mat-Su Miners, the Peninsula Oilers used dominant pitching and stifling defensive play to take… Continue reading

Peninsula Oilers pitcher Billy Oxford winds up for the pitch Friday night against the Anchorage Glacier Pilots at Coral Seymour Memorial Park in Kenai.
Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion

Stellar defense sends Oilers to 2-win start over Miners

It took the starting pitcher tossing the first complete game of his life and his newly acquainted teammates playing stellar defense against the defending regular-season… Continue reading

Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion

Twin City Raceway set to host Powder Puff

The boys of summer are back to slinging dirt at Twin City Raceway in Kenai, but they’ll be getting a dose of girl power.The .307-mile… Continue reading

Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion

Oilers blank Miners to open season

Peninsula Oilers head coach Brian Daly predicted a plethora of wins this summer, and the prognosis is right on track after one day. Dom Bazzani… Continue reading

Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion

Oilers begin 60-game season against Miners

This isn’t a baseball season, it’s an endurance contest. The Peninsula Oilers begin a whirlwind tour today when they kick off their 43rd season of… Continue reading

Photo by Joey Klecka/Peninsula Clarion Soldotna pitcher Matthew Daugherty offers up a pitch to a Lathrop batter Friday at the state baseball tournament at Mulcahy Field in Anchorage.

SoHi baseball goes 2-and-out at state

The Soldotna Stars had a shot at picking up their first state tournament victory in program history, but that milestone will have to wait another… Continue reading

Photo by Joey Klecka/Peninsula Clarion Soldotna pitcher Matthew Daugherty offers up a pitch to a Lathrop batter Friday at the state baseball tournament at Mulcahy Field in Anchorage.
Soldotna pitcher Matthew Daugherty offers up a pitch to a Lathrop batter Friday at the state baseball tournament at Mulcahy Field in Anchorage.

Lathrop edges SoHi at state baseball

The Soldotna Stars had a shot at picking up their first state tournament victory in program history, but that milestone will have to wait another… Continue reading

Soldotna pitcher Matthew Daugherty offers up a pitch to a Lathrop batter Friday at the state baseball tournament at Mulcahy Field in Anchorage.
Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion Homer's Malina Fellows tries to tag Soldotna's Macylea Elsey in a Homer victory earlier this season in Soldotna.

Soldotna, Homer set for state softball tournament

Looking to build upon three straight bronze medal finishes at the season-ending state tournament, the experienced Homer softball team needs to buck the trend.Back in… Continue reading

Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion Homer's Malina Fellows tries to tag Soldotna's Macylea Elsey in a Homer victory earlier this season in Soldotna.
Photo by Joey Klecka/Peninsula Clarion Soldotna batter Cody Quelland takes a strike against Sitka pitcher Vaughn Blankenship in a state tournament quarterfinal Thursday at Mulcahy Field in Anchorage.

Sitka baseball takes down Soldotna at state

Thursday’s opening game at the state high school baseball tournament featured two teams trending in opposite directions.The Soldotna Stars started hot but fizzled out in… Continue reading

Photo by Joey Klecka/Peninsula Clarion Soldotna batter Cody Quelland takes a strike against Sitka pitcher Vaughn Blankenship in a state tournament quarterfinal Thursday at Mulcahy Field in Anchorage.
Soldotna batter Cody Quelland takes a strike against Sitka pitcher Vaughn Blankenship in a state tournament quarterfinal Thursday at Mulcahy Field in Anchorage.

SoHi baseball starts fast at state tourney, fades in loss to Sitka

Thursday's opening game at the state high school baseball tournament featured two teams trending in opposite directions. The Soldotna Stars started hot but fizzled out… Continue reading

Soldotna batter Cody Quelland takes a strike against Sitka pitcher Vaughn Blankenship in a state tournament quarterfinal Thursday at Mulcahy Field in Anchorage.
Photo by Joey Klecka/Peninsula Clarion Soldotna senior Daisy Nelson (538) races down the finishing stretch of the 4A girls 400-meter dash Saturday at the state track and field championships at Dimond Alumni Field in Anchorage.

Nelson, Jackman, Johnson, Kratz, Leaf win state track titles

The Kenai Peninsula showed up in droves to take on the state’s fastest, strongest and most agile athletes Friday and Saturday at the state track… Continue reading

Photo by Joey Klecka/Peninsula Clarion Soldotna senior Daisy Nelson (538) races down the finishing stretch of the 4A girls 400-meter dash Saturday at the state track and field championships at Dimond Alumni Field in Anchorage.
Photo by Joey Klecka/Peninsula Clarion Kenai Central sophomore Zack Tuttle (23) gets a reassuring hug from teammate Rykker Riddall after Saturday's state soccer championship final against South Anchorage.

South boys top Kenai in state soccer final

The South Anchorage boys proved they were the better team Saturday evening with a 3-1 victory over Kenai Central in the state soccer championship final,… Continue reading

Photo by Joey Klecka/Peninsula Clarion Kenai Central sophomore Zack Tuttle (23) gets a reassuring hug from teammate Rykker Riddall after Saturday's state soccer championship final against South Anchorage.
Photo by Joey Klecka/Peninsula Clarion Kenai Central freshman Damien Redder (13) heads the ball with Service sophomore Dorian Cornichuck in Friday's state soccer semifinal contest at Service High School.

Friday state soccer: Kenai boys top Service to make state final

Gridlocked at zero and neither team giving an inch, something had to decide who gets to play in the 2016 boys state soccer championship.Ultimately, the… Continue reading

Photo by Joey Klecka/Peninsula Clarion Kenai Central freshman Damien Redder (13) heads the ball with Service sophomore Dorian Cornichuck in Friday's state soccer semifinal contest at Service High School.
Kenai Central midfielder Kevin Ramos (center) sends the ball downfield in Friday's state soccer semifinal against Service at Service High School.

Kenai boys soccer takes Peninsula 1st state final berth

Gridlocked at zero and neither team giving an inch, something had to decide who gets to play in the 2016 boys state soccer championship. Ultimately,… Continue reading

Kenai Central midfielder Kevin Ramos (center) sends the ball downfield in Friday's state soccer semifinal against Service at Service High School.

Area athletes set for state track meet

“Run fast. Jump far.” Those are the words of Kenai Central track and field coach Chris Hanson regarding the not-so-secret strategy to success at the… Continue reading

Photo by Joey Klecka/Peninsula Clarion Kenai Central goalkeeper Alli Steinbeck reaches up for a save against Colony in the ASAA state soccer tournament Thursday at Service High School.

Service girls top Kenai at state

The Kenai Central and Service girls soccer teams waited 80 minutes to begin their state soccer tournament quarterfinal Thursday evening, but after all that, it… Continue reading

Photo by Joey Klecka/Peninsula Clarion Kenai Central goalkeeper Alli Steinbeck reaches up for a save against Colony in the ASAA state soccer tournament Thursday at Service High School.