Alaska 20 splits league games in Anchorage

Staff report

Now, Alaska 20 plays the waiting game.

The local nine finished up its Alliance Baseball League schedule Tuesday in Anchorage, defeating Juneau 3-2 and losing to Bartlett 8-4.

Alaska 20 is now 5-5 in the league and 6-18 overall, with just a nonleague, 12:30 p.m. Sunday doubleheader against South’s Open team left on the regular season schedule. That twin bill takes place Friday.

The top two teams in the division, plus the next best four overall, make the state tournament. Alaska 20 is the first team to play all its league games. Before Tuesday’s late games were complete, there were eight teams in the league with between five and three wins and two or more games left on the schedule. West (7-2) and South (6-2) are the only teams with more than five wins.

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In the 8-4 loss to Bartlett, Alaska 20 went down 7-1 after the first inning when starting pitcher Sam Berry struggled. Tanner Ussing gave up a run and three hits in 4 1-3 innings. Davey Belger gave up two hits and a run in an inning. Alaska 20 couldn’t complete the comeback, cutting the lead to 7-4 in the top of the second, but then going silent on offense.

Taylor McCart got the win for Bartlett, going all seven innings and giving up four runs — three earned — and seven hits.

Harrison Metz, Mose Hayes, Berry, Davey Belger, Daltyn Deborski, Karl Wickstrom and Jacob Belger each had a hit for Alaska 20.

Nick Wehrstein keyed the 3-2 in over Juneau with a sterling pitching performance. Wehrstein went six innings and gave up two runs on eight hits while walking two and striking out two.

Metz went the last inning and allowed a hit and no runs.

Alaska 20 went up 1-0 in the top of the first, but Juneau led 2-1 by the bottom of the fifth.

In the top of the sixth, Atticus Gibson led off with a single and eventually scored on a single by Hayes.

Ussing started the winning rally with a single to lead off the seventh, then scored on a single by Deborski.

Hayes finished 2 for 3 with a run and an RBI, while Ussing was 3 for 3 with a run and an RBI, and Gibson was 2 for 2.