Friday: Homer wins 2 of 3 at state softball, still in mix for title

The Homer Mariners won two of three games Friday to survive and advance in the Division II state softball tournament at Cartee Fields in Anchorage.

Homer beat Delta Junction 11-6, then lost to Sitka 9-1 before wrapping up with a 13-1 victory over Hutchison. The results left the Mariners with a 10 a.m. Saturday game with Ketchikan, which beat Homer 11-7 on Thursday.

In order to win the Division II state title, the Mariners need to win four games Saturday — two to reach the final, then a third win to force a fourth, “if-necessary” game, against the winner of the championship bracket.

It all adds up to a tough task for the Mariners.

“We’re going to have to be there to play that one (against Ketchikan),” Bell said. “That’s a tough team.”

Bell stressed to his team following the Hutchison win that in order to keep advancing through the tournament, the Mariners must stay focused and determined.

“The message now is we’re going to have to play a lot of games (Saturday) and we can’t play this crappy against a team that has everything going for it.” Bell said. “There was just no energy, we came out flat with no energy. It should’ve been over with 15 runs after two innings. I think we assumed that these guys would just roll over.”

Homer 11, Delta 6

In Friday’s opener with the Huskies, Homer’s Annalynn Brown hit 3 for 4 with five RBIs, including a three-run blast over the center field fence in the sixth inning, to lead the offense. Brown also pitched the full seven innings, scattering nine hits with two walks and a strikeout.

“I just hit really well,” Brown said. “I thought they were beautiful pitches, I had my timing perfect. I think all of them were really nice.

“I thought my pitching was really on. For the most part (the Homer defense) had a lot of really great plays.”

Brown said the homer was the first of her varsity career with the Mariners, which made it all the more timely.

“It felt so good,” Brown said. “It was way over (the fence).”

Haylee Owen had a big day, going 3 for 4 with three runs, and Kaitlyn Johnson, Zoe Adkins and Hannah Hatfield all added two hits apiece. Overall, Homer tagged Delta starter Alyssa Hooton with 15 hits while staying mistake free on defense. The Huskies committed three errors.

Brown got the day started with a run-scoring double in the first inning, then added another RBI double in the fifth and capped it with her homer in the sixth.

A confusing play delayed the game approximately 10 minutes in the bottom of the first with two Delta runners on base. Ashley Bevard cranked a pop fly to center field, where Homer’s Grace Godfrey caught it as she tumbled over the flexible fencing to rob Bevard of a home run.

However, the umpires motioned both Delta base runners to move up a base, prompting the Homer staff to argue the call. After the game, Bell said the umps explained that Godfrey’s glove touched the ground on the play, making for a live ball situation. Since no runners advanced, the call was made to enforce them to move up.

Brown limited the damage by inducing a pop-out on the next batter to end the inning.

“I’ve just been experimenting with different spins,” Brown said. “Kind of knowing what these batters like to hit, and what they don’t like to hit. … I figured girls that are eager to hit, just throw a change-up and they’ll lunge for it and pop it up to Grace.”

Homer opened up its lead in the second inning with an RBI double by Owen and a two-run single by Becca Chapman on a liner to center field, giving the Mariners a 4-0 lead.

Sitka 9, Homer 1

Homer used up its first of two mulligans in the double-elimination tournament with a loss to the Wolves on Friday afternoon.

Abby Forrester made life tough for Homer, hitting 4 for 4 with two RBIs and two runs. The Mariners were led by Kaylin Anderson’s 2-for-3 day, while Godfrey, Brown, Brianna Hetrick, Johnson and Hatfield all notched a base hit as well.

Sitka was able to feast on the bottom four of Homer’s lineup, which went a combined 1 for 11 with eight strikeouts.

Adkins lasted three innings pitching before being pulled for Brown. Adkins gave up four runs on five hits and three walks and struck out three, while Brown gave up five runs on seven hits and struck out two.

After two scoreless innings between the two foes, the Mariners were able to strike first in the top of the third with an RBI single by Hetrick to give Homer a lead over perennial powerhouse Sitka. Hetrick drove in Brown, who had hit a two-out double prior to Hetrick’s base knock.

However, the Wolves answered immediately with three runs in the bottom of the third. Sitka’s Tyla Gleason led off with a walk, then scored when Avery Voron laid down a bunt and the throw by Homer shortstop Johnson sailed wide at first, tying the game.

Later, Miah Dumag put Sitka ahead 2-1 on an RBI ground-out, and Forrester scored a third run on a passed ball.

Sitka tacked on two more runs in the fourth on an RBI single by Gleason and a pop fly by Forrester that landed in right field, giving Sitka a 5-1 edge.

In the top of the fifth, Homer threatened by putting two runners on base with one out, but a fly-out and a force-out squandered it for the Mariners.

Dumag ended the game in the bottom of the sixth with a two-run homer over the right field fence to invoke the run rule.

Sitka starting pitcher Makenna Smith gave up just one run on five hits in 4 2-3 innings, striking out six.

Homer 13, Hutchison 1

Homer batted around and scored five runs in the first inning to cruise to a dominant victory Friday evening over Hutchison, securing the Mariners’ spot for Saturday.

Godfrey hit 3 for 4 with a double and four RBIs, while Brown and Chapman notched two hits each.

Starting pitcher Adkins gave up a run on just two hits and three walks, and whiffed six to go a full four innings.

After a Hetrick sac fly and a wild pitch scored two runs in the opening frame, Owen really opened up the lead at 4-0 with a two-run double on a grounder to left field. Chapman doubled in a run to make it 5-0.

In the bottom of the third, Godfrey and Johnson both knocked out two-run singles to push the lead to 10-0. Godfrey added another two-run single in the fourth, helping to invoke the mercy rule after 4 1-2 innings.