Kenai Central first baseman Levi Mese attempts to put out Grace Christian’s Parker Hovila, Friday evening at the Kenai Little League Fields. (Photo by Joey Klecka/Peninsula Clarion)

Kenai Central first baseman Levi Mese attempts to put out Grace Christian’s Parker Hovila, Friday evening at the Kenai Little League Fields. (Photo by Joey Klecka/Peninsula Clarion)

Kenai ends regular season with loss to Grace Christian

The Grace Christian Grizzlies put an exclamation point on the end of their inaugural season of baseball with a 9-4 victory Friday evening at the Kenai Little League fields.

The Kenai Central Kardinals put a period on the end of their regular season with the loss, still looking for a solution to their recent struggles. After being no-hit by Soldotna ace Matthew Daugherty on Wednesday, the Kards were limited to three base hits Friday by the Grizzlies, a first-year team that finished 3-2-1 overall in 2017.

“I think we ran into a little better pitching here at the end of the season,” said Kenai head coach Steve Nimcheski, whose squad began the year 6-0 but finished 8-4 overall. “We had our chances, but we gave them a few runs.”

Grace got solid starting pitching from Jimmy McGovern, who shut out Kenai in the first two innings without giving up a hit, striking out two. McGovern’s brother, Josh, took over for the next three frames and gave up two earned runs on two hits and two walks, but retired five Kenai batters on strikeouts.

Tobin Karlberg finished the job with two dominant innings on the mound, striking out four and giving up one base hit.

Grace head coach Ted McGovern said beating Kenai to end the Grizzlies’ season — Grace Christian will not be competing in next weekend’s Southcentral Conference tournament — served as an exclamation point on a solid first year.

“We feel pretty fortunate and blessed to play ball this year,” McGovern said. “We’re thrilled to be doing it, everyone in the conference was encouraging and supportive of us.”

McGovern’s two sons not only held court on the mound, but also made moves from the plate. Jimmy McGovern led off the second inning with a solo home run over the right field wall to open the scoring and finished 3 for 4 with a pair of doubles and four RBIs as well, while Josh went 2 for 4.

Kenai starter Zack Selinger went five innings and gave up four earned runs on eight hits and one walk while striking out one. Steven Norvelle went 1 2-3 innings in relief, giving up two earned runs on four hits and three walks, and Steffensen got the final out for Grace on one pitch, a ground-out.

Grace outhit Kenai 12 to 3. Kenai got a hit each from Nick Beeson, Paul Steffensen and pinch hitter Jakeb O’Brien. Steffensen and O’Brien each recorded a double.

After the Grizzlies opened a 4-0 lead, Kenai finally got going in the bottom of the third with a one-out walk issued to senior Jacob Kilfoyle, who was relieved of baserunning duties by Knox Amend. Gavin Petterson reached on an error, then Beeson brought Amend in on a single to left field, closing the gap to 4-1.

Steffensen had the Kardinals’ biggest hit of the day with a two-run double to cut Grace’s lead to 4-3, but couldn’t get anything else before the end of the third.

A two-out single by Nelson Korshin scored a run for Grace in the top of the fourth, and the Grizzlies scored twice more in the fifth with an RBI double by Jimmy McGovern, who ultimately scored on a wild pitch by Selinger.

An error led to Selinger reaching base in the bottom of the fifth, which allowed Steffensen to score a run, but that would be all for the Kenai offense. A two-run double by McGovern in the sixth inning wrapped up the scoring.

Nimcheski said he was glad to get every senior on the team an at-bat, including a few players that hadn’t seen a varsity pitch all season. All of Kenai’s starting nine were seniors, a lineup that was composed of Gavin Petterson, Beeson, Steffensen, Selinger, Steven Norvelle, Ryan Johnson, Jaydn Johnson, Jonathan Delgado and Jacob Kilfoyle.

Kenai Central outfielders Ryan Johnson (left) and Jonathan Delgado drop a flyball from Grace Christian, Friday evening at the Kenai Little League Fields. (Photo by Joey Klecka/Peninsula Clarion)

Kenai Central outfielders Ryan Johnson (left) and Jonathan Delgado drop a flyball from Grace Christian, Friday evening at the Kenai Little League Fields. (Photo by Joey Klecka/Peninsula Clarion)

Kenai Central’s Ryan Johnson tags up to first base under Grace Christian’s Steven Brown, Friday evening at the Kenai Little League Fields. (Photo by Joey Klecka/Peninsula Clarion)

Kenai Central’s Ryan Johnson tags up to first base under Grace Christian’s Steven Brown, Friday evening at the Kenai Little League Fields. (Photo by Joey Klecka/Peninsula Clarion)

More in Sports

Kenai Central's Seanna Swanson and Sawyer Vann look to block a shot Thursday, Nov. 30, 2023, at the Kenai Multi-Purpose Facility in Kenai, Alaska. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)
Kenai Central hockey team tops Homer

The Kenai Central hockey team defeated Homer 7-0 on Thursday in Northern… Continue reading

Young samplings are better than a muffin to this moose on the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge. (Photo by Colin Canterbury/USFWS)
Refuge Notebook: We stand on the shoulders of giant moose

This story starts 2,500 miles southeast as the raven flies from Kenai… Continue reading

tease
Homer wrestling hosts Nikiski, Soldotna for senior night

The Homer wrestling team hosted Nikiski and Soldotna on Tuesday for senior… Continue reading

tease
College football updates on Brantley III, Metcalf, Dahlgren

Soldotna High School graduate Galen Brantley III earned First Team All-North Star… Continue reading

Kenai Centra's Jack Laker leads skiers at the start of the Turkey Skate on Tuesday, Nov. 21, 2023, at Tsalteshi Trails just outside of Soldotna, Alaska. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)
SoHi’s Boonstra, Kenai’s Chase Laker win Turkey Skate to start ski season

Kenai Central’s Chase Laker and Soldotna’s Tania Boonstra won the Turkey Skate… Continue reading

tease
Ice Dogs sweep Brown Bears

The Kenai River Brown Bears were swept by the Fairbanks Ice Dogs… Continue reading

Nikiski's Destiny Langston and Soldotna' Meg Roberts battle at 235 pounds Tuesday, Nov. 21, 2023, at Soldotna High School in Soldotna, Alaska. Roberts won 7-4. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)
Soldotna wrestling celebrates senior night with 2 dual victories

The Soldotna wrestling team celebrated senior night by capturing a pair of… Continue reading

tease
Nikiski’s Johnson helps George Fox to historic season; Soldotna’s Arthur runs at NAIA nationals

Nikiski Middle-High School graduate Kaitlin Johnson helped the George Fox volleyball team… Continue reading

Soldotna junior Daisy Hannevold tries to turn Palmerճ Lillie Vansiegman during the girls 138-pound final of the Lancer Smith Memorial on Saturday, Nov. 18, 2023, at the Menard Arena in Wasilla. (Photo by Jeremiah Bartz/Frontiersman)
SoHi girls wrestlers win Lancer Smith Memorial, SoHi boys take 2nd

The Soldotna girls wrestling team won the Lancer Smith Memorial on Friday… Continue reading

Most Read