Kenai, Soldotna to play for Division II baseball title at Seymour Park

Editor’s note: This story has been updated with new game information due to weather.

The Soldotna and Kenai Central baseball teams will play for the Division II state title Saturday at Coral Seymour Memorial Park in Kenai.

While it is a dream matchup for local baseball fans, the weather seems intent on dampening the occasion.

The Stars and Kardinals will play at 4 p.m. at Seymour Park if weather permits. The third-place game between North Pole and Monroe Catholic, and the fourth-place game between Kodiak and Homer have been canceled.

“I saw some fans putting up tents,” Kenai Central head coach Christian Stephanos said. “I hope they bring it tomorrow, because they’re going to need it.”

Both squads come into the title game hot.

Soldotna beat Monroe 7-3 on Friday to win for a 14th straight time. The Stars have won three straight Division II titles and have an 11-game winning streak at the tournament.

The only Division II team to beat SoHi this year is the Kardinals, who are 16-4 and have won 11 of their last 12. Kenai is 1-1 against Soldotna.

The Stars defeated Kenai 14-3 in the 2023 state title game.

Soldotna 7, Monroe 3

Clutch pitching by Colby Sturman and Matthew Schilling stranded 14 runners in seven innings of play.

“Three runs is three runs,” Soldotna head coach Ken Gibson said. “That’s not a bad game at the end.”

Sturman got the start and went 4 2-3 innings, giving up two runs on four hits while walking seven and striking out nine. With bases loaded in the second inning and two outs, Sturman was able to record a strikeout.

“Colby struggled with his pitching tonight, but he stayed in there in a lot of tough situations and only gave up two runs,” Gibson said. “He did what he needed to do.”

Schilling came on in the fifth inning and issued a walk to load the bases with two outs, but then he also recorded a strikeout. The Patriots also loaded the bases in the seventh inning with two outs, and again Schilling was able to sit the batter down on strikes.

Schilling gave up an unearned run on no hits in 2 1-3 innings, walking four and striking out three.

“Matt’s been clutch this year,” Gibson said. “He had a little stretch there where he was just dealing with some back strain and things like that.

“He’s coming back from that now, so it was nice to have him.”

Schilling also led a solid one-error defensive effort by Soldotna by bolting into the gap in the fourth inning to rob extra bases from Blake Moore.

Nathan Priebe was solid on the mound, but let down in spots by errors. He went five innings, giving up seven runs — three earned — on five hits while walking seven and striking out seven.

Adam Geyer closed with a scoreless inning.

Soldotna continued to get production up and down the lineup. No. 3 hitter Brett Hostetler, No. 8 hitter Ari Miller and No. 9 hitter Tucker Blough all had a hit, walk, run and RBI.

Gibson said anyone can get the big hit for Soldotna right now, even the No. 9 hitter.

“He’s actually, between regions and this tournament, been one of our better hitters,” Gibson said of Blough. “Not necessarily during the regular season.”

Moore had two RBIs for the Rams, while Charlie Menard had two hits.

Gibson said his pitching is lined up for the title game, with Trenton Ohnemus, the winning pitcher in the last two state title games, ready to get the start.

Kenai 13, North Pole 1

It would have been enough if Everett Chamberlain pitched a complete-game victory to get the Kardinals’ pitching staff unscathed into the championship game, with top-two pitchers Braden Smith and Jacob Joanis available to throw.

Chamberlain threw in a 4-for-4, three-RBI performance in addition to throwing five innings of one-run ball. Chamberlain gave up an unearned run on six hits while walking two and striking out four.

“That was the game plan all along,” Stephanos said. “We had contingencies in case it didn’t go according to plan, but he pitched a heck of a game.”

North Pole, which had defeated Kenai in the semis last season, scored 31 runs Thursday, while Kenai Central scored 18. This one had the potential to ruin both of the pitching staffs headed into the championship game with Soldotna.

The Kardinals got the jump by scoring 10 times in the second inning.

“They’re seeing the ball well, they’re hitting the ball well, and I’m proud of my guys,” Stephanos said.

Chamberlain was not overpowering, but Kenai’s defense committed just one error behind him. Daniel Steffensen tracked down a long fly ball to the gap in the second inning, and shortstop Braden Smith got Kenai out of a one-out, bases-loaded jam in the fifth by fielding the ball, stepping on second, and throwing to a scooping Brandon Blake at first.

“Our defense came to play today and we did everything we’ve been practicing,” Stephanos said. “They had his back on the mound.”

Logan Mese was 2 for 3 with two runs for Kenai, while Blake had three RBIs, Braden Brigham had two RBIs, Avery Martin was 2 for 3 with two runs and Jacob Joanis scored two runs.

North Pole’s defense made starter Stephen Langer get extra outs, and Kenai once again showed that’s not a good idea. Langer gave up 10 runs on six hits in 1 2-3 innings, but only two of the runs were earned.

Pavel Kostov yielded three runs — two earned — on five hits in 3 1-3 innings.

Quinn Kraus was 2 for 2 for North Pole.

Homer 5, Palmer 2

The Mariners moved to 13-10 and into the fourth-place game behind a sparkling performance from Henry Wedvik.

Wedvik went all seven innings, giving up two runs — one earned — on six hits while walking two and striking out nine.

Weston Marley was 2 for 3 for Homer, which responded to the Moose cutting the gap to 3-2 in the top of the sixth by scoring two runs in the bottom of the inning.

Reed Craner allowed three runs — one earned — on four hits in five innings for Palmer, while Colton Drummond allowed two runs — one earned — on a hit in an inning.

Kodiak 10, Houston 3

The Bears moved to the fourth-place game by taking a 4-1 lead in the second inning and never looking back.

Jonah Arndt had three runs for Kodiak, while Devin Sharratt scored twice, Gavin Peterson had three RBIs, Zeke Saltonstall scored twice and Ejler Durand had two hits.

Jeremy Mahle gave up a run on four hits in 4 1-3 innings for the victory.

Aidan McDonnell and Ethan Spencer had two hits apiece for the Hawks.