In Friday play at the Northern Lights Conference softball tournament in Homer, top-seeded Kodiak clinched a spot in the championship and clinched a Division II state berth, while No. 3 Kenai and No. 5 Homer will battle it out for the other state berth and championship slot today.
Kodiak, which was undefeated in league play in the regular season, stayed undefeated at the tournament by topping Kenai 10-0 in five innings.
In the playback bracket, Homer ended the season of No. 6 Houston with an 18-3 victory in three innings, and No. 4 Soldotna knocked off No. 2 Palmer 14-1 in four innings. Homer then kept advancing in the playback bracket with a 16-4 victory in six innings that ended SoHi’s season.
Today at 10 a.m., Kenai and Homer face off for a state berth and a spot in the championship. The championship is slated for 12:30 p.m. Since it is a double-elimination tournament, Kodiak gets another shot to win the tournament at 3 p.m. if it loses at 12:30 p.m.
Kodiak 10, Kenai 0
The Bears got to the championship game with the victory in five innings.
Zoey Riley and Avery Ellis each had a hit for Kenai.
Homer 16, Soldotna 4
The Mariners split with the Stars in the regular season, but toppled SoHi for the second time in the tournament.
Soldotna did not score for the first four innings, and by that time Homer led 6-0. The Mariners then scored three times in the fifth and seven times in the sixth.
Becca Trowbridge worked all six innings for Homer, giving up four runs on seven hits while walking five and striking out seven. SoHi’s Kiara “KiKi” Forkner gave up 11 runs — six earned. Isabelle Cruz gave up five runs in 1 1-3 innings.
Ariana Davis had two runs for Homer, while Julie Guess was 2 for 3 with three runs, Alaiyah Brost was 2 for 4 with three RBIs, Emily Owens was 2 for 3 with three runs and two RBIs, Katelyn Cowdrey was 2 for 3 with two runs and two RBIs, and Layla Triem was 2 for 2 with two runs and four RBIs.
Alyssa McDonald had two RBIs for the Stars, while Makynzi Deborski was 2 for 2 with two runs and Bailey Conner was 2 for 2.
Homer 18, Houston 3
The Mariners ended the season of the Hawks with the victory in three innings.
Homer took an 11-0 lead after the first inning to take control of the game.
Ariana Davis pitched the first 2 1-3 innings, giving up an unearned run on a hit while walking one and striking out four. Emily Owens got the last two outs, giving up two runs while walking one.
At the plate for Homer, Davis had three runs, Julie Guess was 2 for 4 with four runs and two RBIs, Becca Trowbridge was 2 for 2 with two runs and two RBIs, Alaiyah Brost had three RBIs, Keagan Niebuhr was 2 for 3 with three RBIs, Charlotte Fraley was 2 for 3 with two runs and two RBIs, and Layla Triem had two runs.
Soldotna 14, Palmer 1
The Stars ended the season of the Moose with the victory in four innings. SoHi had lost to the Moose twice in the regular season.
SoHi took an 11-0 lead after two innings in dominating the game.
Isabelle Cruz limited Palmer from the mound, going all four innings and giving up a run on six hits while walking four and striking out one.
At the plate for Sohi, Kadee Adams had two RBIs, Alyssa McDonald was 2 for 3 with two runs and three RBIs, Brook Fischer was 2 for 4 with two runs, Londyn Deborski was 2 for 3 with four RBIs, Makynzi Deborski was 2 for 2 with two runs, Cruz was 2 for 3 with two runs and two RBIs, and Bailey Conner had two runs.
