The Skyview softball team won its season opener for the first time in school history — in the final year in school history.
Having gone 0-1 to start a season every year in its existence, Skyview topped Eagle River 15-11 in six innings Friday evening at Bartlett High School.
The game had to go to an extra inning after five innings weren’t enough to decide a winner and the time limit was hit. In the “overtime” inning, each team started with a runner on second base, and played from there until three outs were called.
Skyview scored five runs in the top of the tiebreaker sixth inning to stake out a 15-10 lead, before Eagle River got a shot in the bottom of the sixth.
Skyview coach Steve Schoessler said he put Lynn Hesse out on second, and she proceeded to steal third. Cat Schoessler followed that up with a walk, Victoria Oberts walked, and Aubrey Rodriguez gave Skyview the lead with a two-RBI single. Rodriguez ended the day with four runs and three RBI.
“They’re a team that’s very similar to us,” Schoessler said. “It was a close game throughout, we had an early lead, and they came back, and it went back and forth.”
Senior Sam Reynolds got the win on the mound, pitching four strikeouts and remarkably no walks.
Chugiak 10, Skyview 0
Skyview ended up splitting their doubleheader on Friday with a shutout loss to Chugiak.
Reynolds received the loss on the mound in that game, giving up two walks and getting two strikeouts.
The Mustangs led 6-0 for much of the contest, but Schoessler said Chugiak scored four more runs in the bottom of the fifth inning.
“The pitches were a little faster,” Schoessler said. “I think we had a little trouble adjusting.”
Skyview managed three hits, from Reynolds, Oberts and Cat Schoessler, who also threw out two Chugiak runners attempting to steal bases.
The Panthers will finish their weekend Saturday with games against Bartlett and East.
Bartlett 5, Skyview 4
On Saturday, the Panthers started with a close loss to the Golden Bears in a game that once again went to extra innings.
Skyview was up 2-1 heading into the fifth inning, but Bartlett scored two runs to take the lead, and Skyview answered with a tying run.
Coach Schoessler put his daughter, Cat Schoessler, on second base to start the overtime innings, but Skyview could not advance her to home plate. Schoessler ended the day batting 3 for 4, while teammate Lynn Hesse also hit 3 for 4, including a double and a triple.
Senior Sam Reynolds pitched the whole game for Skyview, striking out 10 and giving up one walk and two runs.
East 9, Skyview 1
In the second game on Saturday, the Panthers had a tough go against the reigning large-school champions East T-Birds.
Skyview actually took a brief 1-0 lead in the first inning when Lynn Hesse stole home on a Schoessler hit, but East answered with a run in each of the first three innings. The T-Birds then scored six runs in the fifth to ice the game.
Victoria Oberts and Mikaela Rybek each provided Skyview’s only two hits.
Joanne Glaves pitched the first three innings, giving up two hits. Reynolds finished the game out with three hits and one strikeout in two innings of play.
Homer drops a pair of doubleheaders
The Homer softball team dropped a season-opening doubleheader Friday, losing 11-2 to Chugiak and 10-1 to East.
Starting pitcher McKi Needham endured a tough three innings against Chugiak on the mound, giving up 16 hits and eight earned runs, while only striking out one. However, Needham made up for it with a 2-for-3 batting performance while scoring a run.
Overall, Chugiak recorded 20 hits while Homer had four. Larsen Fellows and Lauren Kuhns added the other two hits for Homer, along with Needham.
Needham scored on a ground ball double by Jordyn Haye in the top of the second inning to tie it up at one apiece.
However, the Mustangs scored six runs in the bottom of the inning to take a 7-1 lead into the third, and never looked back.
In the later game against East, the T-Birds scored three runs in the third inning and five in the fourth to put the match out of reach.
Maggie LaRue and Dakota Tennison provided the Mariners’ only two hits of the game. Tennison hit a double and LaRue a triple.Tennison’s double allowed Needham to score Homer’s only run in the top of the fourth inning.
McKi Needham started on the mound and went 2-1/3 innings, giving up 11 hits and nine runs (three earned). Pam Jantzi took over in the third inning and ended the game with no hits and two strikeouts.
On Saturday, the Mariners continued the weekend struggle with losses to West and South Anchorage. West beat Homer 16-3 Saturday morning, followed by a 10-2 loss to South in the afternoon.
In both games, the second inning proved to be the magic inning for Homer, as the Mariners scored all their runs in that frame.
Against West, Needham lead the Mariners with a double that scored Maggie LaRue.
Needham also hit a double against South, but that was the only hit she managed in that game. LaRue hit 2 for 3 and Pam Jantzi hit 2 for 2 with a RBI.
