Top seed Kodiak and No. 3 seed Palmer won twice Friday to advance to the championship game of the Southcentral Conference baseball tournament.
The tournament was originally scheduled for three days, but was condensed into two days after rain canceled all Thursday play.
In the first round, No. 2 Soldotna defeated No. 7 Homer 4-3, Palmer topped No. 6 Grace Christian 16-0 in three innings, Kodiak defeated No. 8 Redington 14-4 in six innings, and No. 4 Kenai defeated No. 5 Houston 11-1 in six innings.
In the semifinals, Palmer dealt Soldotna a 4-3 loss and Kodiak took down Kenai 11-3.
Both Palmer, the defending conference champ, and Kodiak earn berths to the Division II state tournament by reaching the final, which is at 1 p.m. today at Coral Seymour Memorial Park. The loser of the championship game gets second place — a change from the original three-day bracket.
The third-place bracket will determine who gets the Southcentral’s third berth to state, though there also are three at-large berths to state.
In third-place bracket games Friday, Homer topped Grace 18-6 in five innings and Houston beat Redington 22-9.
Today in the third-place bracket, Homer and Kenai play at 10 a.m. at Seymour Park, and Houston and Kenai play at 10 a.m. at the Kenai Little League fields. The winners play at 1 p.m. at Kenai Little League field for third place.
Palmer 4, Soldotna 3
The Moose took a 4-1 lead after four innings and were able to hold on for a spot in the title game.
Colby Sturman pitched the first four innings for the Stars and gave up four runs — two earned — on four hits while walking four and striking out five. Andrew Pieh pitched three scoreless and hitless innings of relief, striking out three.
SoHi had six hits in the game, with Pieh going 2 for 4 and Jayden Stuyvesant going 3 for 3.
Kodiak 11, Kenai 3
A seven-run second inning keyed Kodiak as the Bears earned a spot in the title game.
The Bears got to Charlie Chamberlain for seven runs on six hits in two innings. Jackson Marion gave up four runs — two earned — on four hits in four innings of relief.
Braden Smith went 2 for 3 for the Kards as Kenai was held to four hits.
Homer 18, Grace Christian 6
The Mariners had a big afternoon on offense to win in five innings and stay alive in the third-place bracket.
In the top of the fifth, Homer scored nine times to put the game away.
Camden Wise pitched four innings, giving up five runs — one earned — one four hits while walking one and striking out three. Henry Wedvick gave up an unearned run in an inning of relief.
At the plate for Homer, Mylan Johnson scored three runs, Clyde Clemons scored three runs, CJ Burns had three runs and two RBIs, Wedvick had two runs, Garrett Briscoe had two runs and two RBIs, Oak Anderson had two runs, Preston Stanislaw had two RBIs, and Wise had two runs.
Soldotna 4, Homer 3
Colby Sturman scored on a wild pitch in the bottom of the seventh inning to give the Stars a win in the first round.
Homer took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first and led all the way until SoHi tied it at 3 in the bottom of the fourth. Sturman would be the next batter to score.
Brendon Theel went four innings for the Stars, giving up three runs — one earned — on three hits while walking three and striking out five. Easton Hawkins pitched two scoreless and hitless innings, walking two and striking out one. Trenton Ohnemus pitched a perfect final inning for the win.
Camden Wise worked the first four innings for Homer, giving up three runs — one earned — on three hits while walking one and striking out three. Henry Wedvick worked two scoreless innings. Clyde Clemons got one out in the seventh and let the winning run get on base. Mylan Johnson was pitching when the winning run scored.
Johnson scored a pair of runs for Homer.
Kenai 11, Houston 1
The Kards enacted the 10-run rule with a score in the sixth inning to win in the first round.
Kenai scored three in the bottom of the first inning and led 4-0 entering the fourth, when Houston got its only run of the game. The Kardinals then had six runs in the bottom of the fifth.
Gabe Joanis went the distance on the hill for Kenai, giving up a run on three hits while walking six and striking out eight.
At the plate for Kenai, Owen Whicker was 2 for 5 with two runs and two RBIs, Daniel Steffensen was 3 for 5 with two RBIs, Charlie Chamberlain had two RBIs, Zane Pellegrom had two runs and two RBIs, and Everett Chamberlain had two runs.
