The Soldotna baseball team got off to a rough start Wednesday at the Buddy Dale Invitational in Wasilla with an 8-3 loss to South Anchorage.

The Stars plated two runs in the first inning, but the Wolverines answered immediately with five runs in the bottom half of the frame to take a lead they wouldn’t give up. SoHi got one back in the top of the fourth with a run to make it 5-3, but South took it back in the bottom of the inning, then tacked on one run each in the fifth and sixth.

Senior starter Jeremy Kupferschmid endured a rough outing on the mound, giving up six runs in four innings on four hits and six walks. Kupferschmid struck out one. Davey Belger finished the game and gave up two (unearned) runs, both on walks. Belger didn’t allow a hit in 1 2/3 frames.

SoHi was tasked in figuring out South’s Terren Sugita, who gave up three runs (two earned) in four innings. SoHi got two hits and six walks out of Sugita, but struck out seven times against the Wolverine’s ace.

Kupferschmid helped his case with a base hit and RBI, while Jacob Boze recorded SoHi’s only other hit and RBI of the day. Kupferschmid went 1 for 3 with a run, while David Michael was 0 for 2 with two walks and a run scored. Seth Payment drew three walks and scored once for SoHi.

Overall, South outhit the Stars 4 to 2, and SoHi left 11 men on base compared to just three for South.

Soldotna continues play at the tournament with a 1:30 p.m. game Thursday against Palmer.

Homer 17, Kenai 2

The Mariners routed the Kardinals in five innings Wednesday night in nonconference play. The two teams are Southcentral Conference opponents but the second contest played later in the season will be the one that counts in the official standings for region seeding.

Homer officially began its season 1-0 while Kenai dropped to 0-2 this year.

The Mariners scored five times in the first inning en route to a 15-0 lead after three innings, which officially put Homer down in the book as the winning team due to a mercy rule, but both sides continued on to five frames.

Homer coach Rich Sonnen said he made sure to get his pitching staff some experience by pitching four players, starting with Mose Hayes for the first two innings.

Hayes whiffed five Kardinals and gave up just one hit in two scoreless frames, while Austin Ceccarelli pitched one hitless frame and notched two strikeouts. Harrison Metz whiffed two but gave up a run in the fourth inning with one hit and one walk, and Seth Adkins came on for the fifth, giving up a run on one hit with a strikeout.

On offense, Homer’s Hayes went 2 for 3 with a triple, Metz also went 2 for 3, Adkins notched a double, Ceccarelli was 2 for 4 and Coda Wood belted a triple.

Kenai scored its runs on an RBI single by Major Reis and a Homer error that scored Ben Spinka, who had reached on a walk. Kenai’s only two base hits on the night came from Reis and Andrew Carver.

Parker Mattox started on the mound for the Kardinals and Caleb Smith finished the game in relief.