Softball
Thursday, May 1
Soldotna 16, Houston 3
Soldotna opened Northern Lights Conference play with a convincing 16-3 road win over Houston. Tatum Cooper threw four strong innings, allowing three runs and collecting the win. At the plate, SoHi racked up extra-base hits, including a double and triple from Bella Gares, a triple from Alyssa McDonald, and two doubles by Cooper. Riley Whitehead and Joscelynn Carson also contributed with doubles.
Kenai 16-6, 35-18 Redington
Kenai swept its doubleheader in explosive fashion. In the opener, tied 4-4 after three innings, Kenai exploded for 12 runs over the final two frames. Kayani Whicker went 3-for-5 with two runs, and both Kailey Stynsberg and Avery Ellis posted multi-RBI games.
In Game 2, Kenai scored 14 in the first, fell behind 16-15 by the third, then roared back with a 20-run finish. The Kardinals drew 30 walks, and Kennah Gregory led the way going 4-for-5 with six runs and three RBIs. EmmaLee Elordi and multiple others scored at least two runs.
Homer drops both to Palmer
Though not a central team, Homer’s games are noted as opponents. They fell 25-2 and 17-15 to Palmer. In Game 2, the Mariners showed more life, with Jessica Plumlee scoring three times and Stella Condon driving in three.
Friday, May 2
Soldotna 14-2, 20-5 Redington
SoHi stayed unbeaten in league play. Isabelle Cruz struck out 10 and allowed just two hits in Game 1, while Cooper and Cruz each had three hits. In Game 2, Cooper went 4-for-4 with six RBIs and was one of several Stars to score multiple times.
Kenai 23, Houston 11
Kenai exploded for 23 runs in a non-league game. The Kardinals scored 11 in the second and nine in the third. Blakeley Jorgensen went 4-for-4 with two RBIs, and Avia Miller added three RBIs. Lola McEwen threw five innings for the win.
SoHi splits in Anchorage
Soldotna outlasted Dimond 9-8 before falling to West 11-6. Cruz pitched a complete game in the opener and added four RBIs. McDonald and Cooper were offensive standouts. Against West, the Stars couldn’t recover from allowing seven first-inning runs.
Monday, May 5
Soldotna 17, Homer 5
Soldotna continued its unbeaten NLC run with a shortened win over Homer. Tatum Cooper tossed four innings and hit well, while Juliet Innes smashed a towering two-run homer — her first out-of-the-park blast. Kathryn DeBardelaben and Lilly Dawley each tallied three RBIs.
Northern Lights Softball Standings
| School | Conf W | Conf L | Conf WP | Overall W | Overall L | Overall WP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Soldotna | 4 | 0 | 1.000 | 8 | 3 | 0.727 |
| Kenai Central | 2 | 0 | 1.000 | 6 | 5 | 0.545 |
| Palmer | 2 | 1 | 0.667 | 2 | 1 | 0.667 |
| Houston | 1 | 1 | 0.500 | 1 | 3 | 0.250 |
| Kodiak | 0 | 0 | 0.000 | 0 | 0 | 0.000 |
| Redington | 1 | 5 | 0.167 | 1 | 5 | 0.167 |
| Homer | 1 | 4 | 0.200 | 3 | 8 | 0.273 |