Tuesday, May 22nd
Soldotna 15, Homer 1 (4 innings)
The Stars opened the final week of the regular season with a convincing win over Homer on the road. Soldotna exploded for eight runs in the first inning and never looked back, improving to 8-1 in Northern Lights Conference play and 17-6-1 overall. Isabelle Cruz pitched 4 2/3 innings, allowing one unearned run on one hit while striking out six. Tatum Cooper closed the game with one out recorded.
Alyssa McDonald led the offense by going 4-for-4 with three runs and three RBIs, while Kacey Cunningham went 2-for-3 with three runs and two RBIs. Izzy Jones, Isabella Gares, Cooper and Cruz all contributed multiple runs or RBIs. Homer’s lone hit came from Keagan Niebuhr, who also pitched the complete game, giving up 15 runs—12 earned—on 14 hits.
Kenai 12, Houston 4 (5 innings)
Kenai kicked off its final home stand with a 12-4 win over Houston in five innings at Steve Shearer Memorial Ball Park. Blakeley Jorgensen tossed all five innings, allowing four runs—three earned—on three hits while striking out nine.
Avery Ellis powered the offense with a triple and a double, finishing 2-for-3 with three runs and an RBI. Kailey Stynsberg was 2-for-4 with two runs and four RBIs, and Isabel Thomas scored three times for the Kards, who moved to 7-2 in NLC play with the win.
Friday, May 23rd
Soldotna 17, Houston 2 (3 innings)
Tatum Cooper stole the show with three home runs and seven RBIs as Soldotna thumped Houston in a three-inning blowout at home. The Stars improved to 9-1 in the conference and 18-6-1 overall. Cooper was a perfect 4-for-4 at the plate and pitched the full three innings, allowing two unearned runs on one hit and striking out five.
Alyssa McDonald also went deep and scored three runs, while Cunningham, Blough, Jones, and Wells all contributed to the 17-run outburst.
Kenai 11, Palmer 5 (7 innings); Kenai 14, Palmer 2 (4 innings)
Kenai swept Palmer in a senior night doubleheader, moving to 8-2 in the NLC and 15-11 overall. In Game 1, Lola McEwen went the distance, giving up five runs—just two earned—on eight hits. Kenai pounded out 13 hits and limited defensive mistakes to just four errors.
Stynsberg was 4-for-5 with three runs and an RBI. Crapps, Thomas, Ellis, Tomrdle and Miller also provided key contributions at the plate.
In Game 2, Ellis pitched four innings of two-run ball, striking out four. Jorgensen had a big game, going 2-for-2 with two runs and three RBIs. Crapps added three runs, while Stynsberg, Miller, and Elordi each contributed offensively.
Saturday, May 24th
Soldotna 16, Palmer 0 (3 innings); Soldotna 23, Palmer 1 (3 innings)
Soldotna closed the regular season in dominant fashion, sweeping Palmer at home. In Game 1, Isabelle Cruz tossed a three-inning shutout, striking out four and not allowing a walk. The senior also surpassed 200 career strikeouts in the win. Offensively, Cruz, Cooper, Gares, Cunningham, McDonald and Blough led the Stars’ 16-run effort.
In Game 2, Cooper pitched all three innings and went 5-for-5 with a homer, four runs, and four RBIs. Cruz added four RBIs, Dawley had two hits and two runs, and nearly every SoHi starter crossed the plate.
The Stars finish the regular season at 11-1 in the NLC and 20-6-1 overall.
Kodiak 11, Kenai 2 (5 innings); Kodiak 11, Kenai 0 (5 innings)
Kenai ran into a hot Kodiak team at home, dropping both games of the regular season finale. In Game 1, Lola McEwen gave up 11 runs—seven earned—on eight hits while striking out seven. The Kards scored on hits from Ellis, Tomrdle and Thomas.
Game 2 saw Jorgensen allow 11 runs over four innings, though only two were earned. Kodiak used seven hits and six walks to keep pressure on. Stynsberg, Tomrdle and Gregory had the only hits for Kenai, which fell to 8-4 in the conference and 15-13 overall.
