Soldotna 23, North Pole 0
The Soldotna Stars Division II state baseball champions for the third straight year. On a rainy Saturday, the Stars dismantled the North Pole Patriots in one of state history’s most lopsided championship baseball games. The game was
North Pole came into the game short on pitchers since their staff ace, Simeon Langer, was unavailable after pitching against the Kenai Kardinals in a semifinal game on Friday. So, the game was going to be an uphill climb for the Patriots against a vaunted Soldotna hitting lineup, not to mention that the Stars top of the rotation pitcher, Trenton Ohnemus, would be on the mound.
Soldotna showed plate discipline right away, taking four straight walks in the bottom of the fourth to bring in the game’s first run. A bases-clearing triple by SoHi senior Levi Mickelson put the Stars on top 4-0, and the team never looked back.
The Patriots struggled to find the strike zone all game, walking or hitting 19 Soldotna batters in four innings. In the few opportunities the Stars did get to put the ball in play, they did not fail to deliver. Wyatt Gagnon notched his fourth home run of the season on an inside-the-parker, assisted by an error on a throw to third base. Mickelson drove the aforementioned triple all the way to the right-center fence, and Tucker Blough finished 2-3 with a pair of singles.
There was a scary moment in the third inning when Simeon Langer, who was in left field during the championship, tracked a Derrick Jones fly ball to deep left field and made a sensational over-the-shoulder catch but immediately ran hard into the fence. Langer was down and attended by coaching staff for several minutes before needing help to come off the field. Fortunately, he was well enough to come out after the game, under his own power, to be recognized as a senior.
After the game, Stars head coach Ken Gibson said that most of his team will continue playing baseball through the summer with the American Legion Post 20 Twins. He added that SoHi baseball will return next season with a very senior-heavy team led by pitchers Ohnemus and Colby Sturman.
In the Championship, Ohnemus earned the win, finishing an MVP-caliber season highlighted by a 5-1 record, 58 strikeouts, and a no-hitter.
Kenai 12, Palmer 4
After a heartbreaking loss to the North Pole Patriots on Friday in the DII state baseball tournament, the Kenai Kardinals returned to their winning ways with a convincing third-place win over the Palmer Moose.
Zane Pellegrom exploded with three hits in the consolation game, finishing 3-4 with a triple, two singles, and a run scored. Gabe Smith finished off his senior season with an exclamation point, going 3-3 with two singles, a triple, two runs scored, and three RBIs. After missing his entire junior season with an injury, Smith had one of the best seasons at the plate of any hitter in Alaska. In the state tournament alone, he batted .667 (6-9) with 8 RBIs and 3 runs scored.
Kenai catcher Kalani Beddow, who returned to the hitting lineup for state, turned in a 2-3 afternoon in the game against Palmer, scoring twice and driving in three runs.
On the mound, Braden Smith earned the win. Smith allowed four runs in five innings of work. He also struck out two and walked two.
The Kardinals will return most of their lineup next season and should once again pose the greatest threat to the Soldotna Stars, who will seek a fourth straight state title.
