The Crimson Bears didn’t need a full game to put Ketchikan away in the Region V championship title game played in Sitka. They only needed six innings.
Juneau-Douglas High School captured the title, 11-1, after triggering the 10-run mercy rule with a two-run sixth inning. Heading into that inning up 9-1, a Donavin McCurley ground ball forced a Kayhi error and scored two, putting the game away.
JDHS coach Chad Bentz said by phone Saturday that every team in the tournament could have won it. Intense, game-like practices helped the Crimson Bears stick to their plans when the lights went on.
“We really put a lot of emphasis on having quality practice and game intensity reps for practice for this tournament. We came together as a team, took advantage of all our opponents mistakes and made very few of our own,” Bentz said.
The Crimson Bears’ Jacob Dale was credited with the win on six innings pitched for five hits and 58 strikes on 96 pitches. Dale also led the team in RBI with four, including a base-clearing double with the bases loaded in the bottom of the second inning.
“Talk about helping yourself out as a pitcher,” Bentz said.
Three Juneau-Douglas High School players and two Thunder Mountain High School players made the all-tournament team. JDHS players Kasey Watts, Luke Mallinger and Michael Cesar and TMHS players Bobby Cox and Owen Mendoza were selected.
Ketchikan’s Tug Olson allowed eight hits in three innings pitched and was replaced by Liam Kiffer, who allowed one hit, McCurley’s game-winner.
A five-run second inning and four-run third put the game out of reach.
JDHS will travel to Anchorage this week to compete in the Alaska School Activities Association baseball state championships.
Juneau-Douglas High School celebrates. (James Poulson | Sitka Sentinel)
Juneau-Douglas’s Luke Mallinger slides home past Ketchikan’s Justin Albeker Saturday at Moller Field in Sitka. (James Poulson | Sitka Sentinel)
