The Juneau-Douglas High School baseball team celebrates its 10-6 win over Colony High School in the ASAA state baseball championships on Friday night at Mulcahy Stadium in Anchorage. (Courtesy Photo | Tami Wahto)

The Juneau-Douglas High School baseball team celebrates its 10-6 win over Colony High School in the ASAA state baseball championships on Friday night at Mulcahy Stadium in Anchorage. (Courtesy Photo | Tami Wahto)

JDHS baseball back in state championship game

Correction: An earlier version of this article stated the championship game is at 3 p.m. on Saturday. The game is at 4 p.m. on Saturday. The article has been updated to reflect the change.

The Juneau-Douglas High School baseball team is one step away from its first state championship since 2012.

The Crimson Bears defeated the Colony Knights 10-6 on Friday afternoon in the semifinals of the ASAA state baseball championships at Mulcahy Stadium in Anchorage.

ADVERTISEMENT
0 seconds of 0 secondsVolume 0%
Press shift question mark to access a list of keyboard shortcuts
00:00
00:00
00:00
 

Three JDHS seniors roped base hits within minutes of the game’s first pitch, and Luke Mallinger belted the first pitch he saw deep to left field. With two runners aboard, Mallinger made it around first base before it became clear the ball had left the park, allowing him to slow down and soak up his three-run home run.

The blast gave JDHS an early 4-0 lead.

“It was an inside pitch — I think it was actually the first pitch in the at-bat — and it just looked right and I swung,” Mallinger said. “I think the wind carried it a little bit, but yeah, kept on going and went out.”

It was the second lopsided win of the tournament for the Crimson Bears, who knocked off North Pole 16-4 in five innings on Thursday. JDHS will contend for the state crown on Saturday at 4 p.m. against South Anchorage, which defeated Ketchikan 5-2.

Senior Kasey Watts threw three hitless innings and struck out four batters in the win. He will be available to throw in Saturday’s game.

Colony senior Jeremy Allen gave up six runs on eight hits and struck out three in three innings.

The Knights were fewer than 24 hours removed from a 9-8 come-from-behind victory over the higher-seeded Chugiak in the first round.

Colony coach Jordan Chadwell said it’s tough to say whether the game took an emotional toll on the team.

“We didn’t start off as strong as I’m sure we would’ve liked, but that was also partly due to Juneau’s pitching,” Chadwell said. “They pitched really well.”

After Donavin McCurley’s leadoff double sparked a 4-0 rally in the first inning, he put more pressure on the Knights in the second inning, hitting an RBI single with one out. Allen then walked Michael Cesar and gave up another RBI single to Watts that made it 6-0.

After a scoreless third inning, Jacob Dale, Cesar, Watts and Mallinger tacked on four more runs in the fourth.

“This is a state tournament, so every team here had to win something to get here,” Mallinger said. “So four runs (in the first inning) isn’t going to do it. … All these teams are good, we just have to be better, and we have to keep going and we can’t coast on anything and just keep on putting up runs.”

The score stood at 10-2 over the following two and a half innings. A no-out single by freshman Cody McLaughlin initiated a four-run rally for the Knights in the bottom of the seventh. JDHS’ Brock McCormick got Kaden Ketchum to fly out to center field for the final out of the game.

Chadwell said he was proud his team didn’t give up.

“They don’t ever have any quit in them,” he said. “I’m always happy to see that; that’s why we were able to pull one out last night. It was just a little too late at this point with Juneau — Juneau played a real good game.”


• Contact sports reporter Nolin Ainsworth at 523-2272 or nainsworth@juneauempire.com. Follow Empire Sports on Twitter at @akempiresports.


Juneau-Douglas High School senior Kasey Watts pitches against Colony High School in the ASAA state baseball championships on Friday at Mulcahy Stadium in Anchorage. (Courtesy Photo | Tami Wahto)

Juneau-Douglas High School senior Kasey Watts pitches against Colony High School in the ASAA state baseball championships on Friday at Mulcahy Stadium in Anchorage. (Courtesy Photo | Tami Wahto)

More in Sports

Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé junior Gwen Nizich (11) shoots from past the arc over Ketchikan junior Kylie Brendible (32) during the Crimson Bears’ 52-23 win over the Lady Kings on Thursday in Juneau. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire)
JDHS girls greet conference rival Kayhi with win

Crimson Bears defeat Lady Kings 52-23 in home den

Viewed from a certain angle, a lake on Heintzleman ridge appears to be in a Valentine’s Day mood. (Klas Stolpe)
Pure Sole: A first love

An old, old, old, old, old (key word is old here), old… Continue reading

This painting, “Abandonment of the Whalers in The Arctic Ocean September 1871,” depicts the New England whaling ships trapped in pack ice off northern Alaska. Wainwright Inlet is in the background. (Photo courtesy Ted and Ellie Congdon, Huntington Library)
Alaska Science Forum: When the Civil War came to Alaska

About 150 years ago, a few days after summer solstice, the gray… Continue reading

The brands you wear don’t always say a lot about your political stance and moral compass. (Photo by Jeff Lund)
I Went to the Woods: Passive activism

I almost didn’t watch the Super Bowl because I was tired of… Continue reading

Thunder Mountain Middle School wrestler Matvii Kozodoi works a move against schoolmate Caleb Demmert during the inaugural Thunder Mountain Mayhem Team Duels Wrestling Tournament Feb. 1. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire)
Thunder Mountain to host first-ever regional middle school wrestling tournament starting Friday

More than 230 wrestlers from 11 communities expected at two-day event.

Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé senior Mary Johnson protects the ball from Wasilla junior Mielee Merchant (4) and senior Mylee Anderson (14) during a Crimson Bears loss to the Warriors last weekend in the George Houston Gymnasium. JDHS will host Ketchikan at 7 p.m. Thursday and Friday. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire)
JDHS girls to host Kayhi for final conference games

Crimson Bears invite Lady Kings to their den Thursday, Friday

Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé senior Ahmir Parker (2) guards Ketchikan senior Marcus Stockhausen (34) during their series early in the season at JDHS. Parker has been a "jack-of-all-trades" for the Crimson Bears this season. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire)
Crimson Bears boys taking on Kings at Ketchikan

JDHS playing final Southeast Conference games on the road.

The author in one of his favorite pastimes — sitting in the mountains. (Photo courtesy Becky Bohrer)
Pure Sole: My Mudrooms

A friend of mine from the Haa Yaitx’u Saiani’s Kin Support Program… Continue reading

Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé senior Nordic Ski Team member Ida Meyer competes at the Region VI Championships Friday in Fairbanks. Meyer placed seventh overall in the girls 7.5km Mass Start. The JDHS girls team placed second in the two-day regions, the boys third. JDHS senior Finn Lamb led the Crimson Bears boys with a sixth place finish in the 7.5km. (Photo courtesy JDHS Nordic Ski)
JDHS Crimson Bears take snow show on the road

Nordic Ski Team girls second, boys third at Region VI Championships.

Most Read