The Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé baseball team found steady bats to defeat cross-town rival Thunder Mountain 11-6 in the opening game of the Region V Tournament at Adair-Kennedy Field on Thursday.
The TMHS Falcons crossed the plate first with Kasen Ludeman singling in Kaden Quinto but JDHS matched that in the bottom half as Eli Crupi singled and worked his way to third, scoring on a fielding error.
In the top of the second inning JJ McCormick was hit by a pitch and doubled in by Quinto and two batters later Ludeman singled Quinto across for a 3-1 Falcons lead.
Again the Crimson Bears came back in the bottom half with Joe Aline and Brandon Casperson walking, Lamar Blatnick being hit by a pitch and Crupi singling to score Aline and Casperson. Blatnick would score on a passed ball for a 4-3 Crimson Bears lead.
JDHS added a run in the bottom of the fourth as Bodhi Nelson stole home for a 5-3 lead.
TMHS would close to one run in the top of the fifth as Anthony Anderson singled in Ludeman for a 5-4 deficit but JDHS would regain momentum.
JDHS added three runs in the fifth, including an RBI bunt by Finn Kesey, for an 8-4 advantage.
JDHS infielders look on as Crimson Bears center fielder Finn Kesey catches a line drive out from Thunder Mountain Falcons batter Owen Woodruff during JDHS’ 11-6 win over TMHS in the Region V Tournament, Thursday, at Adair Kennedy Field. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire).
TMHS added two runs in the top of the sixth on a Ludeman single scoring Quinto and a Rory Hayes double scoring Ludeman to close to 8-6 but the Crimson Bears earned three more runs in the bottom of the sixth, including a two RBI double by Kaleb Campbell, to stay in control of the game.
Leading the Crimson Bears were Crupi and Campbell with two hits and two RBI apiece, Blatnick and Casperson scored three runs apiece and Aline earned four walks at the plate.
Crupi started on the rubber for the Crimson Bears and went three innings, allowing four hits and three runs, walking two batters and striking out three. Marcus Underwood relieved for 2.1 innings, allowed two hits and two runs, walked three and struck out one, and Landon Simonson closed for 1.2 innings, allowed two hits and one run, walked one and struck out three.
Falcons hurler Liam Hart went four innings, allowed five hits and seven runs, walked seven and struck out six. Anderson, Hayden Aube and Madden Mendoza each had a turn on the bump in the loss.
Leading TMHS at the plate was Ludeman with three RBI, four hits and two runs scored. Quinto had three runs, one RBI and one hit.
JDHS advances to play at 6 p.m. Friday against No. 2 seed Sitka, an 8-5 winner over No. 3 seed Ketchikan.
TMHS plays an elimination game at 3 p.m. Friday against Ketchikan
