Only one team stood between the Gastineau Channel Little League Major Softball All-Stars and the Alaska District 2 championship. Now, only one team stands between the GCLL squad and the Alaska state championship.
The Juneau team won three straight games against Ketchikan beginning on Thursday and wrapping up on Saturday at Melvin Park to win the regional tournament.
Juneau begins the Alaska Majors Softball Championships in Anchorage on Thursday. The District 1 winner and challenger from Anchorage has not been determined yet. It will be either Abbott-O-Rabbit, Nunaka Valley or Dimond West Little League.
Juneau’s Tahila Kuma dominated batters in Thursday’s 11-1 win over Ketchikan. Kuma, exceptionally tall and strong for her age, allowed just one hit while striking out 11 as pitcher.
On Friday, Juneau’s Kiah Yadao racked up five RBIs to lead the home team past Ketchikan 14-5. Juneau scored six runs in the third inning and five in the sixth.
To clinch the tournament on Saturday, Juneau strung together a seven-run rally in the fifth inning to end the game an inning early. The home team took that game 17-7.
According to head coach Nicole Adair, many all-stars practice in the winter months with the Midnight Suns Softball club.
“These girls are more than just teammates, they’re family, and you see it, they pick each other up,” Adair said. “We don’t have to go out and do a lot of settling down, because they do it for each other … so they really are like a family unit.”
The state tournament begins on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. at the Abbott-O-Rabbit Fields in South Anchorage.
“I feel really confident that we’re going to go to Anchorage and big things are going to happen,” she said.
Little League Majors Softball State Tournament (Best-of-five series) Abbott-O-Rabbit Fields
Thursday, July 13
Gastineau Channel Little League vs. Abbott-O-Rabbit/Nunaka Valley/Dimond West
Friday, July 14
GCLL vs. Abbott-O-Rabbit/Nunaka Valley/Dimond West
Saturday, July 15
GCLL vs. Abbott-O-Rabbit/Nunaka Valley/Dimond West
Sunday, July 16
GCLL vs. Abbott-O-Rabbit/Nunaka Valley/Dimond West (if necessary)
Monday, July 17
GCLL vs. Abbott-O-Rabbit/Nunaka Valley/Dimond West (if necessary)
• Contact sports reporter Nolin Ainsworth at 523-2272 or nolin.ainsworth@juneauempire.com.
