The Juneau-Douglas High School softball team lived by the bat and died by the bat in Ketchikan last weekend. The Crimson Bears (3-1) made a late rally to win Friday’s conference game against the Kings 12-11. On Saturday though, it was the Kings’ sixth inning 4-run rally that put them ahead for good. Ketchikan (2-2) won 17-16.
On Friday, Ketchikan’s batters brought JDHS’ Leah Spargo back down to earth.
A week after her stellar two-game pitching performance (12 strike outs, 10 scoreless innings), Ketchikan’s Taylor Moody hit a 3-run double in the sixth inning against Spargo. Three batters later, Moody scored on an error, capping a 6-run inning that could have (and should have) deflated JDHS. After beginning the sixth inning with a nice 8-5 advantage, the Crimson Bears found themselves down 11-8 heading into the seventh.
Luckily, no one told that to Sophia Schauwecker, Ally Ireland-Haight or Sami Good. The three strung three hits together — a double and two singles — that brought in three runs to tie the game at 11. The Kings’ trusted Taylor Moody to get one last out, but a wild pitch sent Ireland-Haight for home and the game-winning run.
Ketchikan jumped out to a 5-run lead on Saturday in the first inning against JDHS starting pitcher Mia Loree. Over the next four innings, the Crimson Bears climbed back into the game, tying the game in the top of the fifth inning at 13-all. JDHS briefly took the lead in the sixth, but the Kings responded with four runs to take a 17-16 lead heading into the last inning. Abby Meiners lead JDHS Saturday with three runs, five RBIs and two hits.
• Contact sports reporter Nolin Ainsworth at 523-2272 or nolin.ainsworth@juneauempire.com.
