Thunder Mountain’s Rachel McCaulay makes a leap for first base as Juneau-Douglas’ Leah Spargo makes the catch for the out at Melvin Park on Friday, May 5, 2017. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)

Thunder Mountain’s Rachel McCaulay makes a leap for first base as Juneau-Douglas’ Leah Spargo makes the catch for the out at Melvin Park on Friday, May 5, 2017. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)

Fenumiai tames Crimson Bears in Falcons’ softball win

As the game hung in the balance, Thunder Mountain High School’s Nina Fenumiai didn’t flinch.

With the bases loaded in the bottom of the fifth inning Friday night against Juneau-Douglas High School, the sophomore hurler came back from a 2-0 count to strike out Elisa Fabrello and keep the score tied at six-all.

“I learned from my older sister Taylor Beardslee that when you’re struggling to just calm down, take a … few seconds, and breathe,” Fenumiai said. “And that’s what I did.”

Aside from a shaky fifth inning, Fenumiai followed TMHS coach Brittany Gladsjo’s orders when she subbed her for Kyra Jenkins Hayes.

“She told me to go get them, and just attack,” Fenumiai said.

In a little over four innings of work, the right-hander struck out four and didn’t allow a single hit as the Falcons won 8-6 over the Crimson Bears in a conference game at Melvin Park.

Leah Spargo pitched three and 1/3 innings in relief, allowing just one hit while striking out three.

After the Falcons jumped on JDHS’ Mia Loree with three runs in the first inning, the Crimson Bears repaid the favor. Junior Abby Meiners singled on her first trip to the plate, beginning a three-run rally that tied the game going into the second inning.

“We were all playing together really well as a team and we were all just super hyped up,” Meiners said.

After Spargo replaced Loree in the fourth inning with her team leading 4-3, Falcons’ Hayleigh DeCarlo singled to right field and quickly stole second base. Spargo walked Maxi Saceda Hurt before getting on track with back-t0-back strike outs.

Jenkins Hayes hit a grounder to Sami Good, who couldn’t prevent DeCarlo from scoring. Good fumbled a routine grounder, but redeemed herself as Saceda Hurt, a little too eager to score the go-ahead run, got caught in between third base and home plate. She was tagged by Skylar Hickok at home and the score would remain at 5-5.

After a scoreless fifth inning, Saceda Hurt doubled to right-center field to score the Rachel Macaulay in the sixth.

TMHS would add one more run in the seventh while Fenumiai made quick work of the Crimson Bears in the final two innings.

“They are all really good hitters, so if you pitch it straight down the middle, they’ll hit it,” Fenumiai said, “but if you hit the corners, it will be a lot harder for them.”

Still, Meiners was happy with JDHS’ resiliency even in the last innings.

“We played a full seven innings really well. … Sometimes we would give up in previous years, but I think this year that is one of our biggest strength — we keep going and push through the full seven innings. Even in Sitka, we played through nine,” she said.

 


 

• Contact sports reporter Nolin Ainsworth at 523-2272 or nolin.ainsworth@juneauempire.com.

 


 

Field referee Everett Boster calls Juneau-Douglas’ Alyxn Bohulano safe at second under the tag by Thunder Mountain’s Maxie Saceda-Hurt in the first inning at Melvin Park on Friday, May 5, 2017. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)

Field referee Everett Boster calls Juneau-Douglas’ Alyxn Bohulano safe at second under the tag by Thunder Mountain’s Maxie Saceda-Hurt in the first inning at Melvin Park on Friday, May 5, 2017. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)

Thunder Mountain’s Peyton Harp get safely by the tag of Juneau-Douglas’ Sami Good in the second inning at Melvin Park on Friday, May 5, 2017. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)

Thunder Mountain’s Peyton Harp get safely by the tag of Juneau-Douglas’ Sami Good in the second inning at Melvin Park on Friday, May 5, 2017. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)

Juneau-Douglas’ left fielder Ally Ireland-Haight catches a fly ball in the second inning by Thunder Mountain at Melvin Park on Friday, May 5, 2017. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)

Juneau-Douglas’ left fielder Ally Ireland-Haight catches a fly ball in the second inning by Thunder Mountain at Melvin Park on Friday, May 5, 2017. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)

More in Sports

Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé Nordic Ski Team and community cross-country skiers start the Shaky Shakeout Invitational six-kilometer freestyle mass start race Saturday at Eaglecrest Ski Area. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire)
Crimson Bears cross-country skiers in sync

JDHS Nordic Ski Team tunes up for state with practice race

Thunder Mountain Middle School eighth grader Carter Day of the Blue Barracuda Bombers attempts to pin classmate John Croasman of War Hawks White during the inaugural Thunder Mountain Mayhem Team Duels wrestling tournament Saturday at TMMS. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire)
Inaugural Thunder Mountain Mayhem Tournament makes most of weather misfortune

More than 50 Falcons wrestlers compete amongst themselves after trip to Sitka tourney nixed.

An adult double-crested cormorant flies low. (Photo by Bob Armstrong)
On the Trails: Some January observations

One day, late in January, a friend and I watched two Steller… Continue reading

In this file photo Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé seniors Cailynn, left, and Kerra Baxter, right, battle for a rebound against Dimond High School. The Baxters led JDHS in scoring this weekend at Mt. Edgecumbe with Cailynn hitting 23 on Friday and Kerra 28 on Saturday. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire file photo)
JDHS girls sweep Mt. Edgecumbe on the road

Crimson Bears show road strength at Braves’ gym.

Mt. Edgecumbe senior RJ Didrickson (21) shoots against Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé juniors Brandon Casperson (5), Joren Gasga (12) and seniors Ben Sikes and Pedrin Saceda-Hurt (10) during the Braves’ 68-47 win over the Crimson Bears on Saturday in the George Houston Gymnasium. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire)
Braves poke Bears again, win 68-47

Mt. Edgecumbe survives second night in JDHS den.

Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé senior Matthew Plang (22) skates away from Wasilla senior Karson McGrew (18) and freshman Dylan Mead (49) during the Crimson Bears’ 3-1 win over the Warriors at Treadwell Ice Arena on Saturday. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire)
JDHS hockey home season finishes with a split

Crimson Bears topple Wasilla, but fall to Tri-Valley.

Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé senior Matthew Plang (22), senior goalie Caleb Friend (1), Tri-Valley's Owen Jusczak (74), JDHS junior Elias Schane (10), JDHS sophomore Bryden Roberts (40) and JDHS senior Emilio Holbrook (37) converge on a puck near the Crimson Bears net during Friday's 8-3 JDHS win over the Warriors at Treadwell Ice Arena. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire)
Crimson Bears ending regular season with wins

Weekend double matches builds excitement for state tournament

Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé junior Brandon Casperson (5) attempts a shot against Mt. Edgecumbe senior Donovan Stephen-Standifer, sophomore Kaden Herrmann (13), sophomore Royce Alstrom and senior Richard Didrickson Jr. (21) during the Crimson Bears 80-66 loss to the Braves on Friday in the George Houston Gymnasium. The two teams play again Saturday at 6 p.m. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire)
Visiting Braves earn win over Crimson Bears

Mt. Edgecumbe takes game one over JDHS, game two Saturday.

Ned Rozell sits at the edge of the volcanic crater on Mount Katmai during a trip to the Valley of 10,000 Smokes in 2001. (Photo by John Eichelberger)
Alaska Science Forum: Thirty years of writing about Alaska science

When I was drinking coffee with a cab-driving-author friend of the same… Continue reading

Most Read