{"id":51119,"date":"2019-07-29T15:30:00","date_gmt":"2019-07-29T23:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.juneauempire.com\/sports\/live-juneau-takes-on-no-1-seed-at-legion-state-tournament\/"},"modified":"2019-07-30T20:47:23","modified_gmt":"2019-07-31T04:47:23","slug":"live-juneau-takes-on-no-1-seed-at-legion-state-tournament","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.juneauempire.com\/sports\/live-juneau-takes-on-no-1-seed-at-legion-state-tournament\/","title":{"rendered":"Live: Juneau advances to the Legion state final"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\t\t\t\t

8:46 p.m.<\/strong><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t

Juneau wins 13-8 in eight innings! <\/p>\n\t\t\t\t

8:30 p.m.<\/strong><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t

Juneau dodges a huge bullet in the bottom of the seventh inning. After tying the game at 8-8, the Road Warriors had the winning runner on second base with no outs, and Juneau miraculously got out of the inning!<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t

8 p.m.<\/strong><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t

Juneau takes a 8-7 lead headed into the bottom of the sixth inning! One Wasilla error at first base really hurt the Road Warriors. Juneau now just needs three more outs to close out the game.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t

7:30 p.m.<\/strong> <\/p>\n\t\t\t\t

Juneau’s No. 1 and 2 hitters Gabe Storie and Donavin McCurley bring the Midnight Suns within just one run of the Road Warrriors. It’s now 6-5 midway through the sixth.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t

Christian Ludeman has allowed just two hits over the last 1 2\/3 innings.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t

7:20 p.m.<\/strong><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t

Wasilla leads 6-3 after the fourth inning. Juneau fell behind by four runs midway through the third, but got two back in the fourth. Bobby Cox hit an RBI double, and then Brock McComick drove home Kasey Watts on another hit.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t

6:50 p.m.<\/strong><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t

Wasilla leads 3-1 after two innings. Road Warriors pitcher Jacob Gilbert has allowed just two hits thus far. After he gave up a double to Kasey Watts in the second inning, he calmly struck out two of the next three batters, standing Watts at third base.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t

6:26 p.m.<\/strong><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t

Wasilla Post 35 takes a 3-1 lead in the bottom of the first inning. Wasilla’s Clancey O’Donnell the first pitch he deep into centerfield that allowed Clayton Boyett to easily score. The Road Warriors scored their other runs on an error on and sacrifice fly.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t

5:30 p.m.<\/strong><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t

Bobby Cox hits a walk-off single to send Juneau to the championship game! Juneau wins 5-4!<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t

5:10 p.m.<\/strong><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t

South takes back the lead, and Juneau must now score again if they want to win.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t

4:55 p.m.<\/strong><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t

We’re headed to extra innings with Juneau and South tied at 3-3!<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t

4:50 p.m.<\/strong><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t

Here’s a look at Brock McCormick earlier in the game. McCormick has been rock solid this game, having allowed two hits through seven innings.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t

\"Juneau<\/a>

Juneau Post 25’s Brock McCormick delivers to the plate against South Post 4 at Mulcahy Stadium in Anchorage on Tuesday, July 30, 2019. (Nolin Ainsworth | Juneau Empire)<\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

4:44 p.m.<\/strong><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t

Kasey Watts made something out of nothing and all of a sudden we have a tie game! Watts grounded it to the shortstop with one out and runners on first and second base. Ricky Gatter made the force out at second base, but didn’t bother throwing to first to try to get the double play. At this point, Watts rounded first in an attempt to initiate a pickle and score McCurley.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t

The manuever worked — McCurley snuck home seconds before the Wolverines tagged Watts.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t

4:22 p.m.<\/strong><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t

South regains the lead in the top of the third on a Juneau error.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t

4:15 p.m.<\/strong><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t

Juneau ties the game at 2-2 in the fourth on Oliver Mendoza’s RBI single. The Midnight Suns had two runners on for Mendoza, who came to the plate with two outs and lined the ball into right field.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t

3:42 p.m.<\/strong><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t

Juneau still without a hit through two innings. The Midnight Suns have been hitting the ball right at South defenders so far. South leads 2-0 at the top of the third.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t

3:35 p.m.<\/strong><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t

South takes a 2-0 lead in the top of the second as Dylan Maltby and Gunnar Nix drive in runs. Fortunately for Juneau, both Maltby and Nix’s hits resulted in outs, or else the inning could’ve been much worst.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t

3:30<\/strong> p.m.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t

South’s Josh McGovern is on the bump for the Wolverines.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t

3:26 p.m.<\/strong><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t

Juneau’s infield makes a strong play against the second batter of the game, turning a double play. It’s now the bottom of the first.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t

Tuesday, 3:20 p.m.<\/strong><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t

We’re all ready for the semifinals of the American Legion Alaska State Tournament between Juneau Post 25 and South Post 4 at Mulcahy Stadium in Anchorage.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t

So far in the tournament, Juneau has beat West, Kenai and Wasilla, whereas South has beat Kenai, West and Chugiak.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t

There’s a lot of pride on the line when these two teams do battle, and lately it’s been Juneau winning most of the battles. The Midnight Suns have eliminated South from the past two Legion state tournaments, and both times Juneau has gone on to win the title. The Wolverines would love nothing better than to repay the favor and win a title of their own.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t

The winner of this game will play at 6:15 p.m. against Wasilla Post 35.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t

8:20 p.m.<\/strong><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t

Juneau Post 25 shuts out Wasilla Post 35, 6-0, as Gabe Storie bags a five-hitter. Storie and Christian Ludeman led the Midnight Suns with two hits apiece in the win.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t

The championship game tomorrow is set for 6:15 p.m. between Wasilla and Juneau or South. The latter two teams square off at 3:15 p.m. for the right to play Wasilla. This season, the Midnights Suns have gone 4-1 against South and 1-2 against Wasilla.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t

8:10 p.m.<\/strong><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t

Midnight Suns lead 6-0 as Gabe Storie continues to shine. Three more outs, and Juneau advances into the championship round tomorrow.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t

7:36 p.m.<\/strong><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t

Juneau scores its first run in four innings thanks to a double steal. Bobby Cox snuck home on the Road Warriors’ attempt to throw out Brock McCormick at second base.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t

7:28 p.m.<\/strong><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t

Juneau up 2-0 after four innings. AlaskaLegion.com play-by-play announcer Nate Sagan impressed with a 1-6-3 double play turned by Gabe Storie and Donavin McCurley in the fourth. The play likely prevented one run as the next Wasilla batter, Waylon Payne, hit a single.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t

7:15 p.m.<\/strong><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t

Boyett records his first strike out of the game to strand three more Juneau runners and keep the Road Warriors deficit at just two. The Road Warriors have now stranded seven runners in the game.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t

In the bottom half of the third, Max Wanser, Clayton Boyett and Jacob Gilbert go three up, three down.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t

6:50 p.m.<\/strong><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t

Wasilla’s first-inning pitching change seems to be paying off. Carter Huston relieved Carson Boyett after the latter walked back-to-back batters to load the bases with Juneau up 1-0. Huston gave up one run in the first, but in the second retired Luis Mojica, McCurley and Watts in pretty quick succession.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t

6:35 p.m.<\/strong><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t

Juneau scores two runs in the bottom of the first. Five Midnight Suns players — Donavin McCurley, Kasey Watts, Bobby Cox, Oliver Mendoza and Brock McCormick — either walked or were hit by a pitch to quickly load the bases.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t

6:25 p.m.<\/strong><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t

The American Legion state tournament game between Juneau Post 25 and Wasilla Post 35 is underway from Mulcahy Stadium in Anchorage. Wasilla will have two cracks at the state championship tomorrow as the lone undefeated team left in the tournament. Whether they’ll rematch Juneau hinges on the outcome of this game.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t

Wasilla (29-6) has been clutch in this tournament: All three of their wins have come by a combined three runs. The Road Warriors edged Dimond 7-5 on Friday and South and West 6-5 on Saturday and Sunday, respectively.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t

Juneau (25-5) has had their own share of close wins. The Midnight Suns nipped West 2-1 on Friday and Kenai 4-3 on Sunday.