Still in the mix

ANCHORAGE — Wasilla Road Warriors still have some fight left after splitting the first two games of the Alaska American Legion State Tournament.

The Warriors, the tournament’s sixth seed, opened Friday with a tough 10-2 loss to third-seeded Service then rebounded with a brisk 9-2 win over West on Saturday, setting up a showdown with East today at Hermon Brothers Field in Palmer.

Service 10, Wasilla 2

Although the margin of victory was eight runs, it wasn’t until late in Friday’s game that the Cougars pounced to cruise past the Road Warriors.

Service took a 4-1 lead into the seventh inning, then scored six times in the top of the inning to ice the victory.

Rhowe Stefanski was tagged with the loss after allowing 10 hits and seven earned runs in 6 2/3 innings. Reliever J.D. Mayo allowed four hits and three earned runs during a third of an inning of work.

Service starter Garrett Grenier pitched a seven-inning complete game to earn the win on the mound. Grenier allowed seven hits and two earned runs.

The Cougars scored three runs in the top of the fourth to take a 4-0 lead, but Warriors catcher Keith Christopher put the Valley team on the board with a run-scoring single in the bottom of the inning.

Mike Wagner doubled to left field to lead off the inning, and quickly scored on Christopher’s single to right.

Eric Washington tripled to right field for the Warriors in the seventh, and scored on Matt Packa’s single to right.

Packa finished 2-for-2 with an RBI. Five Warriors finished with one hit each.

Wasilla 9, West 2

While the Road Warriors had trouble generating offense on Friday, their bats were lively on Saturday.

With West leading 2-1 in the bottom of the first inning, Stefanski put the Warriors ahead for good with a hit that brought in two for a 3-2 lead.

“We hit the ball well today,” Warriors head coach Steve Mossburgh said. “Mike Wagner got the win on the mound and was 3-3 (at the plate), and (infielder) Kyle Bovy had a couple of hits.”

Wagner pitched a complete game Saturday, and “was one of our best pitchers all year,” Mossburgh said. “We had to win this game to keep going, so we were going to do what we had to do to keep the season alive.”

After losing on Friday, the Road Warriors weren’t ready for their 2009 season to come to a close, the coach said. 

“It’s always good to win,” he said. “It’s hard to go two and out, and this is the third year we’re going to play at least three games (in the tournament).”

Contact Greg Johnson at greg.johnson@frontiersman.com or 352-2269.