Knights win Railbelt Conference softball title

The Colony Knights used a big fourth inning Saturday to secure a conference title.

Colony scored five runs in the fourth, and earned a 10-8 victory over Juneau-Douglas and the Railbelt Conference championship.

With the Knights trailing 6-3. Morgan Gallagher sparked the rally with a run-scoring double. Kaidence Browning followed with a two-run single to tie the score at 6. With two outs, Emma Minnick used a two-run homer to give the Knights the 8-6 lead.

Minnick finished 2 for 3 with three runs scored and four RBI in the victory. Alli Morrisey added two hits and two runs.

It marked Colony’s second win over the Crimson Bears in the tourney. The Knights also beat Juneau-Douglas 10-2. Browning was 3 for 3, with two runs and four RBI. Bonnie Schmidt scored three times.

Browning earned the win on the mound, scattering six hits and two runs over five innings.

Colony also blanked Valley rival Wasilla 11-0 early in the tourney. Morrisey fanned 11 hitters over five innings, while allowing only two hits and a walk. Cong led Wasilla with three driven in. Four different Knights scored two runs each, and six different players had two hits each.

Colony now advances to the ASAA/First National Bank Division I State Softball Championships, which start Thursday at the Cartee Fields in Anchorage. The Knights start pool play against East Anchorage at noon and Chugiak at 5 p.m.

Wasilla finished 2-2 in the tournament. The Warriors beat West Valley 4-1 and Lathrop 13-1. Madelyn Collins drove in two runs during the win over the Wolfpack. Mia Caldwell allowed only one hit over seven innings, and fanned six.

Sarah Hampie and Joshlyn Davis led Wasilla with two runs and two RBI in the win over Lathrop. Caldwell and Avery Cook also drove in two runs each. Caldwell pitched four innings to earn the win.

The Warriors also suffered a 13-10 loss to Juneau-Douglas. Cook had three hits, three RBI and two runs. Collins scored three times.

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