Road Warriors rally to beat Chugiak in 1st round of state tourney

ANCHORAGE — During the final stretch of the regular season, the Wasilla Road Warriors watched leads disappear late in key conference games. The Warriors were not going to let that happen Tuesday.

Fifth-seeded Wasilla rallied to score six runs in the top of the eighth to knock off fourth-seeded Chugiak 9-6 during the first round of the Alaska American Legion State Tournament at Mulcahy Stadium in Anchorage.

“We got up and fell down, but we got back up,” Wasilla head coach Ken Ottinger said after the win, noting his team’s resiliency in the victory.

Ottinger said after Wasilla suffered conference losses to Kenai and Chugiak late in the year, the Road Warriors coaching staff took a different tactic with the players.

“What we did last week, (we said), we’re going to stay off of them. Let them play baseball, let them have fun,” Ottinger said. “I’ve coached them enough throughout the years, I believe in them, that they’ll make the right decision.”

It worked.

After Chugiak took the 4-3 lead in the bottom of the seventh, Wasilla responded immediately with a half-dozen in the eight. Ottinger said everyone contributed to the victory, and that’s what stands out the most, he said.

“It was a team effort. The whole team,” Ottinger said. “They are coming together as a team, and I’m so proud of them.”

Wasilla received standout performances from its leaders. Matt Palmer collected three hits, two runs and an RBI. Sam Loyer scored a run, drove in another, and make a juggling catch in the outfield. But the Road Warriors also had key moments from the reserves.

Arguably the biggest came when Sam Reed stepped in to pinch hit in the eight. With the game knotted at 4, Reed knocked a pitch into right field to drive in Loyer and give the Warriors the 5-4 lead.

“He was sitting the bench the whole game. I told him to keep a stick in his hand,” Ottinger said. “He came in a tight situation, and knocked in the go-ahead run. I’m very proud of him.”

In the bottom of the eighth, Jacob Gilbert entered the game to play second base. The first hitter of the inning, Chugiak’s Zach Bohrer lined a hard shot to the right side of the field. Gilbert reached up to snag the line drive, and rob Bohrer of a potential hit for extra bases.

“I told him to be ready,” Ottinger said.

Austin Robertson and Hank Boyer were on the mound for the Warriors. Robertson started, pitching six tough innings in the game, fanning seven, while walking only one. Boyer worked three innings of relief, to earn the win on the mound. Boyer recorded two strikeouts, and didn’t walk a hitter.

“They both pitched a heck of a game,” Ottinger said.

Ottinger said Robertson’s ability to excel in new territory was impressive.

“I couldn’t ask for more out of that kid,” Ottinger said. “That’s a stressful situation, for his first state playoff game. I’m so proud of him.”

Boyer added a two-run single in the eighth to his work on the mound.

With the win, Wasilla moves forward in the bracket and will play top-seed Juneau Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. at Mulcahy.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.