Road Warriors win tourney

WASILLA — Early in the 2016 American Legion baseball season, the Wasilla Road Warriors found themselves trailing Alaska baseball power South Anchorage by a pair of runs in the ninth inning.

Wasilla responded by earning a come-from-behind victory, scoring five runs with two outs in the final inning. It turned out to be a signature win for Wasilla Post 35. A month into the season, Wasilla has continued to carry that magic, showing a propensity for putting together the big inning.

Over the weekend, Wasilla used that knack for scoring runs in bunches to run away with the Todd Ryan Memorial team title. Sunday, tournament host Wasilla scored at least three runs in each of the first four innings to grab a 15-7 come-from-behind win over Lanakila, Hawaii, during the final game of the three-day tournament at McManus Field in Wasilla. The victory came a day after Wasilla collected a combined 12 runs during the final two innings of a 15-7 victory over Fairbanks Post 30.

“With this team, I always know there’s that breakout moment,” Wasilla head coach Ken Ottinger said.

Ottinger joked, his team’s ability to consistently put together a big inning, takes a lot of stress off of him. But it also helps the pitching staff.

“The pitchers know, hey I can give up a run or two, or even five, and our offense is strong enough to fight and claw the way back,” Ottinger said.

The Wasilla pitching staff received ample run support during the Todd Ryan tournament. In four games, the Road Warriors finished 4-0, thanks in part to 46 total hits and 51 total runs.

“We really came to swing the sticks,” Ottinger said. “Our defense wasn’t as solid as I’d like, but our offense, I couldn’t ask for anything better.”

Four different Road Warriors — Jeffrey Forster, Matt Palmer, Koby Burns and Ben Werner — finished with eight hits in the tournament. Palmer led the team with nine runs scored and 11 RBI in four games. Forster added eight runs, and drove in eight. Burns also had eight RBI. Burns and Werner scored seven runs each.

Sam Loyer scored seven runs and drove in four from his lead-off spot in the batting order.

Werner scored a team-high four runs during the win over Lanakila Sunday. Loyer added three runs. Forster and Palmer each scored twice.

Lanakila took an early 2-0 lead in the top of the first, and Wasilla answered with five runs in the bottom half of the inning. But Lanakila, Hawaii’s Post 11, jumped right back ahead with five runs in the top of the second. Wasilla added three in the bottom of the second to take an 8-7 lead, and cemented the game with three in the third and four more in the fourth.

“The last two games against Fairbanks 30, and especially Hawaii, the first few innings were kind of back and forth,” Ottinger said. “We kept with the game plan, and kept fighting.”

Fairbanks 30 led Wasilla 5-3 in the fourth on Saturday, before the Warriors erupted for five in the fifth and seven in the sixth.

Wasilla also beat Palmer 10-1 and Fairbanks 11 with an 11-1 score earlier in the tourney.

Pioneers grab win

The Palmer Pioneers capped their Todd Ryan tournament with a 6-2 win over Fairbanks Post 11 Saturday night at McManus Field in Wasilla.

Joe Ryan scored a pair of runs to help Palmer earn the victory. Fairbanks took an early 2-0 lead in the game, but Palmer answered with four runs in the second. Cooper McLaughlin drew a lead off walk and scored in the inning. Ryan singled and scond in the second. Trace Severson was hit by a pitched and scored. Zach Satterly also scored during Palmer’s four-run second.

Kolten Ketchum singled and scored to add to the lead in the fourth. Ryan singled and scored for the second time of the game to cap Palmer’s scoring in the fifth.

Ryan also earned the win on the mound, pitching 3 2/3 innings in relief.

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