State softball: CHS eliminated from tourney

ANCHORAGE - &#8220Stick and wheels, ladies,” yelled one of the Colony High School softball players from the dugout before a first-round game against Chugiak in the ASAA state softball championships Friday at Cartee Fields in Anchorage.

&#8220Hit, run, score,” she called.

The simple cheer, summed up what the Knights wanted to accomplish in order to advance in the two-day, double-elimination tournament. The first time since 2004 that Colony has qualified for the tournament.

&#8220When we hit the ball and run smart, we win,” Colony coach Mike Stewart said. &#8220When we don't hit the ball, we don't win.”

Stewart's words summed up the Knights' first day of the tournament. Colony won one game by out-hitting its opponent, but lost a pair when it struggled at the plate.

&#8220With the new tournament structure, having just eight teams instead of every team that finished the season with a winning record, hitting and base running is the key to success,” Colony coach Mike Stewart said. &#8220Every team has good pitching and defense in the tournament. The difference maker is hitting and running smart once you're on base.”

Against the Mustangs, the Knights struggled at the plate and managed to have just seven base runners on five hits. The sixth inning was the only time they had two runners on the bases at the same time. Chugiak, on the other hand, hammered out 11 hits as it cruised to a 6-1 victory.

The Knights used some crafty base running by Michelle Stratton and Desi Diselrod in the sixth to score their lone run. Stratton suckered Chugiak catcher Chelsey Homan into attempting to get her out at second, allowing Diselrod to score from third.

&#8220That was good base running,” Stewart said. &#8220We just weren't focused at the plate to create additional scoring opportunities against them.”

Facing elimination later in the day against Bartlett, the Knights exploded for a 12-0 win in five innings.

After going down in order in the first inning against the Golden Bears, first baseman Joanna Dompier sparked the flame to ignite the fuse with a double into left center field, scoring Lindsey Haralson and Krystal Dillow.

Freshman Kelsey Stein had the big stick for Colony, going 3-for-4 at the plate with four

RBI.

&#8220I hit the ball pretty well against Bartlett earlier this season,” Stein said, recalling a five-RBI outing against the Golden Bears. &#8220But this one means a lot more. Everyone was hitting the ball and I didn't want to let my teammates down.”

Stein finished with a single, double and triple in the game which was shortened by the 10-run mercy rule after five innings.

&#8220The loss to Chugiak really woke the girls up,” Stewart said of the teams 16 hits. &#8220I think being on the brink of elimination got them focused.”

The red-hot Colony bats cooled off in the third game of the day, as they fell to Railbelt Conference foe Lathrop 11-4, bringing an end to the tournament for the Knights.

Malemute pitcher Angela Ott was able to quiet the Knights' bats, while at the same time helping her team stay alive in the tournament with an inside-the-park home run, scoring two runs, and a two run triple.

Colony finished the season with an 11-10 overall

record.

Contact Darrell L. Breese at 352-2267 or at darrell.breese@

frontiersman.com.

ASAA State Softball Championships

Cartee Fields, Anchorage

Friday

Chugiak 6, Colony 1

Knights 000 001 0 - 1 5 1

Mustangs 200 400 x - 6 11 2

Pitching - Chugiak: Brogdan and Homan. Colony: Wheeler and Stein. W - Brogdan. L - Wheeler.

Colony 12, Bartlett 0

Bartlett 000 00 - 0 2 3

Knights 023 7x - 12 16 2

Pitching - Colony: Stratton and Stein. Bartlett: Earhart and Marlow. W - Stratton. L - Earhart. 2B - Stein, Dompier. 3B - Stein.