Twins edge Road Warriors in Wasilla's final game of regular season

WASILLA — And now they wait.

The Wasilla Road Warriors were one of about four Alaska American Legion baseball teams still alive in the hunt for the regular season title and the top seed in the upcoming state tournament. Kenai squashed those hopes with a 5-4 win over the Road Warriors Thursday night at McManus Field in Wasilla’s final regular season game of the year. Now the state tournament-bound Road Warriors will have to wait and see where they end up on the bracket.

Kenai kept its hope of a top seed alive, improving to 15-1 with the win, jumping ahead of Wasilla and Chugiak, who both end the regular season tied at 14-4. Kenai moved into a first-place tie with Juneau (15-1), which swept Kodiak in a doubleheader Thursday. Wasilla can finish no lower than fifth in the regular season standings.

After the win, Kenai head coach Robb Quelland said the Twins, who still have league games against a pair of teams bound for the state tournament — South Anchorage and Dimond — during the final two days of the season, will be focusing on what the Twins need to do, not the standings.

“We have no reason to watch anyone else,” Quelland said.

Quelland said the Twins are certainly fighting for the highest seed possible, but are not getting wrapped up in watching the scoreboard. The win over Wasilla was important, but not necessarily the most important, he said.

“It’s a conference win, no bigger than any of the other ones,” Quelland said. “We love playing Wasilla. It’s a good rivalry. It’s nice to play a quality team.”

Kenai used small ball to find a way to have success against Wasilla starting pitcher Koby Burns, and get by the Road Warriors.

“Base hits weren’t working, so we went to small ball,” Quelland said. “We’ve got the speed.”

The first five Kenai hitters in the sixth reached. Kenny Griffen, Gavin Petterson and Cody Quelland each reached with bunt singles. Paul Steffenson led off the inning with a single to center field and later scored on a single to right field by Calvin Hills. Griffen scored on a wild pitch, and Hills scored the game-winning run after Quelland’s bunt.

“We’re kind of designed that way. We can go with either aspect of the game,” Quelland said of his team’s approach at the plate.

Kenai’s three-run sixth came after Burns retired 12 straight Twins.

“It’s the second time we’ve faced (Burns) this year, and he’s handled us both times,” Robb Quelland said of Burns. “His curve is something we haven’t seen in a while. He’s good. He was dominant when we faced him a couple of weeks ago.”

Burns pitched seven innings in the loss. Five of the nine hits he allowed came in the sixth inning.

Kenai took a quick 2-0 lead in the top of the first. Josh Darrow led off the game with a single and later scored. Steffenson reached on a Wasilla error and scored to give the Twins the two-run advantage.

Wasilla tied the game in the bottom of the second. Jimmy Arend walked early in the inning and Kyle Graham was hit by a pitch. Ben Werner punched a ball into center field to drive in both base runners.

Wasilla used a pair of runs in the third to take the 4-2 lead. Matt Palmer drew a lead-off walk, and later stole home to give Wasilla the 3-2 lead. Pinch runner Gavin Hannasch scored later in the inning to give the Warriors the 302 lead.

Darrow and Hills led Kenai with two hits each in the win. Petterson earned the win on the mound in relief, working the final 4 2/3.

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