Warriors fall short in state semifinals

ANCHORAGE — Sitka cashed in on early opportunities, and the Wolves are now a win away from state gold.

Sitka pushed its first three hitters of the game across the plate and held on for a 3-0 win over Wasilla during the ASAA/First National Bank State Baseball Championships semifinals Friday at Mulcahy Stadium in Anchorage.

“The first inning we played a little tight and the bounces didn’t go our way. And the calls didn’t go our way, but that’s just baseball,” Wasilla head coach Ken Ottinger said after the loss.

Sitka’s first-inning success overshadowed the tenacious work of Wasilla senior Hank Boyer on the mound. After allowing the three early runs, the Warriors ace struck out the final two hitters of the first, and faced five or fewer hitters in every inning after that. Boyer was one pitch short of a complete game. He hit ASAA’s limit of 120 pitches with two strikes and two outs in the top of the seventh inning.

After Boyer’s 120th pitch was called a debatable ball, Ottinger made his way out to the mound.

“It was nice to go out there and tell him thank you,” Ottinger said of Boyer, who led the Warriors to their fourth straight conference title this year and was named the Southcentral Conference North Division Player of the Year.

Reliever Balas Buckmaster needed only one pitch to end the top of the seventh.

Boyer scattered four hits in 6 2/3 innings, walked four and struck out five. Two of the hits — an infield single and a single to shallow center field — came in the first inning.

“I can’t ask for anything more from that kid. I’m going to miss him,” Ottinger said. “I’ve been with him since he was in the fifth, sixth grade. Every time he’s given me everything he’s got. I’m proud of him.”

Ottinger said he wanted to see Boyer and his fellow seniors cap their careers in the title game.

“That young man deserves a championship,” Ottinger said.

In the top of the first, Sitka’s Caleb Suarez drew a lead-off walk, and later scored on a fielder’s choice that led to a play at the plate to give the Wolves the 1-0 lead. Bryce Kelly, Sitka’s No. 2 hitter, dropped a bloop into short centerfield and scored on Ky Stockel’s infield single. Dayton Cropper reached on the fielder’s choice that scored Suarez, and scored on a ground out to give Sitka the 3-0 lead.

Boyer finished with both of Wasilla’s hits in the game, a pair of singles. The Warriors had several long flyouts in the loss, including a shot by Cyrus Lovell that was caught at the right field wall in the bottom of the seventh.

“That’s how baseball is,” Ottinger said. “We were hoping to get to the championship and let things fall were they would. We just came up short.”

Wasilla will now play Lathrop in the bracket’s third-place game Saturday at 12:30 p.m. at Mulcahy Stadium.

“Let’s finish third, be one better than last year,” Ottinger said. “Represent our conference with pride, and come out fighting tomorrow. Three’s better than four.”

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