Wolverines knock Road Warriors out of tourney

ANCHORAGE — It was the type of an end to a season the Alaska Road Warriors certainly did not see coming.

South Anchorage stunned the top-seeded Road Warriors 13-0 during elimination round action of the Alaska American Legion State Tournament at Mulcahy Stadium on Tuesday.

“Some of those nightmare games happen every once in a while, where nothing’s going right,” Road Warriors head coach Myrl Thompson said. “You never like to have one of those games, much less end on one of those games.”

Throughout the regular season, the Wasilla-based team raced to first place with its stellar play at the plate, in the field and on the mound.

But nothing seemed to work for the Warriors Tuesday morning.

“Pitching, fielding, batting. If you have at least two of those three going, you’re going to do well. We had none of those three,” Thompson said.

Road Warriors pitching was rocked for 13 runs on 16 hits. Wasilla managed only three hits of its own, and the Warrior defense, uncharacteristically, committed four errors.

Meanwhile, South had a productive day.

Wolverine starter Nick Jensen pitched a three-hit, complete-game shutout. He fanned six and didn’t walk a hitter.

At the plate, the Wolverines finished with 11 singles and five doubles. Brad Butcher was 2 for 2, with two RBI and three runs scored. Spencer Floyd finished 3 for 3, with two runs and two RBI. Andy Schafer was 3 for 5 with three RBI.

Ben Ross collected two of Wasilla’s three hits in the game. Mitchell Chauvin also singled for Wasilla.

“Everything that came off their bat found a hole, a place, inside the line,” Thompson said. “Everything we hit went straight at somebody.”

Wasilla finished 2-2 in state play, earning victories over Bartlett and Eagle River, while falling to Chugiak and South.