Kenai Central’s Caitlin Crabb fouls off a pitch against Kodiak on Friday, May 7, 2021, in Kenai, Alaska. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)

Kenai Central’s Caitlin Crabb fouls off a pitch against Kodiak on Friday, May 7, 2021, in Kenai, Alaska. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)

Kodiak softball sweeps through peninsula

The Kodiak softball team defeated host Kenai Central 13-4 in six innings and 22-13 in three innings Friday, then the Bears came back with a 14-6 victory in five innings Saturday.

The first Friday game was a Northern Lights Conference game, while the second game was nonconference. Saturday’s game was conference. Kodiak is now 6-0 in the conference and 12-2 overall. The Kards are 1-5 overall.

While Friday’s second game was to get players experience, the first game had both teams going for a conference win.

Kodiak coach Tom Bolen said pitcher Cyana Medrano led his team to the victory with a complete game.

“We’re just glad to be playing softball again,” Bolen said.

The coach explained his team finished third at the Division II state tournament in 2019 and was looking forward to doing better in 2020 when the season was canceled by the coronavirus pandemic.

Now, Bolen said nine of his 12 varsity players are playing high school softball for the first time, but the Bears are still having success due to a strong feeder program.

Despite the loss, Kenai coach John Manley said the game was encouraging.

“I think we’ll be OK,” Manley said. “We just need to work on some things.”

Manley said Kenai’s defense was fine. He also said Caitlin Crabb has walks down to an acceptable level.

“We were right in that game,” Manley said. “We just didn’t hit as well as we should have been able to.”

Zaharah Wilshusen and Andie Galloway were both 2 for 4, while Crabb also had a pair of hits. Hermoine Lanfear had a double, while Kyana Griskevich also added a hit.

The second Friday game was about getting players experience. Bolen put out mostly junior varisty players. Kenai only has 11 players in the program, but two players who don’t normally start got a chance to play.

“It’s good because we need more game experience pitching and hitting in this conference,” Bolen said. “That’s what we need to compete with teams like Juneau, Thunder Mountain, Sitka and Ketchikan at state.”

The Kardinals fell behind 22-4 headed into the bottom of the third inning. Kenai pushed across nine runs with two outs when the game was called due to time.

Wilshusen had a hit and scored three runs, while Crabb had two hits and two runs. Galloway and Shelby Burman also scored a pair of runs.

In Saturday’s conference game, Kodiak was the home team on the scoreboard. Kenai led 6-3 entering the bottom of the fourth, but Kodiak led 9-6 after the fourth inning and then invoked the mercy rule after the fifth inning.

“We played much better than we did Friday,” Manley said.

The coach said he is happy with Crabb’s progress. She pitched well Saturday until some walks and Kodiak’s strong bats caught up with her late in the game.

Manley said the defense was again good, led by six putouts from Wilshusen and a double play by catcher Maggie Granier. Wilshusen led the offense with a two-RBI double.

Kodiak 12, Soldotna 1, 5 innings;

Kodiak 15, Soldotna 3, 4 innings

The visiting Bears swept the Stars on Thursday.

Soldotna coach Kelli Knoebel said in a text message that Leslie Spear pitched extremely well for Kodiak. The coach added Kodiak’s bats were solid throughout the doubleheader.

In the first game, Knoebel said Kodiak’s pitching was dominant, with SoHi’s only hit coming from Makynzi Deborski. Lexi Stormo had the RBI for the Stars, scoring Brook Fischer, who had originally reached on a walk.

“Pitching was a struggle for us,” Knoebel wrote. “Miah Mead took the loss, with Harley Thomas coming in for a few batters, then Miah going back in and responding after a rough start.”

In the second game, the Stars got a little bit more going at the plate. Bailey Conner was 1 for 1 with a walk and RBI, Fischer had an RBI and Katie Hinz was 1 for 1 with an RBI.

Harley Thomas got the start on the mound, with Mead relieving in the first inning and going on to take the loss.

Kenai Central’s Kyana Griskevich pitches to Kodiak on Friday, May 7, 2021, in Kenai, Alaska. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)

Kenai Central’s Kyana Griskevich pitches to Kodiak on Friday, May 7, 2021, in Kenai, Alaska. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)

More in Sports

tease
Kenai hockey wins End of Road Shootout in Homer

The Kenai Central hockey team finished off a championship in the End… Continue reading

tease
Friday: Soldotna, SoHi JV, Tri-Valley notch hockey victories in Homer

Tri-Valley defeated Homer 7-3 on Friday in the End of the Road… Continue reading

tease
Thursday: Kenai, Tri-Valley, Bartlett notch End of the Road Shootout victories

The Kenai Central hockey team defeated Soldotna 7-6 on Thursday in the… Continue reading

Homer's Paul Minke wrestles to a pin of Soldotna's Harold Rudstrom on Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024, at Soldotna High School in Soldotna, Alaska. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)
Soldotna wrestling celebrates senior night with dual victories

The Soldotna wrestling team hosted Kenai Central, Homer and Ninilchik for senior… Continue reading

Soldotna celebrates a goal by Daniel Heath on Friday, Nov. 15, 2024, at the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex in Soldotna, Alaska. (Photo by Jonas Oyoumick/Peninsula Clarion)
Friday, Saturday hockey: Kenai sweeps Kodiak; Chugiak sweeps Soldotna

The Division II Soldotna hockey team dropped a pair of nonconference games… Continue reading

Nikiski celebrates winning the championship Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024, in the Class 3A state volleyball final at the Alaska Airlines Center in Anchorage, Alaska. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)
Nikiski volleyball denies Kenai a state 3-peat

The Nikiski volleyball team defeated Kenai Central in the championship match, then… Continue reading

tease
Soldotna girls, boys both finish 3rd at Lancer Smith

Both the Soldotna girls and Soldotna boys wrestling teams led the Kenai… Continue reading

Kenai River Brown Bears goalie Owen Zenone makes a save on Luc Plante of the Fairbanks Ice Dogs on Friday, Nov. 15, 2024, at the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex in Soldotna, Alaska. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)
Brown Bears get 1 point out of 2-game set with Ice Dogs

The Fairbanks Ice Dogs defeated the Kenai River Brown Bears 5-2 on… Continue reading

Most Read