Top seed Kodiak won its third straight Northern Lights Conference tournament title by defeating No. 2 Soldotna 10-6 on Saturday.
Both teams qualify for the Division II state tournament, which will be Thursday through Saturday, June 5 to 7, in Anchorage. Soldotna will go to the tournament for the second straight year.
The Stars (23-8-1) got that state berth with a four-run rally in the bottom of the seventh to defeat No. 3 Kenai 10-9.
The Kards (18-15) had defeated No. 4 Palmer 21-20 earlier in the day to advance to the game with Soldotna. Kenai had a walk-off rally of its own in the game.
Kodiak 10, Soldotna 6
Conference Most Valuable Player Danica Howell pitched the Bears to the championship. She gave up six runs — three earned — on nine hits while walking none and striking out 12.
Isabelle Cruz gave up five runs — four earned — on three hits for SoHi, while Tatum Cooper gave up five runs — one earned — on six hits in 4 1-3 innings.
The Bears led 5-2 after two innings. SoHi cut it to 5-4 in the third, but the Bears led 10-4 headed to the seventh.
Cooper was 3 for 4 with two runs, while Cruz had two runs and two RBIs, Alyssa McDonald had two RBIs and Kacey Cunningham had two hits.
Soldotna 10, Kenai 9
The Stars scored four times in the bottom of the seventh inning to take the win, with Aliya Blough hitting the walk-off that scored Lilly Dawley.
SoHi led 6-3 heading into the sixth inning, but Kenai scored three times in the sixth and three times in the seventh for a 9-6 lead before the Stars rallied.
Isabelle Cruz went the distance for SoHi, giving up eight runs — two earned — on seven hits. She helped herself by going 2 for 4 with two runs and two RBIs.
Also for the Stars, Isabella Gares scored twice, Alyssa McDonald had two RBIs and Dawley scored twice.
For Kenai, Avery Ellis gave up six runs — four earned — on four hits in an inning, while Lola McEwen stepped in to give up four runs — one earned — on two hits in 6 1-3 innings.
Avia Miller was 2 for 3 with two runs, while Blakeley Jorgensen and Seylor Tomrdle each scored twice, and McEwen had three RBIs.
Kenai 21, Palmer 20
Kenai’s Dani Bennett singled with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning to drive in Caitlyn Crapps and move the Kardinals to the finals of the playback bracket.
The Moose led 20-11 after 5 1-2 innings, but Kenai scored nine in the bottom of the sixth inning before walking off after one run in the seventh.
Blakeley Jorgensen finished 4 for 5 with three runs and four RBIs to lead the Kardinals, while Bennett was 2 for 4 with four RBIs, Avery Ellis was 2 for 4 with four runs and two RBIs, Seylor Tomrdle was 2 for 5 with two runs and two RBIs, and Crapps was 2 for 5 with three runs and two RBIs. Also, Kailey Stynsberg had two RBIs, and Avia Miller and Kennah Gregory each scored twice.
Lola McEwen worked the first 3 2-3 innings for Kenai, giving up 10 runs — three earned — on seven hits. Jorgensen gave up five unearned runs on a hit in an inning before Avery Ellis came on to give up five runs — three earned — on four hits in 2 1-3 innings.
Northern Lights All-Conference
Most Valuable Player — Danica Howell, Kodiak.
Coach of the Year — Ashley Corrao, Houston.
First team: Danica Howell, Kodiak; Tatum Cooper, Soldotna; Alyssa McDonald, Soldotna; Kate Holland, Kodiak; Lizzy McQuillin, Palmer; Isabelle Cruz, Soldotna; Blakeley Jorgensen, Kenai; Hailee Henslee, Kodiak; Avery Ellis, Kenai; Kailey Stynsberg, Kenai.
Second team: Keagan Niebuhr, Homer; Katelynn Poczynek, Palmer; Kacey Cunningham, Soldotna; Havana Brito, Houston; Briama Brito, Houston.
Honorable mention: Amakah Stineff, Homer; Sienna Mickelson, Kodiak; Abby Flerchinger, Kodiak; Olivia Del Bianco, Palmer.
Good sport: Almalinda Norman, Homer; Charli Scully, Houston; Avia Miller, Kenai; Kayleigh Carlough, Kodiak; Abby Paddock, Palmer; Isabelle Cruz, Soldotna; Ashlyn Warner, Redington.
