After a 6-3 loss to Service on Friday, a 4-2 loss to Ketchikan on Saturday and a 14-1 victory over Ketchikan on Saturday, the American Legion Post 20 Twins still will win the American Division if they can beat South at 11 a.m. Sunday on the final day of the regular season.
The Twins are now 12-5 in the league and 20-11-1 overall. South is 13-4 in the league, but if the Twins win, they have a 2-0 record against South in league play. Palmer is 11-5, but the Twins also own the tiebreaker there.
In the seeding for the state tournament, however, the division title would mean nothing because teams are seeded based solely on their record. The National Division has teams with better records, so Twins coach Robb Quelland said his team could end up anywhere from the No. 4 seed to the No. 7 seed.
“We just came out flat in the first two games,” Quelland said. “We didn’t play our best baseball, like we have the past two weeks. We faced really good pitching in both games.”
Errors were costly in the loss to Service, which finishes 6-12 in the league.
Harold Ochea got the start and gave up five runs in 3 2-3 innings, but just one run was earned. Ochea yielded two hits and four walks, while striking out one.
Relievers Chris Jaime, Jeremy Kupferschmid and Davey Belger combined to hold Service to one hit and one run the rest of the way, but the Twins could not dig out of the hole.
Post 20 managed just four hits in the game, with Mose Hayes collecting two and David Michael and Seth Adkins each getting a hit.
Sam Maudsley went five strong innings for Service, giving up an unearned run on four hits while walking three and striking out four. Andrew Jaidinger pitched the final two innings, giving up two unearned runs and no hits, while walking five and striking out three.
Hutton Stiles had a pair of hits for Service.
In the 4-2 loss to Ketchikan, Liam Kiffer went 5 1-3 innings for the Kings, giving up two runs — one earned — on five hits. Wyatt Barajas finished with 1 2-3 innings of scoreless and hitless ball.
Logan Smith started for the Twins and gave up four runs — two earned — on five hits. Harrison Metz closed with a scoreless innings.
Smith led the offense with two hits, while David Michael, Seth Adkins and Tanner Ussing added hits.
Metz went all five innings in the second game as the Twins won 14-1 and enacted the mercy rule. Metz gave up a run on three hits.
The Twins got to Ketchikan starter James Nordlund for 11 runs on seven hits in just two innings.
Ussing was 2 for 3 with two runs, while Metz was 2 for 4 with three runs. Jeremy Kupferschmid and Michael each had a hit, two runs and two RBIs. Davey Belger had a hit and two runs, while Mose Hayes added the other hit.
