The Post 20 Twins run in the Alaska Legion state championship tournament came to an end Monday afternoon at Mulcahy Stadium with a 5-2 semifinal loss to the West Eagles.
Following an opening day loss to Dimond on Friday, the Twins returned to defeat Service and Kodiak in a pair of one-run wins to advance through the loser-out bracket, but Monday’s loss against the Eagles sent the Twins packing for good. The loss ends their season at 18-17 overall, postseason included.
The Twins had trouble figuring out West’s starting arm, as Leland Wilson dominated by recording 11 strikeouts over 5 2/3 innings, giving up two runs (one earned) on just two hits and six walks. Wilson retired seven of the last eight batters he faced, including a sixth inning in which he struck out the side.
The Eagles advanced to their first state final appearance since 1988.
For the Twins, Logan Smith tossed a complete game, giving up three earned runs over six innings with seven hits and three walks. Smith whiffed two batters.
A day after going 4 for 4 against Kodiak, David Michael provided one of the Twins’ two hits with a single in the first. Paul Steffensen, playing in his first game of the tournament, followed Michael with a single.
After the first inning, the Twins were shutout in the hits department.
An Adam Brinster RBI groundout gave the Twins the lead in the first inning, but it didn’t last long.
The Eagles answered in the bottom of the frame with two runs to take a 2-1 lead. Revy Mack tied it with an RBI bunt, then Thomas Zettler’s RBI single put West ahead.
West tacked on two more in the bottom of the third with a run-scoring single by Wilson, who later scored on a Twins error for a 4-1 advantage.
Trapper Thompson scored a Twins run in the fifth on a passed ball, but that would be it for the local nine.
