Marcus Mendoza’s pitching played a big role in Saturday’s title game. Photo by Stephanie Burgoon/Alaska Sports Report
Marcus Mendoza was marvelous at crunch time, hitting a single as part of a sixth-inning, go-ahead rally, and coming out of the bullpen to throw 3.2 scoreless innings and earn a winning decision for Juneau in Saturday’s state final.
The Crimson Bears jumped on Service ace Rilen Niclai early and took advantage of his wildness late, scoring the go-ahead run on a wild pitch with one out in the bottom of the sixth inning to secure a 5-4 stunning triumph over the top-ranked, 20-win Cougars in the ASAA Division I state tournament title game at Mulcahy Stadium.
Eight-hole hitter Riley Fick had two base knocks and three RBIs off the reigning two-time Gatorade Alaska Player of the Year, including a two-out line drive to right field that tied the game 4-4 in the fourth inning.
In the sixth, Juneau seized control after Tyler Kookesh was hit by a pitch with one out. Mendoza followed with a single to put runners on the corners. In the at-bat to Charlie Begengy, Niclai uncorked a wild pitch that scored Kookesh with the go-ahead run. Niclai responded by striking out Begenyi before getting Fick to groundout.
In the seventh, Mendoza needed just eight pitches to induce three flyouts and end the game, giving Juneau (16-2) its first state title since 2018.
The Crimson Bears reached the mountain top after knocking off Colony 8-3 in the first round, Mid-Alaska Conference champion West Valley 11-1 in the semifinals and then CIC champion Service in the final.
Juneau’s title was its seventh all-time – the most among Alaska Division I teams since ASAA’s created the inaugural state tournament in 2000.
Prep Baseball
ASAA/First National Bank Alaska
Division I State Tournament
Most Titles All-Time
7 – Juneau
6 – South
6 – Sitka
2 – Service
1 – East
1 – Kodiak
1 – Dimond
1 – Chugiak
1 – Wasilla
Field expanded from 4 to 8 teams in 2007
No tournament in 2020
Neither starter was sharp to start the game as both seemed to experience big-game jitters and struggled to spot pitches.
Juneau’s Hunter Carte allowed five hits and five walks and four runs in 3.1 innings before giving way to Mendoza.
Meanwhile, Niclai allowed three hits, three walks and hit two batters in six innings. He struck out eight and at one point retired seven straight batters but overall did not look like himself. He entered the game with a 1.33 ERA and 47-5 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
The Arizona State signee smashed a triple and scored on a balk to pull Service within 3-2 in the third inning. Three batters later, Connor Monahan hit an RBI single to tie it.
Eight-hole hitter Riley Fick drove in three of his team’s five runs. Photo by Stephanie Burgoon/Alaska Sports Report
Later, Mendoza also struck out Monahan with the bases loaded to get out of a jam in the sixth. It was just the fourth time in 78 plate appearance this year that Monahan went down on strikes.
Service (20-3) took a 4-3 lead in the top of the fourth on an error with the bases loaded, but Mendoza limited the damage after his defense turned a 6-4-3 double play on the next batter.
In the bottom half of the fourth, Niclai struck out the first two batters before Begenyi drew his team-best 24th walk of the season and then stole his 18th base to get into scoring position.
He was brought in by Fick, who had two of his team’s three hits and showed no fear at the plate against the Service all-star who throws in the low 90s. Juneau is used to toppling aces. In the Southeast Conference Tournament, the Crimson Bears beat Sitka and Caleb Calhoun 1-0. Calhoun was a Gatorade award finalist and pitched a no-hitter at last year’s state tournament.
Service 012 100 0 – 4 7 0
Juneau-Douglas 120 101 x – 5 3 2
Service – Niclai and Kosaka. Juneau – Carte, Mar. Mendoza and N. Fick. 2B – Service: Cummings. Juneau: R. Fick. 3B – Service: Niclai. HR – None.
The Juneau dugout made itself heard throughout Saturday’s game. Photo by Stephanie Burgoon/Alaska Sports Report
Photo by Stephanie Burgoon/Alaska Sports Report
Dimond 8, West Valley 1
In the third-place game, Shane Flannery and Dax O’Brien combined on a 4-hitter to close out a 16-win season for the Lynx.
Drew Dittman and Owen Severson each had two RBIs, and Serge Duchatellier scored two runs. Severson and Flannery clubbed doubles and Kaden Keith swiped three bags.
West Valley’s Hudson Wixom came to play, going 2-for-4 at the plate and pitching 3.1 innings, wiggling out of a bases-loaded jam in the first inning and holding Dimond to just one run.
West Valley 000 010 0 – 1 4 3
Dimond 140 030 x – 8 8 1
West Valley – Wixom, Otness (4), Taylor (6) and Gray. Dimond – Flannery, O’Brien (6) and Faapouli. 2B – West Valley: Taylor. Dimond: Severson, Flannery. 3B – None. HR – None.
Soldotna 6, South 1
For the third consecutive year there was a no-hitter thrown at the state tournament, this time from Soldotna ace Jayden Stuyvesant in the fourth-place game.
The right-hander threw 97 pitches, 66 for strikes. He fanned a dozen batters and issued two walks.
The Stars pulled away in the fourth inning after Jackson Koetitz and Eli Richards each delivered two-run singles.
Soldotna 200 400 0 – 6 4 3
South Anchorage 010 000 0 – 1 0 1
Soldotna – Stuyvesant and Koetitz. South – Jensen, Mascelli (5) and Berg, Moore. 2B – None. 3B – None. HR – None.
The Homer Mariners won the ASAA Division II state title in extra innings. Photo courtesy of Homer Mariner Baseball
Homer 6, Petersburg 5
The Mariners pulled off a dramatic comeback on Saturday, scoring five runs in the bottom of the seventh to tie it and then winning it in the eighth after executing a squeeze play.
Evan Pietsch bunted home Clyde Clemens with the winning run from third base to supply Homer with a 6-5 win over Petersburg at the ASAA Division II state tournament in Kenai.
Clemens led off the eighth with a walk and sac bunted over to second by Cohen Boyd. After two intentional walks loaded the bases, Homer called for another bunt and it won the game after Clemens broke from third base as the pitch was thrown and scored standing up.
Pietsch also contributed an RBI single as part of a five-run rally to tie the game in the seventh. His RBI pulled Homer within 5-3. Later, the Mariners pulled within 5-4 after Andrew Marley was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded and then they tied it after scoring on an error.
Petersburg starter Scotty Newman struck out six batters and carried a shutout through six innings.
Petersburg 002 200 10 – 5 5 4
Homer 000 000 51 – 6 7 1
Petersburg – Newman, Knudsen (7) and Caulum. Homer – Clemens, Geysbeek (6) and Sims. 2B – Petersburg: Olsen. 3B – None. HR – None.
