Alaska News

Alaska sports digest for Saturday, July 27

AMERICAN LEGION BASEBALL

Two still unbeaten

The Chugiak Post 33 and Juneau Post 25 baseball squads each remained undefeated in the winners bracket of the double-elimination American Legion Alaska State Tournament at Mulcahy Stadium, where the first two eliminations also took place in the losers bracket Saturday.

Fourth-seeded Chugiak knocked off top-seeded Wasilla Post 35 in a 3-1 affair and Juneau used a nine-run seventh inning to put together an 11-4 trouncing of South Post 4. Chugiak and Juneau will square off Tuesday at 1 p.m. for a spot in Thursday's championship game.

Service Post 28 and defending champion Kenai Post 20 were eliminated Saturday, the Cougars tumbling 12-1 to Eagle River Post 8 and Kenai bowing out with a 6-5 loss to Dimond Post 21.

Chugiak's go-ahead run came courtesy of leadoff hitter Alex Hess, who broke a 1-1 tie in the fifth inning when he led off with a double and came around to score from second on a single from Deven Ferriss. Alex Bozzo later brought Ferriss home from third with a bases-loaded walk to account for the game's final run.

Chugiak starter Zach Brueggman pitched into the seventh inning for a win, and Conner Cimmiyotti pitched the ninth for a save.

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Ben Ross drove in Russ Ruta on a groundout in the first inning for Wasilla's only run.

A pitcher's duel turned into a rout in a hurry for Juneau, when the Crimson Bears broke a scoreless tie with a nine-run outburst in the seventh inning. Juneau recorded eight singles and a double in the inning to account for nine of its 13 hits. Tal Norvell registered two hits in the inning and scored twice, his second run coming on R.J. Markovick's double.

Juneau's big rally put starter Tanner Petrie on the fast track for a win and destroyed an otherwise nice outing from South starter Josh Crapps. Petrie pitched nine innings and struck out eight. Crapps toughed out the entire nine-run explosion, remaining in the game through seven innings to surrender 10 hits and eight earned runs.

Dimond's win started taking form in the bottom of the second inning, when the Lynx scored four runs to take a 4-1 lead. They stretched it to 5-1 with a run in the third, but Kenai came back with a run in the fifth and three more in the seventh.

Dimond's Jordan Clevenger and Grant Remmer each drove in two runs and Chris Thorp notched three hits for the Lynx. Clevenger also struck out five in a complete-game effort.

Justin Wisnewski drove in two runs for Kenai and Brandon Mahle scored twice.

Kyle Frost led the charge for Eagle River, putting the Wolves up 2-0 with a two-run single in the third inning. Frost finished with a game-high four RBIs, also driving in runs on a seventh-inning fielder's choice and a ninth-inning sacrifice fly. Lauren Frost drove in two runs on a game-high three hits for the Wolves.

Brandon Sakumoto and Michael Choy each came up with two hits for Service.

Saturday's results

Losers bracket

Eagle River 12, Service 1 (elimination game)

Dimond 6, Kenai 5 (elimination game)

Winners bracket

Juneau 11, South 4

Wasilla, Chugiak

Sunday's schedule

Losers bracket

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E. River vs. Fairbanks, 2 p.m.

Dimond vs. Bartlett, 5:30 p.m.

GOLF

Hietala fires 64

Defending champion Ryan Hietala took a firm hold on the lead Saturday in the Palmer Golf Course Invitational by shooting an 8-under 64 in the opening round of the 36-hole event.

Hietala, a 14-year veteran of the Web.com Tour who lives in Boise, holds a three-stroke lead over Brian Kontak of Phoenix, who shot a 67, and a four-shot cushion over Anchorage golf pro Rob Nelson, who shot a 68.

First place is worth $3,500.

Rick Boyles took the lead in the amateur competition with a 2-under 70, good enough for a one-stroke lead over defending champion Greg Sanders. Heath Martin and Marcus Dolejsi are tied for third after carding 73s. The top amateur wins a $700 gift certificate to Palmer Golf Course.

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Palmer Golf Course Invitational

Saturday's first-round results

Professionals -- 1) Ryan Hietala, 64; 2) Brian Kontak, 67; 3) Rob Nelson, 68; 4) (tie) Aaron Dexheimer; Billy Bomar, 69; 6) (tie) Joe Butler; Norm Jarvis, 70; 8) (tie) Casey Cusack; Travis Jorgenson, 72; 10) Corie Hou, 73; 11) (tie) Brittany Bomar; James Contreras; Nolan Rose, 75; 14) George Collum, 76; 15) Rich Lundahl; 16) Trevis Kordus; Jeff Barnhart, 80; 18) Bill Engberg, 81.

Amateurs -- 1) Rick Boyles, 70; 2) Greg Sanders, 71; 3) (tie) Marcus Dolejsi; Heath Martin, 73; 5) Frank Monfrey, 74; 6) (tie) Trent Berberich; Kurt Imig; Brad Pitzer; David Johnston; Larry Buss, 75; 11) (tie) Bill Toney; Dave Hamilton, 76; 13) (tie) Rick Townsend; Tim Ruf; Jason Kincannon; Milo Nactwick; Tony Kirkpatrick, 77; 18) (tie) Scott Woodland; Ross Walther; Robert McNaughten, 78.

CYCLING

Brainard top master

Ben Brainard won the longest race Saturday in the Arctic Bicycle Club's Kincaid Loop road race at Kincaid Park.

The master men's division for racers 40 and older completed the highest number of laps, going around the four-mile loop 10 times for a total of 40 miles. Brainard won the division in 1 hour, 40 minutes, 12 seconds, beating runner-up Ed Sniffen by five seconds.

With many cyclists preparing for the Tour of Anchorage, set to start Thursday, a relatively small group of cyclists participated.

Arctic Bicycle Club

Kincaid Loop Road Race

Saturday's results

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Beginner men (24 miles) -- 1) Ethan Lynn 1:02:31; 2) Hans Koeneman 1:02:38; 3) Robert Cole 1:02:38; 4) Mark Burson 1:02:38; 5) Bryan Wentz 1:02:38; 6) Anthony Allen 1:02:46; 7) Matthew Burt 1:03:10; 8) Michael Fischetti 1:03:10; 9) Jackson Evans 1:04:33; 10) Benny Caruso III 1:05:50; 11) James Fredrick 1:10:09; 12) Brian Richardson 1:10:55; 13) Vispi Mistry 1:14:32. Beginner women (16 miles) -- 1) Kathryn Price 0:56:12. Junior boys (16 miles) -- 1) Robbie James 1:02:58. Master men (40 and older); (40 miles) -- 1) Ben Brainard 1:40:12; 2) Ed Sniffen 1:40:17; 3) Jim Winegarner 1:40:19; 4) David Knopp 1:40:19; 5) Matt Claman 1:40:27; 6) Tol Fishburn 1:41:24; 7) Sean Bujold 1:49:37; 8) Jeffrey Thurston 1:51:28. Master Women (40 and older); (32 miles) -- 1) Stacy Steinberg 1:39:29; 2) Rose Theisen 1:40:55. Master men (55 and older); (40 miles) -- 1) Dennis Ronsse 1:40:12; 2) John Tappel 1:51:28; 3) James Briggs 1:55:37. Master women (55 and older); (32 miles) -- 1) Maggie Fitzgerald 1:40:55. Sport men (32 miles) -- 1) Jason Hartz 1:15:59; 2) Marcus Farris 1:15:59; 3) Doug Schutte 1:16:04; 4) Markus Doerry 1:19:06; 5) David Stamp 1:21:45; 6) David Cadogan 1:27:10; 7) Peter Jones 1:28:05.

YOUTH BASKETBALL

Flight lose two

Alaska Flight Basketball's two teams of Alaskan high school players each lost a game Friday in Las Vegas on the final day of pool play at the Big Foot Hoops Las Vegas Classic.

The Flight's team for players 17 and younger lost 52-49 to the All Ball Basketball Academy from Canada. Service High's Reece Robinson led the Flight with 11 points and Lathrop High's Kyle Carlson added seven.

The Flight's U-16 team was down by two points at the half against the Louisiana Future, but fell 54-46.

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Anchorage Daily News

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