The East High softball team survived a major scare Thursday, running its undefeated streak to 56 games by rallying past West in the sixth inning for a 4-2 victory.
The win makes the T-birds the only team without a loss in this week's Cook Inlet Conference playoffs at Albrecht Fields. East can claim the CIC title Friday night with another victory -- the T-birds will play at 7:45 p.m. against the winner of a 6 p.m. game between West and South.
West made East sweat for No. 56, jumping to a 2-0 lead in the first inning on Devonee Jackson's two-run homer.
The lead stood until the sixth inning, when East utilized three hits and a couple of West errors to score four runs.
Sydney Smith started things off with a leadoff single. An infield error gave East runners at first and second, and a passed ball advanced the runners to second and third. Both scored on a double by Lauren Yow, who scored on Sierra Rosenzweig's single.
East was still at the plate, with two outs and the bases loaded, when the time limit of 90 minutes was reached.
"Obviously we don't wanna lose," East coach Paul Schoenborn said, "but if we're gonna lose, that would be a good time to fire up the girls."
That's because there are bigger games to come -- the state tournament is next week.
Next up for East is the winner of Friday's game between West and South. South advanced by winning two elimination games Thursday.
The Wolverines beat Dimond 8-4 behind the slugging power of Dakota Underwood and Tristen Tolan, who were both 2 for 3. Underwood belted a two-run triple and Tolan drove in three runs, two of them with a double.
In a 5-4 win over Chugiak, South got three hits from Leilani Blair, who scored twice, and two hits from Sydney Bulot. Rachel White struck out five in five innings for the Wolverines.
If East beats the winner of the West-South game, it will take the CIC title. If East loses, the if-necessary championship game will be played at 10 a.m. Saturday.
Anchorage Daily News