Friday was a grueling start to the state softball tournament for Chugiak and West, while two-time defending champion East had a much lighter load.
The Mustangs and Eagles played three games apiece and will meet in an elimination game Saturday at Cartee Fields.
East, which earned a first-round bye, played just seven innings to secure a spot in the semifinals against Lathrop and run its unbeaten streak to 58 games.
A day after being named Alaska's Gatorade Player of the Year, Taria Page showcased her talent. The East junior went 3 for 4 with two home runs in the T-birds' 8-2 win over Chugiak.
Page crushed her first solo shot nearly 300 feet to dead center field, East coach Paul Schoenborn said. The blast tied the game 2-2 and sparked a five-run fifth inning for East.
"It was a shot," Schoenborn said.
Page homered again in the sixth inning. Morgan Hill went 3 for 3 for East, which also got two hits and an RBI from senior Sydney Smith.
Smith pitched a complete game, giving up five hits and striking out 11 and is now just five strikeouts shy of 500 for her high school career.
Alise Arnold went 2 for 3 with an RBI to lead Chugiak.
West opened with a 3-2 win over South and then dropped a one-run game to Lathrop.
South was eliminated in its next game, an 11-3 loss to Chugiak. Colony also saw its season end Friday, going two and out.
Another Cook Inlet Conference team will be eliminated in Saturday's 9:30 a.m. game between Chugiak and West.
In small-school action, Juneau and Ketchikan were undefeated after Friday's games and will square off in Saturday's semifinal.
The season is on the line for Kodiak and Homer, which meet in an elimination game, while Hutchison and North Pole's seasons ended Friday.
Reach Mike Nesper at mnesper@adn.com or 257-4335.
By MIKE NESPER