With the conference's player of the year in the pitching circle and an undefeated record on the line, the South Wolverines rallied Saturday to defeat East 7-5 for their second straight Cook Inlet Conference softball championship.
CIC Player of the Year Danni Desjarlais tossed a seven-strikeout complete game and the Wolverines poured on four runs in the fifth inning to take the lead for good.
Heading into the state tournament, the Wolverines were undefeated at 24-0.
But the championship win didn't come without some adversity at Albrecht Fields. East took an early 3-0 lead through the first inning and led 4-3 heading into the fifth.
South was propelled at the plate by a pair of big home runs from Sophie Hultberg (2 runs, 2 RBIs) and Anika Valdez (1 run, 3 RBIs).
East's Nicollette Dabs (1 run, 2 RBIs) also hit a home run and Daisy Page provided two runs and an RBI for the T-birds.
Five South players were named to the All-CIC teams and East garnered four honors.
East and South could face each other again in the state tournament, which begins Thursday at South Davis Park Complex in Fairbanks.
All-Cook Inlet Conference teams
Player of the Year
Danni Desjarlais, South
Coach of the Year
Joe White, South
First team
Lesley Bingham, West
Danni Desjarlais, South
Kamryn Frisk, Service
Haily Greening, Service
Katie Hanson, Dimond
Ashton Jessee, South
Emma Kleven, South
Mikeala Lawrence, Dimond
Daisy Page, East
Rebecca Syrup, West
Precious Tofaeona, East
Tristen Tolan, South
Second team
Alina Cook, Eagle River
Nicolette Dabbs, East
Eva Damril, West
Regina Devoue-Gonitzke, Dimond
Sophia Hultberg, South
Megan Luther, Dimond
Allegra Mergen, Chugiak
Christa Rapoza, Bartlett
Kylie Seagroves, Chugiak
Chloe White, East