Anchorage Daily News

Nunaka Valley made history again Friday. This time by winning.

Sydney Smith pitched a shutout and drove in two runs to lead the all-star team from northeast Anchorage past Guam 10-0 on the second day of action in the Little League Softball World Series in Portland, Ore.

The team made history Thursday by becoming the first group of 11- and 12-year-old Alaskans to play in one of Little League of America's World Series. They lost 7-2 to the Southeast Regional champions from Georgia.

That made Friday's win another first for the team. The Alaskans are 1-1 in pool-play heading into today's game against Milan, Italy, at 9 a.m. ADT.

Smith struck out three, scattered three hits and didn't walk anyone in the six-inning game. She was backed up by a defense that didn't commit an error.

Up 5-0 going into the final inning, Nunaka Valley turned the game into a rout by scoring five runs in the sixth. Smith's two-run double was the big hit of the inning.

Kaela Emerson accounted for Alaska's only run in the fourth inning when she hit an inside-the-park homer.

In the first, Emerson hit a leadoff single and stole second en route to scoring the game's first run. Gabby Meyerson reached on an error that scored Emerson and moved to second on the same play. She stole third and went home on a passed ball, giving Nunaka Valley a 2-0 lead.

Alaska, which benefited from three Guam errors, added two more runs in the third inning.

Meyerson stole three bases, scored twice and was 2 for 2 to lead the offense. Smith helped herself out with a pair of hits and a run and both Emerson and Metanoya Fiame scored twice, had one RBI and were 2 for 4.

Nunaka Valley's 11-hit attack included the homer by Emerson and doubles by Erin Goudreau, Taria Page, Fiame and Smith.

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