Narrow victories, blowouts highlight state baseball

Lathrop and Sitka picked up one-run victories while Wasilla and South walloped their way into the semifinals Thursday at the state high school baseball tournament at Mulcahy Stadium.

Defending state champion South beat Juneau 12-2, Lathrop overcame an eight-run deficit to edge Colony 12-11, Sitka survived a Service comeback attempt 4-3 and Wasilla used an eight-run fourth inning to comfortably defeat West Valley 10-0.

Lathrop 12, Colony 11

Lathrop survived a wild back-and-forth game against Colony thanks to a dramatic walk-off error.

After three scoreless innings, Colony erupted for eight runs in the top of the fourth, but Lathrop reeled the Knights back in with seven runs in the bottom half of the inning.

The Malamutes pulled ahead 11-8 in the bottom of the sixth with four runs on three singles but Colony came right back to tie it in the seventh.

Lathrop won it with two outs in the final inning. Stephen Trujilo, who reached with a leadoff single, stole second, moved to third on a sacrifice bunt and scored on an error.

Sitka 4, Service 3

Sitka led early and held on late to defeat Service.

Sitka used RBI singles from Gavin Flores and Bryce Kelly to take a 3-0 lead in the second inning. Emmitt Anderson added insurance with a run-scoring single in the third inning.

Trailing 4-3 in the seventh and final inning, Service put runners at first and second base with one out, but Anderson escaped the jam with a strikeout and a game-ending popup.

Wasilla 10, West Valley 0

Wasilla used an eight-run fourth inning to coast past West Valley.

Balas Buckmaster, Ben Werner, Cyrus Lovell and Hank Boyer all furnished a pair of RBIs for Wasilla.

Wasilla pitchers struck out 10, including four in 3.3 innings by starting pitcher Jacob Gilbert.

South 12, Juneau 2

Derek McGinnis drove in four runs to help South invoke the run-rule in a five-inning win over Juneau.

McGinnis and Anthony Maldonado each had three hits for the Wolverines, who pounded out 14. McGinnis delivered a second-inning, leadoff triple in his first at-bat and went on to score South's first run.

Maldonado was 3 for 3 with two RBIs in support of pitcher Parker Johnson, who struck out six in five innings.

ASAA/First National Bank baseball championships

Thursday's scores
Lathrop 12, Colony 11
Sitka 4, Service 3
Wasilla 10, West Valley 0
South 12, Juneau 2

Friday's loser-out games
10 a.m. – Service vs. West Valley
1 p.m. – Colony vs. Juneau

Friday's semifinals
4 p.m. – Sitka vs. Wasilla
7 p.m. – Lathrop vs. South