South and Dimond will take their rivalry to the softball diamond Saturday for a game that will decide which team plays for the state championship.
The loser could also play for the Division I title if it’s able to come back through the losers bracket in the double-elimination state tournament.
South edged Chugiak 6-5 and Dimond walloped West Valley 17-3 in Friday’s winners bracket games at Cartee Field. The victories send the Wolverines and Lynx — who last week met for the state soccer championship — into a 12:15 p.m. Saturday game.
The winner will advance to the 5 p.m. title game. The loser will play an elimination game at 2:45 p.m. against the winner of a morning game between East and West Valley; whoever wins the 2:45 p.m. game will claim the remaining spot in the championship game.
Defending champion East is vying for an eighth-straight appearance in the championship game, but the T-birds will have to win two elimination games to get there.
In the Division II tournament, Saturday’s action will begin at 10 a.m. with a winners bracket game between Kodiak and Sitka.
Kodiak won a pair of games Friday, 14-1 over Hutchison and 10-8 over Ketchikan. Sitka tripped Homer 9-1.
ASAA/First National Bank state softball championships
Division I
Friday’s results
First round
Chugiak 12, Wasilla 2
West Valley 9, East 7
Winners bracket
South 6, Chugiak 5
Dimond 17, West Valley 3
Losers bracket
West Valley 11, Wasilla 8, loser out
East 10, Chugiak 2, loser out
Saturday’s games at Cartee Field
12:15 p.m. — South vs. Dimond, winners bracket
12:15 p.m. — West Valley vs. East, loser out
2:15 p.m. — West Valley-East winner vs. South-Dimond loser
5 p.m. — Championship: South-Dimond winner vs. TBD
Division II
Friday’s results
First round
Kodiak 14, Hutchison 1
Homer 11, Delta 6
Winners bracket
Kodiak 10, Ketchikan 8
Sitka 9, Homer 1
Losers bracket
Homer 13, Hutchison 1, loser out
Ketchikan 14, Delta 10, loser out
Saturday’s games at Cartee Field
10 a.m. — Kodiak vs. Sitka, winners bracket
10 a.m. — Homer vs. Ketchikan, loser out
12:15 p.m. — Kodiak-Sitka loser vs. Homer-Ketchikan winner
2:45 p.m. — Championship: Kodiak-Sitka winner vs. TBD