Upcoming events:
Soccer: Both soccer teams will compete this weekend in the Region III Championships held at Soldotna High School. the action starts tonight and continues Friday and Saturday.
Track and Field: The track and field team will compete in the Regional Championships, held in Houston, at 10 a.m. this Friday and Saturday.
Softball: The varsity softball team will play at home tonight against Soldotna at 6 p.m. They will then play two games against Houston on Saturday, at 10 a.m. and at noon in Houston.
Baseball: The Homer baseball team will play Colony and Wasilla today and Friday, May 17-18, both at home and both at 6:30 p.m.
In review:
Softball: The following reports from the Peninsula Clarion detail how the Homer softball team faired over the last week, starting with their game against Kenai Central High School last Thursday.
“Homer softball emerged victorious over Kenai Central for the second time in three days (last) Thursday with a 9-2 win at Steve Shearer Memorial Ball Park in Kenai.
Homer outlasted Kenai in a 23-15 game Tuesday in Homer that produced a combined 32 base hits. While the Mariners cranked out 21 hits in that game, Thursday’s contest was much more pitcher friendly, and both coaches noticed it.
“I asked (Homer coach) Bill (Bell), ‘What’s going on?’” said Kenai head coach John Manley.
The two sides combined for 19 hits Thursday. Bell and Manley both said their defenses played cleanly in the infield, leading to a lower-scoring game.
“This is certainly one of the more solid Kenai teams I’ve seen in recent years,” Bell said.
Hannah Hatfield hit 3 for 4 to lead Homer, including a triple, while Kaitlyn Johnson and Haylee Owen both notched doubles. Hatfield, Sam Moonin and Ksenia Kuzmin all batted in runs in the middle of the Homer lineup.
Alyssa Stanton hit 2 for 4 as Kenai’s leadoff batter, including a double. Savannah Jones had an RBI double.
In the pitching circle, Annalyn Brown struck out seven Kenai batters and gave up just two earned runs on five hits and two walks in a crisp seven frames of work for Homer.
Jones also pitched a complete game, whiffing seven while giving up 14 hits and six walks.
Homer plated four runs in the fifth inning to break the game open, thanks to RBI singles from Sam Moonin and Aspen Walli and a ground-out by Ksenia Kuzmin.”
By Peninsula Clarion Sports Editor Jeff Helminiak:
“The host Homer softball team defeated Soldotna 13-5 on Monday in Northern Lights Conference action.
The Mariners move to 6-0 in the league and 9-10 overall while Soldotna falls to 4-3 in the league and 4-4 overall.
“Both of us were playing pretty well at times, and both of us didn’t play so well at times, and that’s what opened up the game,” Homer coach Bill Bell said.
The Mariners led 8-0 after three innings.
“When you leave runners on base and make a couple of mistakes in the field it’s tough to come back against a well-coached team like Homer,” Soldotna coach Kelli Knoebel said.
The Stars did their best, striking for five runs in the top of the fourth inning. But Homer came back with five runs in the bottom of the fourth and held the Stars off the board in the fifth for the victory.
Bell said the game was closer than the final score indicated, and said games like this show how close the conference tournament should be.
Annalynn Brown went the distance for Homer, giving up five runs — three earned — on nine hits while striking out four and walking two. Bell said Brown and the defense did a good job working out of jams.
For Soldotna, Taralynn Frates took the loss, giving up 13 runs — nine earned — on six hits while whiffing two and walking 11. Knoebel said Homer had great discipline to drive up that walk total.
Grace Godfrey did the bulk of the damage for Homer’s offense, going 3 for 3 with five RBIs and two runs.
“She’s been slumping a bit but this was a breakout game for her,” Bell said. “I’m pretty happy.”
For Soldotna, Ashley McDonald was 2 for 3 with a huge double, Casey Earll was 2 for 3, Casey Card was 2 for 3, Frates was 2 for 3 and Janna Krieger was 2 for 3.”
