Sunday’s championship game at the Homer Middle School softball fields pitted the second-seeded Angler/Keepers against top-seeded Home Run Oil, a hard-hitting squad who went undefeated in regular season and beat the Angler/Keep-ers twice.
As usual, the Angler/ Keeper lead-off hitter Doug Johnson scored first after a triple and a deep flyout.
The Oilers then scored three runs in the third inning on a series of base hits.
After a scoreless fourth inning, the Angler/Keepers tightened the game in the fifth with a single, a walk and a deep fly ball by Johnson to make the score 3-2 Home Run Oil.
The Angler/Keepers then held the Oilers scoreless on a single hit in the fifth and one in the sixth.
Down 3-2 in the top of the seventh, Angler/Keeper outfielder Bob Shavelson hit a single, moved to second on a base hit by Mike Illg and scored when Ryjil Christianson hit a shot just out of reach of the Oiler shortstop’s glove.
“I was due for a hit,” Christianson said. “It was a good pitch. You never swing at the first pitch, but that was the one.”
Illg later scored on a base hit by Johnson to give the Angler/Keepers a one-run lead.
Needing three outs for the championship, pitcher Paul Gavenus forced a pair of flyouts and a ground-out to third baseman, Laureen Wentz who made the throw to first for the final out.
After the game, Dana Harrington and Johnson were named tournament MVP’s and the Angler/Keepers won the sportsmanship award.
Johnson said the victory was a team effort.
“It’s a great team,” he said. “They got us twice this season, but it’s nice to finally beat them.”
The Oilers undefeated regular season didn’t quite end the way they wanted it to in the tournament.
“We were quite sure we had it,” said Oiler’s pitcher Scott Bauer. “But we weren’t hitting. You can win if you only score four runs. We’re disappointed, but we’re real happy with our season and look forward to state.”
On Saturday, the second-seed Angler/Keepers beat the Kharacters 19-3 and then The Truth 21-2 to advance to the semi-finals.
The Angler/Keepers rode two in-the-park home runs hit by Johnson to beat the Nads squad13-5 in a hard fought game Sunday to reach the championship game.
The Oilers advanced by beating the Fugitives on Saturday before losing to the Nads. They came back Sunday to beat the Growlers, Fugitives and Nads to advance to the championship game.
The Angler/Keepers earned a trip to the state tournament in Anchorage, but as of Tuesday, will probably not make the trip.
Instead, the Oilers and a couple other teams will represent Homer softball this weekend.
Ben Stuart can be reached at ben.stuart@homernews.com.
The Angler/Keeper adult softball team won the Homer city league tournament Sunday by cruising through the early rounds and coming back late in the championship game.
The double-elimination tournament began Friday night with two play-in games for the bottom four seeds.
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