Soldotna went 1-1 and Kenai Central went 0-2 in pool play at the Division II state softball tournament in Anchorage on Thursday.
The Stars lost 16-4 to Sitka before defeating Kenai 13-1. Kenai then lost 20-6 to Sitka.
Kenai opens double-elimination bracket play at 9:30 a.m. Friday against Ketchikan. The Kards are 0-1 against the Kings this season.
Soldotna opens bracket play at 9:30 a.m. against Delta. The Stars are 1-0 against the Huskies this season.
Sitka 16, Soldotna 4
The Stars trailed 3-2 entering the third inning of the five-inning game, but Sitka led 13-2 by the end of the fourth inning.
Tatum Cooper gave up 12 runs on 11 hits in 3 1-3 innings, while Isabelle Cruz gave up four runs — one earned — on three hits in 1 2-3 innings.
Katie DeBardelaben was 2 for 3 with two RBIs for SoHi, while Isabella Gares scored two runs.
Soldotna 13, Kenai 1
The Stars moved to 24-9-1 after moving to 6-0 against the Kardinals this season. The game went four innings.
Isabelle Cruz went the distance, giving up a run on a hit while walking one and striking out four.
At the plate, Tatum Cooper was 2 for 2 with two runs, Isabella Gares had two runs and two RBIs, Cruz had two runs, Alyssa McDonald was 2 for 3 with two runs and two RBIs, Kacey Cunningham scored two runs, DeBardelaben had two RBIs, and Lilly Dawley was 2 for 3 with four RBIs.
For Kenai, Lola McEwen gave up 10 runs — five earned — on nine hits in 2 1-3 innings. Blakeley Jorgensen gave up three runs — one earned — on a hit in two-thirds of an inning.
Avery Ellis had a run and a hit for Kenai, while Jorgensen had the RBI.
Sitka 20, Kenai 6
The Kardinals fell to 18-17 overall with the loss to the Wolves in five innings.
Sitka led 12-0 entering the bottom of the second. The Kardinals scored six times in that frame, but the Wolves regained control after that.
Kennah Gregory gave up 11 runs — eight earned — on six hits in an inning for the Kards. Avery Ellis gave up nine runs — seven earned — on five hits in four innings.
Ellis led Kenai at the plate with a pair of RBIs.
