The Kodiak softball team defeated Kenai Central 18-3 in three innings Saturday in the championship game of the Northern Lights Conference tournament in Homer.

Earlier Saturday, Kenai (11-12 overall) defeated Homer 15-12 to earn a spot in the title game and to earn the conference’s second Division II state berth. This is the first state berth in Kenai’s history.

Before this season, Homer (9-21) had won all five NLC tournaments and had appeared at state in 21 of the past 22 years.

In the championship, Kodiak, which did not lose a game in the conference all season, led 5-2 after an inning and 15-3 after two innings. Kailey Stynsberg led the Kardinals by going 2 for 2 with a run.

In the victory over Homer, Kenai grabbed a 9-1 lead in the bottom of the first inning. The Kards led 12-2 heading into the third, but Homer scored nine in the top of the third to cut it to 12-11.

Homer then tied it in the top of the fourth, but Kenai scored twice in the bottom of the inning for a 14-12 lead. The Kards added a run in the fifth.

After the Mariners got to Lola McEwen for 11 runs in 2 2-3 innings, Avery Ellis came through in relief. She pitched 4 1-3 innings, giving up a run on five hits while walking three and striking out two.

Kenai got to Becca Trowbridge for 12 runs in 4 2-3 innings, then scored three runs in 1 1-3 innings against Ariana Davis.

Stynsberg and Ellis had monster games to get the Kards to state. Stysnberg was 5 for 5 with four runs and four RBIs, while Ellis was 5 for 5 with three RBIs.

Also for Kenai, Maggie Grenier had two runs, Zoey Riley was 3 for 5 with two RBIs, Shelby Hemphill had three runs, and Avia Miller was 2 for 3 with three runs.

For the Mariners, Ariana Davis was 2 for 5 with two runs, Julie Guess was 2 for 5 with two runs and two RBIs, Alaiyah Brost had two RBIs, Keagan Niebuhr was 3 for 5 with two RBIs, Emily Owens was 2 for 4 with three runs, Katelyn Cowdrey was 3 for 4 with three RBIs, and Layla Triem was 4 for 4.

Kenai opens play at the Division II state tournament at Cartee Fields in Anchorage with Thursday pool play that is used to seed a Friday and Saturday bracket.

The Kardinals play against Sitka at 2:45 p.m. and against Delta at 5 p.m. Kenai has not played either team this season.

The two Southeast teams at the tournament — this season Juneau-Douglas Yadaa.at Kale and Sitka — are considered the teams to beat. Southeast schools have taken the top two spots at the tourney since 2013.

The last time a Southeast team failed to win state was in 2008, when Kodiak won.

In Friday play at the Northern Lights Conference softball tournament in Homer, top-seeded Kodiak clinched a spot in the championship and clinched a Division II state berth, while No. 3 Kenai and No. 5 Homer set up a battle for state.

Kodiak, which was undefeated in league play in the regular season, stayed undefeated at the tournament by topping Kenai 10-0 in five innings.

In the playback bracket, Homer ended the season of No. 6 Houston with an 18-3 victory in three innings, and No. 4 Soldotna knocked off No. 2 Palmer 14-1 in four innings. Homer then kept advancing in the playback bracket with a 16-4 victory in six innings that ended SoHi’s season.

Kodiak 10, Kenai 0

The Bears got to the championship game with the victory in five innings.

Zoey Riley and Avery Ellis each had a hit for Kenai.

Homer 16, Soldotna 4

The Mariners split with the Stars in the regular season, but toppled SoHi for the second time in the tournament.

Soldotna did not score for the first four innings, and by that time Homer led 6-0. The Mariners then scored three times in the fifth and seven times in the sixth.

Becca Trowbridge worked all six innings for Homer, giving up four runs on seven hits while walking five and striking out seven. SoHi’s Kiara “KiKi” Forkner gave up 11 runs — six earned. Isabelle Cruz gave up five runs in 1 1-3 innings.

Ariana Davis had two runs for Homer, while Julie Guess was 2 for 3 with three runs, Alaiyah Brost was 2 for 4 with three RBIs, Emily Owens was 2 for 3 with three runs and two RBIs, Katelyn Cowdrey was 2 for 3 with two runs and two RBIs, and Layla Triem was 2 for 2 with two runs and four RBIs.

Alyssa McDonald had two RBIs for the Stars, while Makynzi Deborski was 2 for 2 with two runs and Bailey Conner was 2 for 2.

Homer 18, Houston 3

The Mariners ended the season of the Hawks with the victory in three innings.

Homer took an 11-0 lead after the first inning to take control of the game.

Ariana Davis pitched the first 2 1-3 innings, giving up an unearned run on a hit while walking one and striking out four. Emily Owens got the last two outs, giving up two runs while walking one.

At the plate for Homer, Davis had three runs, Julie Guess was 2 for 4 with four runs and two RBIs, Becca Trowbridge was 2 for 2 with two runs and two RBIs, Alaiyah Brost had three RBIs, Keagan Niebuhr was 2 for 3 with three RBIs, Charlotte Fraley was 2 for 3 with two runs and two RBIs, and Layla Triem had two runs.

Soldotna 14, Palmer 1

The Stars ended the season of the Moose with the victory in four innings. SoHi had lost to the Moose twice in the regular season.

SoHi took an 11-0 lead after two innings in dominating the game.

Isabelle Cruz limited Palmer from the mound, going all four innings and giving up a run on six hits while walking four and striking out one.

At the plate for Sohi, Kadee Adams had two RBIs, Alyssa McDonald was 2 for 3 with two runs and three RBIs, Brook Fischer was 2 for 4 with two runs, Londyn Deborski was 2 for 3 with four RBIs, Makynzi Deborski was 2 for 2 with two runs, Cruz was 2 for 3 with two runs and two RBIs, and Bailey Conner had two runs.

All-Conference awards

First team — Shanoah Spear, Kodiak; Camryn Frank, Palmer; Hailee Henslee, Kodiak; Ashlyn Bolen, Kodiak; Brook Fischer, Soldotna; Kyana Griskevich, Kenai; Alyssa McDonald, Soldotna; Becca Trowbridge, Homer; Ari Davis, Homer.

Second team — Aurelia Zimin, Palmer; Kailey Stynsberg, Kenai; Danica Howell, Kodiak; Kiara Forkner, Soldotna; Maddie Johnson, Palmer; Addalina Haagenson, Kodiak; Maggie Grenier, Kenai; Morgan Chace, Houston; Aubrie Barrey, Palmer; Taylor Erickson, Houston.

Good sport awards — Emily Owens, Homer; Selene Farris, Palmer; Kasey Cunningham, Soldotna; Teagan Davis, Houston; Scout Devries, Kodiak; Maggie Grenier, Kenai.

MVP — Shanoah Spear, Kodiak.

Coach of the Year — Bob Frates, Kenai.