The Unalaska Giants won their third straight championship at the Labor Day Softball Tournament on Sept. 8 at Kelty Field in Unalaska. The gravel parking lot overflowed as spectators packed the bleachers and hillside to cheer on their favorite players.
The Giants went 7-0 en route to their 2026 championship, defeating the second-seeded Ump Yours in a 20-8 walk-off, mercy-rule victory in the bottom of the fifth inning of the final game. The Giants have a 22-3 overall record since 2024, when the league was revived by the Unalaska Softball Association after a four-year hiatus.
This year’s tournament was organized by the City of Unalaska’s Parks, Culture and Recreation Department, or PCR. PCR also organized the preceding six-week City League softball season, which determined playoff seeding for the Labor Day tournament.
Cynthia Drayton, PCR’s City League coordinator, said there were 75 rostered players representing five teams. Drayton said she thinks the league will continue to grow and have even more teams next year.
At the conclusion of the tournament, the Aiga Warriors were awarded the City League Sportsmanship Award. The Warriors were new to the league this year and featured many first-time softball players.
“By the end of the season, the Warriors were making plays, playing really well together and hitting the ball,” said Olivia Bertelson, the Giants’ first baseman.
Bertelson added that she liked watching the other teams improve throughout the season and hopes teams like the Warriors return next year and that the league continues to grow competitively.
When asked about her own team’s success on the softball field, Bertelson said the Giants’ advantage comes from their consistency from year to year. The team has the same group of core players who are used to playing with each other and know the strengths of their teammates.
