The Service Cougars will face off against the Chugiak Mustangs at 4:00 p.m. on Saturday. Service is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 8.4 runs per game this season.
Service is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Alaska's top teams: Colony, who was ranked sixth at the time (Service was ranked first). The Cougars had just enough and edged out the Knights 3-2. The Cougars haven't had any issues with the Knights recently, as the game was their third consecutive win against them.
Ashton Miller spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered only one earned (and one unearned) run on three hits.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Rilen Niclai, who went 1-for-2 with one run, one double, and one RBI.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Chugiak, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Wednesday. Their pitcher stepped up to hand Bartlett a 15-0 shutout on Friday. The Mustangs might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won five matchups by six runs or more this season.
Cole Lux was incredible, going a perfect 2-for-2 with three RBI, one stolen base, and one run. Those three RBI gave him a new career-high. Jack Carron was another key player, going 1-for-2 with one triple, two RBI, and one run.
Chugiak was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .375. They are 3-1 when they post a batting average of .375 or better.
Service's victory was their ninth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 15-1. The home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.6 runs on average over those games. As for Chugiak, they have been performing well recently as they've won three of their last four games. That's provided a massive bump to their 6-8 record this season.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Saturday as neither team is afraid to steal. Service has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 4.7 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Chugiak struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 3.4 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Service skirted past Chugiak 7-5 when the teams last played back in April. Will the Cougars repeat their success, or do the Mustangs have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
