Softball Game Preview: Homer Mariners vs. Palmer Moose

Homer is 2-8 against Palmer since May of 2023 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Friday. The Mariners will host the Moose at 2:00 p.m. The two teams are strolling into their contests after big wins in their previous games.

Homer is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Alaska's top teams: Kenai Central, who was ranked 15th at the time (Homer was ranked 13th). The Mariners put the hurt on the Kardinals with a sharp 13-1 win on Wednesday. The high-scoring effort was just what the Mariners needed considering they were shut out in their previous matchup.

The team relied heavily on Amakah Stineff, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with four RBI, two doubles, and one run. That's the most RBI she has posted over her last 13 games. Another player making a difference was Almalinda Norman, who went 1-for-2 with two runs, one stolen base, and two RBI.

Homer was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .524. They are 5-2 when they post a batting average of .375 or better.

The home team had come away the winner the last five times Palmer and Kenai Central had met, but sadly for the fans who attended this one that wasn't the case. The Moose blew past the Kardinals 13-3 on Thursday. The Moose might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won seven contests by eight runs or more this season.

Palmer's victory was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 10-8. The road wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 16.0 runs over those games. As for Homer, their victory bumped their record up to 5-7-1.

Homer couldn't quite finish off Palmer in their previous matchup back in May of 2025 and fell 17-15. Can the Mariners avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.