vs
| 04/21/25 - Away | 13-0 W |
| 05/07/24 - Away | 16-0 W |
| 05/15/23 - Away | 12-2 W |
| 05/11/23 - Home | 10-0 W |
| 04/27/23 - Away | 22-0 W |
| + 4 more games |
Service is a perfect 9-0 against Bartlett since May of 2018 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Thursday. The Cougars will head out to take on the Golden Bears at 5:15 p.m. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Service has 23 straight victories, Bartlett has eight straight losses), but none of that matters once you're on the field.
Service is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Alaska's top teams: South Anchorage, who was ranked first at the time (Service was ranked second). The Cougars put the hurt on the Wolverines with a sharp 17-9 win on Wednesday. The Cougars' hitters stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most runs they've scored all season.
Weston Gracey made a big impact no matter where he played. On the mound, he didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit over 4.2 innings pitched. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than two walks in four consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, getting on base in all four of his plate appearances with three RBI, two doubles, and one run. Those three RBI gave him a new career-high.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Rilen Niclai, who got on base in four of his five plate appearances with four stolen bases and three runs. That's the most stolen bases he has posted since back in April of 2024. The team also got some help courtesy of Braun Precosky, who got on base in three of his four plate appearances with two stolen bases, two runs, and one RBI.
Service always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .641. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Meanwhile, Bartlett fell victim to Bettye Davis East Anchorage and their airtight pitching crew on Monday. They took a 3-0 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Thunderbirds. Give some credit to the fans of both teams: the last three times they've met, the home team has come away the winner.
Service's victory was their 14th straight on the road dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 10-0. Those road wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.4 runs on average over those games. As for Bartlett, their defeat dropped their record down to 0-6.
Bartlett's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Service has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .461. It's a different story for Bartlett, though, as they've only averaged .275. Will they be able to contain Service's hitters?
Everything went Service's way against Bartlett in their previous matchup back in April, as Service made off with a 13-0 victory. Will the Cougars repeat their success, or do the Golden Bears have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
