Baseball Preview: Colony Knights vs. Soldotna Stars
The Colony Knights will be playing in front of their home fans against the Soldotna Stars at 6:00 p.m. on Friday.
Colony is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Alaska's top teams: South Anchorage, who was ranked second in their home state at the time (Colony was ranked seventh). Colony lost 11-5 to South Anchorage on Tuesday. Colony has struggled against South Anchorage recently, as their game on Tuesday was their eighth consecutive lost matchup.
Nate Wilson was cooking despite his team's loss, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 1-for-2.
Meanwhile, Soldotna put the finishing touches on their tenth blowout victory of the season on Wednesday. They were the clear victor by a 19-6 margin over Homer. Soldotna's hitters stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most runs they've scored all season.
Derrick Jones made a big impact no matter where he played. He pitched an inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. Jones was even better at the plate, scoring three runs and stealing two bases while getting on base in three of his six plate appearances. He is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as he's now stolen at least one in the last three games he's played.
In other batting news, Matthew Schilling was a standout: he scored three runs and stole five bases while getting on base in four of his six plate appearances. He has been hot recently, having posted at least one stolen base the last three times he's played. Tucker Blough was another key contributor, scoring four runs and stealing four bases while getting on base in three of his five plate appearances.
Colony's defeat dropped their record down to 12-9. As for Soldotna, they have been performing incredibly well recently as they've won eight of their last nine matches, which provided a nice bump to their 12-3 record this season.
Friday's matchup might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Colony has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .577. However, it's not like Soldotna struggles in that department as they've averaged .487. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Colony beat Soldotna 8-5 in their previous meeting back in May of 2023. Does Colony have another victory up their sleeve, or will Soldotna turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
