The Service Cougars will square off against the Dimond Lynx at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Service is coming into the game hot, having won their last four games.
Service is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Thursday. They walked away with a 9-4 victory over Soldotna.
Connor Monahan spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered three earned (and one unearned) runs on seven hits. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than two walks in nine consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Casey Stoops, who went 3-for-4 with two runs and one RBI. Another player making a difference was Sage Garsha, who earned two RBI, one run, and one stolen base.
They weren't the only ones making solid contact: Service kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. That's the most hits they've posted since back in May.
Meanwhile, Dimond faced Palmer in a battle between two of the state's top teams on Thursday. The Lynx came out on top against the Moose by a score of 5-2.
Dimond also let their pitcher toss all seven innings and he was also dialed-in: Jaden Estigo gave up just two earned runs on seven hits and racked up eight Ks.
At the plate, Dimond's win was truly a team effort as five different players contributed at least one hit. One of them was Drew Dittman, who went 3-for-4 with one stolen base and one RBI.
Service's record is now 19-2. As for Dimond, their record now sits at 15-8.
Everything went Service's way against Dimond when the teams last played last Thursday, as Service made off with an 11-1 victory. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Cougars since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
