The Service Cougars will take on the Soldotna Stars at 5:15 p.m. on Friday. Service is currently enjoying a perfect season and no doubt wants to keep things rolling.
Service is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Alaska's top teams: West Anchorage, who was ranked 13th at the time (Service was ranked second). The Cougars put the hurt on the Eagles with a sharp 11-5 victory on Tuesday. The result was nothing new for the Cougars, who have now won five games by six runs or more so far this season.
Braun Precosky
| 04/29/25 @ West Anchorage | 4 |
| 04/19/25 @ Chugiak | 3 |
| 04/27/24 vs Eagle River | 2 |
| 04/24/25 vs Colony | 1 |
| 04/19/24 vs South Anchorage | 1 |
Braun Precosky was a major factor no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, tossing three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. The dominant performance also gave him a new career-high in strikeouts (four). He was also big at the plate, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with one stolen base, two RBI, and one run.
In other batting news, Service let Palmer Dalton and Sage Garsha run wild. Dalton got on base in all three of his plate appearances with two runs and one RBI, while Garsha got on base in three of his five plate appearances with two stolen bases and two runs. That's the most runs Dalton has posted since back in May of 2024. The team also got some help courtesy of Gideon Lesslie, who went 1-for-2 with two RBI.
Meanwhile, Soldotna hadn't done well against Wasilla recently (they were 1-7-1 in their previous nine matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Thursday. The Stars had just enough and edged out the Warriors 8-6. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Stars have posted since May 25, 2024.
Like Service, Soldotna also got a great game from a two-way player: Colby Sturman. On the mound, he didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits while striking out eight over five innings pitched. Sturman was also stellar in the batter's box, going a perfect 3-for-3 with two RBI, one run, and one double. Those RBI were his first of the season.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Matthew Schilling, who got on base in three of his five plate appearances with two stolen bases, two runs, and one triple. He is becoming a predictor of Soldotna's success: when he posts at least two stolen bases the team is 2-0-2 (and 1-7 when he doesn't). Ari Miller also deserves some recognition as he hit his first double of the season.
Soldotna always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .571. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Service's victory was their 13th straight on the road dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 8-0. The road wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.9 runs on average over those games. As for Soldotna, their record now sits at 3-7-2.
Service took their victory against Soldotna in their previous meeting last Wednesday by a conclusive 15-7 score. Do the Cougars have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Stars turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
