The Homer Mariners will challenge the Kodiak Bears at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday. Both come into the game bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Homer is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Friday. They came out on top against Palmer by a score of 5-2.
Henry Wedvick spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered only one earned (and one unearned) run on six hits and racked up nine Ks. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in three consecutive appearances.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Weston Marley, who went 2-for-3 with one stolen base and one run. That's the most hits he has posted since back in May of 2024. Another player making a difference was Cohen Boyd, who got on base in three of his four plate appearances with one run and one RBI.
Meanwhile, Kodiak faced Houston in a battle between two of the state's top teams on Friday. The Bears were the clear victors by a 10-3 margin over the Hawks. For those keeping track at home, that's the biggest victory the Bears have posted against the Hawks since May 11, 2022.
Robert Anderson made a splash no matter where he played. He struck out six batters over 2.2 innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit (and only one walk). He also tossed no earned runs, which is notable because Kodiak is 2-1 when he allows at most two earned runs, but 5-12 otherwise. Anderson was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-3 with one stolen base, one run, and one double.
In other batting news, Kodiak got a massive performance out of Jonah Arndt, who got on base in three of his four plate appearances with three stolen bases and three runs. The Bears are 4-2 when Arndt posts two or more runs, but 3-11 otherwise. Gavin Peterson was another key player, going 1-for-4 with two stolen bases, three RBI, and one run.
Homer's record now sits at 12-9. As for Kodiak, the win snapped their losing streak at three games and leaves them with a 7-13 record.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Saturday as neither team is afraid to steal. Homer has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.5 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Kodiak struggles in that department as they've been averaging 5.9 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Homer couldn't quite finish off Kodiak when the teams last played last Thursday and fell 2-0. Can the Mariners avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
