Kodiak and Palmer are an even 5-5 against one another since May of 2021, but likely not for long. The Bears will head out on the road to take on the Moose at 6:30 p.m. on Friday. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty run totals in their previous games.
As a matter of fact, Kodiak put up the most runs they have all season on Thursday. They walked away with a 14-11 win over Houston. That's two games straight that the Bears have won by exactly three runs.
Jeremy Mahle
| 05/08/25 @ Houston | 2 |
| 04/26/25 vs Redington | 1 |
| 04/25/25 vs Redington | 1 |
| 04/11/25 vs Wasilla | 1 |
Jeremy Mahle made a big impact while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he pitched one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. He has been consistent: he hasn't given up more than one hit in five consecutive appearances. He was even better at the plate, going 4-for-5 with two runs, one stolen base, and two RBI. Those two RBI gave him a new career-high.
In other batting news, Boe McCarthy and Jonah Arndt did most of the damage at the plate: McCarthy went 2-for-3 with three RBI, one stolen base, and one run, while Arndt got on base in three of his five plate appearances with four stolen bases and two runs. Arndt is becoming a predictor of Kodiak's success: when he posts at least two runs the team is 2-1 (and 2-6 when he doesn't). The team also got some help courtesy of Collin Gibbs, who went a perfect 1-for-1 with two stolen bases and two runs.
Kodiak kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 16 hits. That's a new trend for them: they were averaging 4.5 hits per game earlier this season, but in their last 15 contests they've averaged 10.2.
Meanwhile, Palmer faced Redington in a battle between two of the state's top teams on Wednesday. The Moose put the hurt on the Huskies with a sharp 14-3 victory. The win continues a trend for the Moose in their matchups with the Huskies: they've now won nine in a row.
Reed Craner and Brian Hartman were major factors no matter where they played. On the mound, Craner pitched three innings while giving up just one earned run off two hits. Meanwhile, Hartman pitched 1.1 innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. At the plate, Craner went 1-for-2 with three RBI, two runs, and one stolen base, while Hartman went 1-for-3 with two runs and one stolen base.
In other batting news, Avery Shults was incredible, going a perfect 3-for-3 with one home run, five RBI, and two runs. He also put up a double, which was his first of the season. Another player making a difference was Mason Miller, who got on base in all three of his plate appearances with three runs, one stolen base, and one RBI.
Kodiak has been performing well recently as they've won three of their last four matches. That's provided a massive bump to their 4-7 record this season. The victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 7.3 runs over those games. As for Palmer, their win bumped their record up to 4-5.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Friday as neither team is afraid to steal. Kodiak has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 6.5 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Palmer struggles in that department as they've been averaging 5.1 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Kodiak suffered a grim 16-1 defeat to Palmer in their previous meeting back in May of 2024. Can the Bears avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
