Houston hasn't had much luck against Palmer recently, but that could start to change on Saturday. The Hawks will square off against the Moose at 12:00 p.m. Houston has given up an average of 8.5 runs per game this season, but Saturday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
Houston came into this matchup off a tough 17-run defeat on Tuesday. This time they kept things ultra-competitive, but unfortunately the final result was the same. They fell just short of Kodiak by a score of 14-12 on Thursday. Even though they lost, the Hawks' still made a splash at the plate and bumped their average scoring up to 6.8 runs per game (they're now ranked -1th in scoring overall).
Sebastian Sanford
| 05/08/25 vs Kodiak | 3 |
| 04/30/25 vs Grace Christian | 2 |
| 04/24/25 vs Monroe Catholic | 2 |
Sebastian Sanford was huge while hitting and pitching even without the win. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out seven batters over 5.2 innings while giving up just one earned (and three unearned) runs off five hits. Sanford was also big at the plate, going 1-for-4 with three runs, one stolen base, and two RBI. He is becoming a predictor of Houston's success: when he posts at least two runs the team is 2-1 (and 1-2 when he doesn't).
In other batting news, Ryan Preboski made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and went 2-for-4 with two stolen bases, three runs, and four RBI. Ty Sonnentag also deserves some recognition as he snagged his first stolen base of the season.
Meanwhile, Palmer faced Kodiak in a battle between two of the state's top teams on Friday. The Moose put the hurt on the Bears with a sharp 15-5 victory. The result was nothing new for the Moose, who have now won three contests by ten runs or more so far this season.
Palmer let Mason Miller and Reed Craner run wild. Miller got on base in all five of his plate appearances with two stolen bases, two runs, and two doubles, while Craner went 3-for-5 with four runs, one stolen base, and two RBI. That's the most runs Craner has posted since back in May of 2024. The team also got some help courtesy of Tristan Barrey, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with two runs, one stolen base, and one RBI.
Palmer always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .585. They are a perfect 4-0 when they post an OBP of .513 or better.
Palmer is on a roll lately: they've won three of their last four games. That's provided a massive bump to their 5-5 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.8 runs on average over those games. As for Houston, this is the second loss in a row for them and nudges their season record down to 3-3.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Saturday as neither team is afraid to steal. Houston has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 2.7 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.
Houston might still be hurting after the 12-2 loss they got from Palmer when the teams last played back in May of 2024. Can the Hawks avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
