The Service Cougars will square off against the Palmer Moose at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday. 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 12th at the time (Service was ranked second). The Cougars put the hurt on the Eagles with a sharp 11-1 victory on Friday. The result was nothing new for the Cougars, who have now won seven games by seven runs or more so far this season.
Noah Cummings was a major factor while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than two hits in four consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, going a perfect 2-for-2 with two runs, one stolen base, and one double.
Ashton Miller
| 05/08/26 vs West Anchorage | 1 |
| 05/04/26 @ Bettye Davis East Anchorage | 0 |
| 04/28/26 @ South Anchorage | 1 |
| 04/22/26 vs Eagle River | 1 |
| 04/14/26 @ Eagle River | 1 |
In other pitching news, Ashton Miller got the start for Service and what a start it was: he pitched two innings while giving up just one earned run off one hit. Miller has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in five consecutive appearances.
Back at the plate, Rilen Niclai and Kegan Lennox did most of the damage at the plate: Niclai got on base in all four of his plate appearances with three runs, one stolen base, and one double, while Lennox went 2-for-3 with three RBI, two runs, and one double. Niclai has been hot, having posted at least one stolen base the last five times he's played. Another player making a difference was Takumi Kosaka, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with one double and one RBI.
Service hit smart and finished the game with only one strikeout. The team has now struck out at least five batters in four consecutive contests.
Meanwhile, after a string of four wins, Palmer's good fortune finally ran out on Friday. They fell just short of Chugiak by a score of 7-5.
Tristan Barrey was cooking despite his team's loss, going 2-for-4 with two stolen bases and one double. That double marked the first that he has hit this season.
Service's win bumped their record up to 10-0. As for Palmer, their defeat dropped their record down to 5-3.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Saturday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Service has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8.9 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Palmer struggles in that department as they've been averaging 6.9 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one. Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other baseball content.
