The Monroe Catholic Rams will face off against the Palmer Moose at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday. The two teams are sauntering into the matchup backed by comfortable wins in their prior games.
Monroe Catholic is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Alaska's top teams: Hutchison, who was ranked 25th at the time (Monroe Catholic was ranked 20th). The Rams never let the Hawks get on the board and left with a 36-0 victory on Tuesday. The Rams' hitters stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most runs they've scored all season.
Max Yost
| 05/07/26 vs North Pole | 6 |
| 04/15/26 vs Wasilla | 4 |
| 04/18/26 vs Colony | 3 |
| 05/02/26 @ Grace Christian | 2 |
| 04/17/26 vs South Anchorage | 1 |
Max Yost made a splash while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. He also tossed no earned runs, which is notable because Monroe Catholic is 2-1 when he allows at most two earned runs, but 2-5-1 otherwise. Yost was also big at the plate, getting on base in four of his six plate appearances with three RBI and two runs. Those three RBI gave him a new career-high.
In other batting news, Brian Bast was a standout: he went a perfect 2-for-2 with four stolen bases, three runs, and three RBI. He is becoming a predictor of Monroe Catholic's success: when he posts at least two runs the team is undefeated (and 1-6-1 when he doesn't). Another player making a difference was Isaiah Snow, who got on base in five of his six plate appearances with six runs, three stolen bases, and one RBI.
Monroe Catholic always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .755. They are a perfect 4-0 when they post an OBP of .513 or better.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Palmer, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Saturday. They blew past Wasilla 11-1 on Tuesday. Considering the Moose have won six contests by more than five runs this season, Tuesday's blowout was nothing new.
Timothy Bridgman was a major factor no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run while striking out six over five innings pitched. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in six consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-3 with one home run and two RBI.
Palmer pushed their record up to 6-4 with the win, which was their fourth straight at home. The home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 12.5 runs over those games. As for Monroe Catholic, their win bumped their record up to 4-6-1.
Monroe Catholic suffered a grim 9-3 defeat to Palmer in their previous matchup two weeks ago. Will the Rams have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other baseball content.
