The Wasilla Warriors will square off against the Chugiak Mustangs at 6:30 a.m. on Monday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Wasilla is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Alaska's top teams: Bettye Davis East Anchorage, who was ranked 17th at the time (Wasilla was ranked eighth). The Warriors never let the Thunderbirds get on the board and left with a 10-0 victory on Friday. The Warriors have beaten the Thunderbirds the last three times they've met, but they better watch out: this was the closest the Thunderbirds has come to flipping the script.
LaLo PaLomares
| 05/09/25 vs Bettye Davis East Anchorage | 8 |
| 05/05/25 vs South Anchorage | 1 |
| 05/03/25 vs West Valley | 1 |
| 04/26/25 vs Soldotna | 4 |
| 04/23/25 vs West Anchorage | 4 |
| + 6 more games |
LaLo PaLomares was a major factor no matter where he played. On the mound, he didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit while striking out eight over four innings pitched. That's the most strikeouts he has posted since back in May of 2024. He was also big at the plate, going 1-for-3 with three runs and one stolen base.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Ramon Guzman, who went 2-for-3 with one home run and four RBI. Those four RBI gave him a new career-high. Whalen Havlerson was another key player, going a perfect 3-for-3 with two runs and one RBI.
Meanwhile, Chugiak hadn't done well against South Anchorage recently (they were 1-8 in their previous nine matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Saturday. The Mustangs put the hurt on the Wolverines with a sharp 13-3 win. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Mustangs.
Jonah Shearer looked comfortable as he pitched three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than one hit in four consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Sampson Young was a standout: he went 2-for-3 with four RBI, two runs, and one triple. That triple marked the first that he has hit this season. Another player making a difference was Owen Dockstader, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with two stolen bases, three runs, and two RBI.
Chugiak kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 14 hits. They are 3-1 when they post 11 or more hits.
Chugiak's victory bumped their record up to 5-7. As for Wasilla, their win bumped their record up to 12-4-1.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Monday as neither team is afraid to steal. Wasilla has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 4.1 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Chugiak struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 3.5 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Wasilla suffered a grim 19-9 defeat to Chugiak in their previous meeting back in May of 2024. Can the Warriors avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
