Kenai Central proved they can win big last Saturday (they won by 13) and on Friday they proved they can win the close ones too. They had just enough and edged out the Homer Mariners 5-4. The Kardinals haven't had any issues with the Mariners recently, as the game was their fifth consecutive victory against them.
Jacob Joanis made a splash no matter where he played. He struck out 16 batters over 6.2 innings while giving up just two earned (and two unearned) runs off four hits. Joanis was also solid in the batter's box, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with two runs, one stolen base, and one RBI. He is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as he's now snagged at least one in each of the last four games he's played.
Riel Castillo
| 05/22/26 @ Homer | 3 |
| 05/16/26 @ Grace Christian | 2 |
| 05/14/26 @ Houston | 2 |
| 05/06/26 vs Soldotna | 2 |
| 05/15/26 @ Redington | 1 |
In other batting news, Riel Castillo was excellent, going 3-for-4 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one double. Those three hits gave him a new career-high. Dominic Smith was another key player, getting on base in two of his four plate appearances with two stolen bases and one run.
Kenai Central's record now sits at 10-2. As for Homer, they are on a three-game losing streak that has dropped them down to 6-7-1.
Coincidentally, Kenai Central and Homer will both be playing Houston the next time they take the field. The Mariners will host the Hawks at 6:00 p.m. on Friday, while the Kardinals will host them at 12:00 p.m. on Saturday.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
