The Soldotna Stars will challenge the Service Cougars at 5:15 p.m. on Friday. The last three games Soldotna has played have been within two runs, so don't be surprised if it's a close one.
Soldotna is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Alaska's top teams: Wasilla, who was ranked fifth at the time (Soldotna was ranked tenth). The Stars skirted past the Warriors 8-6. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Stars have posted since May 25, 2024.
Colby Sturman made a big impact no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and allowing only two hits while striking out eight over five innings pitched. Sturman was also big at the plate, going a perfect 3-for-3 with two RBI, one run, and one double. That's the most RBI he has posted since back in May of 2024.
Matthew Schilling
| 05/01/25 @ Wasilla | 2 |
| 04/26/25 vs Wasilla | 2 |
| 04/24/25 vs West Valley | 2 |
| 04/03/25 @ Sitka | 2 |
| 04/04/25 vs Juneau-Douglas | 1 |
| + 1 more games |
In other batting news, Matthew Schilling was incredible, getting on base in three of his five plate appearances with two stolen bases, two runs, and one triple. He is becoming a predictor of Soldotna's success: when he posts at least two stolen bases the team is 2-0-2 (and 1-7 when he doesn't). Another player making a difference was Brett Hostetler, who went 2-for-3 with three RBI, one run, and one double.
Soldotna always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .571. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Meanwhile, Service put another one in the bag on Tuesday to keep their perfect season alive. Everything went their way against West Anchorage as they made off with an 11-5 victory. The Cougars might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won five matchups by six runs or more this season.
Braun Precosky was a major factor while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he tossed three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than two hits in four consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with one stolen base, two RBI, and one run.
In other batting news, Palmer Dalton and Sage Garsha did most of the damage at the plate: Dalton got on base in all three of his plate appearances with two runs and one RBI, while Garsha got on base in three of his five plate appearances with two stolen bases and two runs. Casey Stoops was another key player, going a perfect 2-for-2 with one run and one RBI.
Service pushed their record up to 8-0 with the win, which was their 13th straight on the road dating back to last season. Those road victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.9 runs on average over those games. As for Soldotna, their win bumped their record up to 3-7-2.
Soldotna might still be hurting after the 15-7 loss they got from Service in their previous matchup last Wednesday. Can the Stars avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
