The Palmer Moose will head out on the road to face off against the Service Cougars at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (Palmer 3.9, Service 2) so any runs scored will be well earned.
Palmer made up a huge gap compared to their last game against Chugiak, but they still couldn't quite topple them. The Moose fell just short of the Mustangs by a score of 7-5 on Friday. The Moose's defeat signaled the end of their four-game winning streak.
Tristan Barrey was cooking despite his team's loss, going 2-for-4 with two stolen bases and one double. That double was his first of the season.
Meanwhile, Service strolled into their game on Friday with a perfect record and they left with the same. They were the clear victors by an 11-1 margin over West Anchorage. The Cougars might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won seven contests by seven runs or more this season.
Noah Cummings made a splash while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, pitching two innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits. 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, going a perfect 2-for-2 with two runs, one stolen base, and one double.
In other pitching news, Service gave Ashton Miller the start and clearly made the right call: he pitched two innings while giving up just one earned run off one hit. Miller has been consistent: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in five consecutive appearances.
Back at the plate, Service let Rilen Niclai and Kegan Lennox run wild. 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 was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .522. That's the best batting average they've posted all season.
Service's record now sits at 10-0. As for Palmer, their loss dropped their record down to 5-3.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Saturday as neither team is afraid to steal. Palmer has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 4.5 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Service struggles in that department as they've been averaging 4.7 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more. Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
