Palmer and Kodiak are an even 5-5 against one another since May of 2021, but likely not for long. The Moose will host the Bears at 6:30 p.m. on Friday. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty run totals in their previous games.
Palmer is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Alaska's top teams: Redington, who was ranked 16th at the time (Palmer was ranked 14th). The Moose blew past the Huskies 14-3 on Wednesday. The Moose haven't had any issues with the Huskies recently, as the game was their ninth consecutive victory against them.
Reed Craner and Brian Hartman made a big impact no matter where they played. Throwing, Craner tossed three innings while giving up just one earned run off two hits. Meanwhile, Hartman pitched 1.1 innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. He also tossed no walks, which is notable because Palmer is 3-1 when he allows at most two walks, but 1-4 otherwise. At the plate, Craner went 1-for-2 with three RBI, two runs, and one stolen base, while Hartman went 1-for-3 with two runs and one stolen base. That's the most RBI Craner has posted since back in May of 2024.
Avery Shults
| 05/07/25 vs Redington | 3 |
| 04/29/25 @ Colony | 2 |
| 05/20/24 @ Redington | 2 |
| 04/23/24 vs Redington | 2 |
| 05/01/25 vs Grace Christian | 1 |
In other batting news, Avery Shults was incredible, going a perfect 3-for-3 with one home run, five RBI, and two runs. Those three hits gave him a new career-high. Mason Miller was another key player, getting on base in all three of his plate appearances with three runs, one stolen base, and one RBI.
Palmer always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .531. They are a perfect 3-0 when they post an OBP of .513 or better.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Kodiak). They walked away with a 14-11 win over Houston on Thursday. That's two games straight that the Bears have won by exactly three runs.
Jeremy Mahle was a major factor while hitting and pitching. He pitched one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than one hit in five consecutive appearances. He was also stellar in the batter's box, going 4-for-5 with two runs, one stolen base, and two RBI. That stolen base marked the first that he has snagged this season.
In other batting news, Boe McCarthy and Jonah Arndt did most of the damage at the plate: McCarthy went 2-for-3 with three RBI, one stolen base, and one run, while Arndt got on base in three of his five plate appearances with four stolen bases and two runs. Arndt has been hot recently, having posted two or more stolen bases the last three times he's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Collin Gibbs, who went a perfect 1-for-1 with two stolen bases and two runs.
Kodiak is on a roll lately: they've won three of their last four matchups. That's provided a nice bump to their 4-7 record this season. The victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 7.3 runs over those games. As for Palmer, their win bumped their record up to 4-5.
Friday's game might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Palmer has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .437. However, it's not like Kodiak struggles in that department as they've averaged .442. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Palmer took their victory against Kodiak in their previous matchup back in May of 2024 by a conclusive 16-1 score. Will the Moose repeat their success, or do the Bears have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
