Knights score win over Soldotna

WASILLA - Colony jumped out to a quick start, but the Knights had to hold on.

Colony reliever Trace Severson allowed only a hit and no runs over the final 2 2/3 innings to help the Knights cement a 6-4 Southcentral Conference victory over Soldotna Friday afternoon at Wasilla High School.

“Trace stepped in and threw great,” Colony head coach Jordan Chadwell said after the victory. “He's been clutch since he was a freshman, and has been getting better and better.”

With the Knights leading 6-4, Severson forced, arguably, a game-saving double play in the top of the fifth inning. Earlier in the inning, Soldotna had tagged Colony starting pitcher Kolten Ketchum for a pair of runs to cut Colony's lead in half. With Severson on the mound and Ketchum in the infield, Ketchum fielded a sharp grounder at shortstop and started the inning-ending double play.

“It was a huge,” Chadwell said of the play. “Soldotna's a good team.”

In temperatures that stayed in the low 40s throughout the game, Ketchum pitched into the fifth.

“He pitched great,” Chadwell said. “He was really, really good for us.”

Cooper Smith and Zach Satterly each drove in a pair of runs to help Colony improve to 2-0. Severson and Ketchum scored two runs each. Colony scored three times in each of the first two innings, and took a 6-1 lead into the third.

“We started off strong,” Chadwell said. “That made a huge difference.”

Satterly gave Colony the early lead, using a single to drive in Severson and Ketchum. Smith scored to give Colony the 3-0 lead on a Kaden Ketchum single late in the first inning.

In the second, Smith pushed Colony's lead to 5-0 with a single that drove in Severson and Joe Ryan. Jeremy Allen also had an RBI single in the inning.

Caleb Spence put Soldotna on the scoreboard in the top of the second, with an RBI single. Hunter Thompson scored on the play. In the third, Cody Quelland doubled and scored on a Brandon Crowder single.

The Quelland-Crowder combo added another run in the fifth for the Stars, with Quelland scoring from second on a Crowder single. Logan Smith dove in Crowder to cut Colony's lead to 6-4.

Crowder, Thompson and Smith collected two hits each for SoHi.

Soldotna caps its road trip against Wasilla Saturday at 2 p.m. at Wasilla High School.

Knights drill Kenai

Colony opened its 2018 season with a 19-9 victory over the Kenai Kardinals Thursday afternoon at Wasilla High School.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.