Retiring teacher, coach urges Colony grads to ‘find their 68’
By Jeremiah Bartz Frontiersman.com A football coach using a hockey reference as the centerpiece for his keynote address may
2 min read
Calling Gabriel Wheeler’s performance at the plate Thursday a “career night,” might even be an understatement.
The Palmer senior hit for the cycle, smacked two home runs, drove in five and scored six times to help the Moose cruise past Delta 29-1 during the ASAA/First National Bank Division II State Baseball Championships quarterfinals at Wasilla High School.
Wheeler hit both of his home runs in the fourth inning, tripled in his first at-bat in the first and doubled in the third. He also threw in a single during the lopsided win.
Wheeler helped push the Moose into the semifinals where they will face Southcentral Conference rival Soldotna Friday at 6 p.m. at WHS.
SoHi beat Kenai in the Southcentral title game last week. Palmer was third.
The Moose finished with 25 hits in the five-inning mercy rule win. Palmer led 14-0 through the third and added a dozen in the fourth.
Reed Craner, Spencer Jacobs and Zander Landon also tripled. Kinan Greco finished 4 for 5, with two RBI and three runs scored. Jacobs was 4 for 5, with four driven in and two runs.
Soldotna beat Kodiak 6-2.
In the other semifinal, Kenai will play North Pole. The Patriots beat Monroe Catholic 14-4. The Kards got past Kena Central 11-7.
South Anchorage rallied to spoil Colony’s bid for a spot in the Division I semifinals.
The Wolverines scored four in the top of the seventh and edged the Knights 5-4 Thursday in the Division I quarterfinals at Mulcahy Stadium in Anchorage.
The Knights took a 2-1 lead into the final inning. After South’s four runs in the top of the seventh, Colony was able to plate two in the bottom of the inning but fell just short.
The Knights trailed 1-0 early, but Nathanael Wilson and Jaren Venie both scored on a South error to give Colony the lead.
The Knights will now play Juneau-Douglas Friday at 10 a.m. in an elimination game.
In the Division I semifinals, Service will play Sitka and South will face Eagle River.
Contact the Frontiersman at sports@frontiersman.com.
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