Moose score first state baseball win in school history; Knights fall in semis

ANCHORAGE — The Palmer Moose continue to make school history.

Palmer, competing in the state baseball tournament for the first time, scored its first state tournament win in program history, a 4-3 victory over West Valley during the second day of the ASAA/First National Bank State Baseball Championships Friday afternoon at Mulcahy Stadium in Anchorage.

“Winning the region title and getting to state, we accomplished those things,” Palmer head coach Dave Combs said of his team’s primary goals for the 2018 season. “A win in state is an added bonus.”

The win was also Palmer’s 11th this season, which breaks the prior mark of 10 set in 2011. Combs said breaking that school record was not necessarily something the team talked about.

“We want to win as many games as possible,” Combs said.

But it’s another achievement to add to Palmer’s historic 2018 season. And Palmer has another shot at a victory. Palmer moved into the bracket’s fourth-place game, and will play Chugiak Saturday at 10 a.m. at Mulcahy.

Keagan Norman went the distance on the mound and Cade Holland provided a key two-run single for Palmer in the win over the Wolfpack. Norman scattered seven hits over seven innings, and allowed two earned runs.

“He pitched very well,” Combs said “I’m very happy. It was probably one of his best games of the year.”

Combs said Norman settled in after West Valley scored twice in the top of the first. Combs said getting a complete game out of Norman was key for the Moose, who are alive to play another day.

Palmer trailed 3-0, but jumped on top with a four-run third inning. Alasdair McKechnie led off with a single and scored when James Nelson reached on an error to put the Moose on the scoreboard. With two outs, Holland singled and drove in both Nelson and Brady Shults, who doubled earlier in the inning, to tie the score at 3. Holland scored the go-ahead run when Skyler Hale drew a walk with the bases loaded.

Palmer opened its tournament with a tough 14-0 loss to South Anchorage Thursday in the quarterfinals. Combs said he was happy to see his players bounce back.

“They could have just rolled over,” Combs said.

Combs said his players were nervous Thursday playing in their first state tournament game, but that changed Friday.

“It wasn’t even close. Everybody was way more comfortable,” Combs said.

Knights fall in semifinals

A night after scoring a walk-off win in the quarterfinals, Colony enjoyed another big inning in the bottom of the seventh. But it wasn’t enough.

Colony scored four runs in the final inning of a 10-6 loss to Juneau-Douglas during the ASAA/First National Bank State Baseball Championships semifinals Friday at Mulcahy Stadium in Anchorage.

Zach Satterly hit a base-clearing single during Colony’s four-run seventh. Carson McLaughlin sparked Colony’s attempt at the late rally with a leadoff single in the inning, and later scored when Cooper Smith drew a bases-loaded walk. Smith, Kolten Ketchum and Joe Ryan all scored on the Satterly single.

Juneau jumped to a quick 6-0 lead in the second and added four runs in the fourth.

Colony is still alive in the state tourney, and will face Ketchikan Saturday at 1p.m. in the third-place game.

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