Moose win region baseball title

PALMER — It took an extra inning, but the Palmer Moose made school history.

Palmer scored four runs in the eighth and earned a 10-7 win over rival Colony in the Southcentral Conference Championships title game Friday night in Homer.

With the win, Palmer advances to an ASAA-sanctioned tournament for the first time in school history. It’s also the first time since 1996 that the Moose earned a conference crown.

Anthony Jones drew a bases loaded walk to push James Nelson across the plate and start the scoring for the Moose in the extra inning. Keegan Norman scored on a Colony error, Cade Holland scored on a Skyler Hale sacrifice and Jones crossed the plate on a Alasdair McKechnie ground out in the eighth.

Colony’s Trace Severson was able to score on a Palmer error in the bottom of the inning to cut Palmer’s lead to three runs, but Hale, pitching in relief, retired two of the final three batters he faced.

Palmer entered the tourney as the No. 7 seed in the bracket, but beat second-seeded Homer, sixth-seeded Grace Christian and fourth-seeded Colony en route to the title.

Kalen Huddleston earned the start on the mound for Palmer, and allowed six hits and four earned runs over 5 2/3. He fanned four and walked three. Hale earned the win in relief, pitching 2 1/3. Jones drove in a team-high three runs for the Moose. Nelson collected two hits, two runs and two RBI. Hale and McKechnie drove in two runs each. Norman also scored twice.

Kolten Ketchem and Zach Satterly led the Knights with two hits each. Severson scored twice for Colony.

Colony took a quick 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first. Palmer answered with four in the third. Palmer took a 6-4 lead in the top of the sixth, but Colony scored twice in the bottom of the inning to tie the game.

Both teams advanced to the region title games with wins earlier in the day. Palmer crushed Grace 17-4. Colony edged top-seeded Kodiak 3-1.

Norman and Holland finished with three RBI each during Palmer’s win over the Grizzlies. Nelson scored four runs. Norman, Holland and Brady Shults scored three runs each.

Colony used two runs in the top of the six to edge Kodiak. Ketchum drove in two runs.

Wasilla eliminated the top two seeds Friday to stay alive in the double-elimination bracket. Wasilla started its day with an 11-2 win over second-seeded Homer and followed with a t10-2 victory over top-seeded Kodiak.

Taylon Ottinger finished 4 for 4, drove in two and scored one during the win over the Mariners. Balau Buckmaster added two hits, two runs and two RBI.

Dawson White was 3 of 4 with three RBI against the Bears. Kyle Graham and James Arend scored three runs each.

Colony and Wasilla are both still alive for the conference’s final state tournament bid. Wasilla plays Grace Saturday at 9 a.m. in Homer. The winner of that game will play Colony at noon for the final spot in state.

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