Prep baseball: Moose rally, edge rival

WASILLA — After Wasilla scored four quick runs to take an early first-inning lead, Palmer head coach Dave Combs reminded his team that there was plenty of baseball still to be played.

The Moose were in a hole, but found a way to dig themselves out. Despite trailing by as much as 10-3, Palmer scored seven runs during the final three innings to earn a 12-11 come-from-behind victory over the Warriors at Carl Fritzler Field in Wasilla.

“It’s the don’t-quit attitude,” Palmer junior Luke Heun said. “It’s like what coach said from the start. The game’s long, seven innings. Keep on going. It’s not won or lost in the first inning.”

Palmer pulled within three runs in the fifth inning and exploded for four runs in the top of the seventh.

With Wasilla leading 11-8, Palmer loaded the bases with a Heun infield single and consecutive walks. Heun scored when Augustus Topp reached on a Wasilla error. That cut Wasilla’s lead to 11-9.

Again with the bases loaded, Brennan Harrison drew another walk to drive in another run.

With the Moose down by run, and the bases loaded, Combs called for a bunt to squeeze in a run.

The squeeze didn’t work, the Palmer runner was tagged out at home, but the Moose kept going.

“I needed to score that run in the seventh inning. Granted, I didn’t get that run then, but they didn’t give up either,” Combs said.

Palmer tied the game at 11 when Topp scored on an Adam Taylor fielder’s choice.

With two outs in the top of the seventh, Palmer freshman Elias Stratton drove a single into right field to knock in the game-winning run.

“He came up big with a clutch hit,” Heun said of Stratton.

Wasilla jumped to an early 4-0 lead in the game. Ian Stormont and Chris Capo both singled and scored in the inning. Josh Grissom and Kyle Simmons walked and scored.

Palmer was able to answer quickly, scoring three times in the top of the second. The Moose drew six consecutive walks in the inning, and Harrison, Taylor and Stratton each scored runs.

But Wasilla came right back with five more runs in the bottom of the inning. Robert Rodamer sparked the Warriors with a lead-off single, and later scored on a Capo walk. Tyler Hansen added a run-scoring single later in the inning.

The two teams combined for 25 walks in the game.

“All of us were super rusty,” Heun said.

Heun started the game for the Moose, Cam Christiansen pitched in middle relief and David Media pitched the seventh inning and earned the win.

Wasilla used seven pitchers in the game. Head coach Jason Terryberry said that was his strategy going into the contest.

“That was my whole game plan to give everybody an inning,” Terryberry said.

Wasilla continues play Monday against Colony at Fritzler Field at 6:30 p.m. Palmer hosts Houston at the Palmer Senior Field at 6:30 p.m. Monday.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com and follow him at twitter.com/matsu_sports.