Senior takes and delivers big hits in win

HOUSTON — Cameron Christiansen is used to taking hits.

As the starting quarterback of the Palmer High football team, Christiansen absorbed countless blows en route to leading his team to a conference championship. On Friday in a different role, as a relief pitcher on the baseball squad, the senior took a different type of hit — a line drive to the chest. But he also delivered a monster hit — a first inning grand slam.

Christiansen used his grand slam and four innings of relief on the mound to lead Palmer to a 15-5 win over Soldotna in the team’s season-opener at Houston High School Friday.

Christiansen took the mound in relief with one runner on and no outs in the top of the third inning. The first batter he faced smacked a line drive up the middle. The ball hit Christiansen in the chest, and dazed, the senior tried to find the ball as the batter ran to first.

“Right away, I was thinking I’ve got to cover first. After that I thought, wow, that hurt,” Christiansen said after the win. “I needed to stop and breathe for a second.”

After a short break, Christiansen responded by throwing the final four innings of the game. Christiansen fanned four hitters and allowed on two hits, a single to right field and the infield single he took off the chest.

Christiansen also got out of a bases-loaded jam in the third inning, and at one point retired seven straight Stars.

Palmer head coach Dave Combs was impressed with his senior’s toughness.

“He’s tough. He’s been hit enough in another sport,” Combs said, referring to Christiansen’s time on the football field.

Before he took the mound, Christiansen helped Palmer pile on the runs in the first inning. Christiansen capped Palmer’s 13-run first inning with a grand slam to left field.

It was not only the first grand slam, but the first home run of Christiansen’s baseball career.

“He’s definitely strong enough to do it. He’s been playing football for four years,” Combs said. “That was probably 360 (feet).”

With three runners on, Christiansen said he wasn’t exactly aiming for the fence.

“I wasn’t really thinking hit it far, two strikes, just got to get ball on ball,” Christiansen said. “He was serving it up, (I was) just not timing it up very good yet. There’s a lot of guys on base, and we were still ahead by only a few runs. I’ve got to get some runs in, gotta get the ball in play.”

Christiansen didn’t just put the ball in play, he put it well beyond the left field fence.

“I felt like I hit it really far, but I wasn’t sure until I saw that left fielder jogging,” Christiansen said. “At first I didn’t really know, but it felt really good though.”

Tyler VanAusdal had an RBI double and Luke Heun drove in two runs with a triple in the inning. Palmer’s first five hitters in the first inning all rounded the bases and scored.

“There’s been so much hitting in the cage, so much work. I think we kind of took that frustration out on the ball,” Combs said of the Moose, who finished with 14 hits in the game.

Soldotna took a 2-0 led in the top of the first, and added a pair of runs in the top of the second. Shayne Miller singled to right field to drive in both second-inning runs. Kenny Griffin walked and scored in the top of the third.

Kenai 13, Palmer 5

HOUSTON — The bottom of the Kenai lineup sparked the Kards Saturday.

Jake Conver and Justin Wisnewski, Kenai’s No. 8 and 9 hitters, combined for six hits and two RBI to lead Kenai to a 13-5 win over Palmer at Houston High School on Saturday.

Both hitters were 3 for 4 with an RBI in the victory. Luke Short added two hits and three runs, while Miles Jones drove in a pair of runs.

Kevin Christopher led Palmer with two hits.