Sparked by big inning, Knights cruise to win

PALMER — It’s the inning that just would not end for the Palmer Moose.

Helped by a pair of Palmer miscues, Colony scored eight times in the top of the first inning and cruised to a 12-4 win over the Moose at Hermon Brothers Field on Saturday.

Following the game, a frustrated David Combs said if you take away the defensive mistakes, it could have been a very different contest.

“Then it’s a 4-4 ball game,” the PHS head coach said.

But instead, Colony took advantage and put together the big inning.

Eight different players scored during the eight-run inning. Steven Sinnett drove in a pair of runs. J.D. Mayo and Colter Peterson notched run-scoring singles in the first. Matt Packa, Damon Hammer and Taylor Palmer also singled and scored for the Knights, who improved to 6-3 overall with the win.

Colony, which sports arguably the top lineup in the Southcentral Conference, had hitters reach base 11 times during the first inning as the Knights consistently put the ball in play.

“We’ve got some good hitters on this team. If a pitcher makes a mistake, they’re going to have a problem,” Colony head coach Jamie Mayo said. “They are hitting the ball real well right now.”

In addition to a hit, an RBI and a run scored, Packa pitched seven strong innings to earn the complete game win. Mayo said the Knights had not planned to use Packa for a full seven innings, but it just worked out that way.

“We had no intention of leaving Matt in the whole game, but he was in command,” Mayo said. “He was throwing strikes.”

Palmer was able to put a run on the scoreboard in the bottom of the first. Tommy Brown led off with a bloop single to right and scored when teammate Tim Rockey put another ball into right field. AJ Corbin was hit by a pitch and scored on a passed ball for the Moose in the third, and Brown and Greg Prickett both scored runs in the fifth, but the Moose were never able to put together an inning that could rival Colony’s first.

Combs was pleased with the play of his team during the final six innings, but said the Moose are still looking for way to put it all together.

“We just haven’t put a whole game together,” Combs said. “We’re getting closer though.”

Packa drove in a run in the second and Colony tacked on a pair of scores in the third to take the 11-1 lead. Kody Ziter drove in Rhowe Stefanski with an infield single in the third and Peterson walked and scored on an error.

Eddie Lee singled and scored on a J.D. Mayo hit in the sixth to round out the scoring for CHS.

Colony 7, Homer 3

PALMER — After trailing Homer early, Colony scored five runs in the fourth inning and posted a 7-3 win over the Mariners at Hermon Brothers Field on Friday.

Mike Wagner earned the win in relief. Rhowe Stefanski, J.D. Mayo and Colter Peterson each finished 2-for-3 at the plate.

Wasilla 5, Homer 4

WASILLA — Senior Mike Shaw drove in the go-ahead runs in the bottom of the fifth to lead the Wasilla Warriors to a 5-4 win over Homer at the Wasilla Senior Field on Saturday.

Eric Washington and David Green both scored on Shaw’s run-scoring double in the fifth.

Shaw led the Warriors at the plate, finishing 3-for-3 with two RBI. Washington was 2-for-3 with an RBI and two runs scored. Green was 2-for-3 with 2 RBI and a run.

Dusty Wisdom fanned six Homer hitters, while pitching a complete game for the Warrior win.

Wasilla is now 5-2 overall.

Contact Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.