WARRIORS RALLY

WASILLA — Nobody in the Wasilla dugout could seem to remember the last time the Warriors beat Colony. But the Warriors likely won’t soon forget their 7-6 victory over the Knights Thursday night.

Junior David Green tied the score with a bases-clearing double in the bottom of the sixth and scored the go-ahead run on a David Newman sacrifice fly later in the inning to help give the Warriors (4-2) their first win over the Knights (1-1) in recent memory.

“Since I’ve been in high school, we haven’t beat them,” said Wasilla senior Chris Bydlon, a four-year varsity starter with the Warriors. “It’s a big win.”

Colony took a 6-2 lead into the top of the sixth, but Wasilla scored five unanswered runs in the bottom of the inning and reliever Jaron Christensen-Vavalis got the final five outs to cap the come-from-behind victory.

“It would have been pretty easy to roll over, let them run away with it,” Bydlon said. “But we were able to finish the game out.”

Senior Eric Marshall sparked the Warriors’ rally with a solo blast to lead off the sixth. After freshman Ian Stormont singled, Bydlon followed with a fielder’s choice and Christensen-Vavalis drew a walk.

After Christensen-Vavalis stole second base, Colony intentionally walked Eric Washington to load the bases.

“They were playing the odds, trying to get the force,” Bydlon said. “That time it didn’t work out (for Colony). David Green, he came through and cleared the bases.”

Wasilla coach Myrl Thompson wasn’t surprised to see Washington sent to first base.

“He’s just ripping the ball,” Thompson said of Washington, who is hitting just shy of .600 this season. “It’s probably a good tactical move to walk a guy who’s leading the team in batting, and RBI and runs. The only thing, Green is a clutch hitter. He’s always been a clutch hitter.”

With two strikes, the right-hander reached out across the plate and dumped a pitch into center field. Bydlon, Christensen-Vavalis and Washington scored on the play.

Brody Coleman kept the rally alive with a single and Newman followed with the sacrifice fly to center.

“We really wanted this game,” Bydlon said. “It was good to mentally stay with it.”

Colony broke a 2-2 tie and took a big lead with four runs in the top of the sixth. Aaron Butcher, Taylor Palmer, JD Mayo and Colter Peterson drew consecutive walks and all scored during the sixth.

But then the Warriors rallied.

“Wasilla’s a good club. We had the chance to bury them and we didn’t,” Colony head coach Jamie Mayo said. “They stuck around and stuck around, and next thing you know, they’re up.”

The loss was Colony’s first to a Southcentral Conference opponent in two seasons. Mayo said the Knights can’t get caught up on past success.

“Unfortunately, I think we’ve got some guys on our team that thought because it says Colony on our chest, teams are going to roll over for us,” Mayo said. “We tried telling them it’s not going to happen.”

Colony took an early 2-0 lead when Palmer and JD Mayo both walked and scored during the top of the first. Palmer scored on a Peterson sacrifice fly and Mayo crossed the plate after a wild pitch.

Wasilla used four straight hits to tie the score in the fifth. Bydlon singled to center and later scored on a Washington single to left. Christiansen-Vavalis singled and scored on a Green double.

Green drove in four of Wasilla’s seven runs during the victory.

Although he received a no decision, starting pitcher Cody Pfeifer was key to the victory, Thompson said.

“Through the whole thing, I think the unsung hero was the starter for us,” Thompson said. “The kid has not played a baseball game since he was 12 years old.”

Pfeifer is a football and basketball standout at Wasilla, and decided to give baseball a try as a senior. Thompson said he limited the lefty to 90 pitches. Pfeifer allowed only one Colony hit through five innings.

Warriors handle Moose at home

WASILLA — Eric Washington scored three runs to lead Wasilla to a 13-2 win over Palmer at the Wasilla Senior Field on Monday.

Chris Bydlon, David Newman, Brody Coleman and Jaron Christensen-Vavalis scored two runs each.

Eric Marshall fanned six and earned the win on the mound.

Colony earned a 14-3 win over Palmer on Tuesday.

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