WILD FINISH

PALMER — Colony appeared to be in line for a lopsided victory, but needed late heroics to slip by rival Palmer.

Sophomore Jonathon Boyer singled to drive in the go-ahead run in the bottom of the sixth inning to lead the Knights to an 8-7 win over the Moose at Palmer Senior Field on Monday.

Colony used five third-inning runs to break the game open with a 7-0 lead, but Palmer rallied.

“They did a great job of competing. You’ve got to give them credit,” Colony head coach Jamie Mayo said of the Moose. “But we’ve got to learn to bury teams. We get them down by five, six, seven runs, we’ve got to put them away.”

Palmer, which opened its 2011 season with three straight wins, answered Colony’s five-run third with five runs of its own in the top of the fourth. Sophomore Luke Huen was hit by a pitch to start the rally. Seniors Tim Rockey and Kevin Montgomery and junior David Media followed with consecutive run-scoring doubles.

“They’re confident, they know they can hit the ball,” Palmer head coach Dave Combs said.

Junior Augustus Topp also singled and drove in a run as the Moose batted around in the inning. Combs said his team’s work in the inning was similar to what he saw during lopsided wins over Houston, Kenai and Soldotna.

“That’s exactly how we’ve been playing so far (this year),” Combs said. “The way we played toward the end of the game, I don’t think anyone can hang with us. We’ve got the sticks to do it.”

Combs was pleased with his team’s work at the plate through the final four or five innings. Palmer had several long fly outs, including Montgomery’s fly to deep center field in the top of the seventh.

“How many times did we rocket the ball right to a guy?” Combs asked. “The leadoff in the seventh, that was a rocket. That ball was crushed, but the guy just got to it. I have no problem with having the baseball hit like that. You can’t fault a kid for smoking it like that.”

Montgomery reached on an infield single and scored on a Colony error to cut the Knights’ lead to 7-6 in the top of the fifth. Matt Jansen scored on Huen’s sacrifice bunt to tie the score in the sixth.

“We’ve got hard workers,” Combs said. “We’re not going to roll over and die.”

Media also excelled on the mound for the Moose. In 3 1/3 innings of relief, Media allowed three hits and struck out three. Colony’s lone run during that span was unearned.

Combs said control was the key for Media.

“Just command, straight command,” Combs said of Media, who had only seven pitches that were not strikes during his outing.

Colony also got a key outing out of reliever Dominic Comerate, who retired four of the six hitters he faced in 1 1/3 innings of work.

“Dominic has done a great job of pitching for us,” Mayo said.

Aaron Butcher beat a play at the plate during the first inning to give the Knights the early 1-0 lead and Colony added to its advantage when Comerate walked and scored in the second.

The Knights appeared to have broken the game open in the third. Jacob Butcher led off the inning with a walk and scored on a Taylor Palmer double. Boyer drove Palmer across the plate with a double of his own.

Later in the inning, Comerate singled and scored, and Shane Andrews walked and scored on an Aaron Butcher single.

Both teams will play rival Wasilla in the coming days. The Moose face the Warriors tonight at Wasilla Senior Field, and Wasilla hosts Colony on Wednesday.

Both games are scheduled for 6 p.m.

Houston 5, Wasilla 3

HOUSTON — The Houston Hawks scored three times in the bottom of the fifth and scored a 5-3 win over the Wasilla Warriors at Houston High School on Monday.

Houston collected eight hits during the victory. Wasilla committed seven errors.