The host Homer baseball team defeated Soldotna 7-3 on Wednesday in nonconference action.
The teams will play their Southcentral Conference game May 15. Homer moves to 5-4 overall while Soldotna falls to 2-7 overall.
Wednesday’s game came down to cashing in on opportunities. The Stars left 10 runners in scoring position and 11 runners on overall, while Homer left just two in scoring position and four runners on overall.
Soldotna coach Robb Quelland also had his team making four costly baserunning errors.
“Every game we’ve played this year, we’re almost double digits with guys left on base,” Quelland said. “It’s just a sign of our inexperience.”
The Stars actually jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning, with Jacob Boze knocking in David Michael and Brennan Werner singling to score Tanner Ussing.
“We started off with a couple of errors, but then the pitchers bore down and the defense tightened up,” Homer coach Rich Sonnen said.
Homer would give up just one run the rest of the game, allowing the offense to stage a comeback.
Seth Adkins started for Homer and went 2 2-3 innings, giving up two unearned runs on two hits while walking three and striking out three. Austin Ceccarelli pitched the next 2 1-3 innings, giving up a run on two hits while striking out four.
Harrison Metz finished up for Homer, going two scoreless innings while giving up three hits and striking out five. Quelland said his team said Metz had the best curveball they had seen all year.
Chris Jaime kept the Mariners in check for the first four innings, allowing four runs — two earned — on three hits while walking two and striking out three.
“He did great. You saw later what that lineup can do. There’s four Legion players on that team and he was able to shut them down,” Quelland said of Metz, Ceccarelli, Mose Hayes and Adkins.
After taking a 4-2 lead in the bottom of the fourth, Homer got to Davey Belger for three runs in the fifth to go up 7-3. No. 6 hitter Coda Wood had a two-RBI double and No. 7 hitter Austin Gash had an RBI double.
“I know they have that in them,” Sonnen said. “They’ve done it before, but it’s not like they are going 3 for 4 every game. That gave the team a big spark.”
Atticus Gibson finished with a scoreless inning for Soldotna.
For Homer, Wood, Hayes and Adkins each scored two runs. Metz, Ceccarelli, Hayes, Adkins, Wood, Austin Dash and Gabe Dash each had a hit. For Soldotna, Michael was 2 for 2 with two runs. Jeremy Kupferschmid, Tanner Ussing, Boze, Werner and Davey Belger added hits.
