The host Soldotna baseball team defeated Homer 8-1 on Monday in the season opener for both teams.
Soldotna coach Robb Quelland said his team has experience and it showed in the opener. The Stars were able to turn two double plays on the infield, record two outs at home plate and commit just two errors.
The Mariners also had two errors, but issued 10 walks to Soldotna’s four.
“I couldn’t ask anything more for an opening day of baseball, especially with a little rain,” Quelland said.
The Stars led 3-0 after one inning, 4-0 after two innings and 6-0 after three innings.
Logan Smith started for Soldotna and pitched four innings, giving up two hits and an unearned run while walking one and fanning four. Soldotna then used four relievers — Hunter Thompson, Jeremy Kupferschmid, Caleb Spence and Brandon Crowder — for the next three innings and those relievers did not yield a hit.
Kupferschmid faced bases loaded with one out but was able to escape unscathed.
“That goes back to showing the maturity of the young men,” Quelland said. “Maybe one or two years ago, they would have folded, but now they can get into a bad situation and work out of it.”
For Homer, Doug Dean gave up two hits and three runs — two earned — in an inning, Adam Brinster gave up three runs — two earned — in two innings, Mose Hayes gave up no runs in an inning, Joe Ravin gave up two earned runs in an inning and Seth Adkins pitched a scoreless inning.
“I believe we faced five of the better pitchers in the conference tonight, and they fooled quite a few of the better hitters in the conference,” Quelland said.
For the Stars, Cody Quelland had two runs and two RBIs, and Brandon Crowder was 2 for 3 with two runs and two RBIs.
