Kodiak baseball claims top seed in SCC tourney

This is the second time in three seasons that Kodiak will enter the SCC tournament as the No. 1 seed. Kodiak held the top spot in 2021 and was upended by Palmer 8-7 in the championship game. 

Hunter Williams dealt in Saturday’s clinching game. The senior right-hander struck out nine in the seven-inning complete-game win. He allowed only four hits and walked none in 91 pitches. 

Kodiak (10-7 overall) scored three in the first and never trailed against Palmer, which finished 7-2 in the conference. 

The Bears generated only four hits but were helped out by five Palmer errors that brought in three of the runs. 

Tyler Christiansen doubled, while Williams, Malakai Olson and Damonte Moore-Toledo hit singles. 

Palmer plated two in the fifth to cut Kodiak’s lead in half at 4-2. 

Williams buckled down after that, fanning four straight to end the game. 

Kodiak needed only two innings to score 15 runs against Grace Christian. 

The Bears went for three in the first and exploded for 12 in the second. 

Kodiak outhit Grace 13-1, with Williams coming up a single away from hitting for the cycle. He drove in six. 

Alex Holland added two singles and two RBIs, while Jeremy Mahle and Reese Arnett each had two singles and an RBI.  

Williams needed only 27 pitches to get through two innings. He fanned three and walked one.