Legion baseball: Hurler sinks 49ers

June 29, 2007

By Jeremiah Bartz/ Frontiersman

WASILLA - When the Fairbanks 49ers left McManus Field on Wednesday, the Interior American Legion team took two wins with them. Despite hitting double digits in runs twice during a three-game series with the Alaska Road Warriors, the 49ers were not able to accomplish the most important thing.

The Road Warriors won the game that really mattered.

Behind the strong pitching performance of right-hander Wes Smith, the Road Warriors (6-6) scored a 6-3 win over Fairbanks (4-3) on Tuesday in the lone game of the three-game series that actually counts towards the team's league standings.

“Whatever we do, when we come to Wasilla we can't seem to win the league game,” Fairbanks head coach Billy Smith said after the 49ers' 11-0 win on Wednesday.

Smith, a versatile athlete who recently completed his sophomore campaign at Colony High School, allowed only two hits in seven innings of shutout baseball.

Alaska head coach Steve Mossburgh said the key was getting the young pitcher into the proper flow.

“He usually works slow, so we got him into a rhythm,” Mossburgh said. “Get the ball, throw the ball. It really worked.”

The Road Warriors supplied much of the offense during a five-run fifth.

Mike Dotson sparked the club with a double early in the inning. And after Chris Breck was plunked with a pitch, Corey Cowgill tripled to push both Dotson and Breck across the plate.

Mike Duprius and Josh Boring also singled and scored in the inning.

Fairbanks staged an attempt at the comeback, scoring three runs in the top of the ninth. But Alaska pitcher Tyler Eli was able to close down the 49ers and record the save.

The win marked the first leg of a doubleheader on Tuesday.

Fairbanks earned an 11-4 win in the second game, a seven-inning contest.

On Wednesday, the 49ers used four runs in the second and three in the fourth to cruise to an 11-0 win.

Alaska was held to just four hits in five innings.

The Road Warriors are now set for the annual Todd Ryan Tournament, and event that starts today at McManus Field.

Alaska hosts Service at 4 p.m. in the first game of the three-day tourney. West Anchorage meets Excelsior, Minn., at 7 p.m.

On Saturday, the Road Warriors play twice. The Valley squad faces West at 10 a.m. and Excelsior at 7 p.m.

Service and West play at 1 p.m, while Service and Excelsior meet at 7 p.m.

Results on Friday and Saturday will determine when the teams play on Sunday. The third and fourth seeds from the round-robin first-round meet at 1 p.m. Sunday, while the top two squads will play for the championship at 4 p.m.

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