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PALMER — The Anchorage Bucs used a big 12th inning to strike first in the best-of-3 Alaska Baseball League Top of the World Series.
Anchorage stunned Mat-Su with six runs in the 12th, and scored a 6-2 extra-innings win over the Miners in Game 1 of the series Monday night at Hermon Brothers Field in Palmer.
With the win, the Bucs are now a victory away from securing their first league title in nearly two decades. Mat-Su will need a pair of wins Tuesday to grab its first championship since 2010. Game 2 is scheduled for Tuesday at 3 p.m. at Hermon Brothers. Game 3, if necessary, would start about a half-hour following the conclusion of Game 2.
Locked in a pitching duel, the teams remained scoreless until the top of the 12th. Anchorage, the ABL American League champion, tagged the Miners for six runs in the inning. It’s the most runs scored in a single inning against the Miners this season. It’s only the third time Mat-Su, the ABL National League champion, has given up at least six runs in a game this year.
The Miners did answer with a pair in the bottom of the 12th. Tyler Wolfe led off the half-inning with a single, and Brick Paskiewicz reached on a fielder’s choice. Matt Diorio also scored in the inning.
Later in the 12th, Jake Schleppenbach drove in a pair of runs with a single to drive in two runs.
Despite only scoring two runs in the game, Mat-Su finished with 14 hits in the loss. Every Miner in the lineup had at least one hit, and catcher J.J. Hancock led Mat-Su with a 4 for 6 night.
Mat-Su starter Eli Morgan pitched six scoreless innings for the Miners, scattering six and striking out six, while walking only one. Trent Thompson secured a key out late in the seventh, and Corbin Martin also pitched two scoreless for the Miners.
Anchorage starter Aaron Soto pitched nine scoreless for the Bucs, and Austin Zimarik earned the win in relief.
The Miners had the chance to plate the game-winning run in the bottom of the ninth, 10th and 11th innings.
In the ninth, Nyles Nygaard led off with a single, and advanced to third with a Schleppenbach sacrifice and Hancock single.
Anchorage forced the final two outs of the inning to strand Nygaard at third.
In the 10th, Paskiewicz doubled with one out, but was stranded on second when the Bucs forced the final two outs.
Mat-Su’s best chance came in the 11th. Schleppenbach reached on an error, and Hancock and Connor Wanhanen each singled to load the bases with one out. The Bucs got out of the inning once again, forcing an inning-ended double-play, which featured a close play at first base.
Mat-Su finished 34-11 during the regular season, but needs a win in Game 2 Tuesday afternoon to avoid its second straight runner-up finish in the ABL Top of the World Series. The Miners were swept by the Alaska Goldpanners last season. Mat-Su has lost consecutive games only once this season.
Anchorage has not won the ABL since sharing the league title with the Peninsula Oilers in 1998. Anchorage last won the title outright in 1996.
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