Big blast boosts Miners

July 1, 2007

By Jeremiah Bartz/ Frontiersman

PALMER - Not many home runs are hit out of Hermon Brothers Field, and not many are hit harder than the shot Michael Ewing sent out of the ballpark Saturday night.

The Mat-Su first baseman blasted a solo home run in the fifth inning and drove in four runs to lead the Miners to a 9-3 win over the Alaska Goldpanners.

Ewing's efforts at the plate helped the Valley ballclub win its fifth straight.

The Ewing home run gave Mat-Su the slight 2-1 lead in the fifth. But that was before the Miners enjoyed a pair of big innings late in the game.

In the sixth Ewing, a Southern Mississippi product, posted a two-run single. And in the ninth, Ewing doubled and drove in another run.

While the Miners used timely hitting and stellar pitching to score a three-game sweep of the Peninsula Oilers last week, Mat-Su brought out the bats against the Panners.

Ewing, Joey August, Ryan Ortiz, Jay McConnell and Derek Helenihi each recorded multiple hits.

Helenihi finished 3-for-4 with two RBI.

August also drove in two runs.

Jared Eskew pitched five innings and earned the win. The lefty allowed eight hits and fanned three batters.

Chris Cullen, Webster Beal and Nate Garcia pitched in relief.

The Miners also got some spectacular play in the field to help preserve their eighth league win of the

field.

In addition to two double plays, right fielder Joe Ercolano gunned down a runner at the plate and August made a diving grab in left to squash a potential Goldpanner run.