Big blast lifts Miners to walk-off win over Chinooks

PALMER — With the game tied at 2 in the bottom of the ninth, it didn’t take much time for the Mat-Su Miners to grab the victory. All the Miners needed was another Blake Benefield blast.

Leading off the bottom half of the inning, the Mat-Su first baseman knocked the second pitch he saw deep over the left field fence to give the Miners a 3-2 walk-off win over the Chugiak-Eagle River Chinooks Sunday night at Hermon Brothers Field in Palmer.

“He came up big when the club needed him the most,” Mat-Su head coach Ben Taylor said of Benefield.

With his solo shot, Benefield lifted his Alaska Baseball League lead to five home runs and 19 RBI.

“He’s got legitimate big league power potential,” Taylor said.

In only 17 games, Benefield already has more home runs than anyone on the 2016 Mat-Su squad. Last year, Kansas State infielder Jake Scudder led the Miners with three home runs. The ABL leader a year ago, Anchorage Bucs and Louisiana Lafayette outfielder Steven Sensley led the ABL with only six dingers. The Miners only had five home runs as a team during the entire 2015 season. Benefield has the most home runs with the Miners since former Mat-Su and California-Santa Barbara outfielder Cameron Newell belted seven out of the park in 2014.

“They’re totally different hitters,” Taylor said, comparing Benefield to Newell. “(Newell) hit a ton of line drives, and some left the park. (Benefield) just hits towering homers.”

Taylor said Benefield has as much, if not more, true power potential than anyone he’s coached during his time with the Miners.

“He’s definitely a threat every time he steps into the box,” Taylor said of the Middle Tennessee sophomore.

It’s the second straight game against Chugiak-Eagle River in which Benefield came up big against the Chinooks. June 22, Benefield knocked in a pair of insurance runs in the 10th inning to help Mat-Su cement a 4-1 win. In both games, Benefield started 0 for 4 before coming up with a big hit.

“The guy just doesn’t quit,” Taylor said. “He doesn’t can his day after a couple of rough at bats.”

Mat-Su took an early 2-0 lead in the first inning. Quinn Cotton led off the game with a hit, and scored on a Preston Pavlica single to give the Miners the 1-0 lead. Oscar Marchena singled later in the inning to drive in Pavlica.

The Miners got another good night from their pitching staff. Juan Castro made his first start as a Miners, and allowed two hits and one earned run over five. He also fanned five. Jacob Butcher, a former Colony standout, allowed only one hit during an inning of work. Zach Hardy allowed a hit and earned run in an inning. Thaddeus Ward allowed just a hit over two innings of work, and earned the win on the mound.

Chugiak cut Mat-Su’s lead to 2-1 in the third and tied the game in the seventh. Jeremy Johnson and Levi Gilcrease drove in runs for Chugiak. Adam Rojas and Hayden Mixon scored runs.

Mat-Su (11-6) is back alone at the top of the ABL standings with the win. The Miners entered the game in a first-place tie with the Bucs (10-6). Anchorage did not play Sunday, but the Miners host the Bucs Monday at 7 p.m. at Hermon Brothers.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.