Bucs score another win over Miners

PALMER — After their fifth straight loss to the Anchorage Bucs, the Mat-Su Miners fell out of first place in the Alaska Baseball League for the first time this summer.

“They own us right now. There’s not dodging that topic,” Mat-Su head coach Ben Taylor said bluntly Monday night, following a 6-2 loss to the Bucs at Hermon Brothers Field in Palmer.

Anchorage, 5-0 against the Miners this season, improved to 11-6 in league play, and as of Monday night, stood a half-game ahead of Mat-Su (11-7) in the standings. Winless against the Bucs, Mat-Su is a combined 11-2 against the other three teams in the league — the Chugiak-Eagle River Chinooks, Peninsula Oilers and Anchorage Glacier Pilots — this summer.

Taylor said the Miners, who finished with 10 hits, didn’t take advantage of opportunities in the loss.

“We didn’t play really sharp tonight. We didn’t overcome some things,” Taylor said. “We had some opportunities in some big spots. It was a rough night all the way around.”

Taylor said, in certain spots, the Miners simply need to do things a bit different, but voiced confidence in his team.

“This is the team to do it,” Taylor said. “I’d be shocked if adjustments weren’t made.”

The night also included a pair of freak plays in the field, which led to runs for both squads. In the top of the fourth, with two on and no outs, Anchorage infielder Cody Sporrer put down a bunt. Mat-Su second baseman Austin Dennis hustled across to cover first to cover on the play. As Sporrer sprinted down the line to the bag, Dennis reached across to try to corral an errant throw to first, and Sporrer’s cleat landed on the arm of Dennis. The ball got away, and as Dennis clutched his arm, both base runners came around to score.

“It was on the muscle on the arm,” Taylor said of the impact on Dennis. “Luckily it didn’t get down any further (on the arm).”

The runs gave Anchorage a 4-2 lead.

In the bottom of the fifth, with one on and no outs, Mat-Su infielder Nick Brooks cranked a ball deep to the center field wall. Anchorage centerfielder Zach LaFleur tried to make a play on the ball, and ran into the centerfield wall, 390 feet from home plate. Dennis quickly scored on the play, and Brooks hustled around for the inside-the-park home run.

LaFleur walked, with help, off the field after he was tended to by team officials.

“The kid was going incredibly hard. It was a great effort,” Taylor said of the Anchorage centerfielder. “I’m just glad he’s OK.”

Taylor praised Brooks for helping to try to get his team back in the game.

“It was a well-struck ball. It gave us a little bit of a lift,” Taylor said. “(Brooks) doesn’t quit. He goes hard. Fortunately, we were able to get a couple of runs out of it.”

Dennis had his best night at the plate as a Miner, finishing 4 for 4 with a double and a run scored. Blake Benefield added a pair of hits for the Miners.

Mat-Su capped its short two-game homestand with the loss. The Miners return to Anchorage to play the Pilots Tuesday at 7 p.m. at Mulcahy, and will hit Lee Jordan Field in Chugiak to face the Chinooks Wednesday at 7 p.m. The Miners return home to host the Pilots Thursday at 7 p.m. at Hermon Brothers.

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