Dazed and confused: Controversy ends Miners game

PALMER — Elation quickly shifted to confusion and disbelief with a single pump of the fist as the Mat-Su Miners’ apparent tying run was called out at the plate with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning, preserving an Anchorage Bucs’ 8-7 win over the Miners at Hermon Brothers Field in Palmer Monday night.

Mat-Su’s speedy centerfielder, Bill Cullen, was called out at the plate attempting to score from first base as the Miners’ tried to put together a two-out rally in the bottom of the ninth.

“I think we did tie the game,” said a puzzled Chris Gordon, Mat-Su’s first-year head coach. “It’s frustrating to lose a ball game that way. The guys battle, battle, battle, and it’s frustrating to see it taken out of their hands like that.”

As Anchorage celebrated the game-clinching play — a relay throw from Bucs centerfielder David Susdorf to shortstop Garrett Mattlage to catcher Tanner Rust — Miners players, coaches and fans stood in shook.

Mat-Su trailed 8-6 heading into the bottom half of the final inning. After Anchorage closer Braden Shipley forced two quick outs, Clint Freeman and Cullen knocked consecutive singles into the Hermon Brothers outfield.

With two outs, Miners catcher P.J. Torres stepped up to the plate and knocked a double into center field. Tino Lipson, who entered the game as a pinch-runner for Freeman, easily scored on the Torres hit to cut the Anchorage lead to 8-7. Cullen wheeled his way around the bases, cruised around third and headed in to score, but was called out.

Anchorage used the defensive heroics, 10 hits and a pair of home runs to beat the Miners for the second consecutive night. Anchorage topped Mat-Su 13-6 at Mulcahy Stadium in Anchorage on Sunday.

While Anchorage used five extra-base hits and the two long bombs to put together its eight-run effort, Mat-Su scored in a variety of ways. The feisty Miners scored via the error, passed ball, wild pitch, double steal and the more traditional RBI in the win.

“We scored in a lot of different ways,” Gordon said.

Mat-Su also finished with 10 hits in the game. Cullen was 3 for 5 with a triple. Left fielder Bobby Boyd was 2 for 4. Boyd and right fielder Ian Miller each finished with three stolen bases in the game.

The Miners’ speed and aggressive play on the base paths helped Mat-Su build an early lead and rally late. Nash Knight led off with a walk and scored on an Anchorage error to give the Miners a 1-0 lead in the first. The Miners added to that advantage in the second inning. Cullen singled and scored on a passed ball. Miller reached on an error and stole home on a Miners’ double steal.

With runners at the corners (Miller at third and Knight at first), Anchorage starter Ben Doucette threw to first as Knight took off toward second. Miller waited for the Bucs to make the throw to second base before he took off for home. Anchorage throws to both second base and home plate were late, and both runners were safe.

Anchorage scored half its runs in the third inning to take a 4-3 lead, but the Miners tied the score with Cullen’s RBI-triple in the fourth.

The Bucs also put together another big inning, a three-run fifth that featured three extra base hits. Designated hitter Zach Esquerra homered for the Bucs during the inning.

Rust also hit a home run in the Bucs win.

The Miners used four pitchers in the loss. Starter Jake Watts was tagged with the loss after allowed five hits and five earned runs through 4 1/3 innings. Relievers Jimmy Reed and Peter Kaplan combined for three scoreless innings late in the game.

“We’ve got to get better with our pitching. When we’re scoring seven, eight, nine runs, we’ve got to be winning some ballgames,” Gordon said.

The Miners return to Anchorage tonight to face the Anchorage Glacier Pilots at 7 p.m. at Mulcahy. Mat-Su is back at Hermon Brothers on Wednesday to host the Pilots at 7 p.m.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com, follow him at twitter.com/matsu_sports and find him by searching Valley Sports Huddle on Facebook.