Double steal

PALMER — If you’re a Mat-Su Miner, it’s probably hard to say which is more frustrating — being on the losing end of a two-hit shutout or watching as your three-run lead disappears in the top of the final inning.

Both happened on Saturday afternoon as the Alaska Goldpanners stole a pair of games from the Miners at Hermon Brothers Field.

“We’re in a little bit of a funk right now, for whatever reason,” Mat-Su head coach Russell Raley said after the doubleheader. “Our guys have got to be tough and play their way out of it.”

Alaska used a 2-0 shutout and a 6-5 come-from-behind win to improve to 11-12 overall and inch closer to the .500 mark. Mat-Su dropped to 15-10 in Alaska Baseball League play and back into a first-place tie with the Anchorage Glacier Pilots (14-9), the team Mat-Su hosts today at 2 p.m. at Hermon Brothers. The Alaska wins also gave the Miners their first three-game losing streak of the season.

“This is baseball, there’s going to be ups and downs,” Raley said. “You’ve got to come every day and you’ve really got to grind it out.”

Alaska starter Jesse Meaux allowed only a pair of Shane Brown hits en route to the 2-0 win during the first game of the doubleheader.

Trevor Costin walked and Nick Croce reached on an error, and the Miners only had four base runners during the seven-inning contest.

“I thought he did a good job. What’d we get? Two hits?” Raley said. “Any time that happens, you’ve got to give credit to the opposing pitcher.”

Andrew Pollack singled off Mat-Su starter Sam Murphy to drive in Evan Simonitsch in the first to give the Panners the early 1-0 lead.

Jordan LeGros’ groundout pushed Brennan Gowens across the plate, and Alaska took the 2-0 lead in the fourth.

Mat-Su led 2-0 early and 5-2 late before Alaska was able to tag the Miners for a four-run seventh during the nightcap.

The Panners hit Mat-Su relievers Dan Jensen and Jeremy Atkins for four earned runs during the final inning. Alaska collected four hits in the seventh, two Panners walked and two runs were scored on wild pitches.

“We’ve just got to be better in the final inning,” Raley said. “When you’ve got them down by three runs, you’ve got to get outs.”

Gowans led off Alaska’s final frame with a single and advanced to third on a Ryan McIntyre double. With runners on second and third with no outs, a Mat-Su pitch skipped into the dirt and to the fence. Gowans scored on the wild pitch to cut Mat-Su’s lead to 5-3.

Alaska scored its next three runs with two outs. Martin Medina singled to drive in McIntyre.

Simonitsch singled to drive in Medina to tie the score at 5.

Raoul Torrez walked and scored the go-ahead run on another wild pitch.

Jonathon Johnson, who tied a Mat-Su single-game season high with four hits in the loss, gave the Miners the early lead. Johnson led off the game with a single and quickly scored on a James Ramsey double.

“He’s one of those pesky guys,” Raley said of Johnson. “If he puts the ball in play on the ground consistently he can give you some problems. He’s a pretty good runner and he can bunt.”

Ramsey gave the Miners the 2-0 lead later in the inning, scoring on a Brown ground out.

Catcher Bobby Jacobs and infielder Trevor Costin also drove in runs during the loss. Jacobs broke a 2-2 tie when he singled to drive in Cox in the third.

Infielder Chad Marshall scored on Costin’s sacrifice bunt in the fifth.

Mat-Su starter Will Musson pitched a solid five innings for the Miners, but received the no decision. Musson fanned three, while allowing only two hits.

Contact Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.