Early season butterflies cost Warriors

May 1, 2005

DARRELL L. BREESE/Frontiersman reporter

Wasilla's boys baseball team was unable to shake its pre-game butterflies Saturday in its season opener against the Homer Mariners. The Warriors' miscues in the fourth inning were all the Mariners needed to secure a 4-0 win in Northern Lights Conference action.

"Our pre-game jitters never went away," Warrior coach Jim Ressler said of his team's performance. "We didn't field the ball cleanly, had some off-target throws and in general looked like a team playing its first game."

Homer, fresh from a 12-3 win over Houston Friday night, took advantage of the Warriors' bobbles in the bottom of the fourth inning to take charge of what was an impressive pitching duel.

"We shot ourselves in the foot," Ressler added. "We have a lot of work to do on fielding."

The inning started with pitcher Tyler Tillery hitting Homer catcher Alex Trieweiler with a pitch. Mariner first baseman Joe Szajkowski reached first base safely on a bunt, advancing Trieweiler to second. Right fielder Justin Adams loaded the bases with a Texas leaguer over the head of a leaping James Elkins.

Then came the follies. Tillery bobbled the ball, allowing a run to score, a walk followed by a passed ball brought in two more. A second error and passed ball in the inning loaded the bases, before the Warriors could get the third out.

"We got luck in the fourth," Homer coach Jim Kuhn said. "They got rattled a little bit and we were able to make the most of it."

With a three-run cushion, Homer pitcher Johnny Taylor continued with his already dominating performance. He struck out five and allowed just one hit through the first four innings of action. Over the final two innings of work, he added four strikeouts and didn't give up a hit until there were two outs in the top of the seventh.

"He had his curve breaking one way and his slider going the other," Ressler said of Taylor's performance. "He mixed up his pitches really well, keeping us guessing throughout the game."

Tillery, the Warriors' ace, showed signs of brilliance during the game, striking out seven and allowing just one hit through the first three innings. He allowed the Mariners just four hits through six innings of work.

"Tillery was going good," Kuhn said of the Wasilla pitcher. "We emphasize getting on base and he was keeping us from our offensive game plan."

The game was originally slated to be played in Homer last weekend, but wet field conditions forced it to be rescheduled for Saturday. Despite being played on the Warriors' home field, the Mariners were the home team.

Homer 4, Wasilla 0

Wasilla - 000 000 0 - 0 2 4

Homer - 000 301 x - 4 4 0

W - Taylor. L - Tillery. Wasilla - Tillery (5), Bahn and Cowgill. Homer - Taylor and Alex Trieweiler.