Late-game collapse costs Mat-Su in 6-4 loss to Anchorage

PALMER — Clouds hounded Hermon Brothers Field during the Mat-Su Miners 6-4 home loss to the Anchorage Glacier Pilots on Thursday night. A promising start rapidly turned upside down when a series of mishaps in the field gave the game away.

Mat-Su shortstop Emilio Barreras blasted the team’s first home run of the season to push the Miners up 1-0 to lead off the bottom of the third inning, and right fielder Kaden Carpenter followed in suit with a go-ahead three-run blast in the bottom of the sixth to move up 4-1.

This lead held up through the seventh inning thanks to a dynamic frame from Miners’ left-handed reliever Mario Bejarano in which he struck out the side in order.

In the top of the eighth, the Central Arizona Community College rising sophomore faced a sticky situation, loading the bases with two outs. The southpaw fired strike three by Anchorage designated hitter Andrew Lamb, but the pitch missed the glove of catcher Braydon Rogers allowing all runners to advance; this passed ball kept the bases loaded and scored the runner from third.

With the score standing at 4-2 Mat-Su, Anchorage first baseman Terren Sugita dribbled a two-run single through into center field that tied the game. Lamb then scored on a second passed ball to give the Glacier Pilots the lead, putting the Miners behind for the first time in 2023.

This lead soon grew to 6-4, and that score never changed. In the bottom of the ninth inning, Barreras fended off a pitch down to the final strike, sending the ball into left field where shortstop Will Henson and left fielder Kan Taguchi collided allowing Barreras to reach base. That brought the tying run to the plate, and Mat-Su pinch hit with St. John’s rising junior Austin Machado.

Normally the starting catcher, the California-native hopped off the bench with the game on the line. Back in a two-strike count, Machado popped out to short to end the hectic affair.

Bright spots for Mat-Su included the pair of home runs from Barreras and Carpenter, as well as the pitching performances set out by starter Drew Christo and reliever Preston Chaudoin.

Christo struck out three batters and allowed one earned run on four hits in 3.1 IP, his second-longest outing ever including collegiate play.

Christo and Chaudoin both made their first appearances in the A.B.L. in this game. Chaudoin struck out a trio of Pilots in 2.2 shutout innings.

Additionally, Anchorage starter Caleb Euper made his first appearance ever against college-level talent. The left-hander is a rising senior at Northwoods High School in Irvine, California. He fanned 10 Miners batters in four innings of work, allowing just one hit in the Barreras homer.

The Miners return home Friday night for their first bout with the Oilers.