Legion baseball: Road Warriors win, Service forced to forfeit

June 8, 2007

By MATT TUNSETH/ Frontiersman

WASILLA - The Wasilla Road Warriors pulled victory from the jaws of an opposing player Thursday evening at McManus Field in Wasilla.

Trailing Service 7-5 in the bottom of the eighth inning, the Valley's American Legion team was threatening to get back into the game with runners on first and third with no outs after getting back-to-back singles from Wes Smith and Corey Cowgill.

Following Cowgill's single, Service coach Steve Nerland elected to replace pitcher Derek Tennant. But as Tennant was leaving the mound, the frustrated pitcher uttered a curse word loudly enough for field umpire Dave Stull to hear.

That was enough for Stull, who promptly ejected Tennant from the game.

&#8220Take a hike,” Stull told the stunned pitcher.

That was a big problem for Service, who had already used all its available bench players. With no re-insertion rule, the Cougars were forced to forfeit the game.

The ejection set off a brief series of shouting matches between the umpires and Service fans before calm prevailed and players lined up for the post-game handshake.

Wasilla coach Steve Mossburgh said there was little joy in the bizarre win.

&#8220It's a bad way to get a win,” he said. &#8220But a win is a win.”

Nerland declined to comment on the umpire or the ejection, though he did take responsibility for allowing his team to get down to just nine players.

The Service coach said the only thing his team can do is try and put the game behind them.

&#8220We've got another seven games in the next nine days, so we have time to get over it,” he said.

The game's ending erased some good and not-so-good performances by the Road Warriors, who jumped out to a 5-0 lead after the first

inning.

Wasilla started the game off hot, using first inning singles from Chris Bydlon, Josh Boring, Casey Smith and Rob Fitch to go along with a couple walks by Service starter Tanner Hamilton.

The Cougars cut the lead to 5-3 in the top of the third, getting a couple singles to go along with an error by Wasilla third baseman Mike Dotson.

Dotson redeemed himself later in the inning, making a diving stop to halt the Service rally.

Service got another run in the top of the fifth on an RBI double by catcher Kevin Nealley.

Road Warrior starter Chris Breck and reliever Corey Cowgill were responsible for letting the Cougars take the lead in the top of the sixth. Breck - who had pitched well up until that point - ran out of gas in the inning, hitting a batter and walking two more to load the bases with two outs.

Cowgill wasn't the answer. The Wasilla reliever failed to retire a batter, walking three and hitting another before being lifted in favor of Matt Packa. Packa induced a ground ball out to end the inning, but the damage was done as Service took a 7-5 lead.

The score remained that way until the eighth, when the game abruptly ended in dramatic fashion.

Mossburgh said he wasn't unhappy with the way his team swung the bat - Wasilla had eight hits in the game - but said pitching could be the Road Warriors' weakness.

&#8220That's going to be our weak point this year,” he said.

Mossburgh said he'll take the win, but would rather his team earn its victories.

&#8220We didn't deserve to win this one,” he said.

Contact Matt Tunseth at 352-2265 or matt.tunseth@

frontiersman.com