Legion baseball: Warriors 10-run T-Birds

June 10, 2007

By Jeremiah Bartz/ Frontiersman

WASILLA - The Alaska Road Warriors used timely offense and defense to secure a 10-run mercy rule win over the East Anchorage post in American Legion baseball action at McManus Field in Wasilla Saturday afternoon.

The top five hitters of the Alaska batting order scored in the first inning to spark the 11-1 win over the T-Birds, and a pair of double plays in the field allowed the Road Warriors to improve to 2-0.

Robert Fitch, Mike Dotson and Carl Brent posted three of Alaska's five hits in the first to highlight the six-run inning.

&#8220Not many hits, but the hits were timely,” Alaska head coach Steve Mossburgh said after the game. &#8220A lot of walks.”

East starter Billy Forsythe walked nine hitters in just more than three innings of work. Four of those walks came in the first inning, and he walked a hitter with the bases loaded twice.

While Forsythe struggled with his control, Alaska starter Cole Smith allowed just five hits and walked only one in five innings of work.

The left-hander recently capped his junior year with the Palmer High School baseball program. Mossburgh said he has already seen a big chance between his prep season and now.

Alaska used a pair of double plays to stymie any sort of an East offensive attack. In the third, second baseman Chris Bydlon and shortstop Casey Smith completed the more routine

4-6-3 double play, and in fifth first baseman Carl Brent helped pull of a more unusual double play.

In the fifth after Cole Smith walked East catcher Austin Cassaday, pinch hitter Marcus Dierlan doubled to deep left center field. But instead of sliding into second base, Dierlan over-ran the bag and was caught in a pickle on the left side of the infield. With Dierlan off the bag, Brent raced over and was able to tag Dierlan out. Meanwhile Cassaday, halfway between third and home, opted to return to third rather than charging to the plate. Brent tossed the ball over to Alaska third baseman Mike Shaw, and Shaw was able to complete the double play.

&#8220It was a good defensive day,” Mossburgh said.

Now through the first week of the two-month season, the Road Warriors now look toward a six-day stretch that will include five games. Alaska hosts Dimond on Monday at 6:30 p.m. at McManus Field, and has a doubleheader against Kenai on Wednesday.

The Road Warriors also host Chugiak and West next weekend.

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

East

name ab r h bi

Santos 3 0 1 1

Tuck 3 0 1 0

Lafferty 2 0 1 0

Forsyhte 2 0 0 0

Beltz 2 0 0 0

Cassaday 1 0 0 0

Hudson 1 0 1 0

Manzer 1 0 0 0

Dierlan 1 0 1 0

No. 37 0 1 0 0

Stonerock 1 0 0 0

Totals 17 1 5 1

Alaska

Name ab r h bi

Bydlon 2 1 1 1

Ca. Smith 3 1 0 1

Fitch 3 1 1 1

Dotson 3 2 2 1

Brent 3 1 1 1

Shaw 1 1 0 0

DuPruis 1 1 0 0

Washington 0 2 0 1

W. Smith 1 1 0 1

Totals 17 11 5 7

East 000 01x xxx - 1

Alaska 610 4xx xxx - 11

E - East 4, Alaska 1; LOB - East 4, Alaska 6; 2B - Fitch, Dierlan; SB - Dotson, Shaw.

East IP H R ER BB SO

Forsythe (L) 3 1/3 4 11 10 9 2 Easterly 2/3 1 0 0 0 0

Alaska IP H R ER BB SO

Co. Smith (W) 5 5 1 1 1 0

HBP - DuPruis by Forsythe, No. 37 by Co. Smith