Legion squad opens with wins

WASILLA — So far, so good for the Alaska Road Warriors.

The Wasilla-based American Legion team used a trio of third-inning runs to improve to 2-0 with a 6-3 win over Bartlett in Anchorage on Wednesday. The Warriors opened the season with a 14-2 drubbing of Chugiak at Oberg Field in Chugiak on Tuesday.

“Not too bad. Anytime you can pick up a couple league wins to start the season is not a bad thing,” Road Warriors head coach Myrl Thompson said.

Riding a 6-0 lead heading into the bottom of the fifth, Thompson was able to empty the bench during the win over the Golden Bears.

“We managed to get everybody in. We’re not able to do that a lot,” Thompson said. “We played well.”

The Road Warriors collected a dozen hits in the win, and Shane Andrews and Tyler Boensch shared work on the mound. Andrews allowed three hits and fanned four in five innings of work to grab the win. Boensch earned his first save of the season, pitching the final four innings of the game.

Alaska took an early 1-0 lead in the second, but opened the game up with three runs in the third. Mitchell Chauvin finished 3 for 5 with a run to lead the Warriors. Jacob Butcher and Morgan McJimsey collected two hits a run and an RBI each. Cooper Hanson and Tyler Hansen each scored a run and drove in another.

Butcher and Ben Ross finished with triples in the win.

Ross was 4 for 5, with two runs and three RBI during the lopsided win over the Mustangs Tuesday. Ross doubled twice in the win, and was one of six Warriors to finish with two runs scored. Infielders Russ Ruta and Matt Palmer drove in two runs each.

Starter Jonathon Boyer took a no-hitter into the sixth inning against the Mustangs. Boyer pitched a complete game three-hitter, while fanning seven and walking just two.

The Wasilla squad scored eight of its runs in the seventh inning.

“These guys, they can explode at any time,” Thompson said. “They are pretty potent offensively.”

The Road Warriors continue play against South Anchorage today at 6:30 p.m. at Tay Young Field in Anchorage. South recently captured the Alaska state high school baseball title.