Lehigh pitcher leads Mat-Su to win

July 13, 2007

By MATT TUNSETH/ Frontiersman

PALMER - There's no rust on Joe Matteo.

The Mat-Su right-hander showed no ill effects from having 12 days between starts, pitching a seven-inning complete game to lead the Miners to a 2-1 win Thursday in the first game of a doubleheader against the Anchorage Bucs at Hermon Brothers Field.

&#8220I got more into a groove as the game wore on,” Matteo said following the win.

The Lehigh University junior struck out six while walking just one and allowing only five hits to pick up the win.

Mat-Su took the early lead in the first inning on the strength of speedster center fielder Carl Uhl's legs.

Uhl reached on a bunt single, stole second and third, and scored on a ground ball to second base by left fielder Joey August.

The Miners later loaded the bases, but Anchorage got out of the inning without further damage.

Anchorage shortstop Gabe Jacobo kept another run off the board in the bottom of the second when he made a fantastic play on a high chopper behind second base to get second baseman Chris McMurray by half a step and prevent Ben Price from scoring from third.

The Bucs tied things up with a two-out RBI single in the top of the third when first baseman Clay Calfee ripped a ground ball past the diving McMurray to score right fielder Jared Gayheart from second base.

Mat-Su right fielder Donald Brown opened the bottom of the fourth with a line drive into right field, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Ben Price and advanced to third on a bloop single to right field by catcher Jay McConnell.

Brown then scored the game-winner on a deep fly ball to right by Uhl that made the score 2-1.

That was all Miners starting pitcher would need. He allowed just two baserunners after Mat-Su took the lead to secure the victory. Pitching in a close game, he said, helped him stay focused on the task at hand.

&#8220I think it helped me concentrate a little more,” he said.

The win helped the Miners remain in first place in the Alaska Baseball League, pushing their record to 13-4 in the league. The win also helped the Miners avenge a previous loss against Bucs starter Christian Bergman, who beat Mat-Su a week ago in the second game of a doubleheader on July 6.

Matteo said it was important for the team to come out strong in Thursday's opener.

&#8220Especially in a doubleheader, winning the first game takes all the pressure off,” Matteo said.

Contact sports reporter Matt Tunseth at matt.tunseth@frontiersman.com.