Mat-Su holds off ninth inning rally to secure Opening Day win

PALMER — Chaos in the top of the ninth inning nearly pushed the Mat-Su Miners pitching staff over the edge, but the green and gold prevailed in a 4-2 Opening Day home win over the Chugiak-Eagle River Chinooks at Hermon Brothers Field in Palmer.

The Miners came out of the gate hot with two runs in the first two innings: Mat-Su center fielder Sebastian Tomerlin stole home for the first run of the season on a tricky double steal. First baseman Cooper Vest stood on first with Tomerlin on third in the bottom of the first inning. Vest broke for second, Chugiak catcher Austin Young tossed to the bag, and Tomerlin seized his chance to break for home. Despite snagging only two stolen bases in the collegiate season for Central Arizona, the ploy worked; the Miners had their first run of the season in unconventional fashion.

In the second frame, Mat-Su right fielder Kaden Carpenter scored from third off of an RBI groundout from catcher Austin Machado.

The Miners then failed to record another hit until the bottom of the eighth inning.

With no outs in the penultimate frame and Machado on first after a walk, second baseman Alex Thurston dropped a bunt down the third baseline resulting in a hit. Shortstop Emilio Barreras advanced both runners on a sacrifice bunt. Vest drove home Machado with a single to left, and a wild pitch scored Thurston.

Tomerlin ended the inning trying to score on a shallow flyout to left field. The strong arm of Chugiak left fielder Ryan Callahan caught the speedy outfielder redhanded.

Mat-Su’s opening arm Candon Dahle strutted through the first six frames allowing zero runs on two hits, but nerves and fatigue got the better of him in the seventh.

Young battered a one-out single into right field. Callahan followed in suit, and designated hitter Ty Beck walked to load the bases and end Dahle’s evening. The BYU rising junior finished with 6.1 innings pitched, four hits, and five strikeouts.

Ethan Lyke stepped up in relief in the bases loaded jam, keeping Dahle’s sheet clean by striking out Chugiak third baseman Logan Mantz and forcing second baseman Ryan Leonisio into a weak groundout to third.

With one away in the top of the ninth, Callahan striped a double inside the left field line, and Beck and Mantz added back-to-back walks to fill the bases. Leonisio skied a sacrifice fly to center that scored Callahan and advanced Beck to third.

After a zero-for-four beginning, Chinooks center fielder Michael Kelly winged his first hit to shallow left field, scoring Beck and putting the go-ahead-run at the dish.

While Kelly avoided a hitless outing, the same could not be said of shortstop Tommy Rover who ended the game looking at strike three for his second backwards K of the day.

Lyke finished with 2.2 innings pitched, two earned runs, two hits, and a trio of strikeouts. Dahle recorded the win, and Lyke earned the save.

The Miners are back in action Tuesday night on the road at the Anchorage Bucs with a 6 p.m. first pitch.