Mat-Su Miners split with Oceanside Waves

MAT-SU — The Mat Su Miners will have to play the rest of the season without infielder Matt Carullo.

Carullo dislocated his shoulder in a game last week against the Anchorage Bucs, sliding head-long into first base. He was carried off the field on a stretcher. The 6-foot, 185-pound player from Georgetown University, found out recently he doesn't need an operation, but he will be out for the season.

"They said it will be around six weeks [healing time]," Carullo said. "By then it would be July 25th or so." The ABL regular season ends for the Miners on the 28th.

Carullo said he was very disappointed. He couldn't play all spring because of a groin injury, now this.

"This was supposed to be my season," he said. "I guess I'll go home and take a class or something."

Carullo was a driving force in the pre-season Kenai Oilers Harball Tournament. He went two for two against the Anchorage Bucs June 12, before getting hurt.

Carullo could only watch from the dugout, his shoulder bandaged tight to his side, while the Oceanside Waves beat the Miners 5-2 Saturday night.

Coach Bobby Myers said he didn't have anything good to say after the game. He agreed the team looked somewhat under the weather, like they were all moving a bit too slow.

They had 11 hits, but just couldn't capitalize on them. They left 10 men on base. Donny Saba hit three for four, with a double. Designated hitter Nick McIntyre went two for four, with an RBI. And catcher Todd Jennings, one for four, hit a home run over the left field wall.

But it wasn't enough.

The Waves scored two in the first and three in the second. They saw RBIs from Bobby Womble, Chris Mash and Josh Stepner. Womble and short stop Head-a Alvarez each smacked a double.

The Waves, who had 12 hits in the game, may have been charged by a loss from the day before.

On Friday, the Miners spanked them 15-3. Mat-Su had 15 runs on 15 hits in the game. Seven of those came in the second inning.

Just about everyone in the line up hit, including McIntyre, who this time went three for five, with two doubles and one RBI. Saba, two for four, doubled with two RBIs. And third baseman Kevin Randall also had a couple of RBIs and a double.

Mat-Su pitcher Nick Waak, a 6-foot-3-inch, right-hander, pitched nine innings, allowing eight hits and just two earned runs. He walked three and struck out three.

On Sunday the Miners beat the Athletes in Action 2-0.

That leaves them at 9-3 overall going into Monday night's game, 4-1 in league play.

Tonight they have a well-earned day off, after playing 11 straight nights. Tomorrow they play the Anchorage Glacier Pilots at Hermon Brothers field, at 7 p.m. Then they head to Kenai for a four-game series against the Oilers, before coming home to play the Pilots again June 26.