Miners earn a 6-1 win over California

PALMER -- With Pepsi sponsoring clapper night at the ballpark, Hermon Brothers Field sounded like a tin roof in a hail storm on Saturday. But the closest thing to a storm on a night that featured a crowd of about 250 people -- many of whom were armed with the plastic Pepsi clappers -- was a sprinkling of rain and a sprinkling of Miner runs in Mat-Su's 6-1 win over the California Dons.

Mat-Su catcher Billy Munich celebrated his return to Alaska with a pair of hits, two runs scored and a run driven in. This for a player who arrived in Palmer after midnight the night before.

"Nice to be able to jump right in and play and not have to sit and watch," Munich said. "Thrown into the fire."

Munich notched a bloop single to left field and scored on a bases loaded walk to Josh Satin in the second inning to give the Miners a 3-0 lead. In the sixth, Munich doubled to the centerfield wall and drove in Chris Mason. Munich scored later in the inning as Miner left fielder Brian Ferry laid down the sacrifice bunt on the squeeze play. Munich showed deceptive speed, as he hustled to third base on a California passed ball to set up the squeeze.

"I worked really hard on getting faster over the last off season," Munich said. "It was a big liability for me. I thought I'd show it off the first game."

Munich returned for his second tour of duty with the Miners. The catcher's summer was cut short last year after suffering a broken hand on a mid-season road trip. While first-year Mat-Su manager Mike Buchmiller was putting together the 2004 roster, Miner general manager Pete Christopher told his skipper he'd like Munich to have another opportunity to play a full season at Hermon Brothers Field.

"I loved playing here last year. I was really sad I got hurt and had to go home," Munich said. "I told (Pete) I wanted to come back and he got it done for me."

"We are really excited to have Billy part of the club," Buchmiller said. "We're anxious to get him in the lineup. Billy is a guy we expect to do good things behind the plate.

"He's only been in town for less than 24 hours and he has already picked up the offensive and defensive signals."

Munich is part of a talented platoon of catchers on the Mat-Su roster this season. The Miners are still awaiting the arrival of blue-chip backstops John Hester of Stanford and Eddy Rodriguez of Miami (Fla.).

Kevin Tomasiewicz pitched five innings of scoreless baseball to earn the win for the Miners. The Wisconsin-Whitewater southpaw struck out six hitters in his first start of the summer.

Six different players drove in runs in the Miner win. After making the Miner squad in an open tryout less than a week ago, Ferry notched a pair of hits and his first RBI of the season.

"Brian Ferry has been nothing but an absolute pleasure," Buchmiller said. "He knows his limitations, he knows he's a guy who once everybody gets here, he probably won't get too many innings, but he's come out and done everything we've asked of him and has exceeded all expectations."

Mason hit the first Mat-Su home run of the season, a long shot over the left field wall.

Pepsi's night at the ballpark was just one of the featured events at Hermon Brothers Field on Saturday. The Miners also hosted "Kids Night", as all children were admitted to the game for free and a pair of bikes were given away to a pair of lucky little tikes. The festivities started with Sen. Lyda Green throwing out the first pitch.