Miners open tourney with walk-off win

ANCHORAGE — The Anchorage Bucs showed their ace, but that didn’t mean a win wasn’t in the cards for the Mat-Su Miners.

Gio Brusa scored on Nick LaFace’s walk-off single in the bottom of the 10th inning to give the Miners a 3-2 come-from-behind win over the Bucs during the first day of the Alaska Baseball League Tournament at Mulcahy Stadium in Anchorage Monday night.

Thanks in part to their starter, big right-hander Garrett Mundell, Anchorage took a 2-1 lead into the ninth, but Mat-Su tied the score in the bottom of the ninth and notched the game-winner in the 10th.

LaFace factored into both runs during the final two innings. The Mat-Su catcher led off the ninth inning with a single, and later scored when A.J. Simcox singled with the bases loaded.

Following the LaFace single in the ninth, John Williams reached on an error. Spencer Mahoney drew a two-out walk to load the bases.

Mat-Su nearly won the game in the ninth inning. After LaFace scored, Williams sprinted around from second, but was gunned down at the plate.

LaFace stepped up to the plate with two runners on and one out in the 10th. Brusa walked and Farney singled before Brusa scored the game-winner.

Mundell, Anchorage’s 6-foot-7 starter who led the league during the regular season with a 0.63 earned run average, pitched seven innings for the Bucs. Mundell scattered six hits while fanning four and walking two. But while Mundell was getting the attention as one of the league’s best starters, Mat-Su’s pitching staff was also solid.

Starter David Koll threw five innings and allowed only four hits and one earned run. He fanned five and walked three. Reliever Mitch Warner was nearly perfect through four innings of work, allowing only one hit. Warner earned the victory in the game.

Mat-Su finished with 10 hits in the game. LaFace, Simcox, Farney and Christin Stewart had two hits each.

The Miners, who finished in a tie with the Bucs for second in the regular season league standings, continue tourney play today at 6 p.m. against the Anchorage Glacier Pilots in Anchorage.

Mat-Su meets the ABL regular season champion Alaska Goldpanners Wednesday at 9 p.m. in Anchorage, and the Chugiak Chinooks Thursday at 5 p.m. at Loretta French Field in Chugiak.

The top two squads from round-robin play will meet in a three-game championship series, which starts Saturday in Anchorage.

Miners hand out

team awards

PALMER — A half-dozen players recently earned team awards for the Mat-Su Miners 2013 summer season.

Outfielder Christian Stewart was named the overall team most valuable player. The University of Tennessee freshman led the Alaska Baseball League in RBI (31), home runs (five) and doubles (14). Stewart also finished second in the league with a .336 batting average.

Infielder A.J. Simcox, who won the league batting title with a .356 average, was named the team’s most valuable position player. Simcox, another UT product, led the ABL with 48 hits and 27 runs.

Trevor Bettencourt and Ty Schlottmann shared most valuable pitcher honors. Bettencourt finished 3-2 with 39 strikeouts and a 2.95 earned run average. Schlottmann was 3-2, and fanned 23 hitters in 34 innings.

Pitcher Tyler Martin earned the Mike Kelly Award, an honor named after the former Miners utility man. Martin appeared in 12 games and recorded three saves for Mat-Su.

Spencer Mahoney was given the Stan Zaborac Award, named for the former Miners general manager. Mahoney batted .302 and led the squad with 21 walks.