Miners score walk-off win

July 8, 2007

By Jeremiah Bartz/ Frontiersman

PALMER - After the Mat-Su Miners extended their winning streak to seven with a victory over the Peninsula Oilers on Wednesday, Mat-Su first baseman Michael Ewing said the Miners always feel like they have a shot at winning, whether it's the first inning or the ninth.

On Friday, Ewing proved that statement to be true.

In the bottom of the seventh inning, in the first leg of a doubleheader against the Anchorage Bucs, Ewing hit a three-run game-winning walk-off home run to give the Miners a 6-5 win over the Bucs.

Ewing's blast, a shot that travel well over the right field fence of Hermon Brothers Field, was his second dinger of the game, and part of five unanswered runs in the come-from-behind win over the Alaska Baseball League rival.

&#8220Sometimes you've got to battle for one. The Bucs are a solid team,” Mat-Su head coach Jeff Pritchard said, standing in a state of awe after the victory. &#8220But if you get the last swing at it, good things can happen.”

Anchorage roughed up Mat-Su starter George Brown in the fourth inning, and built a four-run lead in the short, seven-inning contest.

But the Miners didn't panic.

Mat-Su scored two runs in the sixth to chip away at the Anchorage lead, and reliever Max Peterson pitched three scoreless innings on the mound to keep Mat-Su in the hunt.

In the seventh, Carl Uhl and Joey August singled to set up an opportunity for Ewing to win it all with one swing.

&#8220None of that would have been possible if they guys before me didn't get on,” Ewing said, noting the ability of Uhl and August to grab the clutch singles.

With Uhl and August aboard, Ewing watched as Anchorage stopper Mitch Bialosky delivered him three balls outside the strike zone, before sending the Mat-Su first baseman a gift across the plate.

&#8220I was looking for the fastball, trying to work myself into a good hitter's count,” Ewing said. &#8220Lucking he threw me three balls, and I was just waiting for him to throw me a fastball, in. And he did.”

Ewing said the last thing he wanted to think about was hitting his second homer of the game, and his fifth of the season.

But it seemed to be on the mind of every Mat-Su fan. Even the Miners' public address announcer called for it.

&#8220I try to block that out,” Ewing said. &#8220Any time you're thinking home run, you're not going to hit a home run.”

The win marked the third time during the eight-game winning streak the Miners won in the final at-bat.

&#8220We're all confident in everybody in our lineup,” Ewing said. &#8220None of us are selfish hitters. If we have an opportunity to take the walk, we're going to take it every time.”

With a team ERA a mere 1.24 when the squad hit the field on Friday, the pitching staff has been the story for the Miners throughout much of the 2007 season.

&#8220They've picked us up so many times, so it's definitely a good feeling to give one back to them,” Ewing said. &#8220Pitching has been there for us all year. And it was still there. Max came in and did a great job to hold them to five, and luckily the bats were able to come through tonight.”

Ewing, who drove in five of Mat-Su's six runs, allowed Uhl to score on a sacrifice fly in the first inning.

That tally gave the Miners the early 1-0 lead, but the Bucs attacked Brown, and posted five runs on six hits in the fourth. All of Anchorage's runs came with two outs.

Logan Shafer singled with the bases loaded to give the Bucs a 2-1 lead. After Buck Afenir singled to load the bases again, Brown walked a runner in. Jared Gayhart followed with a two-run single.

Ewing led-off the bottom of the sixth with a solo shot to cut the score to 5-2. Later in the inning, designated hitter Jay McConnell singled and catcher Ryan Ortiz scored.

McConnell finished 3-for-3.

Peterson's work in relief earned him his third win of the season. The southpaw fanned three and only allowed three hits and three-and-a-third.

Anchorage 5, Mat-Su 2

Anchorage snapped Mat-Su's eight-game winning streak with a 5-2 win over the Miners in the nightcap of a doubleheader Friday at Hermon Brothers Field.

Christian Bergman pitched seven strong innings, and five different players scored as the Bucs handed Mat-Su its first loss since June 25.

The Miners (13-3 overall, 11-3 in ABL play) took a 2-1 lead when Ortiz scored on an Anchorage error in the bottom of the seventh. But the Bucs responded with three runs in top of the ensuing inning.

Gayhart and Clay Calfee each posted run-scoring singles in the inning. Erik Wetzel scored on a passed ball. Santa Clara freshman Steve Kalush allowed three runs, one earned, in less than an inning of relief, and was tagged with the loss.

Contact Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.