Miners send coach out with win

PALMER — The season of Mat-Su head coach Chris Gordon ended five games early, but the Miners sent the first-year skipper home with a win Wednesday night.

Infielder Ian Sagdal scored the go-ahead run in the seventh inning to lead the Miners in a 3-2 win over the Anchorage Bucs at Hermon Brothers Field.

Sagdal helped the Miners give Gordon a win in his last game of the season as head coach. According to the team, Gordon returned to the Lower 48 for job interviews. Gordon is currently the pitching coach at Milligan College in Tennessee.

With Gordon’s departure, Miners pitching coach Nate Fritz will assume the duties as head coach. His first game as skipper was Thursday night against the Bucs in Anchorage. Results were not available prior to press time.

Mat-Su returns to Hermon Brothers Field tonight to host the Anchorage Glacier Pilots at 6 p.m., and the Miners will close the season with a four-game homestand.

Mat-Su plated a pair of early runs Wednesday against the Bucs.

In the bottom of the first inning, Mat-Su’s first three hitters reached base. Bobby Boyd drew a lead-off walk, and Ian Miller and Bill Cullen posted consecutive singles to load the bases. Boyd scored on a Clint Freeman fielder’s choice to give the Miners the 1-0 lead. Miller reached home on a Branden Berry fielder’s choice to push Mat-Su’s advantage to 2-0.

Anchorage scored twice in the top of the seventh to knot the game at 2, but Sagdal was hit by a pitch and scored late in the inning to break the tie.

Mat-Su used five pitchers in the win. Jimmy Reed earned the win in relief, and Jake Long notched his second save of the season. Six different Miners finished with one hit in the game.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.