Miners set for late-season surge

July 29, 2007

By MATT TUNSETH/Frontiersman

MAT-SU - The Mat-Su Miners kept their Alaska Baseball League title hopes alive with an 8-6, 12-inning victory over the Peninsula Oilers Saturday at Coral Seymour Memorial Ballpark in Kenai.

The win enabled Mat-Su to salvage a split with the Oilers, who beat the Miners 5-4 on Friday.

Derek Helenihi was the big hero Saturday night, ripping a one-out single in the top of the 12th to score Michael Ewing and Jay McConnell.

With the win, the Miners pulled to within a game and a half of Athletes in Action, who played late Saturday.

Mat-Su now has two games remaining in its ABL schedule, a Monday road contest against the Anchorage Glacier Pilots and then a home game Tuesday to wrap up the regular season.

Miners General Manager Pete Christopher said he's hoping a big contingent of Valley faithful make the trip into Anchorage for tomorrow's big game.

&#8220I'm asking all the fans to make the trip into Anchorage,” Christopher said Saturday.

Christopher and his wife, Miners promotional director Denise, are making a big push to drum up plenty of support for the Miners Monday and Tuesday.

When the team returns to Palmer Tuesday, Denise Christopher said local fans will be let in free, and the first 200 through the gate will receive a complete set of 2007 Miners baseball cards, compliments of Wells Fargo and Wilder Construction.

&#8220It's Fan Appreciation Night,” Christopher said.

In addition to the baseball card giveaway and free admission, there will be plenty of raffles.

In addition, Miners fans will get a chance to cheer on a local resident who will be getting a chance to live a baseball dream come true.

Settlers Bay resident Mark Humm will get to don the green and gold as a &#8220Miner for the Day.”

Humm, whose wife purchased the right for her husband to become part of the team at the Miners' annual fund raising auction, will sit in the dugout and serve as an official member of the Miners for Tuesday's contest.

Monday's game against the Glacier Pilots will begin at 7 p.m. at Mulcahy Stadium in Anchorage.

Tuesday's Fan Appreciation Night season finale will begin at 6 p.m., although fans hoping to get their hands on a set of baseball cards might want to show up early.

Contact Matt Tunseth at 352-2265 or matt.tunseth@frontiersman.com