Miners shine in ABL All-Star Game

ANCHORAGE — Mat-Su’s 11 all-stars shined at Mulcahy Stadium this weekend, helping Team North beat Team South 6-4 during the annual Alaska all League All-Star Game here Sunday afternoon.

Miners infielder Tino Lipson was named the most valuable player of the event, and catcher P.J. Torres was one of the top four contestants in the league’s home run derby earlier in the day.

Lipson earned MVP honors after finishing with a pair of hits, an RBI and two stolen bases.

“Earlier this year for (the University of California-Davis) I pulled my hamstring, so I was confined to just hitting. Now that I’m healthy it’s nice to be able to use my other tool,” Lipson said of his speed. “It’s fun. I was trying to be aggressive on the bases.”

In the eighth inning, Lipson solidified his MVP performance with his second hit of the game, a single off flamethrower Braden Shipley of the Anchorage Bucs. Shipley, who was named top prospect in the ABL, has a fastball that hits 95 mph.

“I missed his fastball and I was like ‘oh no, if he throws me that slider again I’m screwed.’ It hurt a little bit off the bat, but I just had to beat it out,” Lipson said.

Led by Lipson, the Miners wheels were on display in an arrogant disregard for South ABL catchers. Lipson and fellow Miner Ian Miller pilfered a pair of bags each.

Miller was part of an all-Miner Team North outfield. Centerfielder Bill Cullen slapped a double to left field and scored in the fifth inning to tie the game at 2. Miller helped ignite a three-run seventh inning for Team North with a perfectly placed bunt single. As was the case for much of the game, Miller would not stay at first. Miller stole second and third, and scored on a passed ball. Another Miners outfielder, Bobby Boyd, hit an RBI single to right to add to the Team North lead in the seventh.

Lipson also had an RBI-double in the sixth.

Four different Miners had at least one stolen base in the game, and Mat-Su pitchers impressed as well. Mat-Su’s top utility player, Clint Freeman, was one of two players to hit in the home run derby and pitch in the all-star game, alongside Peninsula Oilers standout Jon Maciel. Freeman struck out two and gave up one hit in one inning of work. Mat-Su’s Andrew McGee struck out four in two innings of work and gave up one run. Jake Long closed the game, pitching a perfect ninth inning and striking out two to earn the save.

Mat-Su’s speed is what makes the Miners so dangerous offensively, but the ABL Home Run Derby gave the Miners a chance to showcase their power. Torres blasted four home runs in the first round to lead the Miners, and went into the second round with the lead. Torres hit three more, but did not advance. Anchorage Bucs infielder Zach Mathieu was the eventual winner of the derby.

Freeman knocked two out of the park from the left side, but did not advance. Cullen, who entered the derby as the league’s leader in home runs, also participated.

“It’s good to go out there and be free with your swing, to see how far you can hit it. I was happy to hit two,” said Freeman.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com, follow him at twitter.com/matsu_sports and find him by searching Valley Sports Huddle on Facebook.