Miners take league lead with win over Pilots

July 31, 2007

By Jeremiah Bartz/ Frontiersman

ANCHORAGE - The Mat-Su Miners are back in the driver's seat.

After trailing Athletes in Action in the standings for about two weeks, the Miners are once again in the top position of the Alaska Baseball League.

Mat-Su's 3-1 win over the Anchorage Glacier Pilots combined with AIA's 6-5 loss to the Peninsula Oilers in Kenai Monday allowed the Miners to trade spots with the Fire, and move a half-game ahead of the Fairbanks-based ball club.

The Miners' quest for the ABL title continues tonight when Mat-Su hosts the Glacier Pilots in Miners' season finale.

The first pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. at Hermon Brothers Field. The night is promoted as ‘fan appreciation day,' and all spectators are admitted for free.

&#8220It's going to be a race,” Mat-Su head coach Jeff Pritchard said after the game, joking that all of this late-season excitement may just give him a heart attack. &#8220But whatever happens, I'm going to be proud of these guys.”

Michael Ewing and Chris McMurray each scored early runs, and Joe Ercolano drew a walk with the bases loaded in the eighth to push Ben Price across the plate, and allow the Miners to improve to 23-11 in ABL play.

The Fire, who play tonight in Kenai and Wednesday against the Pilots at Mulcahy, are now 22-11.

Alex Rivers pitched seven strong innings for the Miners, and earned the win. He is now 5-1.

Nate Garcia posted the save, his fourth of the summer, after two innings of work.

Both Rivers and Garcia pitched themselves out of potentially disastrous jams in the win.

In the bottom of the fourth, the Glacier Pilots put runners on the corners with no outs, but Rivers forced the next three Anchorage hitters to pop

out.

&#8220That's called pitching,” Pritchard said. &#8220It's fun to watch.”

In the ninth, Anchorage had runners on second and third with two outs. But with the tying run on second, Garcia struck out Aaron Barrows.

After Todd Sebek drove in a run for Anchorage on a sacrifice in the bottom of the first, Mat-Su took a 2-1 lead in the top of the next inning.

Ewing scored on an error to tie the game for Mat-Su, and McMurray crossed home plate when the Miners put on the double steal. The Miners, led by the guidance of Pritchard and his coaching staff, have earned the reputation of being an aggressive team on the base paths, and Mat-Su's double steal attempt in the second was another prime example.

&#8220At some point you kind of have to force the offense a little bit,” Pritchard said.

With Jay McConnell on first and McMurray on second, Pritchard told both to run. McConnell was tagged out going to second, but McMurray was able to score.

Mat-Su only managed four hits in the game - Price, McMurray, McConnell and Derek Helenihi posted a single each.

&#8220I'd like to see a little more offense,” Pritchard said.

But once again, the Miners earned the win in other ways. Mat-Su drew five walks, Rivers and Garcia combined for a strong contest on the mound and the Miners played errorless baseball until the ninth. Pritchard specifically noted the defensive play of Helenihi at shortstop.

&#8220He showed flashes of absolute brilliance at times,” Pritchard said.

With a win tonight, the Miners have a potential to take a stab at their second ABL title in four years.

The Miners also won the league crown in 2004.

But to get the title, Mat-Su will also need a little help. AIA still has two games to play.

With a win tonight, Mat-Su would improve to 24-11 and the Fire would need to win both of their remaining games to finish in a first-place tie with Mat-Su. If that proves to be the case, AIA would win the tiebreaker thanks to a win in the season-series against the Miners.

The Miners can clinch the title tonight with a win and an AIA loss to the Oilers.

If the Miners lose, AIA would have to win only one of their two remaining games to be crowned champion.

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