Miners use 14 hits to pound Chinooks

PALMER — With the stretch of nonleague games before Mat-Su starts the Alaska Baseball League regular season on Friday, the Miners’ newfound collection of talent has an opportunity to learn.

And the Miners are taking advantage it.

Sunday, in the season-opener, the Miners learned they have the ability to rally, scoring five ninth-inning runs in a 6-3 win over Chugiak. Monday, the Miners learned they have the ability, and the bats, to put together a big lead early. Mat-Su pounded 14 hits and scored a 10-7 win over the Chinooks at Hermon Brothers Field in Palmer, Mat-Su’s 2014 home opener.

“The whole things’s about getting to know our players, getting to know each other. There’s a lot of learning going on, a lot of evaluation,” Mat-Su head coach Ben Taylor said after the win.

Part of that learning, Taylor said, is simply adjusting to new surroundings. The Miners opened their home slate on an overcast evening that included moments of drizzling rain.

“It’s huge to just get used to things; get used to playing in the rain and the daylight all at the same time in a night game,” Taylor said of the players, most of whom are accustomed to playing night games under stadium lights.

Six different Miners finished with at least two hits in the win. Two Miners finished with three hits. Infielder Jordan Rodgers was 3 for 3, with two runs and an RBI. Brandon Smith was 3 for 5 with a pair of runs. Cameron Frost, Nick Senzel, Josh Meyer and Paul Panaccione had two hits each. Frost and Panaccione led the Miners with two RBIs each.

“Everybody chipped in,” Taylor said. “(We) hit some balls hard, had some good at-bats. The nice part is everybody is getting some at-bats, some playing time.”

After Chugiak took an early 1-0 advantage in the first, Mat-Su quickly took the lead with four runs in the bottom of the second.

Hunter Simmons drew a lead-off walk, Smith followed with a single and Simmons tied the score on a Meyer single. Later in the inning, Rodgers drew another walk to load the bases. Smith scored on a Panaccione single, and Mat-Su took the 2-1 lead. Frost posted a two-run single to push Mat-Su’s advantage to 4-1.

Ryan Hendrix, one of four pitchers used by the Miners, fanned seven over three innings of work. Hector Rodriguez pitched three scoreless innings and earned the win. Rodriguez fanned four and allowed only one hit.

Chugiak scored five of its seven runs in the ninth inning.

Mat-Su also improved to 2-0 in the Alaska Airlines Preseason Series with the victory. The season-opening series features four games between the Miners and Chinooks, and continues Tuesday at Loretta French Field and 7 p.m. and concludes Wednesday at 7 at Hermon Brothers. Mat-Su will play a fifth nonleague game against the Lake Erie Monarchs, a Michigan-based team in the Great Lakes Summer Collegiate League, on Thursday.

Mat-Su opens ABL play against the Anchorage Glacier Pilots Friday at 7 p.m. at Mulcahy Stadium in Anchorage.