Miners use walk-off win to advance to ABL title game

The Mat-Su Miners will play for an Alaska Baseball League title. The Miners used a walk-off win to edge the Anchorage Bucs 2-1 in 10 innings Sunday afternoon at Hermon Brothers Field in Palmer.

The Miners will play the Anchorage Glacier Pilots Monday at 7 p.m. at Mulcahy Stadium in Anchorage in a winner-take-all championship game.

Josh Paino singled and Steven Lancia scored to give the Miners the win in the 10th and help the Miners earn the chance to compete for their ninth ABL title. Mat-Su’s last championship came in 2018, its third straight. The Miners also won the league in 1987, 1997, 2004, 2009 and 2010.

Kole Tauzin earned the win in relief, allowing only one hit over the final two innings. Starter Michael Yates fanned six over six innings, and allowed three hits and one earned run. Mason Brandenberger pitched two innings of scoreless relief.

Alex Vergara drew a walk with the bases loaded to give the Miners a 1-0 lead in the fourth. Anchorage tied the game in the fifth.

Piano led the Miners with two hits.

The ABL general managers opted to adjust the ABL playoff format late last week. The original schedule had four teams battling in a pair of best-of-3 semifinal series, with the winners meeting in a best-of-3 championship series. The ABL pivoted to a sudden-death format, with single games in the semifinals and the championship.

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