Outfielder clutch in return to the Mat-Su Miners

June 29, 2007

By Jeremiah Bartz/ Frontiersman

PALMER - Joe Ercolano's summer plans changed with just one early morning phone call.

After spending the summer of 2006 in the Mat-Su Valley, playing for the Mat-Su Miners in the Alaska Baseball League, Ercolano opted to give the Cape Cod League a shot in 2007. But after things didn't work out in the other summer collegiate developmental league the Lehigh University product found himself looking for another place to play. But that's until Mat-Su general manager Pete Christopher called.

&#8220Pete called me at 2 a.m. and asked if I wanted to come back up,” Ercolano said. &#8220I said sure.”

Ercolano said he's happy to be back in a place where he had so much success the summer before.

&#8220It feels good, I missed it,” Ercolano said. &#8220It's even more relaxed than last year. Second year back, I feel more comfortable.”

Ercolano spent much of last summer knocking balls into the deep alleys of Hermon Brothers Field. And on Wednesday, he started right back up where he left off in 2006.

In the bottom of the fifth, with the Miners locked in a scoreless tie with the league-leading Peninsula Oilers, Ercolano sent a double to the center field wall. The hit allowed Mat-Su's Carl Uhl to score, and the Miners to take a 1-0 lead.

The hit proved to be pivotal in Mat-Su's 3-0 win over the Oilers.

&#8220That was huge,” Mat-Su head coach Jeff Pritchard said of Ercolano's hit. &#8220He's definitely going to be a big part of our team and offense.”

And then Ercolano continued his clutch work on Thursday. In the bottom of the 11th inning, Ercolano singled to drive in Ben Price. That run was the lone score in Mat-Su's dramatic 1-0 win over the Oilers.

With the addition of Ercolano, Pritchard now has a roster stocked with quality outfielders. Last season, Ercolano saw most of his playing time in center field. But Uhl has prospered in that spot. So Ercolano started his first game of the summer in right. On Thursday he moved over to left.

The Miners also have two other veterans of the 2006 squad - Joey August and Donald Brown - on the roster.

On Wednesday, August started in left.

&#8220We're deep, very deep,” Pritchard said. &#8220Donald Brown was the fourth outfielder tonight and he was the co-ABL player of the year last year.”

The Miners also have their designated hitter, Ty Rasmussen, who can play in the outfield.

Last season, Ercolano was arguably one of the top hitters in the ABL. He started the summer with a 13-game hitting streak, and recorded at least one hit in 19 of his first 21 games.

He ended the season with a team-high .344 batting average, 53 hits and 29 runs.

Earlier this summer, Ercolano was invited camp of the Cape Cod League's Wareham Gatemen. Ercolano said he liked the idea of playing in the Cape, primarily because it would put him close to his hometown of Fairfield,

Conn.

&#8220It was a bad situation,” Ercolano said. &#8220I really didn't get a chance to showcase my talent.”

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