Palmer legion baseball game in Anchorage suspended after gunshots heard

PALMER — At one moment, Palmer Pioneers head coach Tim Rockey was rallying his troops. The next, his players were fleeing for cover.

As the Pioneers prepared to hit the plate in the top of the eighth inning during an American Legion baseball game against West Anchorage at Kosinski Fields in Anchorage Friday night, the contest came to a halt after gunshots were heard.

“I was giving them the ra-ra speech. ‘We need hits.’ And then we heard five gun shots,” Rockey said by cellphone Saturday afternoon. “Five shots, pretty rapid.”

Palmer and West were playing on K2 field of the Kosinski complex, which include four baseball fields, and is all part of the Chester Creek Sports Complex in midtown Anchorage. The facility also includes Mulcahy Stadium and the Anchorage Football Stadium. Rockey said he believes the shots came from the wooded area that borders the field.

“I absolutely think it was coming from the woods. It was very close,” Rockey said.

Rockey said after the shots were heard, a West Anchorage coach called for everyone to get in the dugouts.

“A couple of the West guys, just bolted, just got out,” Rockey said. “The field umpire just bolted.”

Rockey said a West parent immediately called 911, and players from both teams were quickly moved into a single dugout.

“It was a little nerve-rattling. It’s not something we’re used to,” Rockey said. “But nobody got hurt. We took every precaution.”

Rockey said the shots were heard at just about 9 p.m. on a busy Friday night at the complex. A Little League game had just finished on one of the Kosinski fields, and Service and East were playing another American Legion game on another field. The Anchorage Bucs were also hosting the Peninsula Oilers at Mulcahy. Rockey said he was able to have his team off the field and safely into vehicles within 10 of 15 minutes of hearing the gunfire.

West was leading 9-5 when the shots were heard. As of press time there is no confirmation whether the game will be continued on a later date.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.