Pilots hold on to beat Miners, win ABL title

With Mat-Su trailing, first baseman Nick Cirelli sent a shot over the left field fence to pull the Miners back into the game. But the Anchorage Glacier Pilots used a big eighth inning to grab the insurance runs they needed.

Anchorage hammered three solo home runs in the bottom of the eighth and held on for a 6-2 win over the Miners in the Alaska Baseball League championship game Monday night at Mulcahy Stadium in Anchorage.

Mat-Su, which finished second in the ABL regular season standings, capped the season with a 28-13 record and the runner-up finish.

Anchorage jumped to a 3-0 lead early. Cirelli, a second-year Miner, hit a two-run shot in the top of sixth to cut the deficit to 3-2. Alex Helmin, who reached on an error, also scored.

Anchorage’s Ali Camarillo and Caden Kendle hit back-to-back home runs in the eighth. Tom McCaffrey added a third solo homer later in the inning for the Pilots.

Blake Avila added a single and a double for the Miners in the loss. Casey Sunseri singled twice.

The Miners moved into the title game with a walk-off win over the Anchorage Bucs 2-1 in 10 innings Sunday afternoon at Hermon Brothers Field in Palmer.

Josh Paino singled and Steven Lancia scored to give the Miners the win in the 10th.

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.

Mat-Su was playing for its 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.

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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