Pitcher’s duel

PALMER — Jeff Gonzales was enjoying a great debut as a Mat-Su Miners starter. But Logan McAnallen had to spoil it.

Gonzales pitched six scoreless innings of two-hit ball, but McAnallen one-upped the University of Washington freshman and tossed a no-hitter during the Lake Erie Monarchs’ 2-0 nonleague win over the Miners at Hermon Brothers Field on Sunday.

McAnallen got the best of the pitcher’s duel, a game that finished nearly 10 minutes shy of the two-hour mark.

“There was a big zone today and he was using it to his advantage as far as getting ahead of hitters and staying ahead of hitters,” Mat-Su head coach Brian Yocke said of McAnallen. “We just didn’t make an adjustment quick enough in terms of being aggressive.

The big lefty from the University of Michigan faced 30 hitters in the game, three more than the minimum. He fanned 12 and walked just one. Nine outs came through the air and McAnallen threw a half-dozen ground ball outs.

Mat-Su had only three base runners in the game. Miners infielder Ryan Ford reached on McAnallen’s own error in the third. Ford laid down a bunt right in front of the mound. McAnallen’s throw pulled Lake Erie first baseman Kurt Farmer off the bag.

Ford didn’t advance past first after the two-out error.

After three perfect innings for McAnallen, infielder Cam Kneeland drew a walk in the seventh. Kneeland was also on with two outs and didn’t get past first.

McAnallen hit the leadoff batter, outfielder Nick Rosso, in the eight. Rosso stole a base, but was stranded at second.

McAnallen struck out the side in the ninth.

Gonzales, who didn’t arrive in the Valley until Saturday night, was nearly as impressive in his Miners debut. The UW product retired the first 10 batters he faced and didn’t allow a hit until Alex Davison doubled in the fourth.

“He came off the plane, and came dealing,” Yocke said of Gonzales. “He was throwing a lot of strikes, throwing three pitches for strikes. He looked good.”

Gonzales allowed the two hits and walked one. He faced 21 hitters, forcing eight to ground out.

“He was working low, so he was getting a lot of ground balls, letting the defense work,” Yocke said.

After Mat-Su lefty Ben Graff worked a perfect seventh, the Monarchs — an Ohio-based Great Lakes League team — was able to hit reliever Brock Simon for a pair of runs.

Simon, who didn’t step off the plane in Anchorage until about four hours before game time Sunday, pitched a pair of innings, allowing three hits and an earned run. Another run was unearned.

Zach Eli tripled to deep center field in the eighth inning and scored on a Hank LaRue fielder’s choice to give the Monarchs the 1-0 lead.

In the ninth, Farmer doubled down the left field line and later scored on a Mat-Su error to give Lake Erie the 2-0 lead.

Lake Erie finished with only five hits in the game.

Mat-Su finished exhibition play 2-2-1 after the loss to Lake Erie. Overall, Yocke said he likes what he’s seen so far.

Yocke and his staff used as many as five pitchers per contest during the exhibition games. Every pitcher on the roster worked during that stretch, and most of the position players also saw significant time.

Alaska starts Alaska Baseball League play tonight at 7 p.m. at Hermon Brothers Field with the first of three straight games against the Athletes in Action Fire. The Miners head to Anchorage for games at Mulcahy Stadium against the Anchorage Bucs on Friday and Glacier Pilots on Saturday night.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com and follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/matsu_sports.