Road Warriors move ahead with elimination round win

ANCHORAGE — Last season when the Alaska Road Warriors met South Anchorage in an elimination round of the state tournament, the Wasilla-based squad was working with an exhausted pitching staff. The Warriors’ 2012 summer season ended that day, left on a losing end of a 17-11 marathon.

But things could be different when Wasilla and South meet in a rematch today at 10 a.m. in elimination round action of the Alaska American Legion State Tournament at Mulcahy Stadium in Anchorage.

“We still have plenty of pitching left,” Road Warriors head coach Myrl Thompson said after watching right-hander Jacob Butcher throw a solid eight innings during an 11-1 win over Eagle River Monday.

Butcher scattered five hits and fanned six in an eight-inning complete game.

“Butcher pitched great,” Thompson said.

Butcher is the second Road Warrior hurler to go at least eight innings in the tournament. Shane Andrews threw eight innings during the team’s tournament opening win over Bartlett last Friday. Starter Dalton McHugill went six innings during a 3-1 championship quarterfinal loss to Chugiak on Saturday. But reliever Tyler Hansen was able to work three innings, which prevented Thompson from going deep into his bullpen. In three state tournament games, the Road Warriors have used only five total pitchers. Reliever Ben Ross threw an inning against Bartlett. The team has also yet to use its ace, Jonathan Boyer, who was 4-0 with 33 strikeouts during the regular season.

Monday, Butcher didn’t allow a run until the top of the fifth inning. He forced 10 ground ball outs, and his defense turned a pair of double plays.

Butcher was also helped out by a quick start by the Road Warriors offense. Wasilla opened with three runs in the first and held a 6-0 lead through three. Thompson said he knew his team had the ability to bounce back from the tough quarterfinal loss to Chugiak.

“I think everyone realized what is at stake,” Thompson said.

Infielder Ben Ross continued his offensive tear through the summer with a run-scoring triple in the first inning. Mitchell Chauvin also singled and scored during the first. Russ Ruta reached on an error and scored, and Boyer notched a first-inning RBI.

Cooper Hanson added another Road Warrior triple in the second inning, belting a ball to deep center field. Hanson quickly scored on a Tyler Hansen sacrifice fly.

The Warriors continued to pile on the runs in the third inning. Ross and Butcher legged out back-to-back infield singles at the top off the inning. Ross scored on an Eagle River wild pitch, and Butcher scored on a Matt Palmer sacrifice fly.

Ross scored three runs in the win. Ruta and Chauvin each scored twice. Butcher, Hanson, Morgan McJimsey and Kevin Christopher added one run each.

Ross led the Warriors at the plate with three hits. Boyer notched his third consecutive two-hit game of the tournament and drove in a pair of runs. Hansen also finished with two RBI for Wasilla.

Wasilla, which entered the tournament as the No. 1 seed, needs a pair of wins in the loser’s bracket to advance to the championship match. Juneau and Chugiak meet today at 1 p.m. in a winner’s bracket game. The winner of that game advances to the championship. The loser plays the Wasilla/South winner Wednesday at 1 p.m. in the final loser’s bracket game.

The team left standing after the loser’s bracket game on Wednesday will meet the Juneau/Chugiak winner Thursday at 2 p.m. for the title.