Routine turns bizarre in Miners win over Glacier Pilots

June 24, 2007

By Jeremiah Bartz/ Frontiersman

PALMER - The routine turned bizarre Friday as the Mat-Su Miners capitalized off a pair of unorthodox plays to post a 5-2 Alaska Baseball League win over the Anchorage Glacier Pilots at Hermon Brothers Field.

Mat-Su beat what looked like an automatic double play to set up its first run in the third, and took advantage of an Anchorage base running blunder in the ninth, as the Miners improved to 3-1 in ABL play.

&#8220It's heads-up play,” Mat-Su skipper Jeff Pritchard said following the win.

In the third inning, with Mat-Su center fielder Carl Uhl at first and catcher Chris McMurray at the plate, Anchorage had the potential to end the inning with a double play. But after a brief moment of chaos, McMurray and Uhl were left safe at first and second.

With Uhl on, McMurray sent a soft ground ball to Anchorage shortstop Danny Cox. When Cox shifted the ball over to Pilots second baseman Mike Diaz, the Anchorage infielder missed the bag as he threw to first. After McMurray beat Diaz' slow throw to first, Uhl started walking back to the dugout as if he was called out at second.

&#8220I think (Carl Uhl) just assumed they made the play,” Pritchard said. &#8220I saw the fielder come across the bag before he received the ball. I thought it was a good call.”

As Uhl jogged away from the bag, his teammates screamed for him to get back. Fortunately for the Miners, Uhl beat the throw of Anchorage first baseman Matt Wagner back to second.

He later scored on a Michael Ewing sacrifice to give the Miners the 1-0 lead.

The oddity continued in the ninth, when Anchorage's Todd Sebek was called out at second after leaving the base too early on a routine fly ball.

Sebek led-off the inning with a double to deep left field. But when Wagner flied to center during the following Anchorage at-bat, Sebek got a head start to third base.

With Sebek oblivious to the situation, Mat-Su closer Matt Montgomery calming tossed the ball back to second base to record the second out of the inning.

&#8220Our bench was watching the runner,” Pritchard said. &#8220I almost had to settle them down a bit.”

Anchorage head coach Chris Jones was ejected from the game after arguing the call.

Left fielder Joey August posted a two-run single in the sixth, and starter Jason Erickson pitched seven strong innings in the win.

With the score tied at 2-2 in the sixth, August blooped a single into short left field to score designated hitter Ty Rasmussen and right fielder Donald Brown.

&#8220It was good to finally do something,” August said. &#8220My first two at-bats were not spectacular.”

After he was foiled twice by the change up of Anchorage starter Jorden Merry, August said he looked for the fastball.

Rasmussen scored easily from third and Brown showed his deceptive speed, scoring from second.

&#8220He's pretty sneaking fast,” August said of Brown. &#8220I don't think people give him enough credit. He can run a bit.”

Derek Helenihi preceded the August hit with virtually a perfect bunt to move the runners. Helenihi finished the day 3-for-3.

Miners third baseman Ben Price collected a pair of hits, and scored in the win.

Erickson stormed through the Anchorage lineup, and earned his second win in less than a week. After plunking Anchorage's lead-off man, Bernard Williams, Erickson retired the next 11 Glacier Pilot hitters. Eight of those outs came via the ground ball.

&#8220That's vintage Jason,” Pritchard said of the University of Washington product. &#8220That's what the University of Washington expects out of him, and he expects a lot out of himself.”

Montgomery and Nate Garcia each pitched an inning of perfect relief, and Montgomery earned his first save of the season.

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

Anchorage

name ab r h bi

Williams cf 3 1 0 0

Diaz 2b 3 0 1 0

Sebek rf 4 0 2 0

Wagner 1b 4 0 1 0

Neer dh 4 0 1 0

Murphy 3b 3 0 0 0

Whitmer c 3 0 0 0

Yoder lf 3 1 1 0

Cox ss 3 0 0 0

Totals 30 2 6 1

Miners

Name ab r h bi

Uhl cf 3 1 0 0

McMurray c 4 0 1 0

Ewing 1b 2 1 0 0

Rasmussen dh 2 1 0 0

Brown rf 2 1 0 0

Helenihi ss 3 1 3 0

August lf 4 0 1 2

Price 3b 4 1 2 1

Terhune 2b 3 0 0 0

Totals 29 5 7 4

Glacier Pilots 000 002 000 - 2

Miners 001 012 010 - 5

E: Helenihi, Whitmer (2); DP: Glacier Pilots 1, Miners 1; LOB: Pilots 3, Miners 7; 2B: Price, Sebek, Wagner, Yoder; SB: McMurray, Helenihi, Terhune, Diaz, Uhl; CS: Williams; S: Helenihi.

Miners IP H R ER BB SO

Jason Erickson W 7.00 5 2 0 0 1

Nate Garcia 1.00 0 0 0 0 1

Montgomery S 1.00 1 0 0 0 1

Glacier Pilots IP H R ER BB SO

Jorden Merry L 5.67 6 4 1 3 2

David Vicini 2.33 1 1 0 1 2

HBP: Williams by Erickson, Uhl by Merry; PB: McMurray; Balk: Jerry.