Solid play, Sandvik slam lead Warriors to district title

WASILLA -- The greatest theme in all of sports is that of the underdog overcoming all odds to win it all, the motley crew playing together to take down the giant. Apparently, the Alaska Road Warriors are familiar with this script.

Last weekend at the American Legion District Tournament, the Road Warriors lived the dream, capturing the district title. They did so with stellar team effort at the plate as well as in the field and on the mound. They convincingly won both games they played against visiting Kenai and Fairbanks on Saturday. Sunday's championship was signed, sealed and delivered to the Road Warriors by catcher David Sandvik who brought it home with a clutch grand slam.

The Road Warriors' tournament kicked off with an 11-4 victory over Kenai. Kenai posted a quick run in the first but didn't score another run until the sixth inning. Road Warrior pitcher Joe Smith scattered four runs over six innings.

"Joe did a great job. He located (pitches) well which is key for him," pitching coach Dave Combs said.

Smith held the Twins to four runs, with a little help from his friends. Sandvik shut down the Kenai running game and caught a runner napping on second base. Utility man Kyle Cowgill made the play of the day in the sixth inning on a diving stop up the middle, sprawled out behind second base. Third baseman Dude Hooser and Cowgill both hooked up with second baseman Dave Doerr on double plays to kill crucial Kenai rallies.

The togetherness and chemistry oozed from the Road Warrior performance.

"We were all on the same page," said Smith.

"This past week we've really gelled as a team on and off the field," Sandvik said.

The team effort didn't stop in the field. The Road Warriors were consistently effective at the plate, scoring runs in every inning after the first. The offensive onslaught proved too much for the Kenai pitchers. Josh Morlan led the charge with four stolen bases, three hits and runs, and a RBI. Sandvik added two singles, a double, two runs and an RBI. Cowgill chipped in with a single, double, run and three RBI.

With the win over Kenai behind them, the Road Warriors' focus turned to the top-seeded Fairbanks squad. The domination Fairbanks enjoyed over the Road Warriors throughout the regular season came to an end with an 8-6 Alaska win. It was picked up through solid play by the Road Warriors, backing the fine performance of pitcher Tyler Tillery.

"I was hitting all my spots today. I did much better than the last time we played," Tillery said.

Tillery threw a complete game, with six strikeouts and three walks. He also made a nifty spinning throw to record the out at first on a bang-bang play, a show of quickness and agility.

"He brought the full package today," said manager Pete Powell.

The offense carried over into the second game in addition to the pitching.

"It was a real team effort today," said Hooser.

Hooser and rightfielder Jimbo Ressler had a huge part in the scoring. Hooser tallied a double, two singles and two RBI, while Ressler had three hits and three RBI.

"I just concentrated on knocking in runs for the team," said Ressler.

Sunday the Road Warriors drew Kenai again in the title game. The first three innings of the game belonged to both pitchers, as they each held their opposition to no-hit ball. The fourth inning brought the first action for the scoring column, with Kenai notching a run in the top half of the inning. The Road Warriors didn't wait long to answer back. Outfielder John Coan rolled a single through the right side and then stole second. Cowgill drove Coan home with a double to left-center.

The patient Kenai hitters started reaping the benefits of their efforts in the seventh as Smith tired on the mound for the Road Warriors. Following a diving stop and throw by Cowgill, Kenai started a two-out rally with two walks. A single plated two runs, and Powell was forced to make a switch. Dan Mahoney, a long and lanky lefty, entered the game and recorded the third out.

"This was the biggest relief appearance of my life," he said.

A brief miscommunication in the infield led to another Kenai run in the eighth.

"When they got four runs, I thought we were flat and thought we were done," Powell said.

Trailing by three in the bottom of the eighth, it was crunch time for the Warriors at the plate. They had to make something happen and make it happen fast. Powell felt the same way.

"We (the coaches) decided to start makin' our guys take some pitches," Powell said.

It proved to be a wise decision. Doerr led it off with a single, and the next two Warriors drew a pair of walks. Cowgill stepped to the plate and blooped a single into shallow left, driving in his second run and bringing the score to 4-2. Ressler followed with a bases-loaded walk to score another.

Sandvik then came to the plate, and pulled the Road Warriors right back into the game by launching a towering grand slam homer over the leftfield fence.

"He crushed it … it was a no-doubter," coach Steve Mossberg said afterward.

With one swing of the bat, Sandvik brought home the title.

"It was an inside fastball and I knew I had it. It was definitely the biggest hit of my career. I'm gonna be sleeping good tonight," Sandvik said.

"Sandvik was huge. He showed up at my house last night at 10 p.m. He wanted to work on his stroke so he hit in the cage. The work paid off," said Powell.

The Road Warriors needed three more outs, and Mahoney trotted out and secured the 7-5 victory. The celebration began. The Warriors, behind Sandvik's homer, had brought home the title.

"We're playing great in every aspect of the game," said Powell. "We're playing great baseball. We've been waiting to play together like this all season."

The celebration wasn't long, however. The win earned them the No. 1 seed from the district, and a game against Service at Mulcahy Stadium in the state tournament. The Road Warriors are slated to play at 3:30 p.m. Sunday.