Stockton spoils opener

PALMER -- Playing shorthanded, the Mat-Su Miners came up just short.

The Stockton Senators scored five early runs and survived a late Miner rally to defeat the Mat-Su summer club 6-5 in the Miners' season opener at Hermon Brothers Field on Wednesday.

Mat-Su first baseman Scott Simon drove in a pair of runs in the bottom of the ninth inning to cut the lead to one run, but Senator relief pitcher Brett Bruneel retired Mat-Su's Chris Mason on a long fly ball to centerfield to earn the save and secure the win. Mat-Su came within one run of tying the game, despite just 12 players in uniform.

"We've got to get the wrinkles out," Miner field manager Mike Buchmiller said. " Anytime you lose a ball game, you are not happy with it. We were in a rough spot. We had some guys playing in a position they would normally not play."

The Miners had a pair of Palmer High School alumni in the starting lineup. Brian Weller, the team's bullpen catcher for the last three seasons, earned the starting spot behind the plate and fellow Moose alum Brian Ferry started in left field after making the club in an open tryout on Tuesday. Chris Mason, a North Carolina- Greensboro relief pitcher, started at third base for the Miners.

Several of the players on the 2004 roster have yet to arrive in Palmer. Three players -- University of Arizona outfielder Derek Decater and Eddy Rodriguez and Roger Tomas from the University of Miami (Fla.) -- are still competing in the NCAA Super Regionals. Several other players have just recently finished their baseball seasons and college classes and will be trickling into the Valley each day.

Community College of Southern Nevada lefty Ryan Tabor earned the start for the Miners on the mound. Tabor allowed five earned runs and eight hits in five innings pitched in his first outing in the Miner green and gold. While Tabor struggled early, the freshman earned key punch-outs, striking out five Senator hitters.

"Ryan hasn't pitched in three weeks," Buchmiller said.

The Miner head coach said getting Tabor -- a 24th round selection by the New York Yankees in the Major League Baseball amateur draft this week -- settled and into live action was an important early season goal.

Stockton tagged Tabor for five runs in the first three innings. Alex Height gave the Senators a 5-0 lead with a two-run home run in the top of the third.

In the bottom of the third inning, Tabor helped his own cause with a double down the right field line. A Simon seeing-eye single scored Tabor and a Mason sacrifice fly cut the score to 5-2.

Mat-Su relief pitcher Kevin Tomasiewicz led the Miner comeback bid with a walk to open the bottom of the ninth and Clayton Carson followed with a single. Simon was able to knock in the runs, but Mat-Su fell just short.

Stockton's Jacob McMurran allowed just two earned runs in five innings to earn the win.

The Miners opened their schedule of home dates with the contest. The opening day festivities included Rep. Carl Gatto throwing out the first pitch and the singing of the national anthem by the Valley Blades state championship youth hockey squad.