Valley Legion team battles state’s best at tourney

ANCHORAGE — It was a rough two days for the Alaska Road Warriors in which the Valley-based American Legion squad suffered a trio of losses during the BP Invitational tournament at Mulcahy Stadium.

After a 10-1 loss against Chugiak Friday night, the Warriors fell to 0-3 in tourney play with a 7-5 loss to Columbia, Tenn., and a 4-2 loss to South Anchorage Saturday afternoon.

The losses to Columbia and South came in back-to-back games.

Warriors head coach Myrl Thompson said he felt his team played excellent ball against two tough teams Saturday, but caught some unlucky breaks.

“We played superb ball. The guys played their hearts out. We were just a few plays away,” Thompson said.

The Road Warriors got strong starting pitching performances from Josh Grissom and Damon Hammer Saturday.

Grissom got to pitch with an early lead against Columbia. David Newman drove in Ian Stormont and Russ Ruta. Grissom then helped his own cause by driving in Newman with a sacrifice to the opposite field.

Grissom pitched scoreless into the fourth when he gave up two runs, one unearned. Leading 3-2, Columbia would score five runs in the sixth inning to go up 7-5.

Kyle Simmons scored in the seventh for the Warriors.

Thompson said he pitched Hammer against the Wolverines specifically for the action on his curveball, which he felt would give South hitters trouble.

He was right.

So South took advantage of something they didn’t have to swing at to take, a walk.

Shortstop Russ Ruta gunned down a South runner trying to score on an infield ground ball. Ruta prevented one run with his defense — and played outrageously good defense, Thompson said. At the time, that play kept the game scoreless. But after a string of South walks, the bases were loaded.

Bryan Baker cleared the bases with a triple. Baker’s hit was within inches of a diving Warriors outfielder.

Stormont, Hammer and Ben Ross collected the only hits against South.

Stormont and Hammer had the only hits against Chugiak.

The Road Warriors now sit in sole possession of fourth place in the state. A string of nine-inning league games next week will likely decide their seed for the state tournament at the end of July.

The Valley team returns to the field to play West Anchorage today at 9:15 a.m. at Mulcahy Stadium.

Contact Tim Rockey at tim.rockey@frontiersman.com or 352-2252. Follow @trockeynews on Twitter.