Valley team stays alive in tourney

ANCHORAGE — With the potential of playing as many as eight games in less than a week, Alaska Road Warriors head coach Steve Mossburgh has told his players, it’s time to dig deep and give everything they’ve got.

And Mossburgh knows that’s especially true for his pitching staff.

The Road Warriors pitching staff put together solid outings on consecutive days to move the Wasilla-based team a step closer to placing in the 2008 Alaska American Legion Baseball State Championships.

Lefty Cole Smith tossed a five-inning one-hitter to lead the Road Warriors to an 11-0 win over Bartlett on Sunday, and Rhowe Stefanski and Colter Peterson combined for nine innings of solid work during a 7-1 win over Eagle River on Monday.

“Good pitching,” Mossburgh said. “They’ve been throwing the ball really well.”

Smith faced only 20 hitters in the win over Bartlett, and didn’t allow a Golden Bears hit until the top of the fifth inning.

Stefanski allowed only three hits and one earned run in five innings of work against Eagle River. He also fanned five Wolves hitters.

Peterson allowed two hits and no runs in relief.

Luckily for Mossburgh, the Road Warriors needed only three pitchers in two games.

Mossburgh’s crew will face either South or Fairbanks today at 3:30 p.m., and with a win in that game, the Road Warriors face the potential of playing in two games on Wednesday as they work their way through the loser’s bracket.

“I told the pitchers today, start icing the arm,” Mossburgh said. “If it comes down to it, we’ll have to run whatever pitcher we have out there, whether they pitched two days ago or three days ago.”

Even though the Road Warriors were booted into the loser’s bracket with an 11-10 loss to East Anchorage on Saturday, Alaska could still play back into the title game, thanks to the double-elimination tourney.

The state title game is slated for Thursday at 6 p.m. at Mulchay Stadium in Anchorage.

Wes Smith, Zach Vance, Mike Dotson and Chris Bydlon each collected a pair of hits during the win over the Wolves on Monday.

Smith, named the player of the game following the win, also scored two runs and posted three RBI.

Smith drove in Kyle Bovy on a run-scoring double in the fourth inning to give the Warriors the 2-1 lead. Bovy and Vance both scored on Smith’s two-run double in the sixth.

Tommy Rodamer led the Warriors with two hits, two runs and two RBI in the win over Bartlett.

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