Warrior baseball hits rough start

May 6, 2007

By Jeremiah Bartz/Frontiersman

WASILLA - After spending much of the pre-season practicing on gymnasium floors rather than grass fields, most prep baseball teams in Alaska are a little rusty in their season opener.

On Friday, Wasilla was really rusty.

Homer took advantage of numerous Wasilla errors, and used the unearned runs to score a 19-3 win over the Warriors Friday at the Carl Fritzler Field at Wasilla High School.

Going into the 2007 season, Wasilla head coach Gene Sandone was high about a WHS club that includes a balanced mix of young talent and seasoned veterans. And despite the 16-run loss, he still is.

&#8220Nerves,” Sandone said. &#8220They didn't look like they have looked in practice.”

Wasilla committed 11 errors in the game - seven in the third and fourth innings combined.

&#8220You can't commit that many errors,” Sandone said.

Homer head coach Larry Kuhns said he doesn't expect Wasilla to accumulate the errors as the season goes on.

&#8220I suspect in a game or two, they'll be a team to be reckoned with,” Kuhns said.

Wasilla and Homer were actually locked in a close game in the first inning. The Warriors' three-run second gave the Valley squad the 3-2 lead in the first. But that was before Homer was able to rip off 17 unanswered runs.

Kuhns said seeing that first inning, Homer was prepared for a really close game.

After Homer took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first, Wasilla senior Corey Cowgill tied the game in the bottom of the inning with a deep home run that cleared the left field fence.

The knock drove in freshman Chris Bydlon, who reached on a fielder's choice.

Sophomore Mike Shaw gave the Warriors the lead, with a run-scoring single in the first. Shaw drove in Tommy Rodamer, who was hit by a Homer pitch.

The Warriors were held to just three hits in the game. Senior Sawyer Graber also singled.

The massive Mike Fielding sparked the Mariners at the plate, going 3-for-3 with three runs scored and four driven in.

Fielding hit a home run in the first inning that cleared the center field fence by about 10 feet. That shot gave the Mariners the initial 2-0 lead.

In the top of the fifth, Fielding hit another bomb that was almost certain to leave the tight quarters of the Fritzler Field outfield. Wind kept the ball in the field.

Seven different Mariners scored in the win, and six Mariners drove in runs.

Johnny Watry and Adam Trieweiler each had two hits.

Trieweiler scored three runs, and also earned the win on the mound.

On Saturday, Palmer earned a 6-3 win over Wasilla in a Valley scrimmage.

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