Wasilla graduate helps Miners open 2018 season with a victory

PALMER ¬— Early in the week, Mat-Su Miners head coach Ben Taylor gave Nolan Monaghan the nod.

Monaghan, a former Wasilla High School standout in his second season with the Miners, would get the start on the mound on opening day. And the lefty responded by helping the Miners start the season in 2018 the same way they ended their summer in 2017.

Celebrating a victory.

Monaghan pitched four solid innings to help the two-time defending Alaska Baseball League champions begin the 2018 summer season with a 6-1 victory over the Chugiak Chinooks at Hermon Brothers Field in Palmer.

“I thought he was great,” Taylor said of Monaghan. “He kind of picked up where he left off last year. He gave us a lift. We’re lucky to have him.”

Monaghan, fresh off his sophomore season at Feather River Community College in California, allowed only two hits and an earned run in four innings of work. He fanned five and walked two. When he took the ball on opening day, Monaghan said the goal was simple.

“Do what I do best,” Monaghan said. “Try to get outs, try to put my team in the position to win.”

Kyle King and Nathan Bock combined for five innings of scoreless relief. King, another lefty, was credited with the win after allowing just a hit over three innings of work. Bock fanned three in two innings.

“The guys did a great job pounding the zone,” Taylor said.

Taylor said the Miners had their hurlers on a pitch count on opening night.

“You never know in a pitch count game how everything is going to sort out,” Taylor said.

Monaghan also scored the first run of the game. The ABL is a designated hitter league, but Monaghan stepped up to the plate as the shorthanded Miners wait for some of their players to finish their college seasons. Monaghan reached on an error to start the third inning. Miners catcher David Avitia-Duarte singled to left to drive in Monaghan and provide the Miners with the first RBI of the summer.

“It felt really good,” Avitia-Duarte, a Grand Canyon University freshman, said. “I struggled a little bit during the college season, so getting that first RBI is big for me.”

It was the first of four runs for the Miners in the inning after trailing 1-0 early. Drew Swift doubled, and later scored on a Danny Wright single. Kona Quiggle added another double to drive in Avitia-Duarte. Late in the inning, Wright scored on a Chugiak passed ball.

Swift and Quiggle led Mat-Su with two hits each.

“Especially in front of the home fans, it was a lot of fun tonight,” Taylor said.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.