Winning ways continue for Alaska Road Warriors

WASILLA — Tyler Boensch has spent the 2013 season closing out games for a dominating Alaska Road Warriors team. Pulling comfortably ahead in the Alaska American Legion varsity standings, Boensch showed Saturday he’s not that shabby a starting pitcher as well.

Pressed into service because the rest of the Road Warriors pitching staff was a little worn out having played last week on a Legion all-star team in an exhibition game with the Mat-Su Miners, head coach Myrle Thompson said he thought he’d pitch the first game of Saturday’s doubleheader against Fairbanks by committee.

Turns out, Boensch was all the committee the Road Warriors would need, beating Fairbanks 12-1 in the first game. In the nightcap, Tyler Hanson took over and threw three dominating innings to close out a 6-3 win.

“He pitched all five innings,” Thompson said of Boensch in the mercy-rule-shortened game. “He was keeping the ball nice and low and getting a lot of strikes. He does great with his glove, too. He’s usually our closer, but we had a bunch of sore arms with that all-star game earlier in the week.”

In the second game of the doubleheader, played Saturday at Lou McManus Field in Wasilla, Hanson came on in relief of Jake Butcher and gave Fairbanks more than they could handle, Thompson said. He pitched the final three innings, and faced only 10 batters. He walked on, struck out seven and didn’t give up a hit.

“He definitely just shut the door on them,” he said of Hanson’s performance.

Putting up 6 runs in the first three innings, the Road Warriors set the tone early with their bats in the second game, the coach said.

“We got four runs off their ace in the first inning, then two more in the third,” he said. “After that, he shut us down pretty well.”

Saturday’s sweep of Fairbanks improves the Road Warriors to 13-1, including being winners of their last five straight.

“It’s the best start for varsity, that’s for sure,” Thompson said. “And it might be the best start we’ve ever had (in both A and AA). I don’t remember a better start.”

Aside from stellar pitching, the Road Warriors have been crushing opposing pitchers, especially through the middle of their lineup, Thompson said. It’s a lineup that includes Jonathan Boyer, Butcher, Morgan McJimsey, Russ Ruta and Ben Ross. Their play has also meant that, except for plugging in a late arrival, Thompson hasn’t had to change his lineup.

“To tell you the truth, I haven’t had to do much to that lineup at all,” he said. “It’s like at least three of them are always clicking. In fact, in that West game (last weekend) Morgan McJimsey had, like, four hits and Shane Andrews had 5 RBI.”

McJimsey so far this season “has just been a beast,” Thompson said. “He has a lot of extra-base hits. Him and Butcher, Ross and Boyer and Ruta — Ruta’s really crushing the ball lately, too.”

Saturday’s wins followed an 11-2 win over Service on Friday. The only hiccup for the Road Warriors came last Sunday when they dropped a 6-5 decision to Kenai in extra innings. That was the first game of a doubleheader. Wasilla could rebound to win the nightcap, and their last four games since.

The Road Warriors will enjoy their home field this week. They host East at 6:30 p.m. at McManus Field, then will host the Todd Ryan Memorial Tournament July 4-7. The Road Warriors open tournament play at 7 p.m., July 4 against Bartlett, followed by a 4 p.m. start against Service July 5.

Contact Greg Johnson at 352-2269 or

greg.johnson@frontiersman.com.