Miners end season in style

Adam Martin had a flight to catch after the season finale 2-1 victory on Sunday afternoon over the Anchorage Bucs. Martin would be heading to Wichita, Kansas to compete in the National Baseball Congress World Series for the Crestwood Panthers. Before he could head to Kansas however he had one final game to play with the Mat-Su Miners and he made it count. Martin (Fr./Western Carolina) went a perfect 3 for 3 in a shortened seven inning ball game at Hermon Brothers Field. Martin drove in 2 runs and also scored 2 runs with help from his two solo home runs. 

Martin connected for his first home run of the day and second of the season in the fourth inning off of Bucs starting pitcher Bradley Drust (So./Southern Illinois). The Miners catcher would connect again in the bottom of the sixth inning over the left center field wall. The second home run of the day for Martin would prove to be the difference.

The Bucs would score their only run in the fourth inning when Ryan Palermo (Jr./UC-Santa Barbara) scored on two fielding errors when the Miners kicked the ball around on a Davis Morgan (Jr./Tennessee) pop up on the infield. 

Both starting pitchers went the distance. Miners starter David Gibson (Jr./Bluefield) earned his fourth win of the year (4-1) allowing 1 unearned run on 3 hits, 2 walks, and 7 strikeouts. Bucs starter Drust lost his seventh of the year (0-7).

The Miners finished the 2011 season on a six game winning streak, finishing with a 21-15 record in second place of the Alaska Baseball League, 3 games behind league champions the Peninsula Oilers. 

For more information about next season keep an eye on Matsuminers.org. 

Game 41: Miners vs. Bucs, 2:00 p.m.

This afternoon the Mat-Su Miners close the 2011 Alaska Baseball League season by playing the Anchorage Bucs. The Miners enter the contest, perhaps playing their best baseball of the season, and have won five straight. Last night, the Miners used a six-run sixth-inning to come from behind to beat the Bucs, 10-7. The win mark the Miners seventh of the season against the Bucs, and helped the Miners reach 20 ABL wins for the season.

Today the Miners hand the baseball to Co-Pitching MVP, David Gibson (Jr./Bluefield). Gibson, who opened the season for the Miners by starting the season-opener on June 8th, will make his ninth start in a Miners uniform. The Williamsburg, Va.-native, who will transfer to Southern Poly in Georgia this fall, enters the game with a 3-1 record and an earned run average of 2.58. Gibson pitched on Tuesday night, throwing two-scoreless frames against the Peninsula Oilers. Gibson has the opportunity to set the mark for innings pitched by a Miner this season, trailing Jeff Gonzales by 6 1/3 innings. The left-hander's 30 strike-outs lead the Green and Gold.

Alaska Baseball League Standings (W-L-GB)

1. Oilers 23-12 --
2. Miners 20-15 3
3. Pilots 17-18 6
4. Bucs 16-19 7
5. Fire 12-24 11.5

Today's Game: Miners (20-15) vs. Bucs (16-19)

First-pitch: 2:00 p.m. from Hermon Brothers Field in Palmer. It is MTA Fan Appreciation Day at the ball-park. All fans will be granted admission free of charge.

Media: Matt Dudas and Michael Broskowski have the call, beginning at 1:40 p.m. with the Mat-Su Miners Pre-Game Show. Fans can listen to the broadcast locally on Q99.7, and worldwide on www.matsuminers.org.

Pre-Game Guests: Michael Broskowski will talk with Miners pitcher Ryan Dull (Jr./UNC-Asheville), while Matt Dudas will sit down with Miners manager Brian Yocke.

-Matt Dudas

Miners win 5th straight

The Miners were able to continue their hot streak on Saturday night in Anchorage at Mulcahy Stadium with a come from behind 10-7 win over the Bucs.

Jeff Gonzales (Fr,/Washington) made his eighth start of the season for the Miners, but struggled giving up 4 earned runs on 3 hits walking 6. The Miners fell behind early in the bottom of the first inning when Bucs right fielder Boomer Collins (Jr./Dallas Baptist) belted a 2 run home run over the left field wall to give the Bucs a 2-0 advantage.

Gonzales struggled with control in his 2 inning outing and walked the first 2 hitters he faced in the second inning setting up a Landon Anderson RBI single to extend the Bucs lead to 3-0.

The offense for the Miners wouldn't stay quite for long as they where finally able to get to Bucs starter Collin Snow (Fr./Georgia Southern) who retired the first 7 Miners he faced. Mason Guymon (Jr./Carson Newman) ripped his first double of the season to left field. Guymon later scored on a throwing error following a Tim Zier (Fr./San Diego St.) single. The Miners weren't done yet as they added another run off of a Cam Kneeland (Jr./UMASS-Lowell) groundout that scored Zier pulling the Miners within 1 3-2.

The Bucs would add another run in the third on a Ryan Palermo (Jr./UC Santa Barbara) RBI single. Brandon Hedrick (Jr./Union) would come on from the bullpen and throw 3.2 innings allowing 2 runs on 3 hits, 4 walks and 3 strikeouts earning his second win of the season (2-1).

The Miners offense would stay quite until the 5th inning when they would pull within 1 (4-3) on a Stephen Branca (Jr./Tennessee Wesleyan) double down the left field line scoring Ryan Ford (So./Middle Tennessee St.).  The Miner weren't done however as they would go on to add 6 runs in the sixth inning highlighted by Stephen Branca's first homerun of the season, a grand slam over the left field wall to give the Miners a comfortable lead of 9-4. Branca went 2 for 5 with 5 runs driven in and a run scored.

The game was far from over though as the Bucs made a game of it when they scored 2 runs in the bottom of the sixth inning on  Jake Valdez (Fr./San Jose St.) and Boomer Collins RBI singles to cut the deficit to 9-6.

In the 7th inning Mason Guymon would continue his hot hitting lining a RBI single into right center to scoring Michael Suiter (Sr./Punahou High School) to add an insurance run making it a 10-7 Miners lead. Guymon ended the night going 3 for 4 with a double, a pair of singles and a walk.

The Bucs would again pull within three runs again adding a run in the eighth inning on a Boomer Collins double, his second extra base hit of the night, scoring Landon Anderson.

Miners reliever Brendan Lobban (Jr./St. Johns) would shut the door on the Bucs going 3.1 innings allowing an unearned run on 2 hits, 2 walks, and struck out 1. Lobban earned his second save of the year.

Collin Snow took the loss his first of the year (1-1) going 5.1 innings allowing 6 runs 5 earned on 7 hits. Snow walked 3 struck out 4.

The win improved the Miners record to 20-15. The Miners return to Hermon Brothers field tomorrow for the final game of the 2011 Alaska Baseball League season against the Anchorage Bucs. Game time is 2:00pm gates opening a 1:00pm. It is MTA Fan Appreciation Day which means free admission to all fans.

Game 40: Miners at Bucs, 7:00 p.m.

Tonight, the Mat-Su Miners meet the Anchorage Bucs in game three of a four-game set. Last night the Miners defeated the Bucs for the sixth time in seven tries this season, when Mark Anderson (So./BYU) threw a complete-game shut-out. Anderson picked up his fifth win of the season in the process, and helped the Miners lock-up second place in the ABL in 2011.

Tonight, the Miners will send Jeff Gonzales to the mound. Gonzales last threw on Monday night, going seven innings against the Bucs. The Bellevue, Washington-native holds a 1-2 record on the season, and an earned run average of 4.01. Gonzales leads the Miners with 42.2 innings pitched.

Tonight's Game: Miners (19-15) at Bucs (16-18)
First-pitch: 7:00 p.m. at Mulcahy Stadium in Anchorage.
Media: Matt Dudas and Michael Broskowski have the call, beginning at 6:50 p.m. with the Mat-Su Miners Pre-Game Show. Fans can listen to the broadcast worldwide on www.matsuminers.org.
Pre-Game Guest: Matt Dudas will talk to Miners pitcher Brandon Hedrick.
Next-Up: The Miners close the 2011 season on Sunday against the Bucs at 2:00 p.m. It is MTA's Fan Appreciation Day. All fans get into the game free of charge.

-Matt Dudas

Game 39: Miners vs. Bucs, 6:00 p.m.

Tonight, the Mat-Su Miners look to win their fourth straight, when they play host to the Anchorage Bucs. The Miners last night defeated the Bucs, 2-1. Ben Graff (Fr./San Francisco), who made his first start of the ABL season, fired seven scoreless innings on way to picking up his second win of the summer. The Bucs were able to push across a run in the ninth inning, but Brendan Lobban (Jr./St. John's) was still able to pick up his first save of the season.

The Alaska Baseball League season is in to it's homestretch in 2011. The Oilers currently sit in first place, and still have four games remaining. Two of those games will take place this afternoon in Kenai, with the Oilers taking on the AIA Fire in a doubleheader. The Oilers magic number is down to one after last night's 9-3 victory over the Fire.

The ABL championship race is down to just the Miners and the Oilers. With last night's Miners victory, the  Bucs are eliminated from the race. The Miners and Bucs meet three more times, to close the 2011 regular season.

Alaska Baseball League (W-L-GB)

1. Oilers 20-12 --
2. Miners 18-15 2.5
3. Pilots 17-18 4.5
4. Bucs 16-17 4.5
5. Fire 12-21 8.5

Tonight the Miners send lefty Mark Anderson (So./BYU) to the mound against the Bucs. Anderson comes into the game with a 1.80 earned run average, giving him one of the best in the ABL. Anderson leads the Miners in wins, and brings a 4-1 record into tonight's contest. The Moreno Valley, Cal.-native last worked on Tuesday, allowing a ninth inning run against the Oilers. The left-hander's last start came on Saturday against the Bucs, when Anderson hurled six scoreless innings. In 11 innings this season against the Bucs, Anderson has allowed no runs on six hits. 

Tonight's Game: Miners (18-15) vs. Bucs (16-17)

First-pitch: 6:00 p.m. from Hermon Brothers Field in Palmer. It's NAPA Alaska Day at the ball-park. NAPA is the official sponsor of Mat-Su Miners Internet Broadcasts.

Media: Matt Dudas and Michael Broskowski have the call, beginning at 5:50 p.m. with the Mat-Su Miners Pre-Game Show. Fans can listen to the game locally on Q99.7, and worldwide on www.matsuminers.org.

Pre-Game Guest: TBD

Next-Up: The Miners visit the Bucs, tomorrow at 7:00 p.m.

-Matt Dudas

Miners fend off Bucs

Miners relief pitcher Ben Graff (Fr./San Fransisco) made a spot start on Thursday night against the Anchorage Bucs at Mulcahy Stadium. Graff went 7 shutout innings holding the Bucs to only 3 hits, walking 2 striking out 6 to pick up his second win of the season (2-3).

Miners second baseman Tim Zier (Fr./San Diego St.) continued his hot hitting going 2 for 3 with a run batted in. Zier drove in the Miners first run in the top of the third inning with a ground ball through the left side of the infield on a hit and run to score Michael Suiter (Sr./Punahou School) from second base to make it a 1-0 Miners lead.

The Miners would grab a huge insurance run in the eighth inning when Dominck Francia (Fr./Louisiana Lafayette) led off the inning with a bunt single. Francia stole second base to add to his lead league with his 19th swipe of the season and then moved over to third on a Tim Zier single. With runners on the corners with 1 out Ryan Ford sent a ground ball to the shortstop Logan Davis (Fr./Hofstra) who tried to turn a double play but Ford beat the relay throw scoring Dominick Francia putting the Miners up 2-0.

After Neal Dennison worked a scoreless bottom of the eighth inning, the Miners brought in Brendan Lobban (Jr./St. Johns) to work the ninth. The Bucs would put together a two out rally when Bucs catcher Joe Winterburn (Fr./UC Santa Barbara) doubled over the head Dominick Francia in left. Bucs leading hitter Matthew Harjung (So./Missouri Baptist) dumped a single in to shallow left to score Winterburn. Lobban would get out of the jam with no further damage when he got Dylan Wisthoff (Fr./Rollins) to ground out to first. Lobban picked up his fist save of the season. The loss went to Bucs starter Ryan Goodbrand (So./UC San Diego) who fell to 1-1 on the season.

The Miners return home tomorrow with a 6pm game against the Anchorage Bucs with gates opening at 5pm.

Game 38: Miners at Bucs, 7:00 p.m.

Tonight, the Mat-Su Miners will look to continue their late-season resurgence and stay in the ABL pennant chase when they visit the Anchorage Bucs. The Miners come into the game winners of five of their last seven, and sit 2.5 games behind the first-place Peninsula Oilers. The Miners have just four games remaining in the ABL in 2011, with all four of them being against the Bucs. The Miners now sit in second-place in the ABL, and a game up on the third-place Bucs. The Miners hold a 4-1 edge on the season-series over the Bucs.

The Miners last played on Tuesday night, using five different pitchers to defeat the Peninsula Oilers 5-2. David Gibson (Jr./Bluefield) and Ben Graff (Fr./San Francisco) each pitched two scoreless frames to begin the game. In the fifth, with the Miners leading it 1-0, Colin Cloud (Anchorage, AK) made his first appearance of the season. Cloud sat down the Oilers 2-3-4 hitters, and finished the inning by striking out Oilers first-baseman Troy Channing (Jr./St. Mary's).

The Oilers tied in the sixth, but it didn't stay that way very long. With the bases loaded, Oilers starter Jordan Mills (Fr./St. Mary's) plunked the Miners Adam Martin (Fr./Western Carolina), to bring home Ryan Ford (So./MTSU) to break the tie. A batter later, Michael Gerlach (So./Cabrillo) singled down the third-base line to score Stephen Branca (Jr./Tennessee Wesleyan) and Wesley Jones (Jr./Milligan). The hit gave Gerlach a three-RBI night, and put the Miners up 4-1.

The Miners took a 5-1 lead into the ninth, when the Oilers were able to score and bring the tying run to the plate. Mark Anderson (So./BYU), who came on to pitch the inning, forced a fly out to end the game, and gave the Miners their third victory over the Oilers this season.

Tonight, the Miners will again try and inch closer towards first-place when they give left-hander Ben Graff his second start of the season. Graff, who has not made a start since the exhibition season, comes into the game with a 1-3 record in ABL play, and an earned run average of 1.77. Tuesday, Graff worked the third and fourth innings, and scattered two hits, two walks, and didn't allow a run. The Miners are expected to again try to use several different arms, in an effort to save pitching for the remaining games of the regular season. The Miners are down to just eight available arms entering tonight's game.

Alaska Baseball League Standings (W-L-GB)

1. Oilers 19-12 --
2. Miners 17-15 2.5
3. Bucs 16-16 3.5
4. Pilots 17-18 4
5. Fire 12-20 7.5

Elsewhere in the ABL tonight, the Fire meet the Oilers in game two of their five game series. The first-pitch is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. at Coral Seymour Park in Kenai.

Tonight's Game: Miners (17-15) at Bucs (16-16)
First-pitch: 7:00 p.m. at Mulcahy Stadium in Anchorage.
Media: Matt Dudas and Michael Broskowski have the call, beginning at 6:50 p.m. with the Mat-Su Miners Pre-Game Show. Fans can listen to the game worldwide on www.matsuminers.org.
Pre-Game Guest: Matt Dudas talks with Miners pitcher Mark Anderson.
Next-up: The Miners return home for a 6:00 p.m. contest with the Bucs on Friday.

-Matt Dudas