Grunewald, Pilots Humble Miners Bat's

Baseball is a humbling game and that served true on thursday evening in Palmer. In front of a season high 802 fans at Hermon Brothers field, the Miners bats where held in check for the first time in three games. Entering Thursday nights affair with the Anchorage Glacier Pilots, the Miners where in the midst of a three game stretch that saw them rack up 42 hits, 21 runs and only gave up 9 runs. It looked like the Miners would be in for another night offense as they where scheduled to face Andy Grunewald (SO/Elgin CC) for the third time already in the young season. The past two times out against Grunewald the Miners put up a combined 6 runs off the lefty from Elgin Community College. The third time would be different, as Andy Grunewald and Miners starter David Gibson (JR/Bluefield) put on a pitching clinic for the first 6 innings. Gibson who made his third start of the year for the Miners and pitched a solid six innings allowing one run on two hits while striking out eight. Unfortunately the start by Gibson was shadowed by Grunewald's strong six and two thirds scoreless innings, scattering five hits.

The Glacier Pilots broke open the scoring in the 5th inning when Pilots outfielder Aaron Judge (FR/Fresno State) was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning. After a sacrifice bunt by Adam Landecker (SO/USC), Judge stole third. Gibson would then go on to strikeout Trey Nielsen (FR/Utah) for a big second out but with Maxx Garrett (JR/Gonzaga) at the plate Gibson threw his first wild pitch of the game that scored Judge, and made it a 1-0 ball game.

That was the only run the Pilots would need although they did add 6 insurance runs. The Miners where able to collect eight hits but failed to come up with a big key hit and stranded 14 base runners in the loss.
The Miners fell to 7-4-1 and 5-2 in ABL play, while the Pilots won their first ABL game of the season and now sit at 4-11-1 and 1-7.

The Miners next game is tomorrow night at Hermon Brothers Field against the Anchorage Glacier Pilots at 7pm. The gates open at 6pm and it will be Alaska USA Federal Credit Union Day at the ballpark. Coverage will begin at 6:50 with the pre game show on istreamak.com, Matsuminers.org, and Q99.7