Miners Skid Reaches Six

Ryan Dull made his first start of the summer.

The Miners entered Saturday's contest with the Anchorage Bucs looking to end a season high five game losing streak. The game was part of the MLB Showcase and was a scheduled 7 inning game. Ryan Dull (JR/UNC Asheville) made his first start of the season tossing 5 shutout innings surrendering only 3 hits and walking 3 while striking out 2, but would receive a no decision.

The Miners would start the scoring early in the ballgame when in the top of the first inning Miners lead off hitter Ryan Ford (SO/Middle Tennessee State) was hit on the brim of the helmet by a Collin Snow (JR/Georgia Southern) pitch. After a fly out to center field by Cam Kneeland (JR/UMASS Lowell) Miners third baseman Stephen Branca (JR/Tennessee Wesleyan) laced his 5th double of the season down the left field line moving Ford from first to third. Wesley Jones (JR/Milligan) grounded out to the shortstop to score Ford from third giving the Miners a 1-0 lead.

It would stay a 1-0 ballgame until the 7th inning when the Bucs would comeback to tie the ballgame. Brandon Hedrick (JR/Union) was on for his second inning looking to complete a two inning save. Logan Davis (FR/Hofstra) lined a single back up the middle. After a strikeout, Joe Winterburn (FR/UC Santa Barbara) singled moving Davis to second. Landon Anderson (JR/Dallas Baptist) tapped a one hopper back to the mound which was gloved by Hedrick who tried to turn a double play but sent the throw into center field scoring Logan Davis to send the game to extra innings.

The Miners brought on Brock Simon (JR/Santa Clara) in the eighth inning. Jake Valdez (FR/San Jose State) singled to right to lead off which was fallowed by a sacrifice bunt by Bucs third baseman Ryan Palermo (JR/UC Santa Barbara). After an intentional walk to Logan Davis, Matthew Harjung (SO/Missouri Baptist) smacked a walk-off single down the left field line to give the Bucs a 2-1 victory.

The win went to Bucs relief pitcher Connor Kendrick (FR/Georgia Tech) who pitched a scoreless eighth inning scattering two hits walking one and striking out one. Kendrick improved his record for the summer to 3-0.

The loss went to Miners relief pitcher Brock Simon who pitched the eighth inning allowing one run on two hits and one walk. Simon fell to 0-2 this summer.

The Miners offense was able to gather five hits in the game three of which where for extra bases with doubles from Michael Suiter (SR/Punahou High School), Stephen Branca, and Cam Kneeland.The other two hits where collected by Wesley Jones and Michael Gerlach (SO/Cabrillo CC).

The Miners fall to 12-13 in Alaska Baseball League play while the Bucs improved their record to 12-11. The Miners along with the rest of the league will have tomorrow off for the first ever Alaska Baseball League Homerun Derby and All Star Game. The Miners will resume play on Monday with a home game at Hermon Brothers Field against the Anchorage Bucs at 6:00pm for Mat-Su Regional Medical Center day at the ballpark. The gates will open at 5:00pm.