Miners Suffer Second Straight 2-0 Loss

If there is one opponent that the Mat-Su Miners have been challenged by in the 2024 season, it is the Anchorage Bucs. In the first 2 games between these 2 opponents, the Bucs both outlasted and dominated the Miners at Hermon Brothers Field with wins by scores of 10-9 and 9-1. However, in the overall scope of the season, these 2 opponents were still largely unfamiliar with each other. On Monday, that would change.

The Miners and the Bucs would play 2 games at Mulcahy Stadium starting at 4:00 PM. Tucker Timmerman would start on the mound for the Miners just 2 days after celebrating his 20th birthday, and looking for a signature performance on the road.. Game #1 started off very promising for the Miners with Drake Kerr and Kyle McCausland both hitting singles in the top of the 1st Inning. However Mat-Su would be unable to score in that frame, opening the door for the Bucs to capitalize. The Bucs managed 1 hit from Cole Carlon in the bottom of the 1st but, they were also shutout by Timmerman to keep the score at 0-0.

In the 2nd, Mat-Su was once again stymied, and then would have to watch in the bottom of the 2nd as the Bucs would cash in their opportunity. The Bucs would quickly load the bases on the back of 3 Singles and an infield error. Then Cole Carlon would bring in a run on a single before watching another run come in on another error by the Miners. In one fell swoop, the Bucs had taken full command.

In the rest of the game, both offenses stayed relatively quiet as the respective defenses went to work. Timmerman and Chad Gurnea, the starting pitcher for the Bucs, would both do a fine job of limiting the opposing offenses. Timmerman would go 5.0 IP with 2 Strikeouts and 0 ER allowed. Meanwhile, Gurnea would take a fired up Mat-Su offense and cool them down with 6.0 IP, 5 K's, 2 Hits, and 0 ER allowed. This would leave the game to be stuck at 2-0 heading into the top of the 7th with Mat-Su getting one more chance offensively to put the puzzle pieces together.

The Miners put together 2 Singles in the top of the 7th from Nick Bisaccia and Kellen Strohmeyer to put themselves in position to tie the game. They would just need 1 solid hit to bring the game to extra innings. However, the unluckiness of the day only continued as Ryker Schow grounded out into a double play to end the game with a 2-0 Bucs victory. It is only the 3rd time that Mat-Su has been shutout this season, and it is a tough loss to let go in any time frame. Mat-Su had to try to let go of it in roughly 45 minutes.

In Game #2, Mat-Su brought in Rocco Bernadina to limit the best offense in the ABL. However, the Miners offense would get the first crack at the scoreboard. Drake Kerr would single in his very first at-bat, and then would steal both 2nd and 3rd to get 90 feet away from becoming the Miners first run of the day. Christian Perez would also get on base via a walk, putting the Miners in a great position to get the opening salvo. However, a strikeout swinging would keep Mat-Su away from their goal, and allow the Bucs to make their move.

In the bottom of the 1st, on Bernadina's very first pitch, Cole Carlon smacked a ball over the left field wall to score a Solo Home Run Shot and put the Bucs up 1-0. Bernadina would respond with a strikeout and 2 flyouts to end the inning, but it served as a warning shot for the Miners for the rest of the game.

In the 2nd, Ryan Cochran would reach 2nd after forcing a Walk and then stealing 2nd Base. However, once again Mat-Su would come up short on a groundout to 1st Base. In the bottom of the inning, the Bucs would add to their lead with Cole Carlon delivering an RBI Single in a bases-loaded situation. Arguably the best offensive player in the ABL was living up to that moniker. Mat-Su had to find a way to respond.

Outside of strikeouts by Rocco Bernadina, the game remained very quiet going into the 5th Inning. Ryan Harrahill would take to the bump in that frame and would keep up the pressure with a multi-strikeout performance of his own. However, the Miners offense continued to struggle against the solid defense of the Bucs, and several unlucky groundouts, flyouts, and lineouts. In the 7th, Mat-Su would have one last gasp by using Brandyn Durand as a pinch hitter, looking to "generate" some offense. However, it ultimately made little difference in the end as the Miners could not delay a 2nd straight 2-0 loss on the road.

After 2 losses on Monday, Mat-Su now sits at 12-12 overall and is back to being tied for 2nd in the ABL Standings with the Peninsula Oilers. The Miners currently hold the tiebreaker, but if they lose to the Oilers in their final game of the year, then the Oilers would gain the tiebreaker themselves. While the game on July 20th vs. Peninsula looms large, Mat-Su also has to focus on defeating the Bucs to make their own run for 1st in the ABL Regular Season Standings. However, the great news is that Mat-Su still has the opportunity to do all of that and more.

Dylan Simmons, 2024 Broadcaster
Mat-Su Miners