Miners win non-league home opener vs Chinooks 10-8

The Miners were able win a close one vs Chugiak at Hermon Brothers Field in a game with three home runs and over 20 free passes. The Miners remain 0-1 on the year with last nights contest being non-league, but they are 2-0 in their exhibitions vs the Chinooks.

Chugiak struck first with an RBI single in the second but the Miners plated four unanswred on two 2-run homers by catcher Hayzen Inouye and DH Cooper Grace. Inouye, the Cal Poly commit, and Cooper Grace, a pitcher for Nebraska who hadn't seen live pitching since January had different reactions to their firsts of the summer.

"Straight adrenaline. I was in shock but I felt like I was ready," said Inouye. "I was able to get some runs for the boys, for the team."

"It's like riding a bike, putting the work in it kind of all came back," said Grace. "Got the bat head to it, that was good."

Chugiak tied it in the sixth at four thanks to four free passes and a single, but the Miners quickly reclaimed the lead yet again on right fielder Tyler Babcock's line drive single that drove in two. They doubled their lead next inning off of third baseman Will Godfrey's two-run blast to right to make it 8-4. However, Chugiak would rally back with four in the eighth to even it up again at eight. But Godfrey would come through again with a go-ahead sac fly with the bases juiced, a lead they would not give up. 

Godfrey, who started the game 0-2, said he was just glad to serve the team the best he could in those two big at-bats.

"For the sac fly, in that situation you're just looking to put the ball in the air and that's what I did," Godfrey said. "It [the home run] felt great, first hit in a while it just felt good off the barrel."

 Auden Pankonin would close the doors with a three-up three-down ninth, and close out the 10-8 win. The Miners play next in Anchorage on Saturday June 13th at 4 P.M. AKDT vs the Bucs for their second league game. 

Ben Cameron
2026 Mat-Su Miners Broadcaster