Higgins Leads Miners on Mound in Defeat of Chinooks
July 13, 2016 - Alaska Baseball League (Alaska)
Mat-Su Miners News Release
CHUGIAK, Alaska - With the race for first place in the Alaska Baseball League beginning to tighten, the Mat-Su Miners needed a win on Wednesday to regain a two-game lead atop the leaderboard.
Mat-Su pitcher Connor Higgins provided the momentum the team needed with six scoreless innings in a 6-1 victory over the Chugiak-Eagle River Chinooks at Lee Jordan Field.
"The guys got sick of losing and being shutout," Miners head coach Ben Taylor said. "So they made some adjustments as individuals and as a team in how they went about their business. And today they took care of business."
Higgins provided the Miners with four hitless innings before surrendering the first Chinooks hit to shortstop Aaron Shackelford in the bottom of the fifth. He gave up two hits while recording a strikeout and walking five batters in six innings of work.
"Higgins is really starting to find himself and trust in himself," Taylor said. "Each night out he is going to show us something, and it is really fun to watch."
The Miners (16-12) capitalized on early offense from shortstop Josh Bissonette in the top of the second. Bissonette drove a 1-2 pitch into the outfield gap with to score leftfielder Garrison Schwartz and third baseman Angelo Armenta.
In the following inning, Schwartz singled to knock in first baseman Jake Scudder and stretch the Miners lead to 3-0.
Mat-Su rightfielder Cam Montgomery connected on a 0-2 fastball in the top of the fourth inning for a solo home run over the left field fence. In the following inning, Montgomery dropped another base hit to left field to score designated hitter Michael Donadio and give the Miners a 5-0 advantage.
"Cam has really stayed the course with himself, he's a tireless worker," Taylor said. "If anyone earned that home run, it was Cam Montgomery."
The Chinooks (12-16) threatened in the bottom of the seventh, loading the bases against Mat-Su reliever Gage O'Brien with one out. After a walk provided the lone run for Chugiak-Eagle River, O'Brien earned consecutive outs with a strikeout and a groundout to retire the side.
He finished with three innings of relief, surrendering one run on one hit while allowing three walks.
The final Mat-Su run would come in the top of the ninth on a single to centerfield from Donadio, scoring second baseman Levi Jordan to give the Miners a 6-1 lead.
The win increases the Mat-Su lead in the Alaska Baseball League standings to two games. The Anchorage Bucs, Peninsula Oilers and Anchorage Glacier Pilots are in a three-way tie for second, while the Chinooks trail by four games.
The Miners return to Hermon Brothers Field in Palmer for a 7 p.m. matchup with the Chinooks before competing in the Scout's Showcase at Mulcahy Stadium over the weekend.
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Alaska Baseball League Stories from July 13, 2016
- Higgins Leads Miners on Mound in Defeat of Chinooks - Mat-Su Miners
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