Miners Pitching Staff Corrals Bucs
July 3, 2016 - Alaska Baseball League (Alaska)
Mat-Su Miners News Release
ANCHORAGE, Alaska - For the second straight day, the Mat-Su Miners pitching staff rallied for a dominating performance on the mound.
Four Mat-Su pitchers combined to hold the Bucs to one run in a 2-1 road victory at Mulcahy Stadium on Saturday.
"The pitching staff is progressing the way they should," Miners pitching coach Matt Greely said. "They do things right and they take care of business. It's showing on the field." Miners starting pitcher Justin Vernia tossed four no-hit innings before surrendering a single to Anchorage second baseman Hunter Kasuls with one out in the bottom of the fifth.
"Vernia throws a lot of strikes, but he's starting to throw more quality strikes," Greely said. "He's getting down in the zone and getting really good results." The right-hander went 5.2 innings on the mound, striking out six batters while surrendering two hits.
"My changeup was a big pitch today," Vernia said. "My fastball command was here and there and my curveball wasn't really around. But I threw my changeup in a lot of counts today and it was really effective." Anchorage starter Logan Stoelke went five innings for the Bucs, surrendering one run on one hit and finishing with eight strikeouts.
The Miners posted the game's first run in the top of the third on an RBI groundout from second baseman Levi Jordan. With runners on second and third, Jordan knocked a 3-2 fastball to the middle infield to score catcher Zach Sharpley.
Four innings later, Miners pinch hitter Michael Donadio doubled down the right field line to score third baseman Angelo Armenta and give the Miners a 2-0 lead. The Bucs offense responded in the bottom of the eighth, when designated hitter Steven Sensley singled to left field to plate Willy Homza and cut the deficit to one.
Mick Vorhof provided 1.1 innings of relief on the mound for Mat-Su, while Gage Burland tossed the eighth and surrendered the lone Anchorage run. Closer Jordan Floyd earned the save after retiring the side in the following inning. Donadio led the Mat-Su offense with a double and an RBI, while Sensley went 2-4 at the plate for Anchorage.
After combining for 47 runs in the previous three meetings, the two teams have mustered six total runs in the current series.
"You take it personally when a team puts up big numbers on you, I think these guys just refocused," Greely said. "It's a combination of us throwing more strikes and working up tempo, our defense doing a good job behind us and our defense picking us up as well."
The Miners return to Mulcahy Stadium on Sunday for a 2 p.m. matchup with the Bucs in the final meeting of the three-game series.
"It's a chance to sweep them at their home field, which is tough to do," Vernia said.
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Alaska Baseball League Stories from July 3, 2016
- Stoelke Walks off against Miners - Mat-Su Miners
- Miners Pitching Staff Corrals Bucs - Mat-Su Miners
- Miners Pitching Staff Corrals Bucs - Mat-Su Miners
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