Sharpley and Armenta Drive Miners Past Glacier Pilots
July 21, 2016 - Alaska Baseball League (Alaska)
Mat-Su Miners News Release
PALMER, Alaska - A day after recording 16 hits against the Anchorage Glacier Pilots, the Mat-Su Miners offense posted an identical performance in a 12-1 victory at Hermon Brothers Field on Thursday.
"Good players are going to hit, and we've got some guys who can do that," Miners head coach Ben Taylor said. "These guys have a high confidence level, they are getting into hitter's counts and taking good swings. These guys work hard at it."
Catcher Zach Sharpley and third baseman Angelo Armenta combined for six RBIs, while rightfielder Cam Montgomery added two triples in the win.
"Cam is a good player, he shows up every day to get his extra swings in," Taylor said. "He's competing really hard to make sure he's in the lineup every day. He's taking care of his business and performing like how we expect him to perform."
The Miners (21-12) opened the scoring in the bottom of the first, as designated hitter Michael Donadio doubled to left field to score second baseman Levi Jordan. Donadio scored later in the inning on a wild pitch.
Leftfielder Garrison Schwartz added a sacrifice fly to give Mat-Su a 3-0 lead.
The Glacier Pilots (16-19) tacked on a run in the third inning when designated hitter Tyler Walters singled down the first baseline to score rightfielder Dalton Hurd and cut the deficit to 3-1.
Donadio answered back with an RBI single in the bottom half of the inning to regain a three-run lead. Armenta followed with a three-run homer just inside the right field foul pole to give the Miners a 7-1 advantage.
Sharpley added an RBI groundout for Mat-Su in the bottom of the sixth and followed it up with a bases-clearing single in the seventh to stretch the lead to 11-1.
Centerfielder Brooks Stotler then drove a fastball over the Anchorage outfield to the centerfield wall, scoring Sharpley and giving the Miners a 12-1 lead. Although he tripped while rounding first base, Stotler was able to beat the throw to third for a triple.
"He's just really fast, he's got jailbreak speed and can outrun the ball," Taylor said. "He never stops, and that's kind of how this team is. These guys take team at-bats and put the ball in play to make the defense make plays."
Mat-Su starting pitcher Jacob Hughey provided Mat-Su with six innings of work on the mound. The left-hander recorded 10 strikeouts to increase his summer total to 43, one strikeout behind league-leader Dom Bazzani.
"He pounded the zone and competed with all three pitches," Taylor said. "That kid competes hard for us every time he takes the mound or hits. It's always a lift for us when Jake is involved in the ballgame."
Tyler Wyatt and Mick Vorhof combined for two scoreless innings in relief, while closer Jordan Floyd lowered his ERA to 0.47 with a hitless ninth inning in his 17th appearance.
The victory marks the seventh consecutive win for the Mat-Su in league play.
The Miners return to the diamond on Saturday for a 6 p.m. matchup with the Glacier Pilots at Hermon Brothers Field.
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Alaska Baseball League Stories from July 21, 2016
- Sharpley and Armenta Drive Miners Past Glacier Pilots - Mat-Su Miners
- Miners Crash Glacier Pilots in Road Victory - Mat-Su Miners
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