Chinooks win pitchers duel at Matsu

Tim Barto-Chinooks

Game 12 Summary

Chinooks Shutout Miners

Wednesday marked the Chinooks' first visit to Palmer this season, taking on the Mat-Su Miners at Hermon Brothers Field. It was a quick one, with the nine innings lasting only one hour and 22 minutes. 

Frankie Gulko took the mound and took charge, going six and one-third innings and giving up zero runs.  The right-hander surrendered only five hits and two free passes (via one walk and one hit batsman).  The Fish scored a run in the top half of the seventh, so Gulko gets the much-deserved win.  

With one out in the seventh and Miners occupying first and third via a walk and single, Skipper Tim Cole brought in Jacob Hayes to squelch a brewing Miners' rally.  With the count one ball and two strikes, Hayes induced a fly ball to leftfielder Brady Groves, but the runner on third decided to challenge Groves by tagging up and racing home.  Groves, however, made a strong throw home to catcher RJ Rickabaugh for an inning-ending double play. Galvin Alveti relieved Hayes in the eighth to maintain the combined shutout.  

Miners' pitching was equally tough, striking out 11 Chinooks while giving up only five hits. Rickabaugh got things going with an infield single and advancing to second on a throwing error.  Orion Mederios did an impressive job of moving the runner over, hitting a groundball to the opposite field, which was fielded by the first baseman. Mederios was out at first, but it allowed Rickabaugh to move up 90 feet. Oliver Degenhart hit a groundball to the third baseman, and it looked like the inning would end, but the fielder's throw to first was too low for the first baseman to handle, bringing a Rickabaugh home to score the game's only run. 

Louis Zulaica had two hits on the evening, a double and a single.  Designated hitter Kade Smith found his way on base twice with a walk and a single, as did Rickabaugh. 

Final score:  Chinooks 1, Miners 0.

The Chinooks improve to five wins and seven losses in league play.  Their next game is Thursday at 6:00 pm as the Chinooks finally return home to Lee Jordan Field to take on the Anchorage Glacier Pilots.