Beau Mills
Beau Mills hit a grand slam and the Alaska Goldpanners of Fairbanks just kept hitting as they pounded the Athletes in Action Fire 13-3 in Alaska Baseball League action Monday at Growden Memorial Park.
With the score knotted at zero in the third inning, Mills stepped up to the plate with bases loaded and sent a 2-1 offering high over the right field wall for the Panners' first slam of the summer.
"Getting four runs up on the board, I mean, that helps out any team and that's what I'm here to do," said Mills.
The slam was a league leading sixth home run for Mills, who had two grand slams earlier this year as a freshman at Fresno State.
But the slam, which seemed to spark the Panners offense, should never have occurred.
Catcher Dick Knutz led off the inning with a single, and Mark Thompson was hit by a pitch for the second straight at bat, putting runners at first and second.
Center fielder Chu Yuan-Chin struck out for the second out of the inning, and Fire starter Matt Sullivan got Mike Lissman to send a weak grounder to third for what should have been the third out.
But Fire third baseman Brian Asbill saw the ball bounce off his foot and into left field, loading the bases, and Mills sent a Sullivan fastball down the middle of the plate out of the park to make it 4-0.
"Any time you get four runs on a swing, especially following an error, that got us going a little bit," said Panner head coach Ed Cheff.
And according to Fire coach Phil Plantier, it was the error, more so then the grand slam, that set the tone for the game.
"One play shouldn't set the tone for the game ... but today that was it," Plantier said. "At the same time, guys need to learn how to overcome situations in the game and turn around and make a play, turn around and make a pitch, and right now we're not doing it."
Despite scoring two runs in the bottom half of the third, the Fire never seemed to overcome that mistake, committing three more errors and struggling to find a way to get the Panner batters out.
The two runs were the only blemish for Panner starter Mai Chai-Yi, who pitched splendidly through seven innings. Mai allowed two runs, on three hits while throwing 89 pitches. Only one of the runs was earned.
"I liked him a lot," Cheff said of Mai's first start on the year. "That was good, to give us a start like that. Our pitching was a little bit down, and to be able to go quite a ways (was important)."
Mills led the onslaught for the Panners with four RBI, but Monday's performance was a team effort. Every starter reached base, and Lissman was the only starter without a hit.
But despite the offensive show, Cheff said that the good performance by the Panners pitching was what should get the Panners fans excited.
Brian Bird pitched an uneventful eighth for the Panners after a rough start in his last outing, and Wu Cheng-Hsien came on for the ninth.
"Everything is so condensed right now at the end that you have to hope that pitching's gelling right now, that guys are all at the top of their game," Cheff said. "That's going to be the difference for us."
The loss continued the slide for the Fire, who are riding a nine-game losing streak, and Plantier said that his team must cut down on the mental mistakes if they're going to break out of their slump.
"The game has the potential to be simple if you let it." Plantier said. "Any time a team is successful, they're playing good fundamental baseball--playing catch, making pitches when you need to, having quality at-bats, making quality outs. Those things aren't happening. All you can do is come out tomorrow and work on those things."
The victory boosted the Panners into sole possession of fourth place in the ABL standings with an 8-8 record. Alaksa is 3 1/2 gmes behind the league-leading Mat-Su Miners (13-6), but only two games behind in the loss column.
The Panners and Fire meet again at 7 tonight at Growden.
Staff Writer Adam Raeder can be reached at 459-7583 or araeder@newsminer.com
