Panners defense shines in win
July 19, 2000, Daily News-Miner
By DEAN LICHTERMAN
The Alaska Goldpanners played error-free baseball Tuesday and it paid off in a 2-1 Alaska Baseball League victory against the Anchorage Bucs at Growden Memorial Park.
"That is what you need to win. It was a great ballgame between both teams, flawless baseball and a 2-1 game," Panners outfielder Nate Sickler said.
"Men get in scoring position and you get the big hit when it counts," Sickler added. "The big hit, sometimes you don't get that. Today we put up two and we let them just put up one. It was solid defense and timely hitting that is what you need."
That solid defense was displayed in both the first and seventh innings as the Panners stopped Anchorage threats with double plays. Panner catcher Greg Sain threw out a Bucs baserunner trying to take third on a sacrifice bunt with no outs in the ninth.
"It seems like in every game what we thrive on is the double plays. If we can get that, odds are we are going to be in the game," winning pitcher David Gassner said. "If the ball does not bounce our way and we don't get the double play, then things usually don't turn out all that well for us."
The Panners retired the side in order in the first, fifth, sixth and eighth innings. Alaska successfully fielded the ball on all 25 attempts.
"Defense is a big part of the ballgame for me," Gassner said. "I am not a strikeout pitcher, I am a groundout pitcher and I need my defense. It seems like every time I go out there my defense is on my side."
The win keeps the Panners in the race for second place in the ABL. The Panners improved to 12-12 in league play and are 1[1/2] games behind the second-place Mat-Su Miners (12-9) and one-game behind the Anchorage Glacier Pilots (13-11) in the battle for second place. The Miners beat the Pilots 2-1 on Tuesday night in Anchorage.
The Peninsula Oilers of Kenai (15-7) lead the league, but lost a 4-1 decision to the Hawaii Island Movers Tuesday night in Honolulu.
The league's top two teams both earn bids to the National Baseball Congress World Series next month in Wichita, Kan.
The Panners and Bucs continue their three-game series today and Wednesday. Both games are at 7 p.m.
Jonah Martin and Barry Matthews provided the Panners with timely hitting.
Martin drove in what proved to be the winning run with a sacrifice fly in the seventh that scored Jeff Phelps.
Phelps singled and ended up on third on a hit-and-run play that turned into a double steal with Sickler safe at second.
"That was actually supposed to be a hit-and-run," Martin said. "The ball was in the dirt and I couldn't swing. Luckily we had some wheels to get the bases at second and third."
Matthews tied it at 1-1 in the fourth with a single that scored Ryan Garko. Garko took first when he was hit by a pitch. Garko was one of three Panners to receive a trip to first after being hit.
Anchorage got on the scoreboard first when Nicholas Blankenship singled in Jay Garthwaite in the second inning.
The Bucs actually outhit the Panners 8-5. All five of the Panners' hits were singles.
"We didn't make any errors and that helps," Martin said "We made the plays."
Gassner got the win by walking only two batters in 8[1/3] innings. Eric Doble got two groundouts to pick up the save.
Ryan McCally went the distance in the loss for the Bucs. Garthwaite and Jeff Walker both finished with two hits.
July 19, 2000, Daily News-Miner
