The first trip to the Lower 48 this summer didn’t get off to an optimal start for the Alaska Goldpanners, who suffered a 5-4 walk-off loss to the MGF Mauvsters after leading for much of the game.
The Goldpanners began play at the Marshall Gates World Series in Salt Lake City, Utah on Tuesday night and will be there for at least the next few days, as they’ll play in the tournament beginning Friday regardless of their record through the first three days of group/pool play.
Just as they did in their last home game, on Saturday, the Goldpanners got on the board early, seemed to fall asleep offensively during the middle innings of the game, then recovered for a big eighth inning with their backs against the wall. This time around, two late runs weren’t enough for the win compared to the nine runs the ‘Panners conjured in the penultimate inning on Saturday.
A two-run homer from Matt Chavez, bringing himself and Jesse Espinoza home, gave the Goldpanners an almost instantaneous lead. It was Chavez’s first home run of the season.
The Mauvsters, named for the purple color they wear and playing in their home city, countered with a first-inning home run of their own when leadoff hitter Ridge Erickson sent a solo shot over the fence.
The Mauvsters changed pitchers after just one inning and found more success. In both the second and third innings, the ‘Panners placed men on first and second base but were unable to add to their lead.
Logan Drummond was Alaska’s starting pitcher and went just two innings, compiling four strikeouts, in hopes of playing again this week. Paxton Fenberg took over from there and kept the Goldpanners’ lead through the middle portions of the game. The teams locked into a stalemate from there as neither scored, or came considerably close to doing so, over the next several innings.
A fielding error allowed for a Mauvsters double in the bottom of the seventh inning. That runner advanced to third base on a steal (the furthest any runner on either team had advanced in five innings) and then was driven in for a tie with an RBI single.
The Goldpanners also advanced a runner to third base (Griffin Harrison) in their next at bat, and they too were awarded for that progress. After Tyson Reis was intentionally walked, Jacob Badawi hit an RBI single with two outs to put the ‘Panners back ahead, 3-2.
Grant Scholzen, who like Badawi was 0-for-3 entering the eighth inning, followed with an RBI single of his own to help Reis score.
After an extended bottom of the eighth inning that featured four walks, the Goldpanners were still able to head into the final inning with a one-run lead. The ‘Panners put two runners in scoring position in their final at bat but finished with three consecutive ground outs to set up the walk-off win for their opponents.
The Mauvsters placed two runners in scoring position before recording any outs in the ninth and won with a ball that got by first baseman Jesse Espinoza to drive in both runners for a 5-4 advantage.
Reagan Rivera, one of several mid-season additions, came in for Fenberg over the final few innings. Two Goldpanners, Grant Scholzen and Ethan He, are playing in their home state of Utah this week. Although, it would be misleading to call it a homecoming since He never played in Fairbanks or with the Goldpanners at all before this series.
The Goldpanners’ next two opponents played each other on Tuesday when the Gameday Angels lost 12-1 to MGF Royals. The ‘Panners play the Angels on Wednesday at 6 p.m. AKDT and the Royals on Thursday at 10:30 a.m. AKDT.
Contact Gavin Struve at gstruve@newsminer.com or 907-459-7544
