After a close loss (5-4) in their first game at the Marshall Gates World Series on Tuesday, the Alaska Goldpanners engaged in a similar battle a day later but held on for a 5-3 victory over the Gameday Angels.
The victory moved the Goldpanners to 24-12-2 on the season and boosted them back above .500 (4-3-2) on the road.
The Goldpanners trailed for just half an inning on Wednesday night but still received a scare from the Denver-area Gameday Angels. Jesse Espinoza scored the Goldpanners’ first run after getting on base with a walk. The ‘Panners entered the second inning tied 1-1 and left it with a two-run lead.
Alaska put runners on the corners after recording two outs and still managed to take its first lead with a two-RBI triple from Griffin Harrison that scored Alex Garcia and Hayden Iverson.
‘Panners pitcher Shaw Lee had little trouble with the Angels’ batters over the next three innings, but the Goldpanners didn’t find much more offensive success. They reached the game’s midway point after turning a double play and then loaded the bases with two outs in the bottom of the fifth inning but couldn’t extend their lead.
The Angels finally broke the silence with a two-out solo home run from Owen Best to cut the Goldpanners’ lead in half. The ‘Panners responded by scoring their first run in four innings with an RBI single from Harrison that drove Garcia home.
Those two were the Goldpanners’ standouts throughout the evening, as Harrison tallied three RBIs on the day and Garcia notched three singles and two stolen bases. Ethan He was another notable performer for the ‘Panners, hitting back-to-back doubles in just his second game with the team.
The Goldpanners painted the corners with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning and scored one run (via Matt Chavez) thanks to Alex Garcia’s third single of the game. The Angels similarly scored one run after recording two outs in their next at-bat. That moved the score to 5-3, where it would stay.
Loaded bases didn’t lead to any more runs for the Goldpanners in what was ultimately their final at-bat. The Angels put a pair of runners on base in the top of the ninth inning, but Matt Novis — who took over for the entirety of the final three innings save for the final out — held firm until Wade Lawson helped deliver that last out.
The Goldpanners have a quick turnaround before playing their final game of group/pool play on Thursday at 10:30 a.m. against the MGF Royals. The Goldpanners and Royals have a common opponent, as the latter beat the Gameday Angels 12-1 on Tuesday. The ‘Panners will be hard pressed to secure a win and optimal seeding for tournament play, which begins on Friday.
Contact Gavin Struve at gstruve@newsminer.com or 907-459-7544
