Sports

Bucs top Miners in lengthy Top of World Series opener

A scoreless duel between starting pitchers helped keep bats quiet through 11 innings Monday night before the Anchorage Bucs won a duel of 12th-inning rallies and beat the Mat-Su Miners, 6-2, in the opener of the Alaska Baseball League's best-of-3 Top of the World Series.

The American League champion Bucs erupted for six 12th-inning runs on Brenn Conrad's RBI single, David Banuelos' two-run double and Brodie Leftridge's two-run triple at Hermon Brothers Field in Palmer. Three walks, a Mat-Su error to open the inning and a dropped third strike prolonged Anchorage's rally.

The National League champion Miners scored twice in the bottom of the 12th courtesy of Jake Schleppenbach's two-run single.

Game 2 is 3 p.m. Tuesday in Palmer, with Game 3, if necessary, to follow at 6.

In a game that lasted 3 hours, 30 minutes, Bucs starter Aaron Soto and Miners starter Eli Morgan were nearly untouchable, though neither received a decision.

Soto (6-1), a left-hander from Tennessee, pitched nine scoreless innings, scattering eight hits and lowering his season earned-run average to 0.75. He threw 120 pitches before giving way to Austen Zimarik, who went two scoreless innings for the win and threw 18 of his 23 pitches for strikes.

Morgan (5-0), a right-hander from Gonzaga, threw 100 pitches over 6.2 scoreless innings and dropped his ERA to 0.73.

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