There were many reasons why the Anchorage Bucs didn't feel good about themselves following their 9-8 victory over the Fairbanks Goldpanners. It was obvious Sunday would be remembered for what went wrong more than what went right at Mulcahy Stadium.
Winning pitcher Bryan Johnson didn't have his usual swagger, and the engaging smile of manager Jim Yanko was replaced with a scowl. Guys walking off the field looked like they had just survived a tough exam, shaking their heads and talking to themselves.
About the only upbeat member of the Bucs was Travis Gulick, who enjoyed a taste of success in this summer of slumps. The outfielder from Michigan State delivered two hits and two RBIs including a walk-off triple into the right-center field gap that scored Mike Thompson from first base.
"Fortunately he got the job done," Johnson said, "or today might have really sucked."
Any win in the Alaska Baseball League game is big -- coaches and players love to say -- especially when you do it in your final at-bat. But the Bucs hardly were bragging Sunday after blowing an 8-2 lead in the top of the ninth.
And there was plenty of blame -- or credit, depending on how you looked at it -- to go around the horn.
Bucs relief pitcher Keehi Rawlins suffered a meltdown when he allowed five consecutive base runners to reach on either hits or walks with two outs in the ninth. Third baseman Thompson made a two-out throwing error that allowed the Goldpanners to pull within one run and advance the tying run to third base. And Johnson was called for a balk which allowed the tying run to walk home.
Yanko stormed onto the field and had a chest-to-chest exchange of words with home-plate umpire Ron Hennings. Yanko didn't want to argue the call as much as let Hennings know that he didn't like how the umpire made his call at such a pivotal part of the game.
"I want the players to decide it, not some guy on a power trip," he said afterwards.
Yanko kicked dirt on the plate before returning to the dugout. Surprisingly, he wasn't ejected by Hennings.
Johnson didn't like the call either, but wasn't surprised by it. Earlier this season, Johnson said he saw a similar situation when the home-plate umpire called a balk with a runner on first base. Typically, he said, the first-base umpire makes the call.
"I've only seen it twice, and both times it was up here," said Johnson, who attends the University of Nevada-Reno. "But he's entitled to make that call. That's how the game goes sometimes."
Johnson got out of the ninth inning by striking out pinch-hitter Nick Blasi with a runner in scoring position. Minutes later, roommates Gulick and Johnson were living large.
Gulick, who has slipped two spots to No. 7 in the lineup, made sure the Bucs walked off the field winners, even though most didn't feel like it. Thompson atoned for his earlier error, lining a one-out single and then motoring around the bases to score on Gulick's game-winning hit.
"I'm glad (Yanko) let me swing away," said Gulick, who raised his batting average 30 points to .214. "I've been struggling this summer, so I thought he would give me the bunt sign for sure."
Goldpanners first baseman Emerson Frostad finished 2 for 4 with two runs and two extra-base hits. Frostad's two-run triple highlighted a six-run ninth which included RBI hits by Brad Davis and Derek Bruce.
"To score six runs in one inning in this league is phenomenal, and you have to five Fairbanks credit," Yanko said. "But it was absolutely huge, just in terms of team morale, for us to respond like that."
Game notes
Lost in a thrilling 17-run game was the brilliant effort of Bucs starter Dylan Hickey, who gave up three hits, one walk and one unearned run in five innings. He struck out five, including the final two batters he faced. .... Sunday's game lasted 2 hours, 27 minutes. However, a one-inning stretch from the bottom of the fifth to the top of the sixth took nearly one hour to play. ... Bucs shortstop Mike Lange robbed two Fairbanks batters of hits in the early goings, thanks to athletic plays from deep in the hole in which he dove to the dirt and got up to make the throw.
Daily News reporter Van Williams can be reached at vwilliams@adn.com or 257-4335.
Oilers 4, Pilots 3
Peninsula shortstop David Uribes went 3 for 4 with two RBIs Sunday to lead the host Oilers to a 4-3 league win over the Anchorage Glacier Pilots in Kenai.
Uribes and catcher Ben Fritz each drove in runs in the deciding fifth inning. Uribes added a stolen base and run scored.
Oilers starter Tim Gorski went five strong innings to get the win. A pair of relievers made the lead stand.
Pilots first baseman John Bowker banged out three hits, and third baseman Dustin Realini hit a home run.
ABL STANDINGS
Alaska Baseball League
W L Pct. GB Overall
Anchorage Bucs 6 4 .600 -- 10-5
Anchorage Glacier Pilots 6 4 .600 -- 9-8
Mat-Su Miners 7 5 .583 -- 11-8
Athletes in Action 6 5 .545 1/2 10-6
Fairbanks Goldpanners 3 6 .333 21/2 11-9
Peninsula Oilers 3 7 .300 3 9-12
RESULTS AND SCHEDULE
Saturday's Results Winning Pitcher Losing Pitcher
Oilers 3, Goldpanners 2 Decker, 3-1 Allen, 0-2
Goldpanners 11, Oilers 3 Aselton, 1-1 Day, 1-2
AIA 5, Miners 3 Wilson, 3-0 Kolberg, 2-2
Glacier Pilots 4, Bucs 3 (10) Shipman, 2-1 Gilbertson, 0-1
Sunday's Results Winning Pitcher Losing Pitcher
Bucs 9, Goldpanners 8 Johnson, 2-1 Fenton, 1-1
Bucs 5, Adult Stars 3 (7) Withers Buczak
Oilers 4, Pilots 3 Gorski, 1-1 Simon, 1-1
AIA 7, Miners 1 Broadway Snyder
Today's Games Location Time
Glacier Pilots at Oilers Seymour Park 7 p.m.
Miners at Goldpanners Growden Park 7 p.m.
AIA at Bucs Mulcahy Stadium 6:30 p.m.
