After their 11-game win streak was snapped one day earlier, the Alaska Goldpanners won 6-4 on Monday, hitting two home runs against the Pro-Am All-Stars.
Conner Wolf got the start and the win, allowing two runs in the opening inning and then none in four more innings of work on the mound.
“Conner Wolf has been just OK lately, and now he’s starting to figure it out,” Goldpanners field manager Carlos Gonzales said postgame. “I’m really happy for him. That was a good start out of him.”
The All-Stars got off to a hot start with Diego Briones smacking a triple and Carlos Morales plating him with a two-run home run. By securing their last two outs via tags, the Goldpanners got out of the inning without allowing any more damage.
Garrett Davidson nearly matched Morales’ result with a solo home run just inside fair territory of right field (the deeper side of the outfield) in the bottom of the second inning. That cut the visitors’ lead in half. On the next pitch, Lucas Schermer nearly cleared the wall as well on his way to a double.
The Goldpanners tied the game on a ball put into play by Alex Garcia. As the All-Stars’ first baseman missed a throw to their pitcher at first base, Schermer came home for a run. David Shackelford put the ‘Panners ahead with an RBI single before the inning ended.
“We lost our win streak yesterday and we were a little upset, and these guys came out swinging a little bit, and I liked that,” Gonzales said. “We haven’t hit well, and it was a big deal for us to come out and put some big hits together, a couple home runs, big doubles. So we’re in a good spot.”
Wolf kept the visitors off the scoreboard in the second, third, fourth and fifth innings. He was helped in the fourth frame by catcher Efren Ortega putting a baserunner in a pickle for the third out while another Pro-Am runner was on third base.
The Goldpanners extended their lead in the fifth inning when Vincent Venverloh hit a two-run homer, sending himself and Jamie Mullin home. After that, the Goldpanners loaded the bases in the same inning. That allowed Garrett Davidson to score off of an RBI single by Cole Clark.
The All-Stars chipped into that 6-2 lead with an RBI double after Wolf got off the mound.
Three Goldpanner batters in a row walked in the eighth inning after the All-Stars had already recorded two outs. However, a groundout ended the inning without any runs. Still, that ended up being the Goldpanners’ last trip to the plate.
The All-Stars loaded the bases in the top of the ninth inning and scored one run on a sacrifice fly before a flyout to centerfielder David Shackelford ended the game. Hunter Beck closed out the last two innings for the Goldpanners.
Davidson had the best performance at the plate on either side, going 3-for-4. With three walks in addition to his homer, Venverloh got on base in four of his five at-bats.
The Goldpanners, now 19-5 overall, play the last part of their six-game series against the All-Stars at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday.
