Goldpanners close home schedule with sweep of Halos
Photo Courtesy of Kristen Pearson
Efren Ortega (33) pictured at the plate during a contest between the Goldpanners and Kingsmen.
July 21, 2025
Caleb Jones - Daily News-Miner
The Goldpanners played their final home game of the 2025 season on Monday. Wrapping up the final contest of a six-game series, Alaska swept their second opponent in a row with a 6-0 win.
They did so with another strong offensive performance, scoring six runs on nine hits. They had three in the third, one in the fifth and two in the sixth, marking another sustained scoring effort in what was a seven-inning game.
It sees them wrap up play at Growden Memorial Park with a 31-5 record. The team now prepares for the National Baseball Congress World Series Tournament in Wichita, Kansas from July 24 through Aug. 2.
“A record of 31-5 is crazy,” Goldpanners field manager Carlos Gonzales said after the home finale. “We still have Wichita — got some more wins there. It’s been awesome this year. As you can tell, the guys are having a fun time. I’m going to make sure they take it all in again, because they’re going to miss it.”
After combining for 27 runs the day before, the finale’s scoring began in the third inning with a two-out infield single from Efren Ortega. Matthew Pinal followed with another run driven in, extending the lead to 3-0.
Ortega made it a two-RBI day in the fifth, pushing the score to 4-0 on the team’s sixth hit of the game.
As the Halos were kept scoreless, the Goldpanners added another pair of runs in the sixth. David Shackelford tripled to the centerfield fence, and was followed by RBI doubles from Hunter Friedberg and Cole Clark.
The win put the final touches on a 6-0 shutout, with the Goldpanners outhitting the Halos 9-to-4. It was a fitting way to close the season at Growden, showcasing both their season-long pitching dominance and flashes of offensive firepower.
It sees the team sweep back-to-back series, totaling 11 games over that stretch, coming against Team Philippines and the California Halos.
The home crowd left Growden for the final time in 2025 on a high note, sent off with a final showing from a dominant squad this season. Among those in attendance was renowned astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, who was taking in his first-ever Goldpanners game.
In town for his wife’s high school reunion at Lathrop High School, deGrasse Tyson took in the contest in one of his several visits to the Fairbanks area.
“Many times we’ve had the occasion to return. Especially since we now live in New York City, which is like the opposite of Alaska. I try to make sure we get back often,” deGrasse Tyson said of being in town.
The famed astrophysicist praised the “hometown spirit” on display both in the stands and on the field, calling community teams like the Goldpanners “the best baseball out there.”
