Goldpanners’ 2025 season closes after loss in NBC World Series quarterfinals
Photo courtesy of Kristen Pearson
Goldpanner players tip their caps to the crowd during their final home game of the 2025 season.
Caleb Jones - Daily News-Miner
August 1, 2025
The Goldpanners’ season came to a close on Thursday with a 2-1 walk-off loss to the Hutchinson Monarchs in the quarterfinals of the NBC World Series, capping a dominant year at 34-6.
Alaska turned in a strong tournament showing leading up to the defeat, winning three straight in pool play to earn a bye into the quarterfinal round. In a tightly contested game, Hutchinson sealed the victory with a walk-off in the ninth.
Christian Olea drove in the Goldpanners’ lone run with a single in the fourth inning, scoring Garrett Davidson. It was one of four hits on the day for Alaska, with Alex Garcia, Matthew Pinal and Davidson also recording knocks.
Offense was limited on both sides throughout the game. Lukas Sarantos got the start for Alaska, pitching 5.2 innings and allowing just three hits and one earned run, with four strikeouts and three walks.
Hutchinson tied the game in the sixth without recording a hit. A dropped third strike allowed a runner to reach base, and after two outs, Jonah Walker came on in relief mid at-bat. Two walks followed, loading the bases, and a passed ball brought in the tying run. The score evened at 1-1, with the run charged to Sarantos.
Walker continued on the mound until the ninth, where a hit-by-pitch followed by a groundout put the winning run on second with one out. Drew Bugner then delivered the decisive hit for the Monarchs, sealing a 2-1 walk-off win and sending Hutchinson to the semifinals.
The Goldpanners had a chance to take the lead in the top of the ninth. Vincent Venverloh drew a walk and later advanced to second, but Alaska couldn’t capitalize, leaving the go-ahead run stranded in scoring position.
In the contest, the Goldpanners were led by Garcia (1-for-3), Pinal (1-for-4), Davidson (1-for-3) and Olea (1-for-4, 1 RBI) at the plate. Davidson knocked the only extra-base hit with a double, and Olea’s RBI was the only for the team.
Sarantos and Walker provided 8.1 innings of combined work. Following Sarantos’ start, Walker compiled 2.2 innings of relief, four hits, one earned run with three strikeouts and one walk.
On the other end, Jake Gutierrez led all hitters with a 3-for-5 day, helping the Monarchs collect seven total hits as a team. Their pitching duties were split among five players, with starter Ethan Giesbrecht going five innings.
Aiden Benson, Brady Pacha, Kyle Holzer and Mitchell Johnson each added one inning following that. Giesbrecht allowed three hits and one earned run over his start. From there, the bullpen allowed just one hit for the remainder of the game.
In a game defined by narrow margins, Alaska came up just short. The loss to the Monarchs ended a dominant stretch that included a 16-game winning streak and closed the book on a season full of highlights.
The Goldpanners finished 2025 with a season marked by double-digit win streaks, a title at the Grand Forks International Baseball Tournament and over 30 wins on the year.
