[Elendil]

Sunset over Cook Inlet

Game Six

September 7, 2013 - A cloudy, cold, and windy day at Oberg Field, but the stadium was packed to the gills, many Miners diehards having made the drive down to Chugiak.

Louis Mays would be starting for Chugiak, looking for redemption after getting rocked in Game 3. Thierry Tremblay would again take the mound for Mat-Su.

Bryce Payne led off the game by doubling down the first-base line. After a House groundout, Greg Trudel got the scoring started with a big fly to left-center. 2-0.

Not to be outdone, the Jets responded quickly. In their half of the 1st, York singled, and Botfield finally answered the call in a big way, going deep just inside the left field foul pole. 2-2.

Mays then dug his own grave in the 3rd. He simply collapsed, giving up four consecutive walks to start the inning, and then another walk after striking out Goodyear. At one point he threw 10 consecutive balls. Something was clearly way off with his mechanics, but he completed the inning, at the end of which Mat-Su led 5-2. He was seen conferring with the pitching coach in the dugout afterwards.

Mays came out again in the 4th, to some murmured disquiet in the bleachers. He struck out the pitcher but then grooved a pitch to Bryce Payne, which he struck for a triple. Mays gave up two more walks in the inning, but the only Mat-Su run came on a sac fly. 6-2, and hope began to ebb.

In the bottom of the 4th, the Jets loaded the bases on three consecutive singles, but then the rally was wiped out when pinch-hitter Bob Crawford grounded into a double play.

Steve Griffin came in to pitch the 5th, but the Miners kept up their attack, putting together a walk, stolen base, and single to go up 7-2.

The Jets tried to claw their way back, but it was too late. Hauk homered for the 3rd time this series in the 7th. Horswill did the same in the 8th. 7-4 now.

In the bottom of the 9th Bryant Brenton came in to secure the save. He promptly gave up a home run to Jonathan Bertrand. 7-5. But he retired the last three batters to give the Miners the victory.

Apart from the minority of Miners fans and their team, silence reigned in Chugiak. They had lost the Championship Series in the sixth game, on home turf, for the second straight year.

For Mat-Su fans, though, it was glory long-delayed. Mat-Su had gone to the ACS 4 times, more than any other team, and they had now won it twice, tying Juneau and North Pole among Alaskan League franchises. Players who had been on both the 2007 and 2013 championship clubs included: catcher Pierre-Alexandre Langlois, outfielder Rob Corley, and pitchers Don Thomas and Bryant Brenton. Longtime second baseman Rene Fortier missed out on his second ring after having been claimed off waivers late in the season by the Glacier Pilots. The 2013 Miners were the team with the worst winning percentage ever to win the ACS: .528 (57-51).

Bryce Payne was named ACS MVP for hitting .333/.407/.750 (1.157 OPS) in 24 AB with a double, a homer, and three triples. He scored seven times, drove in one run, and even stole two bases without getting caught.