Baseball / Goldpanners season comes to a close

Goldpanners season comes to a close

Date:  Source: Alaska Goldpanners of Fairbanks

Photo Credit: Caleb Jones, Daily News-Miner

August 2, 2024 - Caleb Jones, Daily News-Miner

The 2024 season for the Alaska Goldpanners came to a close on Friday after a loss to the Logan Royals in the opening round of tournament play at the Marshall Gates World Series in Salt Lake City, Utah.

A contest scheduled for seven innings ended up going eight after the Goldpanners rallied back from an early deficit, but like the day prior, it ended in an extra-innings defeat for Alaska.

The Logan Royals jumped ahead in the top of the first with two singles and two walks in the inning, helping them score the opening run. Their advantage grew substantially in the second, as they plated three more to go up 4-0.

Outside of a triple from Griffin Harrison in the bottom of the first, the Goldpanner offense had yet to find any success up to that point. They showed signs of life in the third with a single from Jesse Espinoza and another baserunner off a Harrison walk.

Their first run came in the fourth from Taylor Ayala, who drove in Harrison. It marked the start of a three-inning stretch of scoring for the team.

Now down 5-1 after an RBI double for the Royals in the top of the fifth, the Goldpanners continued to battle back. Jesse Espinoza started the inning off with a single before he was driven in on the ensuing at-bat on another Harrison triple.

Matt Chavez, Jacob Badawi and Tyson Reis then drew three consecutive walks, scoring another run on the free pass to Badawi. The momentum was cut off by way of a double play followed by a strikeout, but the Goldpanners had pulled within two, now down 5-3.

They knotted the game up in the fifth with a score on a passed ball from Ayala and a Chavez RBI double to make it 5-5 going into the seventh.

Neither team scored there, meaning the Goldpanners were headed to their second-straight extra-inning contest. A Park Romney two-out double provided the Royals with a 7-5 advantage, and an opportunity to close out the Goldpanners in the bottom half.

Alaska got off to a productive start to the inning as they looked to keep their season alive. Singles from Harrison and Badawi made it two runners on with only one out, and the potential game-winning run coming to home plate. Unfortunately for the Goldpanners, Reis grounded into a double play to end the inning and see them come up short in a 7-5 loss to end the season.

Harrison had a standout day at the plate, going 3-3 with two triples, two walks and an RBI. Other multi-hit performances include Badawi (2-3) and Espinoza (2-5). The team collected 10 hits in total.

Lucas Zack started for the Goldpanners, going 4.1 innings with eight hits and two earned runs allowed, along with six strikeouts and two walks. He was followed by Wade Lawson, who went 3.2 innings with four hits, two earned runs, a walk and two strikeouts.

The Goldpanners’ 2024 season comes to a close with a record of 24-14-2 overall.