FAIRBANKS — Entering Saturday, the Alaska Goldpanners and Anchorage Bucs had two of the top offenses in the Alaska Baseball League. 

The two teams ranked in the top-two in the ABL in batting average, runs scored, home runs, slugging percentage, on-base percentage, stolen bases and triples.

For five innings at Growden Memorial Park on Saturday night, it appeared that both offenses weren’t going to get anything going. But then something clicked for the Goldpanners.

The Goldpanners scored twice in the sixth inning and three more in the seventh inning to pull away for a 7-2 win.

“The pitcher (Bret Marks) was getting away with a lot of balls in the dirt, balls down that we were chasing,” Goldpanners designated hitter Kris Paulino said. 

“Once we laid off his splitter, which was pretty good, and made him come to us and throw some fastballs we were able to put some balls in play and hit some balls hard.”

It was the first ABL win of the season for the Goldpanners, who are 11-3 overall and 1-2 in ABL play.

“It’s big confidence for us,” Paulino said. 

“We have a lot of league games coming up in a row. We play these guys five. They’re definitely a team to beat. Its nice beating them and beating them pretty well.”

The Goldpanners and Bucs (14-6, 8-4 ABL)continue their five game series with a doubleheader today. The first game is scheduled for a 5 p.m. first pitch with the second game following at 8 p.m.

Marks come into the game having allowed just one run in 16 innings pitched. He gave up two runs in four innings on Saturday.

The Goldpanners held a 2-1 lead before a one out walk to Goldpanners catcher Eric Hutting brought up Paulino in the sixth inning.

“I saw the way he pitched the first two guys that inning. He threw a lot of offspeed pitches and I just told myself to wait til you get an offspeed pitch. I got a curveball and happened to get the barrel out there,” Paulino said.

Paulino got his bat on that curveball and pulled it over the right field wall for his first home run of the season.

Hutting and Paulino again teamed to bring home three more runs for the Goldpanners in the seventh inning. With Scott Hurst on third and Jacob Hayes on second, Hutting took an offering from Brandon Diaz and hit it to right field for a single.

Hutting went to third when the ball skipped past right fielder Dylan Butler. Paulino brought home Hutting with a double into the left-center field gap.

Paulino and Hutting combined to go 4 for 6 at the plate with three runs scored and five RBIs. Jacob Hayes and Tanner Pinkston had the other RBIs for the Goldpanners.

Paulino has four hits and four RBIs on the season.

The Goldpanners wouldn’t have been in position to win the game late were it not for starting pitcher Mike Benson. Benson held the Bucs to one run on seven hits with eight strikeouts.

“I have a great defense behind me. I have absolute faith in them,” Benson said. “I was able to attack the zone with a lot of confidence with all my pitches.”

The Bucs biggest threat to score came in the third inning. Three straight singles from Garrett Copeland, Cade Reiten and Andy Crowles loaded the bases with nobody out. 

Benson responded by striking out Evan Powell and Mark Krueger and got Chane Lynch to ground out to third.

“I really just gritted my teeth,” Benson said. “I got behind a couple of the guys but I just told myself that I wasn’t going to let them score.”

Powell gave the Bucs a 1-0 lead with a sacrifice fly in the first inning. Butler accounted for the other Bucs run in the ninth inning with a solo home run to right field.

Contact sports reporter Tim O’Donnell at 459-7583. Follow him on Twitter:

@FDNMSportsGuy  From: http://www.newsminer.com/sports/baseball/goldpanners-dominate-bucs-for---win/article_d7b2044a-ff65-11e3-a400-001a4bcf6878.html