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The Alaska Goldpanners have a little hard dirt to thank for a win Friday night over the Southern California Running Birds.

SoCal right fielder Derek Eligo rounded third base in the ninth inning with enough time to plate the tying run of the game. A step later, he lost his footing and scrambled back to third.

One out later, the Panners won 3-2.

Designated hitter Thomas Myers said a quick mental “thank you” when he saw Eligo slip.

“We’d still be playing right now if he didn’t slip,” Myers said.

Third baseman Raoul Torrez had already resigned himself to playing the bottom of the ninth until he heard the tumble.

“The turf is getting a little hard,” he said. “If you’re wearing some pretty new cleats or old cleats you can slip pretty easily, especially around third ’cause there’s some dirt on the field.”

The fall spared the Panners the lead that Myers had given them with a solo home run over the left-field fence in the sixth inning.

“I think (Birds pitcher Nick Capito) missed a spot with a slider and then came back with another slider and then a fastball where I was looking,” Myers said. “I just took a swing, an easy, controlled swing, and hit it pretty good.”

It was the first time the Panners needed to come from behind at home this season.

After 17 shutout innings, Alaska gave up its first run at Growden Memorial Park in the top of the second inning.

Eligo hit a double to right field with Jason Laws on first. Panners second baseman Casey Stephenson bobbled the cut-off throw, and Laws took the opportunity to score. Eligo thought he could make it home, too, but was met at the plate by Panners catcher Jeremy Gillan with the ball securely in his glove.

As Kyle Brule began warming up in the bullpen, pitcher Jon Pokorny stifled the rally by snagging a line drive from Caleb Boyer and catching Crispin Tarango off the bag at third.

The Birds opened the third inning with four consecutive base hits, knocking in the first earned run against the Panners at home and giving the Running Birds a 2-0 lead.

The Panners responded with their own hit parade in the fourth, beginning when Gillian got plugged by a pitch. Three base hits followed. The third, by Raoul Torrez, drove Gillian home to tie the score at 2.

Brule was back in the bullpen when Pokorny came out strong in the fourth, striking out the side.

Brule finally replaced Pokorny to begin the fifth inning, but Panners manager Tim Gloyd said that was only because Pokorny had thrown 68 of a 70-pitch limit.

Brule got the win on three innings’ work, giving up one hit and no earned runs.

Along with an RBI at the plate, Torrez had a solid defensive showing at third base, corralling hard grounders with ample time to make a leisurely throw across the diamond to first base.

“Off the wood bat you got a lot more time,” he said. “It’s nice. I don’t play much third base, played second the whole year (for Arizona State), so I’m trying to make sure I get a good grip before I throw it.”

Contact staff writer Joshua Armstrong at 459-7583.