Alaska Goldpanners win 15-inning marathon in 105th Midnight Sun Game
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After 15 innings of baseball, the Goldpanners eked out a 4-3 win by scoring two runs in the bottom of the inning to match, then beat the U.S. Military Heroes of the Diamond, who had taken a 3-2 lead in the top of the inning.
More than 1,000 fans from a near-record crowd of 4,700 remained to watch the celebration at 2:59 a.m., almost 3 1/2 hours after the game began.
Derrick Chung scored the game’s first run in the bottom of the third on Jesse Sikorski’s one-out hit to right field. Chung had reached on an error on shortstop Virgil Chavira, advanced to second after Kevin Roundtree reached on an error by second baseman Ray Judy and took third on Simonitsch’s grounder to third baseman Ramon Marquez.
Karl Seiter pull the Heroes event at 1-1 in the top of the fourth, scoring on Marquez’s grounder after Seiter led off with a hit to left and advanced to third on Jesse Trail’s single.
Chung scored again to snap the tie in the bottom of the fifth after Evan Simonitsch plopped a short hit along the third base line and pitcher Micah Spencer slipped while trying to field it. Chung had reached on a one-out walk, took second on Roundtree’s infield hit and went to third on a wild pitch.
Allan Brace tied it 2-2 in the top of the eighth, leading off with a double to left center field and coming home one out later on a Rivera’s double past diving Panners first baseman Mike Tauchman.
Goldpanners reliever Kyle Brule gave up a walk in the top of the ninth, and Heroes reliever Mike Oeser took over for Spencer in the bottom of the inning after Spencer threw a ball to Roundtree on his first pitch of the inning.
Oeser later got Roundtree to fly out to third, followed by flyout to center by Simonitsch and a strikeout by Tauchman.
Brule retired the side in order in the top of the 10th, when there were still at least 3,000 fans in the stands. Brule’s effort included striking out Rivera, who was 3 for 5 at the plate.
Oeser gave up a one-out walk to Jake Stewart in the bottom of the 10th. He got an unassisted out on Mike Mardesich, but that allowed Stewart to move to second base. Oeser then walked Chase McDowell, prompting a switch to Frankie Cervantes.
Cervantes then got out D.J. Crumlich on a called third strike.
Chase McDowell came into pitch the top of the 11th, starting with a strikeout of Alex Renteria. Karl Seiter then lobbed a single into the gap in center field, but McDowell recovered with a strikeout of Jesse Trail and getting Will Zavala to ground out.
Chung, as the park was getting a little darker because of no lights, led off the bottom of the 11th with his first strikeout following a 2-for-3, two-run night. Kevin Roundtree grounded out to short and Evan Simonitsch popped out to running center fielder Carlos Rivera to send the game to 12 innings at 1:39 a.m. The game reached 13 innings 21 minutes later.
Karl Seiter put the Heroes ahead 3-2 in the top of the 15th with two runners on base. Garrett Jenner was walked by Panners reliever Zach Vawter-Scoggins, and he advanced to second when Carlos Rivera was hit by a pitch. Jenner later stole third base.
Vawter-Scoggins struck out Alex Renteria and then Seiter lined the ball off of the Panners’ pitcher left ankle, giving Jenner enough time to score before Seiter was thrown out.
Vawter-Scoggins was seriously injured as he limped off the field and Goldpanners manager Jim Dietz said the ankle may be broken.
Seiter wanted to rally his team but didn’t want hurt an opponent.
“It was a pitch over the zone and I stayed with it and put it back up the middle,’’ Seiter said. “ I hit his foot and I think it broke his ankle, unfortunately.”
In the bottom of the 15th, Heroes relief pitcher Geo Martinez got Colton Plaia to fly out to begin the inning, but he was replaced after giving up a double to deep left center field by Martin Medina.
Jeff Allen took over on the mound for the Heroes and D.J. Crumlich greeted him with a single to drive in Medina, knotting the score at 3.
Derrick Chung was intentionally walked and Kevin Roundtree reached base on a fielding error by Heroes second baseman Ray Judy to load the bases. Simonitsch took a 2-ball, 1-strike pitch from Allen and lifted it into the left field to end the game at a minute until 3.
“I saw the bases were loaded and I saw them bringing in their outfield and infield,’’ Simonitsch said. “I just thought to myself hit the ball hard and good things will come.”
It was a few words from President George H.W. Bush that paved the way for the development of the Heroes of the Diamond. Bush, during a visit to the Naval Aviation Museum in 1990, commented about the positive impact baseball had on morale of military personnel during World War II.
The program began that year and has since utilized more than 25,000 U.S. Armed Forces personnel as well as retired military, first responders and college players. The program conducts tryouts and is self-funded as players pay for their travel expenses.
Contact staff writer Danny Martin at 459-7581.
That's nearly 4 1/2 hours !
Sunrise for Fairbanks from: www.heavens-above.com was 2:57 a.m. So technically the game ended after sunrise. However, the sun was still masked by the hills to the north at that time.
The Heroes of the Diamond wore cammo colored uniforms. They sometime blended into the shadows. At times the white baseball seemed to appear out of nowhere.
I guess we can blame George H.W. Bush for the Heroes of the Diamond. This blame he would gladly take responsibility for. Thank you George.
Fun game, beautiful evening, nice crowed and great time.
The fans were great, the baseball action better.
And I caught a foul ball. Well worth waiting until 3 am. We we're wondering if the game lasted long enough, would be able to just sit and watch this evening's for free.
If you haven't been to a game, you ought to check it out.