[Elendil]

Game One


Mendenhall Valley near Auke Bay

The Senators' home field, the Ballpark at Auke Bay, is located in a community about ten miles northwest of downtown, near the University of Alaska, Southeast campus. It's one of the most picturesque ballparks in the league, essentially sitting on a cliff beside Mendenhall Lake. The ballpark is also used for soccer and is almost rectangular in shape. As a result, the deepest part of the field is the right-center power alley, where shots that would be homers in any other ballpark either get caught or bounce around for triples. There is also a fair amount of foul ground beyond first base. All of these features make the park murder on lefthanded hitters.


Dave Gould (7-7, 4.04)

vs.


Don Taggart (15-5, 2.86)

September 2, 2011 - A sellout crowd of 1,171 was on hand for the opening of the 2011 Alaskan Championship Series in Juneau. After two scoreless innings, the Mushers jumped on Taggart in the third. It started when with one out and a runner on second, Taggart threw away a bunt attempt by the pitcher, allowing the runner to score and Gould to reach second. Taggart was still a little flustered when Henneberry came up to bat, and the speedy Gould - the pitcher, remember! - promptly stole third. Henneberry walked and stole second, and then O'Feeney drove them both in with a single. 3-0 Bethel. The next inning, they added to the lead in a messy inning marked by two errors on the defense, a walk, and three singles. By the time it was all over, it was 8-0 Bethel, and Taggart was gone. The crowd never got back into the game, and neither did the Senators. Gould pitched seven and a third, allowing just one run, and the bullpen took it from there. Final score: Bethel 8, Juneau 2.

Home field advantage was now gone, and the Senators also lost the advantage they had expected from putting their ace against Bethel's mediocre #2 starter.