After leaving on the red-eye flight the team was able to get in a practice game July 3, before the tournament started.

According to head coach Doug Hennie, the Mustangs played well enough to win the tournament opener against Idaho Falls, but came up short, losing 7-2. Tim McCollum pitched the complete seven-inning contest, striking out six and giving up only one hit. Chugiak recorded seven hits but couldn’t put the offensive surges in succession, leaving runners on base.

The Mustangs got one run in the first, with Matt Sullivan scoring off an inside out by McCollum, then another in the third, with Garrett Balen crossing the plate on a hit, scored as an error by the Idaho Falls’ shortstop. Balen got on base with a two-out double.

The team responded to the loss with a 7-2 win over the Spokane Bandits, one of many local teams in the tournament. Pitcher Ty Griffith handcuffed the Bandits with 11 strikeouts, allowing two walks and three hits during the compete-game effort.

The Mustangs scored seven runs on five hits, all singles, one each from Balen, Sullivan, McCollum, Derek Henry and Tyler Belk.

The team’s winning ways carried into Friday, with pitcher Cameron Fritz helping Chugiak Post 33 to a 5-0 win over Graham Kapowsin. Fritz recorded four strikeouts and gave up four walks, while going the distance on 97 pitches.

The Mustangs chalked up another tough-luck loss Friday, falling to Del Norte, 3-1, despite a strong showing on the mound from Casey Spink, who struck out five without giving up a walk.

Although Chugiak scored first, in the top of the first, with McCollum scoring an unearned run following a walk, Del Norte came up big, with three runs, in the bottom of the second.

The backbreaker came Saturday, however, with the Mustangs losing 8-7 to the Trail Jays, in a must-win game. A victory might have advanced the team into bracket play.

Balen started on the mound, giving up six runs before being replaced by Weston Haynes in the fifth inning. McCollum closed out the game in the seventh, keeping the Jays from another run.

Chugiak rallied with two runs earlier in the bottom of the seventh, and had the tying run on second, with the game-winner on first, with only one out, before a strikeout and a fly ball to right field pre-empted the team’s comeback.

Henie had nothing but praise concerning the team’s effort.

“The team played great. We had great pitching, with our starters going the distance in four of the five games,” he said. “And we played good defense. The hitting was a little weak.”

The team played games in 90-degree heat.

“The heat was definitely a factor - but we battled through it,” the coach said.

The team returned Monday, but will have little chance to rest before jumping into another tournament, the BP Alaska Wood Bat Tournament, beginning today. The tournament features eight teams, including seven local squads.

Chugiak opens play tonight hosting West at Oberg Field at 6:30 p.m.

Reach the reporter at editor@alaskastar.com.

This article published in The Alaska Star on Thursday, July 9, 2009.