Alaska Sports Hall of Fame

You don’t get a second chance to make a first impression, so Alaska’s Matt Way put a lot of pressure on himself to do well in his debut with the Laredo Lemurs.

He did better than expected.

Way, of Sitka High fame, started and threw five shutout innings as Laredo beat Grand Prairie 6-0 during professional independent league action in south Texas.

“It went really well,” he told me. “It definitely gives me more confidence into my next start. The first game of the year is always the big one for me. It’s nice to get that one out of the way.”

The 25-year-old lefty gave up four hits and walked two. He escaped a jam in the third inning thanks to slick glove work by his shortstop and first baseman that prevented a run with two outs.

He struck out three and introduced a new pitcher to his arsenal.

“I have always been a fastball, changeup pitcher but with the cutter I added it was a totally different ball game,” he said. “I threw all fastballs and cutters the whole way. I only went the changeup four times, which is a total 180 from the way I used to throw.”