With a fireworks ban in Alaska due to wildfires, it didn’t stop the Peninsula Oilers and Mat-Su Miners from their own display of fireworks in the Kenai heat on Independence Day. A game with two ties and over 11 innings ended with a 4-3 Miners win at Coral Seymour Memorial Park.
The Oilers (9-17) surrendered the winning run in the 11th against the Miners (16-9) who now holds a 5-1 record this summer against the Oilers.
Miners 4- Oilers 3 (11 innings)
Mat-Su opened the scoring with back-to-back runs in the second and third innings to take a 2-0 lead against Oilers starter Bryan Woo.
The Oilers tied the game in the fifth inning with two runs against Miners starter Kyler Bush who had retired eight consecutive batters prior to bats springing to life against the Mat-Su left-hander. A Travis Bohall RBI groundout and a Bobby Goodloe RBI double tied the game 2-2.
Mat-Su took the lead in the sixth inning on a Collin Montez sacrifice fly, but the Oilers defense kept the game within reach. A potential fourth Miners run was gunned down at the plate on an outfield assist by Jaden Fein to end the inning.
The Oilers tied the game in the seventh on a Bohall RBI double that plated Victor Carlino at 3-3.
In the ninth, the Oilers defense flashed their prowess again. A two-out double by the Miners’ Ricky Martinez nearly scored Robbie Brue from first base, but an Oilers relay throw from Fein to Carlino to Oilers catcher John Mackay ended the inning at the plate to keep the game 3-3.
The Oilers went scoreless at the plate in the ninth and tenth innings against Miners reliever Grant Sloan, setting up the Miners go-ahead run in the top of the 11th inning on a Martinez RBI single.
Miners closer Jacob McNairy retired the Oilers in order to end the game 4-3, Miners.
(photo courtesy of oilersbaseball.com)
Oilers series continues on Friday:
The third-game of the Oilers six-game series against the Miners begins Friday at 7 p.m. at Coral Seymour Memorial Park.
Oilers vs Miners series schedule:
Friday, July 5th 7 p.m.
Saturday, July 6th Doubleheader 5 p.m. Game One
Sunday, July 7th 2 p.m
Follow the Oilers on ESPN 1140 AM and www.radiokenai.com
