The Peninsula Oilers concluded their six-game series against the Anchorage Bucs Monday night at Coral Seymour Memorial Park with a 4-3 loss. The Oilers took four out of six to open up the Alaska Baseball League season, and will now begin an eight-game road trip Tuesday in Palmer against the Mat-Su Miners.
Bucs 4- Oilers 3
The Bucs scored the first run of the game in the top of the first inning when Logan Ehnes drove in JC Correa, who had reached on an error by Oilers third baseman Bryce Begell.
The Oilers answered in the bottom half of the second inning when Ryan Novis bounced into a 5-4-3 double play which scored Begell from third, tying the game 1-1.
Both starting pitchers wouldn’t flinch until the top of the sixth inning when Willy Escala drew a one-out walk, ending a streak of 14 consecutive men retired by Oilers starter Christian Winston. Jace VanDeBrake followed Escala, hitting an RBI double to left-center, plating Escala from and giving the Bucs a 2-1 lead.
The Bucs added a third run in the top of the eighth against Oilers reliever Tre Brown on an Escala RBI triple, scoring Tanner Tredaway, pushing the Bucs lead to 3-1.
Oilers catcher Ryan Koch cut the Bucs lead to 3-2 with a one-out, solo home run, his first of the summer, coming in the eighth.
After the Bucs scored their fourth run of the game in the top of the ninth inning, the Oilers added a run on an RBI groundout by Evan Berkey which brought in Calvin Farris from third.
Bucs reliever Alex Segal was brought in to record a two-out save, striking out Tyler Duke to end the game with the tying run at third base, sealing the Bucs 4-3 win.
The Oilers drop to 4-2 with the loss, the Bucs improve to 2-4.
The Oilers remain atop the ABL at 4-2, setting up a showdown with the second ranked Mat-Su Miners.
Oilers begin an eight-game roadtrip
The Oilers start an eight-game road trip Tuesday against the Mat-Su Miners in game one of a two-game set at Hermon Brothers Field.
The Oilers are also scheduled to play the Anchorage Glacier Pilots and Chugiak-Eagle River Chinooks before returning to Coral Seymour Memorial Park on June 20 against the Chinooks.
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