The Peninsula Oilers dropped the ball on Wednesday against the Mat-Su Miners at Hermon Brothers Field in a 6-3 loss. A four-run Miners fifth inning, all runs unearned on two Oilers errors, fueled the Miners to their eighth win of the season.
Miners 6- Oilers 3
Starting pitching dominated early in the contest. Oilers starter Connor McCord and Miners starter Randy Abshier each threw scoreless frames through the first four innings in less than a combined hour in game time.
McCord, struck out five batters the first time through the Miners order and Abshier did not allow a hit through the first three frames of the game.
The Miners broke the seal in the bottom of the fifth when Mat-Su scored four, unearned runs off the Oilers defense.
A two-base fielding error by Oilers second baseman Bobby Goodloe and a two-run throwing error by first baseman Giancarlo Servin brought in the first two Miners runs of the game.
A two out, two-run single by Erik Webb extended the Miners lead to 4-0 through five innings.
McCord’s eight strikeouts tied the most by a starting pitcher in an ABL outing this season (Zach Sundine, Chugiak-Eagle River Chinooks).
The Oilers, who were no-hit through the first five innings, broke through for a pair of runs in the seventh on a Travis Bohall two-run single which brought the Miners lead to 4-2.
Mat-Su responded with a pair of runs in the bottom of the inning to extend their lead back to four runs, 6-2.
The Oilers, who scored their third run of the game on a Victor Carlino RBI single threatened again in the eighth with runners in scoring position and less than an out, but a pop out and a caught stealing ended the inning with the tying run in form of Jonathan Villa at the plate.
The Oilers were retired in order in the ninth to end the game 6-3, Miners.
Game three of four-game series Thursday:
The Oilers (5-8), take on the Miners (8-5) in game three of the four-game series on Thursday at 7 p.m. at Hermon Brothers Field.
Follow the Oilers on ESPN 1140 AM and www.radiokenai.com with the Sweeney’s Pregame Show beginning at 6:40 p.m.
