The Peninsula Oilers opened a six-game homestand against the Mat-Su Miners with a 5-4 win on Wednesday at Coral Seymour Memorial Park. The Oilers (9-16) have now won back-to-back games for the second time at home this season. It’s the first win for the Oilers this season against the Miners (15-9).
Oilers 5- Miners 4
Following two scoreless innings, the Oilers scored in three consecutive innings to take a 3-0 lead through five innings.
A Bobby Goodloe RBI groundout in the third inning plated Victor Carlino for the first run of the game.
Skyler Messinger drove in Connor McCord on a sacrifice fly in the fourth inning to put the Oilers up 2-0.
Jaden Fein scored Travis Bohall on a sacrifice fly to put the Oilers up 3-0 in the fifth.
Miners starter Brett Erwin was lifted in the fifth after Bohall crossed the plate, ending his night after 4.1 IP in his first start against the Oilers this summer.
Erwin’s counterpart Connor McCord was lights out in his second start against Mat-Su.
The Oilers starter allowed three hits and punched out four Miners batters through the first five innings before Mat-Su scored two runs (one earned) against the left-hander in the top of the sixth inning, cutting the Oilers lead to 3-2.
The Miners tied the game at 3-3 in the top of the seventh against Oilers reliever Drew Thorpe on a Matt Palmer sacrifice fly that drove in Kody Huff after he reached on a lead-off double.
The Oilers retook the lead in the bottom of the inning with a pair of runs against Miners reliever Owen Lamon. A Fein RBI groundout and a Calvin Farris RBI single on a fly ball that dropped between Palmer in left field and Miners shortstop Kaden Hogan scored Goodloe from third.
Following a scoreless eighth, the Miners generated a lone run in the ninth of Oilers closer Calvin Farris on an Erik Webb RBI-double, bringing the Oilers lead to 5-4. With two on and two outs, Farris induced a game-ending fly out by Justin Kirby to Fein in right to seal the Oilers first win against the Miners this season.
Oilers series continues on Independence Day
The Oilers celebrate The 4th of July with game two of a six-game series against the Miners tomorrow at 7 p.m. sponsored by the Alaska Driver’s Academy.
Tomorrow’s game is a free admission night.
Oilers vs Miners series schedule:
Thursday July 4th 7 p.m.
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
