Oilers to much to handle for Miners

Entering Sunday night's match up with the Peninsula Oilers the Mat-Su Miners where on a two game winning streak but had lost their last four against the Oilers. The Oilers would once again get the best of the Miners for the fifth straight time, this time by the score of 7-5.

Brandon Hedrick (Jr./Union) made his second start of the season going 3 innings allowing 7 runs 5 earned on 6 hits. Hedrick walked 5 striking out 3 while picking up his second loss of the season falling to 1-2 for the summer. The Miners bats where baffled early on by Oilers starter Ben Griset (Fr./St. Marys) who pitched 5 innings of 1 hit baseball allowing 1 run. Griset earned his 3rd win of the year.

The Oilers jumped on Hedrick early in the top of the first. After giving up 3 straight singles to start the game, Hedrick delivered a fastball in the dirt that skipped to the backstop to score the games first run. After a walk to Tanner Rust (Fr./New Mexico St) the Oilers would get their second run this time on a passed ball making the score 2-0. With the bases loaded again Oilers outfielder Greg Anderson (Sr,/Mesa St.) lined a 2 out single into left to score to runs and extend the Oilers lead to 4-0. 

The Oilers would go on to add another run in second when Troy Channing (So./St. Marys) who was 3 for 4 with 2 runs batted in, singled in college teammate Patrick Wisdom (So./St. Marys) from second with 2 outs to increase their lead to 5-0. 

The Miners would get on the board in the bottom of the second inning when Adam Martin (Fr./Western Carolina) smacked his 4th doubled of the season to straight away center to lead off the inning. After a sacrifice bunt from Michael Gerlach (So./Cabrillo CC), Kevin Lum (Jr./Oklahoma St.) grounded out to second to score Martin and cut the Miner deficit to four at 5-1. 

In the fifth inning the Oilers would score two more highlighted by a sac fly by Troy Channing for his second RBI of the evening. The game would remain scoreless until the bottom of the seventh when the Miners would score four runs. The rally was started by a Michael Gerlach double down the right field line. Tim Zier (Fr./San Diego St.) singled down the right field line to score Gerlach. The Miners would add three more with help from a double smacked into the left center gap by Miners shortstop Ryan Ford (So./Middle Tennessee St.) who went 2 for 4 with an RBI, a run scored, and a walk. 

Oilers relief pitcher Reese McGraw (Fr./Creighton) shut down the Miners over 1.2 innings after coming into the game in the eighth with the bases loaded to earn his 4th save of the season. 

Miners center fielder Wesley Jones (Jr./Milligan) extended his hitting streak to seven games going 1 for 3 with an RBI and 2 walks. Miners relief pitchers Ben Graff (Fr./San Francisco) and Brandon Lobban (Jr./St. Johns) combined to throw six scoreless innings. 

With the loss the Miners fall to 15-15 in Alaska Baseball League play while the Oilers improve their record to a league best 19-9. The Miners are back home tomorrow night to take on the Anchorage Bucs at 6:00pm at Hermon Brothers Field.