2-hit shutout moves Miners back into first place

By JEREMIAH BARTZ

ANCHORAGE – Last week Justin Kraft put together the best pitching performance the Mat-Su Miners have seen this season – a three-hit shutout over nine frames of an extra-innings loss to the Peninsula Oilers.

But on Monday, Kraft found a way to top it.

The Yakima, Wash., native tossed 8 2/3 of shutout baseball, allowed only two hits and led the Mat-Su Miners to a key 1-0 win over the Anchorage Glacier Pilots at Mulcahy Stadium.

The Miners, who sat at the top of the Alaska Baseball League standings for about three weeks prior to a 9-1 loss to the Pilots at Hermon Brothers Field on Sunday, entered the contest one game behind Anchorage in the standings. Mat-Su’s win, coupled with the Anchorage Bucs’ 9-5 win over the AIA Fire Monday night, forced a three-way tie for first in the standings. The victory also snapped Mat-Su’s season-high four-game losing skid.

Kraft improved to 2-0 with the victory, and lowed his earned run average to 0.75. He leads the team with 36 innings pitched and is third on the squad with 22 strikeouts.

With Kraft working his magic on the mound, infielder Trevor Costin gave the right-hander all the help he needed by using a single to drive in James Ramsey in the seventh.

Ramsey led off the inning by reaching on an error, and with two outs, Costin singled to left to allow Ramsey to score from second.

The Miners finished with only three singles in the game. Jonathon Johnson and Scott Arthur also had hits for Mat-Su.

Kraft earned the edge in the pitchers dual that also featured a stellar performance from Anchorage starter Ryan Carpenter.

Carpenter pitched 5 2/3 innings of no-hit ball, and didn’t allow a hit until Arthur singled down the right field line with two outs in the sixth.

Anchorage did put together a mini-rally in the bottom of the ninth. Catcher Daniel Dellasega reached on an error to lead off the inning and Kraft hit Drew Heid to put two men on in the inning. With two outs, reliever Estevan Uriegas came into the game and fanned Gunner Glad to save the game for Mat-Su.