ABL playoffs: Miners open postseason against the Oilers

PALMER — The Mat-Su Miners have lead the Alaska Baseball League in team batting average throughout the entire regular season. But that doesn’t mean the Miners didn’t endure their fair share of slow nights at the plate.

During a season-long four-game losing streak in mid-July, Mat-Su scored only five runs. The Miners managed to follow that streak with three straight moves, but scored only six runs during that stretch.

The total was 11 runs scored between July 7 and July 15.

Mat-Su head coach Ben Taylor didn’t hesitate to challenge his hitters. And the bats have come alive at the perfect time. Mat-Su, which clinched the regular-season title and home-field advantage throughout the postseason, entered Tuesday’s doubleheader against the Anchorage Glacier Pilots as the hottest team in the ABL, winners of seven straight.

Mat-Su is hitting .305 as a team during that stretch.

“You’ve got to hit to win,” Taylor said Monday evening. “You pitch and play defense to put yourself in position, but you’ve got to hit to win. We’re swinging the bats at the right time.”

Defending ABL champion Mat-Su, looking for its fifth straight trip to the ABL Top of the World Series championship set, has 54 hits and 32 runs during the streak. Infielder Nick Brooks is batting .615 during the stretch, which leads the ABL during that time period. Infielder Rainer Ausmus and outfielder Elijah MacNamee are both hitting .455.

“Ausmus and Brooks, they’re taking advantage of opportunities, making the most of opportunities,” Taylor said. “MacNamee is proving why he’s a really outstanding SEC hitter.”

MacNamee has two home runs and eight RBI during the winning streak.

Catcher Andy Thomas (.368), and outfielders Justin Ammons (.333) and Quin Cotton are also hitting over .300 during the winning streak.

The Miners also continue to pitch well. Mat-Su has led the ABL in team earned run average throughout the year, and as of Monday night had a league-low 2.58 team ERA. The next best is the Anchorage Bucs with a 3.37 ERA. During the winning steak, the Miners posted three shutouts and allowed only seven runs in seven games. Eight different pitchers went at least two innings without allowing an earned run. Starters Spencer Henson and Calvin LeBrun each pitched seven scoreless during a start. Jake Suddreth didn’t allow an earned run over seven innings of relief.

The Peninsula Oilers clinched the final ABL playoff berth with a 5-1 win over the Anchorage Glacier Pilots Monday night, and eliminated Chugiak-Eagle River from the playoff race. Before learning of his first-round opponent, Taylor said the Miners are focused more on what they need to do to earn another championship.

“It doesn’t matter who we play. We’ve got to go out and take care of our own business,” Taylor said. “Every game up here is worth the same. Every game is big game up here. We’re used to playing highly-contested, highly-competitive games.”

The four-team ABL playoffs begin Wednesday. Mat-Su hosts the Oilers in the semifinal best-of-3 set. Game 1 is slated for Wednesday at 6 p.m. Game 2 follows Thursday at 2 p.m., with a third game, if necessary, to begin 40 minutes following the conclusion of the second game.

A pair of Anchorage squads battle in the other semifinal. The second-seeded Bucs host the third-seeded Glacier Pilots in the best-of-3 series at Mulcahy Stadium in Anchorage. Game 1 is Wednesday at 6. Game 2 is Thursday at 4, with a third game, if necessary, to follow.

The winners of each set will meet in the ABL Top of the World Series, which starts Friday at the home field of the highest seed left in the tournament.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.