Florida State product helps Miners take sole possession of first

KENAI — Mat-Su general manager Pete Christopher calls James Ramsey the best player in the Alaska Baseball League.

The Florida State freshman’s batting average neared .380 earlier in the month. It’s since dipped to about .320, but on Friday the left-handed hitting outfielder why he is among the best in the prestigous summer league.

Ramsey finished with a pair of hits and drove in three runs during Mat-Su’s 5-3 win over the Peninsula Oilers at Coral Seymour Memorial Park in Kenai on Friday.

Mat-Su improved to 21-12 overall and 19-12 in ABL play with the win. The Miners moved a half-game ahead of the second-place Anchorage Bucs (19-13). The Bucs begin a three-game set in Fairbanks against the AIA Fire today, while the Miners cap their road trip in Kenai with a game against the Oilers at 2 p.m.

Ramsey used a bases loaded single to drive in two of Mat-Su’s three runs in the third inning, and pushed another run across the plate with a single in the ninth.

Ross Blondin, Nick Cox and Bobby Jacobs also collected a pair of hits to lead the Miners to their second win over the Kenai team in as many days.

Tyler Johnson allowed four hits and one earned run over five innings to earn the win on the mound for Mat-Su.

On Thursday, Will Musson baffled the Oilers with his breaking ball, and led the Miners to a 2-0 win.

Musson allowed just five hits and one walk while striking out eight.

“Best start of my summer so far,” Musson said, adding taking an early lead aided his cause. “Any pitcher loves to have a lead, pitch with a lead. When we got those two runs, that was big. After that I just said I got to go out and throw a zero up.”

With Musson working his magic on the mound, infielder Jonathon Johnson supplied the offense. The Lakewood, Calif., native tripled with two outs to drive in David Alleman, and later scored on a Peninsula error.

Alleman, who drew Mat-Su’s lone walk of the game, led off the inning with the free base on balls.

Contact Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com. Peninsula Clarion reporter Matthew Carroll (matthew.carroll@peninsulaclarion.com) contributed to this story.