Late homer lifts Miners over Oilers

KENAI — Mat-Su first baseman Wes Dorrell hit the first home run in 10 games played this season at Coral Seymour Memorial Field in Kenai to lift the Miners to a 2-1 win over the Peninsula Oilers Tuesday evening.

The win helped Mat-Su improve to 7-2 overall and 2-2 in the Alaska Baseball League.

The loss was the first at home for the Oilers, which fell to 11-3 overall and 2-3 in the Alaska Baseball League.

Will Musson pitched the seventh inning to pick up the win in relief of starter Jason Erickson, who gave up one run and three hits in six innings of work. Erickson fanned eight and didn't walk a hitter in the win. Michael Rocha pitched the final two innings to get the save.

The Miners took a 1-0 lead in the top of the third when third baseman Blake Newalu doubled to open the inning, then advanced home on back-to-back sacrifice bunts by shortstop Kevin Rodland and center fielder Pat Minogue.

Peninsula tied the game when catcher Francis Larson scored when a third strike got away from catcher Steve Domecus in the bottom of the fourth.

The game remained deadlocked until the seventh inning, when Dorrell lined the first pitch he saw from Oilers pitcher Bryce Uhrig into the trees behind right field to start the inning.

The two teams play again Wednesday at 7 p.m. in Kenai.

BUCS 2, MINERS 1 (Monday)

PALMER — Mat-Su's offensive woes continued Monday night as the Anchorage Bucs allowed only two hits in a 2-1 win over the Miners at Hermon Brothers Field.

Anchorage's Matt Apfel scored the go-ahead run in the seventh inning on an Evan Wells sacrifice bunt, and the Bucs handed Mat-Su (6-2) just its second loss of the young Alaska Baseball League season.

The Bucs took the early 1-0 lead with a run in the first, but Mat-Su tied the score in the third when John Shaffer reached home on an Anchorage passed ball.

Mat-Su entered the contest with a team batting average of just .208, but saw that mark dip under the .200-mark after collecting just two hits against the Bucs. Kyle Jensen and Steve Domecus each singled for Mat-Su.

Paul Goldschmidt led Anchorage with a pair of hits.

Santa Clara standout Thain Simon fanned five and walked four as the Mat-Su starter. Jeremy Ruiz was tagged with the loss in relief.

Paul Bargas pitched seven innings of one-hit ball to earn the win for Mat-Su's neighbors to the south.

Speaking of south, Mat-Su now heads in that direction for its first road trip of the season. The Miners travel to Kenai to face the Peninsula Oilers for a pair of ABL battles. The teams are set to meet Tuesday and Wednesday at Corel Seymour Park.