Mat-Su suffers first mercy rule loss of 2023

PALMER — Allowing the Oilers to bat around in two separate innings slumped the Miners to their first loss by mercy rule of 2023, a 15-1 defeat to the Peninsula Oilers Thursday night at Hermon Brothers Field in Palmer.

The Peninsula squad marched up to the Mat-Su Valley in search of its first stretch of back-to-back wins with the goal of downing the top seed in the ABL standings.

The Miners had just spent the last two days on a break from play, the team’s only multi-day hiatus on the schedule save for the All-Star Break.

Mat-Su sent its most surefire starting pitcher out of the gate in left-handed Grant Richardson. The Grand Canyon University product had not allowed a run in his first two starts, striking out 13 batters across those five innings (2.0 IP with 6 Ks at the Glacier Pilots, 3.0 IP with 7 Ks at the Bucs).

Through three innings, everything looked as normal as ever: Richardson had allowed just one hit, and the Miners offense, which had not scored in the first or second inning since Tuesday, Jun. 6, was just as silent. Richardson’s control lessened in the fourth inning, letting loose with a pair of walks and three wild pitches, leading to Kenai striking its first two runs across the plate.

Mat-Su answered in the bottom half of the inning in the form of an R.B.I. double from shortstop Emilio Barreras. His knock brought center fielder Sebastian Tomerlin around from second base.

Trouble struck the Valley in the top of the fifth inning. Left-handed reliever Ethan Lyke took the bump. With one out and a runner on first, Oilers right fielder Owen McElfatrick snapped a sharp grounder to Barreras’ right at shortstop resulting in a bobble that allowed the hitter to reach base. Lyke recovered by striking out the next batter for the second out of the inning, but that was his last out.

Peninsula designated hitter Bren Wilkinson rifled the sixth pitch of his at-bat into left field for an R.B.I. double. Later on first baseman Nick Costello nailed a two-run single to right field to advance the lead to 5-1 Oilers. Shortstop Michael Elko batted ninth in that inning with an R.B.I. knock to center to complete the five-run frame.

In the seventh inning, Costello mashed his first home run of the season to bring around an 8-1 margin, and McElfatrick followed with his own two-run blast in the following eighth inning.

That eighth frame turned into the finale as the Oilers strung around six runs to move out to a 15-1 lead. In the Alaska Baseball League, a 10-run advantage after seven innings constitutes a mercy rule that ends the game. The Miners failed to add to their one run in the fourth inning, so the Thursday night affair ended with a 15-1 drubbing and an upset at that.

Next, the Miners move on to their first battle at the Chugiak-Eagle River Chinooks who they have only seen once at home on Opening Day.