Miners blank Chinooks

CHUGIAK — During a span of 2012-2014, the Mat-Su Miners pitching staffs combined to throw a total of six shutouts.

But this year, the 2015 edition of the Miners have needed only five weeks to hit that mark.

Zach Warren and Caleb McCann teamed to throw nine scoreless innings to lead Mat-Su to a 4-0 win over the Chugiak Chinooks Sunday at Loretta French Field in Chugiak. The shutout was Mat-Su’s sixth of the season, and helped the Miners improve to 22-6 overall and 20-6 in league play.

The Miners also lowered their Alaska Baseball League leading team earned run average to 1.53. No other staff in the ABL has an ERA lower than 2.17.

Warren tossed seven innings, scattering six hits. He fanned four and walked three. McCann pitched the final two innings, allowing only one hit.

The Miners took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second, and added to that advantage with three runs in the fourth.

Outfielder Brick Paskiewicz tripled to drive in two runs, and extend his personal hitting streak to nine games. Tanner Nishioka finished 3 for 4 at the plate, and scored twice. Tyler Wolfe was also 3 for 4, and Caleb Wood added a hit and a run.

The Miners were in Anchorage monday night for a doubleheader against the Glacier Pilots at Mulcahy Stadium. Results were unavailable prior to press time. See frontiersman.com/sports for more.

Mat-Su returns home Tuesday for the start of a two-game homestand against the Peninsula Oilers. Games are slated for 6 p.m. each night.

Saturday, Mat-Su scored a 5-3 win over Chugiak at Hermon Brothers Field in Palmer.

Chugiak tagged Mat-Su starter Eli Morgan for a pair of earned runs in the first, but Morgan settled in and pitched into the eighth inning Morgan, a Gonzaga product, scattered seven hits over 7 2/3 innings, fanned 10 and walked just one batter. Reliever Corbin Martin struck out three in an inning of work, Paskiewicz retired the final Chinook to record his 10th save of the summer.

Paskiewicz and Wood led the Miners with two hits each in the game.