Miners continue to rule Chinooks

PALMER — Chugiak took a lead with a quick start, but Mat-Su used a late push to rally and score a 5-3 come-from-behind victory over the Chinooks Saturday night 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 to help the Miners improve to 21-6 overall and 19-6 in Alaska Baseball League play. 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, and closer Brick Paskiewicz retired the final Chinook to record his 10th save of the summer.

Trailing 2-0 after the first inning, the Miners plated a pair to tie the score in the bottom of the sixth.

Caleb Wood singled to lead off the inning and scored on a wild pitch to put the Miners on the scoreboard. Paskiewicz also singled in the inning, and scored on Matt Diorio’s sacrifice fly to tie the score at 2. Mat-Su took the lead in the bottom of the seventh. Tanner Nishioka singled, and scored on Wood’s second hit of the night. Vance Vizcaino and Tyler Wolfe drove in runs in the eighth inning.

With the victory, the Miners improved to 10-2 overall against Chugiak this season and 8-2 in league games against the Chinooks. Mat-Su faces Chugiak again Sunday at 4 p.m. at Loretta French Field.