Miners grab another extra-inning win

July 1, 2007

By Jeremiah Bartz/ Frontiersman

PALMER - The Mat-Su Miners didn't collect a ton of hits. The Valley baseball squad didn't score a lot of runs.

But the Miners managed to post a key three-game sweep of the Peninsula Oilers, the squad the used to sit on top of the Alaska Baseball League standings.

Carl Uhl scored on Joey August's deep single to left center field in the bottom of the 10th inning to give the Miners a 3-2 win over the Oilers Friday at Hermon Brothers Field.

The Miners only scored three times on six hits, but were able to claim an extra-inning win for the second time in as many nights.

&#8220It's unbelievable,” August said. &#8220We seem to find ways to win.”

Mat-Su scored only seven runs on 18 hits during the series, but were able to jump to 6-2 in league standings and build a game-and-a-half lead over the second-place Anchorage Bucs.

&#8220You'd like to see double digit hits and a lot of runs, but we're finding ways to win,” August said. &#8220It's kind of hard to complain.”

Uhl drew a walk to lead off the inning and Joe Ercolano followed with a sacrifice bunt to move Uhl over to second base. That set up August's game-winning RBI.

August said having the speedy Uhl in scoring position certainly makes his job at the plate easier.

&#8220You flip anything out there and he's going to beat it because he's got wheels,” August said. &#8220You feel more relaxed. You don't have to do too much with it.”

Ercolano and Mat-Su first baseman Michael Ewing combined efforts to tie the score in the fourth inning and again in the eighth for Mat-Su.

Trailing 1-0, Ercolano led-off the fourth with a double and Ewing dropped a single into left field that allowed Ercolano to score.

And in the eighth, with the Miners trailing 2-1, Ewing squeezed a slow rolling ground ball between a pair of Oiler infielders, and Ercolano hustled around from second base to score.

&#8220Fortunately we have some guys who are pretty fast,” Mat-Su head coach Jeff Pritchard said. &#8220Trickle the ball through, and we have the chance to go two bases.”

Stellar pitching, once again, powered the Miners toward victory.

Jason Erickson pitched eight strong innings in his third start of the season. He allowed only one earned run, fanned six and didn't walk a hitter.

&#8220They guy's a butcher,” Pritchard said. &#8220He just carves.”

Erickson a University of Washington sophomore, now has a 0.37 ERA in 19 innings.

Steve Kalush, the newest addition to the Mat-Su roster, earned the win in his debut with the Miners.

Kalush, a Santa Clara freshman, struck out five in two innings, and did not allow a hit.

Pitching was the story through the series with the Oilers.

On Thursday, starter George Brown didn't allow a hit in six innings. Bryce Morrow, Max Peterson and Matt Montgomery combined for five shutout innings. Peterson fanned eight in three innings, and Montgomery pitched a perfect inning to record the win.

On Wednesday, Alex Rivers, Chris Cullen and Nate Garcia combined for a seven-hit shutout.

&#8220Our pitching staff always gives us the chance to win,” Pritchard said.

Friday's extra innings win marked the second in as many days, and Mat-Su's third of the season.

&#8220It's been exciting, almost too exciting at some points,” August said. &#8220But it's fun.”

Ercolano singled in the bottom of the 10th to drive in Ben Price to lead the Miners to a 1-0 win over the Oilers Thursday.

The Oilers entered the series with a league-high 11 wins, a .316 team batting average and a 0.69 team ERA.

&#8220They're a good team,” Prtichard said. &#8220You have to play about perfect to beat them. They're still going to be the team to beat. They're not going to get any

weaker.”

Contact Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.