Miners, Oilers play to split

PALMER — Mat-Su right-hander Justin Vernia didn’t allow an earned run for the fourth straight start Saturday afternoon. But Peninsula Oilers starter Justin Montgomery ensured Vernia’s effort wouldn’t be enough to get the Miners the win.

Montgomery pitched a two-hit complete game to lead the Oilers to a 2-1 victory over the Miners during the first of a pair of seven-inning games in an Alaska Baseball League doubleheader at Hermon Brothers Field in Palmer.

“I think he competed really well in the zone,” Mat-Su head coach Ben Taylor said of Montgomery. “He threw three pitches for strikes, and kept us off balance. We didn’t make the adjustments quick enough.”

Montgomery improved to 3-1 against the Miners this summer. In those three victories, he’s allowed only five hits and one earned run to Mat-Su hitters.

“My hats off to him. That kid has thrown really good ball games against us,” Taylor said.

Montgomery’s work also overshadowed Vernia, who lowered his ABL-leading earned run average to 0.58 in the loss. Vernia dropped to 4-3 on the season. In Vernia’s three losses, the Miners have scored a combined two runs.

“We haven’t given him a lot of run support in this last couple of starts,” Taylor said. “But he competes and does a really good job for us.”

Vernia, who has not allowed an earned run since a 5-3 win over the Oilers on June 24, scattered five hits over seven innings of work, while fanning three and walking only one.

“Vern is a really, really tough competitor,” Taylor said. “We feel really good about him moving forward.”

Daniel Zzpik singled and scored in the top of the fifth to give the Oilers a 1-0 lead. Brody Wofford led off the sixth with a triple, and scored on a Jared Huber sacrifice to push the lead to a pair of runs.

Mat-Sut cut that lead in half when Jacob Hughey scored on a Levi Jordan double.

Mat-Su crushed Peninsula pitching in the second game Saturday, forcing the ABL doubleheader split with a 12-5 drubbing of the Oilers. Josh Bissonette picked up a trio of Mat-Su’s 12 total hits, and was a perfect 3 for 3 at the plate. Cam Montgomery was 2 for 3, and Jordan also had a pair of hits.

The win included Jake Scudder’s two-run homer in the bottom of the third.

Five different Oilers finished with one hit in the loss. Five different players also scored runs. Jeffrey Chapuran led his team with two RBI.

Jordan Frederick earned the win in relief for the second time in as many appearances for the Miners. Dom Bazzani was tagged with the loss.

With the double-header split, Mat-Su maintains its 2.5-game lead in the ABL standings. The Miners are 24-17, and the Oilers are 24-18.