Miners post win over Oilers in 11

June 29, 2007

By MATT TUNSETH/ Frontiersman

PALMER - Joe Ercolano's two-out single in the bottom of the 11th inning lifted the Mat-Su Miners to their second victory in as many nights over the Peninsula Oilers Thursday at Hermon Brothers Field in Palmer.

Ercolano's line drive into right field was just enough to score third baseman Ben Price, who opened the inning with a walk off Oilers reliever Steve Goins.

&#8220I was looking fastball, and that's what he threw,” Ercolano said following the game.

It was the second consecutive night Ercolano notched a clutch hit against the Kenai team, and it's just three days since the Lehigh University left fielder arrived in Alaska for his second tour with the Miners.

&#8220(Miners General Manager) Pete Christopher called me up and I said, ‘Yeah, I'll help you win,'” Ercolano said. &#8220It was a little pressure, but it's worked out well.”

Third baseman Ben Price opened the inning with a walk, then moved to second on a bunt by second baseman Gunnar Terhune.

Mat-Su's pitching staff was nearly flawless on the night, allowing just three hits and never allowing a Peninsula base runner past second base. All three Peninsula hits were infield singles.

Miners starter George Brown didn't give up a hit during his six innings of work, getting a steady diet of routine ground balls to frustrate the Peninsula lineup. No Oilers batter even got the ball out of the infield against the St. Johns University lefty until Nick Buss flew out to end the fifth.

Mat-Su center fielder Carl Uhl opened the game with a double off the wall in the bottom of the first and advanced to third on a fielder's choice by Joe Ercolano. Uhl nearly scored the first run of the game later in the inning, but was cut down at the plate when Peninsula second baseman Kyle Melton came home on a ground ball by Joey August to get the speedy Uhl by a half-step.

Bryce Morrow relieved Brown in the top of the seventh, and Peninsula left fielder Robert Lundy took advantage of the change, picking up an infield single to end the Miners' no-hit bid. But the single proved harmless as Morrow stranded Lundy at first to send the scoreless game into the seventh inning stretch.

Oilers starter Tyler Flemming matched the Mat-Su pitching mastery pitch-for-pitch, allowing just two Mat-Su hits through eight scoreless innings before giving way to Goins in the bottom of the ninth.

Following the game, Mat-Su head coach Jeff Pritchard took his hat off to the Peninsula side, which played error-free baseball.

&#8220I've got to give credit to those guys,” Prichard said. &#8220We've been playing well, but I still think they're the team to beat.”

The win allowed Mat-Su to remain atop the Alaska Baseball League standings with a 6-2 record, while the Oilers fell to 3-3 in the ABL.

Mat-Su first baseman Michael Ewing gave the home crowd a bit of hope in the bottom of the seventh, but his high blast into right field was knocked down by the wind and fell harmlessly into the glove of Jeremiah Mejia for a long out.

Oilers center fielder Nick Buss opened the eighth by beating out a slow, broken-bat roller to shortstop off Morrow, then advanced to second on a bunt by Melton. Melton also reached first on the play when third baseman Ben Price misplayed the sacrifice bunt attempt, leaving two on and none out as Miners reliever Max Peterson came on in relief of Morrow.

Peterson struck out the first batter he faced, then got the second hitter, Peninsula's Toby Davis on a bizarre strikeout. After Davis whiffed, Mat-Su catcher Chris McMurray threw down to second base to try and catch a stealing Melton. McMurray's throw sailed into center field, and both Melton and Buss came around to score. But the home plate umpire ruled Davis interfered on McMurray's throw, sending both runners back to their respective bases. Peterson then calmly struck out Mejia to end the threat and keep the game scoreless.

Peterson was nearly unhittable in relief, striking out eight Oilers in just three innings of work and giving up just one hit. Reliever Matt Montgomery was equally effective, retiring the side in the top of the 11th to pick up the win. Overall, the Mat-Su pitching staff gave up only three hits in eleven innings while striking out 14 and walking four.

With two dramatic wins over the Oilers in two nights, Prichard said he's pleased with how well his team has played against a quality opponent.

&#8220We've almost had to play perfectly to win these last two nights,” Prichard said. &#8220They play the game the right way, and you have to play that way to beat them.”

Prichard said he's enjoyed facing off against the Peninsula team, and said he believes a mutual respect is beginning to grow between the two sides.

&#8220It's a rivalry in as much as you've got two good teams that enjoy competing against each other,” he said. &#8220Tonight was like a really good boxing match, where both guys are sticking jabs in there and hoping someone will let up just a little bit.”

Contact Matt Tunseth at 352-2265 or matt.tunseth@frontiersman.com.