Miners score another win over the Oilers

The Mat-Su starting pitchers are starting to feel at home at Hermon Brothers Field.

Mat-Su starter Will Johnston tossed six scoreless innings to lead the Miners to a 5-2 win over the Peninsula Oilers Monday night at Hermon Brothers Field in Palmer.

Johnston, a Texas A&M left-hander, fanned seven while walking only one. He scattered six hits over six innings.

Monday marked the fourth straight scoreless outing for Miners starting pitchers at Hermon Brothers. Mat-Su has won five of its last six after an 0-2 start to the season. The Miners improved to 5-3 with the win.

Casey Rother, who currently leads the Alaska Baseball League with a .433 batting average, enjoyed another big night at the plate for the Miners. The Lehigh product was 3 for 4, with a double, two RBI and a run scored. Rother was inches away from a fourth hit, with a hard line out in the seventh.

Tyler Wilson and Jordan Williams finished with two hits each. Mike Ferrara sparked Mat-Su early with a two-run single in the first. Five different Miners scored a run in the win.

The victory was Mat-Su’s second over the Oilers in five days. The Miners beat the Oilers 2-1 on June 10.

The Mat-Su pitching staff threw a pair of shutouts during a doubleheader sweep of the Chugiak Chinooks at Hermon Brothers on June 11. Starter Christian Seelhorst, and relievers Nate Beimel and Alex Magers combined to allow only one hit and fan 10 during a 2-0 win over the Chinooks. Beimel earned the win in relief. Magers notched the save.

Josh Mrozek scored both Mat-Su runs. Wilson and Kevin Nakamura drove in runs.

Wyatt Tucker, Daniel Naughton and Joe Williams combined for a two-hitter in a 1-0 win, the second part of the doubleheader. Williams pitched two scoreless innings, and earned the win.

Wilson scored in the bottom of the eighth on a walk-off win, thanks to a Gerard Sweeney walk.

The Miners dropped a 5-2 loss to the Anchorage Glacier Pilots Saturday in Anchorage. Rother, Sweeney and Sam Thompson doubled for the Miners.

A pair of former Wasilla High standouts made their debuts with the Miners. Infielder Waylon Payne singled and scored a run. Austin Robertson threw an inning for the Miners.

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