Miners score walk-off win over Oilers

PALMER — Sunday night the Mat-Su Miners were on the losing end of a walk-off victory in Anchorage. But Monday, back on their home field, it was the Miners who were celebrating.

Angelo Armenta used a sacrifice fly with the bases loaded in the bottom of the 10th inning to drive in Brooks Stotler and give the Miners a 3-2 win over the Peninsula Oilers at Hermon Brothers Field in Palmer.

It marked the third time in the last four games Mat-Su claimed a one-run victory.

“It just means we are grinders,” Stotler said in a press release issued by the team. “We don’t give up, even if we’re down. We’re going to give 100 percent all of the time.”

The effort helped Mat-Su maintain its lead at the top of the Alaska Baseball League standings. The Miners improved to 12-7, and own a 2.5-game lead over the Anchorage Glacier Pilots, who stand second in five-team league with a 10-10 mark. Peninsula fell to 7-9 with the loss, and are tied with the Anchorage Bucs (10-12) at the bottom of the standings.

Mat-Su trailed 2-0 late in the game, but forced an extra inning with two runs in the bottom of the eighth.

Stotler and Levi Jordan drew back-to-back walks to start the inning. Stotler put Mat-Su on the scoreboard when Michael Donadio reached on an Oilers error. Late in the inning, Jordan scored to tie the game at 2.

In the 10th inning, Stotler once again led off the inning with a walk. Jordan reached on an error, and Garrison Schwartz advanced on another Peninsula error to load the bases. With one out, Armenta drove in Stotler with the sacrifice.

“As I tagged up, I was thinking that I just needed to run as fast as I can,” Stotler said. “I felt like I was racing on the track. As soon as he caught it I was gone.”

Releiver Jordan Floyd earned his first victory of the season in the winning, working the 10th inning of the victory. Newcomer Jordan Frederick made his first appearance for the Miners, working 2 2/3 innings. Frederick entered the game with one out in the fifth, and fanned three during his time on the mound.

“That gave us a big lift,” Miners head coach Ben Taylor said. “(Starter Stephen Kolek) had a high pitch count early, and we had to get him out of the game. Frederick makes his debut and for him to be able to bridge to the back end was great.”

Kolek worked 4 1/3 innings for the Miners.

Mat-Su has Tuesday off and returns to the diamond for a doubleheader against the Anchorage Glacier Pilots Wednesday at 5 p.m. at Mulcahy Stadium in Anchorage.