Miners score walk-off win over the Oilers

PALMER — During consecutive losses to the Anchorage Glaicer Pilots earlier this week, the Mat-Su Miners couldn’t seem to find the big hit.

Thursday, the Miners sprayed hits all over the ballpark. And in the bottom of the ninth, Mat-Su notched the hit that mattered most. Alex Caruso singled, drove in Tyler Wolfe and gave the Miners the 2-1 walk-off win over the Peninsula Oilers at Hermon Brothers Field.

“It was absolutely huge,” Mat-Su head coach Ben Taylor said what the walk-off meant for a Miners club that scored only four runs, despite a combined 14 hits in the two losses against the Pilots. “We lost two in a row. Nobody every wants to lose three in a row. It was kind of nice to get the guys back on track.”

Wolfe singled to lead off the bottom of the ninth and moved ahead to second on a Jake Schleppenbach sacrifice. Caleb Wood followed with a walk. And after the Oilers replaced Paul Lujan on the mound with Sean Michel, Caruso sent Michel’s third offering into the outfield.

Mat-Su, which improved to 4-2 in Alaska Baseball League play, finished with a season-high 14 hits in the game. Caruso was 4 for 5 in the game. Chris Hall and Matt Diorio finished with two hits each. All nine starters in the batting order had at least one hit for the Miners.

Brick Paskiewicz earned the win in relief for the Miners. Paskiewicz, who also plays right field for the Miners, pitched 1 and 1/3 innings. He allowed a hit and struck out a batter. Paskiewicz is now 1-0 with a 0.00 and two saves this season.

Calvin LeBrun enjoyed his second straight stellar start for the Miners. In 7 2/3 innings, LeBrun scattered four hits, allowed one earned run and fanned five.