Miners split with Glacier Pilots

PALMER — Connor Higgens used a complete game to help the Mat-Su Miners earn an Alaska Baseball League split of a pair of games against the Anchorage Glacier Pilots Wednesday night in Anchorage.

Higgens scattered seven hits and one earned run in a seven-inning complete game to help the Miners score a 5-1 win over the Pilots in the first half of the doubleheader. Higgens, an Arizona State lefty, struck out four and walked two.

Zach Sharpley grabbed his first hit and RBIs of the summer during the victory. The Miners newcomer, a University of Southern California catcher, finished 1 for 2 with a pair driven in.

In the second, Sharpley helped Mat-Su put together a two-run inning. Jake Scudder scored on an error to give the Miners the 1-0 lead. Sharpley added to that advantage, using a sacrifice fly to drive in Josh Bissonette with the bases loaded. In the fourth, Sharpley drove home Bissonette once again. Sharpley singled and used his second RBI of the game to give the Miners the 3-0 lead. Garrison Schwartz also scored twice in the victory. Michael Donadio added an RBI.

Anchorage was able to force the doubleheader split with a 3-2 win in the second game.

Tyrus Greene gave the Pilots the victory with a walk-off sacrifice fly in the bottom of the seventh. R.J. Cordeiro, who led off the inning with a triple, scored on the sacrifice.

Mick Vorhof was tagged with the loss, working 2 2/3 innings in relief.

Schwartz led the Miners at the plate, finishing 2 for 3 with a run scored. Scudder and Angelo Armenta drove in runs for Mat-Su.

The Miners entered play Thursday with a three-game lead at the top of the ABL standings. Mat-Su was 13-8 entering its game against Chugiak Thursday night at Hermon Brothers Field in Palmer Results were not available prior to press time. See frontiersman.com/sports for more.

Mat-Su hosts the Anchorage Bucs Friday at 7 p.m. in Palmer.