Miners take league lead

ANCHORAGE — The Mat-Su Miners are getting pretty good at doing damage early.

A night after posting a pair of first-inning runs during a a 2-1 win over the Anchorage Glacier Pilots, the Miners scored four runs in the third and held on to grab a 4-3 victory over the Anchorage Bucs at Mulcahy Stadium in Anchorage on Thursday.

Outfielder James Ramsey used a bases-clearing double in the third inning to help the Miners improve to 7-2 and take sole possession of first place in the Alaska Baseball League.

Ramsey tagged Anchorage starter Christian Bergman with the double that scored three Mat-Su runs with no outs in the inning. He later gave Mat-Su the 4-0 advantage when he scored on Shane Brown’s single.

The Bucs dropped to 7-3 and into a second-place tie with the Pilots with the loss. Both teams currently stand a half-game behind Mat-Su.

David Stilley pitched 6 2/3 innings to earn the win on the mound for Mat-Su. The Washington State product allowed seven hits and one earned run. He also fanned six hitters.

Estevan Uriegas pitched two scoreless innings to earn the save.

Ramsey led the Miners with two hits and three RBI in the win. Nick Cox finished 3-for-4.

Mat-Su posted its seventh league win despite committing five errors in the field.

On Wednesday, Mat-Su scored both of its runs in the first inning during the 2-1 win over the Pilots.

Ramsey, the star against the Bucs on Thursday night, sparked the Miners with a leadoff double in the top of the first. Scott Arthur followed with a walk and both scored on D.J. Gentile’s single.

Justin Kraft pitched a solid six innings to earn the win on the mound for Mat-Su. The Yakima, Wash., product allowed just four base runners — three hits and a walk — and struck out five.

Jeremy Atkins pitched a pair of innings in relief, and Ryan Cole retired each of the three Pilots he faced in the ninth to earn the save.

Mat-Su has just one home game left before venturing off on its longest road trip of the weekend. After the Miners host the Bucs tonight at Hermon Brothers at 7 p.m., they will be in Fairbanks for the next week.

Not only will the Miners be in the Interior for a week, but they’ll play nine games during that span.

Mat-Su starts with a three-day, four-game series against the AIA Fire. The Alaska Baseball League rivals will play single games on Sunday and Tuesday, and a doubleheader on Tuesday.

Following the set against the Fire, the Alaska Goldpanners will host the Miners for five more games at Growden Park.

Alaska and Mat-Su will play single games on Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday, and meet in a doubleheader on Friday.

Contact Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.