Miners top Bucs

ANCHORAGE -- The Mat-Su Miners notched an important road victory with an 6-1 win over the Anchorage Bucs at Mulchahy Stadium on Wednesday.

"We have been struggling on the road so it's nice to get a win on the road," Mat-Su manager Kevin Edwards said. "With the standings the way they are, it is not like any game is a gimme."

Prior to the contest, the Miners and Bucs were tied for fourth in the Alaska Baseball League with a 9-10 record. The win not only gave the Miners a game edge on their Anchorage foes, but brought them up to the .500 level.

Edwards said he stressed to his team that though it is an important win, there are many games yet to come.

"We don't want to make any win bigger than the next," Edwards said. "It is a game-by-game approach."

Steve Kline led the Miners with a stellar performance on the mound.

"Kline has pitched really well in his last three outings," Edwards said. "This league starts on the mound."

The Mat-Su southpaw retired the first 12 batters he faced and gave up just two hits and one run in six innings.

Mat-Su was able to tag the Bucs staff for 13 hits.

Joey Hooft led the Miners at the plate, going

4-for-5.

Anthony Isabella added three hits for Mat-Su.

The Miners scored all six of their runs in the third inning.

Hooft doubled in two runs and Isabella added a two-run single. Jeff Butts also had an RBI in the inning.

Random hits … The Miners are busy looking for another arm to add to their pitching staff. The team is searching to replace reliever Billy Paganetti who was lost for the summer due to tendanitis. Mat-Su will complete a three-game homestand with a doubleheader against the defending NBC champion Fairbanks Goldpanners today at noon. The Miners depart on Monday for a seven-game road trip. Mat-Su will play a trio of games at Kenai against the Oilers, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday before playing a four-tame set with the Glacier Pilots at Mulchahy Stadium starting on Thursday.