Miners' walk-off run forces doubleheader split with the Glacier Pilots

PALMER — A late effort by the Mat-Su Miners forced a tie at the top of the Alaska Baseball League National League standings.

Trailing for most of the contest, Mat-Su scored three runs in the final two innings to score a 4-3 win over the Anchorage Glacier Pilots in the second leg of a doubleheader at Hermon Brothers Field on Tuesday.

Dayne Wunderlich scored the walk off run to help Mat-Su improve to 10-6 in league play, and stay tied with the 11-7 Pilots. Anchorage grabbed a win in the first game of the double-dip, beating the Miners 1-0.

Mat-Su’s rally in Game 2 started in the sixth inning. Trailing, 3-1, the Miners scored twice to tie the score. Paul Panaccione led off the inning with a single, and quickly scored on a Cameron Newell double to cut Anchorage’s lead to 3-2. Newell scored on a Nick Senzel single to tie the game at 3.

Mat-Su closer Vince Arobio, the fourth pitcher used in the seven-inning contest, earned the win. Arabio pitched a perfect seventh inning. Isaiah Terrazas was key in relief, pitching 3 1/3 scoreless innings.

Panaccione finished 3 for 3 in the game, and lifted his batting average to .350 on the season. Newell added a pair of hits, and drove in his team-best 21st run. Newell and Wunderlich both doubled in the win.

Mat-Su allowed only three hits in Game 1 of the doubleheader, but fell 1-0 to the Pilots. Jonathon Reid fanned nine in 4 2/3 innings. Reliever Ryan Oglesby added two strikeouts for the Miners.

The game’s lone run came in the fifth when Nikko Saenz scored on a J.J. Wagner double.

Mat-Su finished with six hits, all singles in the loss. Josh Meyer led the Miners with a pair of hits.

The Miners face the Pilots again on Wednesday at 7 p.m. at Mulcahy Stadium in Anchorage.