Miners win three games over the weekend

ANCHORAGE — The Mat-Su Miners continued their dominance over the Alaska Baseball League, picking up three wins over the weekend at the Major League scouts showcase at Mulcahy Stadium in Anchorage. The Miners hold a 19-8 record, three and a half games ahead of the second place Chugiak Chinooks in second place. Mat-Su has won eight of it’s last 10 games.

The Miners picked up a pair of wins over the Peninsula Oilers last week. On Thursday, the Miners beat the Oilers 4-1 behind a pair of home runs from MIke Ferrara and Tyler Wilson. Casey Rother also added two hits and drove in a run, and Aaron Walters also had a hit and drove in a run. Felician University Sophomore Darwin Matos earned the win on the mound for the Miners with 5.1 innings of work giving up just one hit and striking out five Oilers.

On Saturday, the Miners beat the Oilers 1-0 behind a masterful pitching performance from University of Tampa junior Michael Paul, who threw the seven-inning complete game shutout, striking out five batters. Lehigh University junior Gerard Sweeney drove in Ricky Nunez in the bottom of the seventh inning off Oilers pitcher Andre Orselli to end the game with one out in the seventh inning. Orselli gave up just two hits to the Miners all game.

Following their 1-0 seven inning win over the Oilers on Saturday, the Miners beat the Anchorage Bucs 3-2 in seven innings. Texas A&M sophomore Willy Johnston threw six innings, allowing just one hit and striking out four batters. Casey Rother doubled and drove in a run and David Bermudez had two hits.

The Miners took another victory over the Bucs on Sunday with a 4-2 win. Texas A&M University freshman Wyatt Tucker threw five innings, allowing just one run and striking out four batters.Tyler Wilson had two hits and an RBI and Tyler Rando had three hits and an RBI in the win. Evan Floyd earned the save in relief for Mat-Su. St. John’s University sophomore Nick Cirelli hit his ABL-leading fifth homerun in the win.

The Miners lone loss over the weekend came to the Chugiak Chinooks, who won 6-2 on Friday despite 12 hits from the Miners. Mat-Su left 19 runners on base. Aaron Walters and Casey Rother both hit solo home runs. Rother and Tyler Wilson both had three hits apiece.

The Miners’ scheduled game against the Anchorage Glacier Pilots on Monday was rained out.

The Miners begin their three-day kids camp on Tuesday, July 13 running through Thursday, July 16. The Miners have just 14 games left with seven home games until the Top of the World Playoffs begin in just over two weeks. During the Major League Baseball Draft on Monday, three former Miners were selected by MLB clubs.