More late heroics for Miners

PALMER — The Mat-Su Miners seem to like to embrace the “Rally in the Valley” motto.

The Alaska Baseball League-leading Miners scored yet another come-from-behind victory Friday, scoring a run in the 10th inning to grab a 3-2 extra-innings win over the Anchorage Glacier Pilots at Mulcahy Stadium in Anchorage.

Tim Zier singled and Ryan Ford scored the go-head run in the 10th to give the Miners their 10th win of the season. Brandon Hedrick closed the game in the bottom of the inning and earned his first win of the season.

Mat-Su, which scored its third straight victory with the win, trailed for much of the game. Anchorage took a 1-0 lead in the third and led until the Miners were able to plate a pair of runners in the eighth.

Stephen Branca, who leads the Miners in a number of statistical categories, gave Mat-Su its first lead of the game with a two-run double in the eighth. Branca knocked a ball into left field to push Ford and Ryan Lum across the plate.

Lum led off the eighth with a walk. Ford followed with a double to left field and Zier was intentionally walked to load the bases. With the bases loaded, Branca drove in the runs.

Anchorage was able answer, scoring the tying run in the bottom of the inning. Aaron Judge scored on a Clayton Eslick single to tie the score at 2.

Hedrick pitched 2 2/3 innings to earn the win. Lefty Brendan Lobban made the start, allowing five hits and one earned run over six innings. He fanned two and walked to.

Neal Dennison pitched 1 1/3 innings of relief.

Anchorage reliever Trevor Bayless was tagged with the loss.

Anchorage 5,

Mat-Su 0

ANCHORAGE — Christian Belleque pitched a complete-game shutout to lead the Anchorage Glacier Pilots to a 9-0 win over the Mat-Su Miners at Mulcahy Stadium Saturday night.

Belleque allowed four hits while fanning six as he helped the Pilots improve to 3-12 in ABL play this season. Mat-Su dropped to 10-4, but remains in first place after the loss.

Mat-Su starter Jacob Brewer suffered the loss after allowing six hits and three earned runs in four innings.

Dominick Francia, Tim Zier, Ryan Ford and Mayson Guyman finished with a hit each for Mat-Su.

Miners open series with Fire

PALMER — The Mat-Su Miners will open a four-game set against the Athletes in Action Fire today at Hermon Brothers Field.

AIA will actually be the home team on the scoreboard for the games, which include a July 4 doubleheader. The Fire have been based out of Fairbanks, but no longer play their home games in the Interior.

The first pitch is slated for 2 p.m. today.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com and follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/matsu_sports.