Panners sweep Miners, take ABL lead

FAIRBANKS — Mat-Su rallied, but the Alaska Goldpanners held on to grab a 6-4 win over the Miners and sweep a doubleheader at Growden Park in Fairbanks on Thursday.

The Miners trailed 6-2 heading into the final inning of the second game of the doubleheader, and Tyler Ruch cleared the bases with a two-run double to cut the Panners’ advantage in half. But reliever Liam Baron was able to force the final out and save the Goldpanner win.

The rivalries entered play Thursday, tied at the top of the Alaska Baseball League standings. But with the victories, the Goldpanners (26-10) took a two-game lead over the Miners (23-11) in the standings.

Andy Mee drove in a run with a double and scored on an error in the first inning to give the Miners the early 2-0 lead, but the Goldpanners erased the Mat-Su advantage with four runs in the fourth.

Mat-Su starter suffered the loss on the mound, allowed four hits, four runs and three walks. He fanned five and none of the runs were earned.

The Miners were held to six hits in the loss. Mee and Bret Schwartz finished with two each.

Alaska scored a pair of runs in the bottom of the seventh to edge Mat-Su 4-3 during the first leg of the doubleheader.

The Miners held the 3-2 lead heading into the final half-inning, but Simon Kudernatsch singled and scored on an error to knot the score at 3. Matt Mardesich walked and scored on Jesse Sikorski’s walk-off single to give the Panners the win.

Mat-Su took the 3-2 lead in the top of the seventh with a Matt Wessinger sacrifice fly.

James Allen was tagged with the loss on the mound after allowing a hit, a walk and an unearned run over two-thirds of an inning.

Geoffrey Davenport started the game, allowed seven hits, while fanning six over six innings.

Mat-Su continues its seven-day stay in Fairbanks tonight with the first of four games against the Athletes in Action Fire at Growden Park at 7 p.m. The trip continues with a doubleheader against the Fire starting at 5 p.m.

The Miners also suffered a 9-4 loss to the Goldpanners on Tuesday, the first game of the road trip. Mat-Su had taken an 11-game winning streak into mid-July, but are currently on a four-game slide.

Following the road trip, which ends Monday against AIA, the Miners will play five games during the final four days of the season at Hermon Brothers Field in Palmer.

Mat-Su hosts the third-place Peninsula Oilers July 28-29 and the Goldpanners July 30-31.

A doubleheader against the Panners is scheduled for July 30.