Pilots sweep Miners in doubleheader

PALMER — Mat-Su starter Juan Castro tossed a complete game and three-hitter, while not allowing an earned run. That’d be enough on some days. But Sunday, the Anchorage Glacier Pilots also had a big outing from their starting pitcher.

Kyle Tyler fanned a dozen hitters and allowed only one earned run to lead the Pilots to a 3-1 win over the Miners Sunday at Hermon Brothers Field in Palmer. The victory was part of a doubleheader sweep for the Pilots that extended Mat-Su’s season-long losing streak to three. The Miners dropped to 18-11 with the losses, but as of Monday night, Mat-Su held a half-game lead over the Anchorage Bucs (16-10) in the ABL standings. The Miners were off Tuesday night, but Anchorage played a doubleheader at Chugiak-Eagle River. Results were unavailable prior to press time.

Sunday, all three Anchorage runs in the first game of the doubleheader were unearned. Mat-Su struck first. Quinn Cotton led off the game with a double and scored on an Elijah MacNamee single, but Anchorage scored three unanswered in the win. The Pilots scored twice in the top of the second and added a run in the sixth.

Cotton led Mat-Su with two of his team’s six hits.

Anchorage followed with a 10-2 victory in the second game of the doubleheader. The Pilots scored six of their runs in the second. Rainer Ausmus finished 2 for 3 with a double and a run scored. Mike Antico and Brandon Chinea each had run-scoring singles.

Colony High School graduate Jake Butcher was one of six pitchers used by the Miners, and worked a perfect seventh to lower his earned run average to 2.37.

After consecutive off days, Mat-Su returns to the field to host the Pilots Wednesday at 7 p.m. at Hermon Brothers. A busy stretch follow the off days. Thursday, the Miners host the Bucs in a doubleheader beginning at 5 p.m.

The annual ABL/MLB Showcase starts Friday in Anchorage. The Miners face Peninsula Friday at 1 p.m. and the Bucs Saturday at 7 p.m. in a pair of nonleague games. The annual home run derby and all-star game is slated for Sunday at Mulcahy Stadium.

Event times and rosters for both the game and the derby are expected to be announced later in the week.

After a pair of road games next week, the Miners start a season-ending 10-game homestand July 22.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.