Pitchers’ perfect

PALMER — On Monday night, Peninsula Oilers right-hander Eddie Orozco became the first pitcher to throw a no-hitter against the Mat-Su Miners. But on Tuesday, Blake Dieterich and the Miners managed to one-up Orozco and the Oilers.

On the night following Orozco’s seven-inning no-no and 3-0 win over the Miners, Dieterich and a pair of relievers combined for 13 innings of no-hit ball en route to a 3-0 win over the Oilers at Coral Seymour Park in Kenai.

“I think it’s great, definitely. What happened was very special,” Dieterich, a University of Georgia freshman, said after returning to the Valley. “I’ve never been a part of anything like that.”

Dieterich, who played his high school ball in Winter Garden, Fla., threw a pair of no-hitters as a prep pitcher, but on Tuesday the southpaw threw nine innings of what could be the longest no-hitter in Alaska Baseball League history. James Allen and Andy Mee also came out of the bullpen and kept the Oilers hitless during extra innings.

Folks around the Miners aren’t sure if it’s in fact a league record, but what everyone does know is the no-hitter is Mat-Su’s first since 2004 and third since 1984.

Chris Malone — who now pitches for the Tulsa Drillers, the Colorado Rockies’ Double-A affiliate — fanned 18 hitters in an 8-0 no-hit victory over the Alaska Goldpanners in July 2004, a game that could have featured one of the most dominant performances by any Mat-Su pitcher. Before Malone’s gem, Jim Long was the last Miner to throw a no-hitter, achieving that feat in July 1984.

Dieterich etched his name into the Mat-Su Miner history book by fanning three and walking two over nine hitless innings. Dieterich faced 28 hitters in nine innings, just one over the minimum, and no Oiler managed to make it to second base against him. He did walk two hitters, and the Oilers’ Stephen Piscotty reached on an error in the bottom of the ninth. But other than that minor miscue, the defense helped the lefty out.

“The defense was spectacular,” Dieterich said.

Sean Madigan drew a lead-off walk in the third, but was gunned out trying to steal second. In the seventh, Ryan Gebhart walked, but also was caught trying to steal second.

Those plays were nice, but what really sticks out in Dieterich’s mind was Quinn Pippen’s efforts in the sixth inning.

In the sixth, Dieterich took a ground ball off the ankle, but Pippen — Mat-Su’s third baseman — was there to pick up the ball and fire the throw to first for the out. Dieterich also said shortstop Bret Schwartz came through with some big outs.

“Everybody was giving me all they’ve got,” Dieterich said.

After Pippen made the play in the sixth, Dieterich said that’s when he began to realize where this game was going.

“It dawned on me that I had a no-hitter going,” Dieterich said.

He tried to not let it preoccupy his mind.

“At that point it was still 0-0,” Dieterich said. “We had to get a win there. We’d already dropped three to the Oilers.”

Dieterich said he felt good throughout the game. He was getting good movement out of his two-seam fastball and his curve was working well as an out-pitch.

“I was going into it feeling pretty good,” Dieterich said. “I warmed up in the pen, and (Mat-Su pitching coach Michael Hunt) made a few changes with my delivery. I felt like I had complete command of all my pitches.”

Dieterich threw 94 pitches in the game before handing the ball off to Allen in the 10th. Allen, a Kansas State sophomore, walked two during two hitless innings. Gebhart drew a walk to lead off the 10th and was batted over to third. Jeff Popick was intentionally walked to put two men on with two outs, but Allen forced Patrick Wisdom to line out to strand Popick on third.

Mee relieved Allen in the 12th and walked two and struck out three during a pair of hitless innings.

Mee gave the Miners a small dose of deja vu in the 12th. Gebhart — who coaxed a walk out of all three Mat-Su pitchers Tuesday — walked to lead off the 12th. Piscotty was intentionally walked by Mee to put two runners on, but Mee retired the next two Oilers to get out of the inning.

Mee retired the side in the 13th.

Dieterich said he felt confident as he took his spot in the dugout and watched Allen take the mound.

“I have complete faith in James,” Dieterich said. “I knew James would get the job done. Both (Allen and Mee) pitched well for us.”

Schwartz finally broke the scoreless tie in the top of the 13th when he crossed home plate after a Kenai error. He doubled to lead off the inning.

Matt Ozanne reached on an error and scored on Pablo Bermudez’s run-scoring single to give the Miners the 2-0 edge. Nick DeBiasse was intentionally walked and later scored on a error to push Mat-Su’s lead to 3-0.

Dieterich lowered his earned run average to 1.04 during the win. He’s allowed only two earned runs and six hits during three ABL starts with the Miners. Dieterich, who worked primarily out of the bullpen at Georgia, is happy with his role on the team.

“Whatever role I can take that helps the team out the most,” Dieterich said.

This is Dieterich’s first summer with the Miners, but it’s not his first summer in Alaska. Dieterich and his family spent about five years in Alaska during his childhood while his father was stationed at Elmendorf Air Force Base. Even though his family moved when he was in the second grade, Dieterich remembers fishing and playing T-ball in the Anchorage area.

“We used to fish all of the time,” Dieterich said. “That’s what I remember the most.”

Dieterich said when University of Georgia head coach Dave Perno asked where he’d like play his summer ball, Dieterich said Alaska.

“I told him I wanted to play in Alaska,” Dieterich said.

Contact Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.