Shutout keeps Miners in race for ABL title

PALMER — With only four days left in the regular season, Jon Hughes likely made his last appearance on the mound for the Mat-Su Miners. If that holds true, the Santa Clara freshman found a great way to cap his summer.

Hughes threw eight shutout innings to lead the Miners to a key 2-0 win over the Peninsula Oilers at Hermon Brothers Field on Wednesday.

“It’s huge for him to come out and pitch like that,” Mat-Su head coach Russell Raley said. “It’s a great way for him to go out.”

Hughes allowed two hits over eight innings and out-dueled Eddie Orozco, who tossed a no-hitter against the Miners in late June. More importantly Hughes kept the Miners alive in the three-team race for the Alaska Baseball League title.

Third-place Mat-Su (27-13) inched closer to second-place Peninsula (29-14) with the win. The Alaska Goldpanners, who were off on Wednesday, remain in first with a 29-11 mark.

Matt Wessinger beat a play at the plate to snap a scoreless tie in the fifth inning and Matt Ozanne drove in a run in the eighth to help the Miners post the win.

“It wasn’t a big night offensively at all, but we found a way to win,” Raley said.

In the fifth, with Wessinger on second, Tyler Ruch laid down a bunt. When the throw to first got away, Wessinger rounded third and headed for home. The Oilers were able to get a throw back home, and even with catcher Davis Page blocking the plate, Wessinger was able to get by to score the run.

In the eighth, with the bases loaded, Ozanne used a fielder’s choice to push pinchrunner Matt Applegate across the plate. Ozanne hit a ground ball to shortstop Tyler Grimes, and the Oilers tried to turn the double play, but Ozanne beat the high throw to first base.

The ABL rivals combined for only seven hits in the game, but Hughes was able to get the best of the pitcher’s duel. Hughes did walk five, but fanned six while allowing only two hits.

“The main thing tonight, I thought he just attacked guys,” Raley said. “He’d get into a situation with base runners, and he just kept attacking.”

Hughes actually allowed only one hit through eight innings. The Oilers’ second hit of the game, a Ryan Gebhart single, came off Hughes with no outs in the ninth. After Gebhart’s hit, Andy Mee came to the mound for Mat-Su, and retired three straight batters to record the save.

Orozco was strong through five innings, allowed only three hits and an unearned run. Bret Schwartz led off with a double in the bottom of the first against the right-hander who no-hit the Miners nearly a month ago.

The Miners and Oilers meet once more, tonight at 6 p.m. at Hermon Brothers. Mat-Su caps the season with consecutive doubleheaders against the first-place Panners.