Becher blanks Chinooks to earn 1st win as Oiler

  • By Staff Report
  • Friday, July 14, 2017 12:37am
  • Sports

They had to be patient for it, but the wait was worth it Thursday night for the Peninsula Oilers.

The Oilers notched a clean 6-0 victory over the Chugiak Chinooks at Lee Jordan Field, led by the sterling pitching performance by Soldotna product Joey Becher.

Becher sparkled on the mound with a scoreless 4 2-3 innings of one-hit ball to earn his first Alaska Baseball League win as a starting pitcher. Becher struck out three and walked one of 19 batters he faced.

“I was able to locate my fastball today, outside and low,” Becher explained in a postgame radio interview on 1140 AM. “I was working on throwing a (breaking ball) on the first strike and getting swings and misses.”

With the win, the Oilers leapfrogged the Chinooks in the ABL standings, helping themselves out of last place at 12-17 and 6 1/2 games behind the league-leading Mat-Su Miners (20-12).

The game was delayed by about an hour as rain soaked the field prior to the first pitch.

“The rain delay kind of sucked,” Becher said. “I keep a hoodie on, tried not to get too antsy. It’s something I struggle with, I like to get out there and warm up.”

Matthew LaCosta and Jeremy Conant led the scoring attack for the Oilers, as LaCosta finished 2 for 3 and Conant notched a timely RBI single in the top of the fifth to give Peninsula a 2-0 lead.

The Oilers ended up scoring four runs in the fifth, beginning with an intentional walk to Thomas Ruddy to load the bases with one out. Josh Congdon then drew a walk to force in a run, putting Peninsula up 1-0. After Conant’s single scored a second run, Ryan Smith forced in a run on another bases-loaded walk, and Mikey Hoehner hit into fielder’s choice to bring in a fourth run.

The Chinooks ended up walking five Oilers in the inning.

Michael LeBeau pitched a clean three-batter ninth inning to secure the win.

The Oilers will take on the Miners and the Anchorage Glacier Pilots this weekend before the ABL All-Star festivities begin Sunday. The Oilers face the Miners today at 1 p.m. and the Pilots Saturday at 4 p.m.

More in Sports

Kristen Faulkner, who won two gold medals for cycling at the Paris 2024 Olympics, speaks to Andrew Elam during a meet and greet hosted by the Kenai and Soldotna Chambers of Commerce at the Cannery Lodge in Kenai, Alaska, on Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Homer’s Faulkner, Snaric win Alaska Sports Hall of Fame Directors’ Awards

Homer’s Kristen Faulkner and Jackson Snaric were among the seven to win… Continue reading

Cook Inlet Academy senior Ian McGarry brings the ball down the floor for the 1A/2A Boys Gold team during the Alaska Association of Basketball Coaches All-Star Games on Saturday, April 12, 2025, at Grace Christian School in Anchorage, Alaska. (Bruce Eggleston/matsusports.net)
McGarry, Lowney represent peninsula at senior all-star games

Cook Inlet Academy’s Ian McGarry and Homer’s Channing Lowney represented the Kenai… Continue reading

Soldotna goalie Ryan Queen notches a save in front of Kenai Central's Christine Goering on Tuesday, April 15, 2025, at Ed Hollier Field at Kenai Central High School in Kenai, Alaska. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)
Tuesday: Kenai girls soccer tops SoHi in season openers for both squads

The Kenai Central girls soccer team defeated Soldotna 1-0 on Tuesday in… Continue reading

Kenai Central's Chase Laker leads Soldotna's Ollie Dahl and Michael Davidson in the 1,600-meter run at the Soldotna Mini Meet on Tuesday, April 15, 2025, at Soldotna High School in Soldotna, Alaska. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)
Soldotna, Kenai track and field compete in Soldotna Mini Meet

The Soldotna and Kenai Central track and field teams got together for… Continue reading

tease
Saturday: Homer baseball tops Petersburg, Ketchikan

The Homer baseball team finished up play at the Ketchikan Round Robin… Continue reading

tease
Bears end season with sweep at the hands of Ice Dogs

The Fairbanks Ice Dogs swept a Friday and Saturday series from the… Continue reading

Morgan Aldridge leads riders down a hill at the start of Week 3 of the Soldotna Cycle Series on Thursday, July 18, 2019, at Tsalteshi Trails. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)
Sterling’s Aldridge wins duathlon at Lavaman Triathlon

Sterling’s Morgan Aldridge, 43, won the individual duathlon at Lavaman Triathlon 2025… Continue reading

tease
Friday: Homer baseball picks up 1st win of season

The Homer baseball team defeated Petersburg 11-3 on Friday at the Ketchikan… Continue reading

tease
Thursday: Homer baseball drops opener

The Homer baseball team opened its season Thursday with an 11-10 loss… Continue reading

Most Read