After a home run in the first inning, the bats of the Peninsula Oilers fell silent in taking a 2-1 loss to the Anchorage Bucs on Monday night at Mulcahy Stadium in Anchorage in Alaska Baseball League play.
The Oilers missed out on a chance to gain on the league-leading Mat-Su Miners, who lost 7-5 to the Chugiak-Eagle River Chinooks.
The Miners lead the league at 21-13, with the Oilers three games back in second place at 18-16. The Bucs are another 1 1-2 games back at 16-17.
The game against the Bucs started 38 minutes late due to a rain delay, but Chad Bible of the Oilers was ready. With one down and nobody on in the top of the first, Bible launched his second home run of the season to give the Oilers the early lead.
After that, though, Bucs starter Preston Snavely quickly settled in to the game. Snavely ended up pitching six innings and giving up the one run on two hits while walking two and striking out five. At one point, he retired 13 consecutive batters.
Oilers starter Noah Owen was limited to four innings or 65 pitches by his college coach, but he gave the Oilers a solid outing. He allowed a run on four hits while striking out two and issuing no free passes.
The run came in the bottom of the third, when Jake Vieth homered. That was the first home run Owen gave up all season.
The Bucs mounted the winning rally in the bottom of the seventh inning against Oilers reliever Ryan Silva. With one out, Jace VanDeBrake tripled. Logan Ehnes then drove in the winning run with a sacrifice fly.
Silva went four innings, giving up a run on two hits while walking one and striking out four.
Bucs relievers Casey O’Sullivan, Kyle Wullenweber and Adrian Mardueno each pitched scoreless and hitless innings to finish off the Oilers.
Paul Kunst had the other hit for the Oilers.
The Bucs finished with six hits, with Tanner Tredaway leading the way at 2 for 3.
The Oilers stay on the road to face the Chugiak-Eagle River Chinooks at 7 p.m. today.
