The Peninsula Oilers finished off a four-game Alaska Baseball League road series with the Anchorage Bucs with a 5-2 loss Wednesday night at Mulcahy Field in Anchorage.
The two squads ended up with an even 2-2 split in three days against each other. The win brought the Bucs (3-4) to within a game of the division-leading Oilers (4-3) in the American League standings.
The Oilers finish off their four-day, five-game road trip today with a 7 p.m. interleague matchup with the Mat-Su Miners at Hermon Brothers Field in Palmer.
After scoring the opening run in the bottom of the second inning on a bases-loaded walk, the Bucs tacked on four runs in the third, including a three-run homer by Cory Voss. From there, Anchorage held on as the Oilers continued to put runners on base, but could not make it pay off. The Oilers ended up leaving 14 men on base.
David Diaz tossed 4 2-3 innings for the Oilers, giving up four base hits, five runs, five walks and four strikeouts on 79 pitches. While Diaz was credited with the loss on the mound, the Texas native sparkled at the plate, hitting 3 for 4 and making it to base a fourth time on a walk. Jimmy Galusky and Jordan Washam both hit 2 for 4 for the Oilers.
Tempers heated up as the game rolled on, as Oilers coach Kevin Griffin was ejected from the game in the bottom of the fifth for arguing a call. The Oilers were preparing to make a pitching change, and did so immediately after the ejection. Diaz was replaced by Shane Ennis, who finished up the final 3 1-3 innings with one hit, no runs and two strikeouts.
With their coach gone from the dugout, Peninsula began to heat up at the dish. Lukas Hermanson advanced to first on fielder’s choice on a hit that brought Bennett Oliver in to score the Oilers first run in the top of the sixth.
Trailing by four runs, Peninsula came out charging at the top of the ninth. Washam scored on a James Fowlkes sacrifice fly that was caught on a diving catch by Bucs left fielder Sam Brown. Oliver was then walked by Bucs pitcher Reagan Bazar on four pitches to load the bases up with one out.
However, Diaz struck out and Billy Wilson was put out at first base to end the game. Bazar was credited with the save, finishing up the final two innings with two hits, three walks and one strikeout. Alex Garcia earned the win for Anchorage by tossing five scoreless frames, giving up six hits and striking out seven.
Bucs 5, Oilers 2
Oilers AB R H BI Bucs AB R H BI
Wshm ss 4 1 2 0 Gwtz cf 3 0 0 0
Bke 3b 1 0 0 0 Plmr ss 4 1 1 0
Ruhm lf 5 0 1 0 Brwn lf 4 1 0 0
Flks rf 4 0 0 1 Tclr 2b 3 1 0 0
Olvr 1b 2 1 0 0 Jnes 1b 3 0 2 0
Diaz dh 4 0 3 0 Jcbs rf 3 1 0 1
Wlsn cf 4 0 0 0 Voss dh 3 1 1 3
Hrms c 3 0 1 1 Bnls c 3 0 0 0
Glsy 2b 4 0 2 0 Mcrt 3b 2 0 1 1
Totals 31 2 9 2 Totals 28 5 5 5
Oilers 000 001 001 —2 9 1
Bucs 014 000 00x —5 5 0
SF — Fowlkes (2). CS — Washam (2). SB — Washam (3), Boeke (6), Fowlkes (1). LOB — Oilers 14, Bucs 5.
IP H R ER BB SO
Oilers
Diaz, L 4.2 4 5 1 5 4
Ennis 3.1 1 0 0 0 2
Bucs
Garcia, W 5.0 6 0 0 1 7
Sanford 2.0 1 1 1 3 1
Bazar, S 2.0 2 1 1 3 1
T — 2:24.
