The Mat-Su Miners defeated the Peninsula Oilers 4-1 on Thursday at Hermon Brothers Field in Palmer in Alaska Baseball League play.
The Miners improved their lead-leading record to 16-7. The Anchorage Glacier Pilots and Chugiak Chinooks are both at 12-11, four games behind the Miners. The Anchorage Bucs are 11-12, five gives behind the Miners. The Oilers are 8-18, 9.5 games behind the Miners and 4.5 games out of the final playoff spot in the ABL.
The Oilers took a 1-0 lead in the second inning. John Hanley started the inning on a walk and eventually scored on an error.
That would be all the Miners staff would allow. Four Mat-Su pitchers combined to allow an unearned run on three hits while walking three and striking out eight.
The Miners would pull even in the third inning and tack on runs in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings.
Ben Briggs took the loss, going 5 1-3 innings while giving up two runs on five hits, walking two and striking out four. Nolan Patterson pitched 1 2-3 innings, giving up two hits and a run, while Jacob Dillon gave up a run in an inning.
Trevor Antonson, Dylan Ditzenberger and Owen Christy had the hits for the Oilers.
The Oilers finish up their 10-game road trip with a 3 p.m. game against the Bucs at Mulcahy Stadium today and a 3 p.m. game with the Miners at Hermon Brothers Field on Saturday. The Oilers only have two wins on the trip thus far.
