Monday: Oilers hold off Bucs to snap skid, draw even in American League

  • By Staff Report
  • Monday, July 20, 2015 11:30pm
  • Sports

The Peninsula Oilers moved into a first-place tie in the Alaska Baseball League American League with a 4-3 victory over the Anchorage Bucs on Monday at Coral Seymour Memorial Park in Kenai.

The Oilers snapped a seven-game losing streak, including losing five straight in the league.

Peninsula and the Bucs are now tied atop the American League with 13-13 league records.

The two squads continue a six-game, five-day engagement at Seymour Park with a 5 p.m. doubleheader today.

Conner Dotson gave the Oilers a big boost with a solid start, keeping the Bucs scoreless on three hits over the first six innings.

In a postgame interview on 1140 AM, Dotson said he was locating his fastball well. That pitch allowed him to pitch around the fact that he had trouble throwing his curve for a strike early in the game.

By the time Dotson left the game after the sixth, the Oilers had a 4-0 lead thanks to an offense that produced 12 hits in the game.

Bennett Oliver was 2 for 4 with a pair of doubles for the Oilers, meaning he now leads the ABL in doubles with 11.

“I changed my approach a little bit with two strikes, just widened out and shortened up,” Oliver said in a postgame radio interview. “I’ve been striking out a little too much. I think it helped me. I got to see the ball up a little bit and found some holes, finally.”

Brian Ruhm, Brent Diaz and Alex Seifert each had two hits for the Oilers, with Diaz notching a double and Seifert legging out a triple.

The Oilers jumped on the board first in the third inning, when Oliver led off the inning with a double and was bunted to third by Ted Boeke. Ruhm then grounded to short to score Oliver.

In the fourth, the Oilers moved the lead to 2-0 when Jimmy Galusky had a two-out single to score James Fowlkes, who had stolen second base with two away.

In the fifth, Oliver again led off with a double. Boeke was then hit by a pitch to put runners on first and second, and a single by Ruhm then loaded the bases with nobody out.

Diaz then doubled to score Oliver and Boeke, move the score to 4-0 and chase Bucs starter and loser Eric Dunbar.

“I just got into a positive count, 2-0, and I just tried to put a positive swing off and fortunately my approach at the plate helped and we got two RBIs as a team,” Diaz said in a postgame radio interview. “That’s what’s important.”

Brandon VanStone came on in relief for Dotson in the seventh and was solid for two innings before the Bucs rallied in the ninth.

With two outs and two on, Dylan Butler cranked a home run to cut the gap to 4-3.

Paul Lujan came in for VanStone and needed just three pitches to record the strikeout and the save.

More in Sports

tease
Homer wrestling hosts Nikiski, Soldotna for senior night

The Homer wrestling team hosted Nikiski and Soldotna on Tuesday for senior… Continue reading

tease
College football updates on Brantley III, Metcalf, Dahlgren

Soldotna High School graduate Galen Brantley III earned First Team All-North Star… Continue reading

Kenai Centra's Jack Laker leads skiers at the start of the Turkey Skate on Tuesday, Nov. 21, 2023, at Tsalteshi Trails just outside of Soldotna, Alaska. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)
SoHi’s Boonstra, Kenai’s Chase Laker win Turkey Skate to start ski season

Kenai Central’s Chase Laker and Soldotna’s Tania Boonstra won the Turkey Skate… Continue reading

tease
Ice Dogs sweep Brown Bears

The Kenai River Brown Bears were swept by the Fairbanks Ice Dogs… Continue reading

Nikiski's Destiny Langston and Soldotna' Meg Roberts battle at 235 pounds Tuesday, Nov. 21, 2023, at Soldotna High School in Soldotna, Alaska. Roberts won 7-4. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)
Soldotna wrestling celebrates senior night with 2 dual victories

The Soldotna wrestling team celebrated senior night by capturing a pair of… Continue reading

tease
Nikiski’s Johnson helps George Fox to historic season; Soldotna’s Arthur runs at NAIA nationals

Nikiski Middle-High School graduate Kaitlin Johnson helped the George Fox volleyball team… Continue reading

Soldotna junior Daisy Hannevold tries to turn Palmerճ Lillie Vansiegman during the girls 138-pound final of the Lancer Smith Memorial on Saturday, Nov. 18, 2023, at the Menard Arena in Wasilla. (Photo by Jeremiah Bartz/Frontiersman)
SoHi girls wrestlers win Lancer Smith Memorial, SoHi boys take 2nd

The Soldotna girls wrestling team won the Lancer Smith Memorial on Friday… Continue reading

Kenai River's Dylan Contreras drives the net against Anchorage Wolverines' Jackson Stimple and Liam Beerman on Saturday, Nov. 18, 2023, at the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex in Soldotna, Alaska. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)
Saturday: Wolverines complete sweep of Brown Bears

The Anchorage Wolverines defeated the Kenai River Brown Bears 7-2 on Saturday… Continue reading

Kenai Central's Will Howard attacks against Kodiak's Theron Glover on Saturday, Nov. 18, 2023, at the Kenai Multi-Purpose Facility in Kenai, Alaska. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)
Saturday: Colony wins Kenai River Cup

Colony defeated Palmer 6-5 in overtime on Saturday at the Kenai Multi-Purpose… Continue reading

tease
Saturday: Soldotna hockey bounces back against Juneau

The Soldotna hockey team defeated Juneau-Douglas Yadaa.at Kale 3-1 on Saturday in… Continue reading

Soldotna's Chase Willis (left) celebrates his goal against Juneau-Douglas: Yadaa.at Kale with Draiden Mullican and Andrew Arthur on Friday, Nov. 17, 2023, at the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex in Soldotna, Alaska. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)
Friday: Juneau hockey holds off Soldotna’s comeback

The Juneau-Douglas: Yadaa.at Kale hockey team defeated Soldotna 4-3 on Friday in… Continue reading

tease
Friday: Wolverines defeat Brown Bears

The Anchorage Wolverines defeated the Kenai River Brown Bears 7-5 on Friday… Continue reading