The Peninsula Oilers held off the Mat-Su Miners for a 5-4 victory Wednesday at Coral Seymour Memorial Park in Kenai in Alaska Baseball League play.
The win is the second in a row for the Oilers and also the first in five tries this season against the Miners. The six-game series continues today with a 7 p.m. contest that has free admission.
The Oilers move to 9-16 in the league and are 7.5 games behind the league-leading Anchorage Bucs. The Oilers are a game ahead of the last-place Chugiak-Eagle River Chinooks and 4.5 behind the third-place Anchorage Glacier Pilots. The Miners, at 15-9, are a game behind the Bucs.
Connor McCord gave the Oilers a big start, lasting six innings and giving up two runs — one earned — on five hits while walking two and striking out four.
The Oilers scored runs in the third, fourth and fifth innings to go up 3-0, but Mat-Su battled back to tie it with two runs in the top of the sixth and a run in the top of the seventh.
Peninsula jumped back on top with two runs in the bottom of the seventh. In the top of the ninth, the Miners were able to get to closer Calvin Farris for a run and two hits, but Farris was able to preserve the game.
Bobby Goodloe went 3 for 4 with a run and an RBI for the Oilers, while Jaden Fein had a pair of RBIs. Farris was 2 for 4, while Travis Bohall scored a pair of runs.
Erik Webb had a 4-for-5 day for the Miners.
