In the middle of a pitcher’s duel Wednesday night at Mulcahy Stadium, the Peninsula Oilers came out on the losing end.
The Oilers lost 2-0 to the Anchorage Glacier Pilots in Alaska Baseball League play, with a two-run home run off the bat of Anchorage’s Jordan Brandenberg spelling the difference.
Troy Melton pitched six shutout innings for the Pilots, scattering six hits and issuing one walk with one strikeout. Anderson Needham finished the final three frames in relief for the Pilots, walking five but keeping the Oilers off the board without a hit.
The Oilers also got a dazzling performance on the mound. Brian Woo followed up a stellar showing on Tuesday night by teammate Connor McCord with another quality start for the Oilers. Woo struck out six in six scoreless innings of three-hit ball, walking just two. The outing lowered Woo’s season ERA to 2.40,
The Oilers (12-20) dropped 10 games behind the ABL-leading Anchorage Bucs (21-9), but they stayed ahead of the cutoff line for the ABL playoffs. The Oilers sit fourth in the standings, two games ahead of the Chugiak/Eagle River Chinooks (9-21).
The Pilots finally broke the stalemate with a two-out, two-run homer in the seventh inning by Brandenberg, whose shot came after a double by Alex Baeza.
Steven Ordorica and Robbie Knowles both tossed an inning in relief, with Ordorica giving up Brandenberg’s two-run blast. Knowles retired all three batters he faced in the eighth.
The Oilers put two on with one out in the top of the ninth, but in their last stand, could not score as Jonah Henrickson popped out and Paul Steffensen grounded out to end the game.
Overall, the Oilers stranded nine men on base, while the Pilots left just three on.
Bobby Goodloe and Travis Bohall both notched two hits on the night to lead the Oilers. Goodloe went 2 for 2 with two walks, while Bohall finished 2 for 3.
