The Mat-Su Miners pitching staff had gone nearly three full games before allowing a run. But after 25 straight scoreless innings, Matthew Kirk ended the streak.
Kirk, a Peninsula Oilers outfielder, cracked a three-run homer in the bottom of the fourth to spark the Oilers, and help his squad post an 8-2 win over visiting Mat-Su on Wednesday night at Coral Seymour Memorial Park in Kenai.
Kirk’s blast was one of a pair of three-run homers for the Oilers, who improved to 15-11 in Alaska Baseball League play. Mat-Su, the top team in the league, dropped to 16-10 and now leads the Oilers by a game in the standings.
Just before Kirk gave his team the lead, Spencer Henson put the Miners on the scoreboard with a two-run single. Caleb Van Blake and Austin Pinorini scored on the play.
The Oilers took a 6-2 lead in the fifth and added runs in the seventh and eighth.
The Kenai squad’s win came after Mat-Su shut out opponents on back-to-back nights. The Miners beat Chugiak 6-0 on Monday and the Anchorage Bucs 3-0 on Tuesday in Palmer.
Wednesday’s game marked the first of five straight for the Miners in Kenai. The rivals return to the field Thursday at 7 p.m.
