The Peninsula Oilers opened up Alaska Baseball League play Monday with a 5-2 victory over the host Anchorage Bucs.
The victory extends the Oilers’ unbeaten string to 10 games and improves the squad’s overall record to 10-1-2, but most importantly it gets the Oilers on the board with a 1-0 record in the ABL. The Bucs are 5-2 in the ABL.
The Oilers had five errors on the day, but the defense came through when it mattered. Mylz Jones had a couple of dazzling plays at shortstop, and the Oilers turned three double plays.
The biggest double play came in the ninth inning.
The Bucs quickly loaded the bases with no outs against closer Jeff Paschke when Tyler Ware reached on an error, Grant Palmer doubled and Mark Sanchez walked.
Paschke got Garrett Copeland to fly out to short left field. Cade Reiten then grounded to third baseman AJ Hernandez. Hernandez threw to catcher Nick Thurman to get the out at home, then Thurman whipped it to Ethan McGill at first to end the threat and the game.
The Oilers did most of their damage in the second inning against starter and loser Kyle Davis.
Hernandez led the inning off with a single, then McGill walked. Alex Rubanowitz singled to load the bases.
Josh Rose knocked in Hernandez with a single, then Thurman hit a sacrifice fly to score McGill. Jones then came through with a two-out double to score Rubanowitz and Rose.
Oilers starter and winner Dallas DeVrieze did his part to make sure the early rally would hold up. He pitched six innings and gave up seven hits and two runs, just one earned. He walked two and struck out five.
The Oilers got an insurance run in the eight inning when Rubanowitz scored on a passed ball.
That would be enough for the bullpen. Chad Rieser, Nolan Sheridan and Paschke threw scoreless innings, with Paschke picking up the save.
Jones and Rubanowitz each led the seven-hit Oilers’ attack with two hits, while Andy Crowley, Mark Krueger and Dylan Butler had two hits for the Bucs’ nine-hit attack.
The Oilers face the Bucs at 7 p.m. today, then have a 6 p.m. doubleheader against the Bucs Wednesday before a 7 p.m. tilt against the Bucs on Thursday.
Monday
Oilers 5, Bucs 3
Oilers AB R H BI Bucs AB R H BI
Jns ss 5 0 2 2 Cpld 2b 4 0 1 0
Yagi cf 5 0 0 0 Rtn ss 4 0 0 0
Snfd dh 4 0 0 0 Crly cf 4 1 2 1
Hndz 3b 4 1 1 0 Pwll 3b 3 0 0 0
McGl 1b 1 1 0 0 Krgr 1b 4 0 2 0
Rbwz 2b 4 2 2 0 Btlr lf 4 0 2 0
Rse rf 3 1 1 1 Ware rf 3 0 0 0
Thrn c 2 0 0 1 Plmr dh 3 0 1 0
Sdln lf 4 0 1 0 Snchz c 3 1 1 0
—- — — — — Yybd pr 0 0 0 0
Totals 32 5 7 4 Totals 32 2 9 1
Peninsula 040 000 010 —5
Anchorage 000 020 000 —2
2B — Jones, Crowley, Palmer. SF — Thurman, Ware. SH — Thurman. SB — Sanford, Crowley, Powell. CS — Krueger, Palmer. LOB — Oilers 8, Bucs 9. DP — Oilers 3.
IP H R ER BB SO
Oilers
DeVrieze, W 6 7 2 1 2 5
Rieser 1 0 0 0 1 2
Sheridan 1 1 0 0 0 0
Paschke, S 1 1 0 0 1 0
Bucs
Davis, L 2 1-3 4 4 4 1 2
Rogina 3 2-3 2 0 0 2 2
Stewart 1 0 0 0 2 1
Lenstrohm 1 1 1 1 1 2
Brija 1 0 0 0 0 1
WP — DeVrieze, Lenstrohm. HB — Rieser. P-S — DeVrieze 106-61, Rieser 17-8, Sheridan 9-6, Paschke 12-7, Davis 41-26, Rogina 55-34, Stewart 22-9, Lenstrohm 17-9, Brija 9-6.
