The Peninsula Oilers defeated the Anchorage Bucs 13-3 on Saturday in Alaska Baseball League play at Anchorage’s Mulcahy Stadium.
The Oilers improved to 7-13 in league play with the victory, while the Bucs dropped to 15-10.
The Bucs still lead the league, while the Mat-Su Miners are a game back and 13-10, the Anchorage Glacier Pilots are two games back at 11-10 and the Chugiak-Eagle River Chinooks are four games back at 9-12. The Oilers are 5.5 games back.
The Oilers were 1-7 this season against the Bucs and had lost four straight to the Anchorage team.
Peninsula’s bats came alive with 13 hits, four of which were doubles. The Oilers grabbed a 5-0 lead entering the bottom of the fifth, when the Bucs put up three runs. Peninsula closed the game with three runs in the eighth and five runs in the ninth.
Nick Costello led the Oilers at the plate, going 4 for 5 with two runs and three RBIs. Owen McElfatrick was 2 for 5 with three runs and three RBIs.
Josiah Chavez had two RBIs for the Oilers, while Leighton Helfrick, Michael Elko and Brett Grupe all scored two runs.
Arnad Mulamekic won his second straight start against the Bucs. He went five innings and gave up three unearned runs on four hits while walking four and striking out five.
In relief for the Oilers, Connor Kershaw went three scoreless innings, giving up a hit while striking out three. Connor Throneberry pitched a scoreless and hitless inning, walking one and striking out one.
This was the first game of a road trip where the Oilers will play 11 games in 10 days.
Sunday, Peninsula plays the Miners at 2 p.m. at Hermon Brothers Field in Palmer.
