The Peninsula Oilers defeated the Chugiak-Eagle River Chinooks 5-2 Sunday at Lee Jordan Field in Chugiak before dropping a 6-5 decision Monday.
The Oilers started the road trip with four straight losses to the Mat-Su Miners by a combined score of 28-14. Peninsula was able to right the ship with a 6-5 victory over the Chinooks on Saturday and the win Sunday, but Monday means a .500 trip is no longer possible.
The Oilers stop in Anchorage to play the Bucs at 7 p.m. today before taking Wednesday off and hosting the Anchorage Glacier Pilots at 7 p.m. Thursday.
The Oilers are 7-11 in the Alaska Baseball League and stand in fourth place, 5.5 games behind the Anchorage Bucs. The Chinooks are 6-11, a half game behind the Oilers, in last place.
Behind a 4 for 5 day from Ethan Patrick at the plate, the Oilers twice came back from one-run deficits to win Sunday.
The Chinooks got to Oilers starter Eric Reardon for a run in the bottom of the second before Peninsula tied it in the fourth when an error by the Chinooks third baseman allowed Skyler Messinger to score.
Chugiak-Eagle River came right back in the bottom of the fourth to take a 2-1 lead. Reardon would leave after six innings, giving up two runs — one earned — on two hits while walking four and striking out three.
The Oilers were able to have success against the Chinooks bullpen after starter Tyler O’Clair departed after five innings. O’Clair yielded four hits and the unearned run.
In the seventh, the Oilers took a 3-2 lead on losing pitcher Brian Cardone. With runners on first and third and two outs, Patrick came through with a clutch double to score Connor McCord and Calvin Farris.
That would be enough for the Oilers bullpen, as Steven Ordorica, Farris and McCord each pitched an inning of scoreless relief, with Ordorica registering the win and McCord notching the save.
Peninsula added insurance runs in the eighth and ninth innings. In the eighth inning, Connor McCord singled in Camden Vasquez. In the ninth, Patrick reached on another double and was singled in by Travis Bohall.
Cardone gave up two runs on four hits in 1 2-3 innings, while fellow reliever Corbin Barker also gave up two runs on four hits.
McCord was 2 for 4 for the Oilers, while Farris was 2 for 5. Vasquez, John Mackay, Drew Thorpe and Bohall added hits in the Oilers’ 12-hit attack. Mason Corbett was 2 for 2 for the Chinooks.
Monday’s game went back and forth. The Oilers led 1-0 after one inning and 3-2 after two innings. The Chinooks came back to lead 4-3 after four, the Oilers tied it in the top of the sixth, then Chugiak tacked on runs in the seventh and eighth for a 6-4 lead.
Patrick started the ninth for the Oilers with a double, then McCord singled him in, but the rally stopped there.
Heath Olive took the loss, giving up two runs — one earned — in two innings. Tyler Wynkoop earned the win for Chugiak-Eagle River, while Daniel Freeman got the save.
McCord was 3 for 4 for the Oilers, while Travis Bohall was 2 for 3 and Vasquez was 2 for 5.
