The Peninsula Oilers finished up a five-game road trip with a 2-1 loss to the Mat-Su Miners on Thursday in Alaska Baseball League play.
The Oilers, who finished the road trip 2-3, remain in the top spot in the American League with a 4-4 league record. The Anchorage Bucs are a half game behind. Meanwhile, the Miners move to 4-2 and lead the National League by a half game over the Anchorage Glacier Pilots.
The Miners won the game in the bottom of the ninth inning on a walk-off single by Alex Caruso, who finished 4 for 5.
Tyler Wolfe started the winning rally with a single off Oilers reliever Sean Michel. Jake Schleppenbach then used a sacrifice bunt to move Wolfe to second, and Caleb Wood walked.
Paul Lujan came on for Michel, but like the other Oilers pitchers, Lujan was not able to slow Caruso down.
The Oilers had a great chance to take the lead in the top of the ninth inning, when Brian Ruhm started the inning with a walk and stole second. But Ruhm was picked off to nip the rally in the bud.
In the bottom of the eighth, it was the Oilers defense keeping the Miners from a run. Chris Hall led off with a walk and stole second.
Vance Vizcaino then singled, but James Fowlkes cut down Hall at the plate to preserve the scoreless game. Michel then came on for Jordan Kron to record the final two outs of the inning.
The Oilers took a 1-0 lead in the top of the third. Jimmy Galusky started the rally with a double, then moved to third on a grounder by Billy Wilson. A wild pitch by Calvin LeBrun then scored Wilson.
But LeBrun would keep the Oilers in control otherwise, giving up just four hits and the one run in 7 2-3 innings.
Winning pitcher Brick Paskiewicz would give up just one hit in 1 1-3 innings of relief.
Meanwhile, Oilers pitchers were mostly able to work around 14 hits by the Miners on the day. One reason is three double plays turned by the defense.
Starter Conner Dotson went six innings for Peninsula, giving up nine hits and a run.
Chris Hall and Matt Diorio each added a pair of hits for the Miners.
The Oilers take today off before playing three home games with the Everett (Washington) Merchants, starting Saturday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. The series finishes Monday at 7 p.m.
Thursday
Oilers AB R H BI Miners AB R H BI
Wshm ss 4 0 1 0 Crso cf 5 0 4 1
Bke 3b 3 0 0 0 Hall rf 3 0 2 1
Rhm lf 4 0 1 0 Vzno lf 4 0 1 0
Flks rf 4 0 1 0 Drio c 4 0 2 0
Olvr 1b 4 0 0 0 Zlnr 1b 3 0 1 0
Diaz dh 3 0 0 0 Nygd 3b 4 0 1 0
Wlfg c 3 0 0 0 Wlfe ss 4 1 1 0
Gsky 2b 3 1 1 0 Fagg dh 3 1 1 0
Wlsn cf 3 0 1 0 Spbh dh 0 0 0 0
—- — — — — Wood 2b 2 0 1 0
Totals 31 1 5 1 Totals 32 2 14 1
Peninsula 001 000 000 —1
Mat-Su 000 010 001 —2
SF — Hall. S — Schleppenbach. SB — Ruhm, Hall. CS — Ruhm, Caruso. LOB — Oilers 4, Miners 10. DP — Oilers 3.
IP H R ER BB SO
Oilers
Dotson 6 9 1 1 0 0
Kron 1 1-3 3 0 0 0 0
Michel, L 1 1 1 1 2 0
Lujan 0 1 0 0 0 0
Miners
LeBrun 7 2-3 4 1 1 1 5
Paskiewicz, W 1 1-3 1 0 0 0 1
WP — LeBrun. HBP — by Doston (Wood.)
