Miners bounce back from skid with win over Oilers
The Miners put up their second-most runs in a league game this season in their win over the Oilers
A three-run fifth inning and four consecutive with runs scored propel the Mat-Su Miners over the Peninsula Oilers 6-5 in a nail-biter at Hermon Brothers Field on Friday night.
Both pitchers from St. Johns, Kyle Chase and Brady Clark, provided big innings. Chase got the start and his first win of the season. In five innings he gave up two runs on five hits and struck out five batters. Clark came into the game in the ninth with one out and the tying run aboard at first. Clark faced three batters and got the job done, allowing only one run to cross on a wild pitch.
"Our pitching was good all night," said Miners head coach Tyler LeBrun. "Got a little shaky there in the ninth, but overall a good outing."
A big difference in the game were the extra-base hits from Mat-Su. Two triples and a double were good for a season-high extra-base hits in a single game. Jackson Babcock hit a triple in the fourth, his team-leading third extra-base hit of the season, and came around to score on an RBI-fielder's choice from Declan Spooner. Matthew Bline doubled and scored in the sixth for his first extra-base hit this season. The other slugging knock came from Kanyon Millar who roped a triple in the eighth.
"We've been kind of guessing at the plate and feeling our swings out," said LeBrun. "We've got to trust it, know that our swings are good, and get the head out and go and we did a good job of that today."
The only crooked inning came in the fifth where the bottom three of the order all reached anc came around to score. It was the only inning where the Miners recorded multiple base hits with back-to-back singles from Alexander Pearson and Kash Millar and an RBI-single from Will Godfrey. Diesel Toth and Jackson Babcock would drive in the second and third runs of the inning right after Godfrey.
The Miners now get set for their Midnight Sun game in a non-league contest at the Anchorage Glacier Pilots. The game will not count towards the standings. First pitch is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. at Mulcahy Stadium. You can stream the game on the Mat-Su Miners YouTube.
Kaden Bessent
2026 Mat-Su Miners Broadcaster