The Mat-Su Miners swept an Alaska Baseball League doubleheader from the Peninsula Oilers on Sunday at Coral Seymour Memorial Park in Kenai.
The Miners won the first game 11-1 and took the second game 5-1.
Mat-Su continues a hot start, improving to 5-1 in the ABL and 7-1 overall. The Oilers fall to 1-3 in the league and 1-3 overall.
The two squads conclude the six-game series with 7 p.m. contests today and Tuesday at Seymour Park.
The games in doubleheaders are just seven innings long, and Mat-Su took control of the first game early, putting three on the board in both the second and third innings.
Aaron Shoup took the loss for the Oilers, going three innings and giving up six runs — four earned — on eight hits while walking one and striking out one.
Billy Clemens also had trouble keeping the Miners off the board in relief, giving up five runs on seven hits in four innings.
Meanwhile, Payton Robinson shackled the Oilers offense for the victory. Robinson pitched six innings and gave up one run on seven hits. He walked one and struck out two.
Nolan Monaghan, who a little over a year ago was pitching the Wasilla Warriors to victory in the Southcentral Conference championship game at Seymour Park, pitched a perfect seventh inning.
Kellen Strahm had the biggest day at the plate for the Oilers, going 2 for 3 with an RBI.
For the Miners, Quin Cotton was 3 for 5 with two RBIs, Andy Thomas was 3 for 4 with three runs, Ryan Haug was 2 for 4 and Brandon Chinea was 3 for 4 with two runs.
In the second game, Preston Plovanich took the loss, going six innings and giving up three runs on five hits while walking four and striking out five. Jonathan Vizcaino then gave up two runs on three hits in an inning.
The Oilers got just four hits on Miners pitchers Justin Blatner, Austin Dennis and Calvin LeBrun.
On offense for Mat-Su, Preston Pavlica was 3 for 4 and Blake Benefield was 2 for 3 with two RBIs.
The Oilers got their hits from Oliver Dunn, Matthew Acosta, Vizcaino and Strahm.
Oilers’ Kellen Strahm slides under the tag of Miners second baseman Brandon Chinea for a stolen base in the bottom of the third inning of Game 2 of the doubleheader Sunday, June 11, 2017, at Coral Seymour Memorial Park in Kenai. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)
