The Peninsula Oilers defeated the Mat-Su Miners 8-5 in Alaska Baseball League play Friday at Coral Seymour Memorial Park in Kenai.
The Oilers snapped a two-game losing streak in improving to 6-12 in the ABL and winning for the second time at home in seven tries. The Miners fall to 15-7.
The five-game series with the Miners continues with Game 3 today at 6 p.m., Game 4 on Sunday at 2 p.m. and Game 5 on Monday at 6 p.m.
The Oilers were able to come back from 3-0 and 5-2 deficits to win. Homer product Mose Hayes proved to be huge in relief, picking up the win. He went three scoreless innings while allowing two hits, walking none and striking out four.
Mason Kokodynski and Drake Frize each added an inning of scoreless relief, with Frize picking up the save.
The Oilers were able to get to Miners starter and loser Andrew Tillery for seven runs — four earned — on five hits in 3 2-3 innings. Tillery walked two and struck out one.
After the Miners took a 3-0 lead in the top of the second, Dalton Bowling cranked a two-run homer for the Oilers in the bottom of the frame.
The Miners came back with two runs for a 5-2 lead in the top of the fourth, but the Oilers scored five in the fourth and one in the fifth, the watched the relief pitchers work their magic.
James Shimashita was 3 for 4 with a run and an RBI for the Oilers, while Bowling finished 2 for 3 with two runs and three RBIs. Casey Burnham and Graiden West each scored a pair of runs.
Steven Lancia had a home run for the Miners, while Nathan Rose was 2 for 4 with two RBIs.
