Saturday: Oilers blank Pilots for 3rd straight win

The Peninsula Oilers defeated the Anchorage Glacier Pilots 2-0 on Saturday in Alaska Baseball League play at Coral Seymour Memorial Park in Kenai.

Cody New and Homer’s Mose Hayes combined on a one-hitter for the Oilers, while Peninsula center fielder Colin Robson had three of the six hits in the game and drove in Petey Soto with both of the runs.

The Oilers, winners of three straight, moved to 19-17 in the ABL and 12-3 at home. The Pilots are 13-23, have lost seven straight and can no longer catch the Oilers for third place. The Chugiak-Eagle River Chinooks are in last at 10-25.

Peninsula still has a shot at finishing in the top two in the ABL and hosting a playoff series, but it will be tough.

The Mat-Su Miners, winners of 10 straight, are at 22-13 in second place. That’s 3.5 games ahead of the Oilers. Peninsula cannot catch the Anchorage Bucs, who lead the league at 24-10.

The Oilers finish their regular season with four more home games against the Pilots — Sunday at 2 p.m., then Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday at 6 p.m.

There’s a chance Saturday was the last time Hayes, a product of Homer High School and the Post 20 Twins, will pitch at Seymour Park.

Hayes has been with the team for the 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024 seasons.

The Oilers all-time roster has only two other players who have played four seasons — infielder/outfielder Paul John Zobeck in 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2004, and Dennis Machado in 1994, 1995, 1996 and 1997.

“I definitely had that in mind,” Hayes said of this possibly being the last time he pitched at Seymour Park. “It would be a great one to end on — lots of fans and a good atmosphere.”

Hayes went three innings and gave up a hit and walk while striking out three. He said he hung a slider to Troy Sanders, the leadoff batter in the eighth, and that broke up the no-hitter.

Even that was not enough to seriously sour the day.

“I probably developed here more than I did in college,” he said. “I think these innings in summer have gone tenfold toward the college experience. The innings here have just helped me so much once I got down south in the fall.

“I think it’s all about pitching in an atmosphere where I’m at home and comfortable. It’s a field I grew up playing on and I’ve been watching games on this field since I can first remember. So it just feels like a home environment where I can learn as a player and make mistakes and still have support.”

Hayes said his job was made easier by New, because the Pilots were clearly off-balance from facing him. New gave up just three walks while striking out eight in six innings.

New, who said he was a part of no-hitters in high school, was not incredibly disappointed to lose this one.

“When it happens, it happens, and it’s awesome,” he said. “But if not, a one-pitch shutout, we’ll take that.”

New plays at California Baptist University for Gary Adcock, who coached the Oilers in 1999 and 2000 and has the best winning percentage in team history.

New has said he didn’t have the year he wanted with the Lancers this season. He’s happy how he’s progressed with the Oilers.

“I feel like I’ve been finding myself up here in Alaska,” he said. “I’ve just been fishing a lot.”

The closest the Oilers came to giving up a run was in the third, when Marcus Sanders walked with one out and made it to third on a stolen base and wild pitch. Eddie Leon, a pitcher making his first start at third base, was able to cut down Sanders at the plate on a grounder.

Leon had to play third because Kyle McDaniel and Ty Thomas left the team due to injury, and Max Roffwarg is currently injured.

If Roffwarg isn’t healthy, Oilers head coach Larry McCann said the team will have to figure something out the next time Leon pitches.

“That was big time,” New said of Leon’s play. “He came up clutch for the team when we needed it.”

In the top of the fourth, Robson led off with a single. He immediately stole second, but then failed to take third on a grounder to the right side of the infield and on a pitch that catcher Evan Chadwick lost in the dirt.

Robson was then picked off second.

“He kind of zoned out, or whatever, with basic baseball stuff he didn’t get done,” McCann said. “But he ended up doing it with the bat instead, so it worked out.”

In the sixth Robson singled with two outs to drive in Soto. He scored Soto again in the eighth with a one-out double.

“I wouldn’t say it fired me up, but I knew I couldn’t mess up again,” Robson said. “So when I had Petey on third that next time, I was a little bit determined to make sure I got one in for him.”

Robson has a younger brother by two years, Evan. The two have always competed and that shows up on the field.

“That’s why I play baseball,” Colin said. “I’m a pretty competitive person at everything I do. I have a brother, and we compete at everything we do.”

Soto and Zakary Farris had the other two hits for the Oilers.