FRIDAY'S GAMES
• Miners 5, Chinooks 3
• Oilers 6, Bucs 2
• Goldpanners 8, Pilots 3
SATURDAY'S GAMES
• Pilots at Goldpanners (DH), 5 p.m., Growden Park
• Miners at Bucs, 7 p.m., Mulcahy Stadium
• Oilers at Chinooks, 7 p.m., Loretta French
SUNDAY'S GAMES
• Pilots at Goldpanners, 2 p.m.
• Chinooks at Bucs, 2 p.m.
• Oilers at Miners, 2 p.m.
WORTH NOTING
Welcome back to the top of the ABL, Oilers.
After spending one day in second place, the Peninsula Oilers regained the league lead by tripping the Anchorage Bucs 6-2 at Mulcahy Stadium.
Jimmie Koch slugged a two-run homer in the fourth and a two-run double in the sixth to lead the Oilers, who got a seven-inning, five-strikeout performance from starter Jon Maciel.
Garrett Mattlage accounted for three of the Bucs' seven hits, two of them doubles.
With the win, Peninsula improved to 9-6 and took a half-game lead over the previous league leading Chugiak Chinooks (7-5), who dropped a 5-3 game to the cellar-dwelling Mat-Su Miners (4-10). The Oilers are one game ahead of the Bucs (6-5).
Mat-Su triumphed in Chugiak by scoring runs in the sixth and seventh to break a 3-3 tie. P.J. Torres drove in two runs for the Miners.
In Friday's other game, the Fairbanks Goldpanners beat the Anchorage Glacier Pilots 8-3 in Fairbanks. Both teams are .500 and 1 1/2 games behind the Oilers.
The Panners and Pilots combined for four home runs -- Jordan Luplow and Matt Daugherty went deep for the Pilots and Blake Miller and Chad Carroll homered for the Goldpanners.
Next week, Fourth of July fireworks will come early at Mulcahy Stadium. The fireworks display will be on Tuesday -- July 3 -- following a doubleheader between the Bucs and Glacier Pilots.
Gates open at 6 p.m. and the first game starts at 7. Expect a crowd.
