Goldpanners 2, Pilots 1
With starter Nathan Bannister in top form, the Fairbanks Goldpanners edged the Anchorage Glacier Pilots 2-1 Friday at Mulcahy Stadium.
Bannister, who improved to 3-0, struck out four and surrendered a run on five hits over seven innings. Kevin Sprague picked up his fourth save, striking out two and not allowing a base runner over the last two innings.
The Goldpanners scored both of their runs in the second inning, getting an RBI-groundout from Alex Rubanowitz followed by an RBI-double by Scott Tomassetti.
The Pilots mounted a threat in the bottom of the seventh when Brody Russell led off the inning with a double, but only managed to score one.
Bucs 9, Miners 1
The Anchorage Bucs notched 10 hits Friday to run away with a 9-1 road win over the Mat-Su Miners at Hermon Brothers Field in Palmer.
David Herd was solid on the mound for the Bucs, striking out four and allowing one run in five innings. He found plenty of run support, with the Bucs putting up three in the second and four in the fourth. Ryan Leonards, Michael Strentz and Lawton Langford finished with two hits apiece and David Andriese drove in two runs for the Bucs.
Mat-Su's Brenden Farney led all batters with three hits, one of which was a single in the third that led to Farney scoring the Miners' only run on a double by Christin Stewart.
Oilers 7, Chinooks 2
A three-run home run from Turner Clouse put an exclamation point on the Peninsula Oilers' 7-2 win over the visiting Chugiak Chinooks at Seymour Memorial Park on Friday.
Clouse's homer came in the bottom of the seventh inning to help cement a win for starting pitcher Billy Strode, who struck out four and allowed two runs in five innings.
The Chinooks scored a pair of unearned runs in the top of the fifth to tie the score at 2-2, but the Oilers responded with two in the bottom of the fifth to forge a 4-2 lead.
Drew Turbin finished with a game-high three hits for Chugiak.
Pilots 5, Bucs 2
Putting up three runs in the eighth inning of a game scheduled to go seven innings provided the Anchorage Glacier Pilots with a 5-2 win in the second half of a Thursday doubleheader with the Anchorage Bucs at Mulcahy Stadium.
With a 5-3 win in the first game, the Pilots swept the Bucs for the third time in 14 Fourth of July doubleheaders. The Bucs have never swept the Pilots on Independence Day.
Brody Russell, Kevin Viers and Jacob Rice all drove in runs for the Pilots in the eighth, Russell and Viers notching singles and Rice grounding into a fielder's choice. Justin Dellinger pitched the final three innings to pick up a win.
Michael Strentz and Cedric Vallieres each drove in runs for the Bucs, who led 2-0 after two innings.
ABL LEAGUE
STANDINGS
Team W L Pct GB
Anchorage Bucs 12 7 .632 -
Fairbanks 9 5 .643 ½
Peninsula Oilers 9 7 .563 1½
Mat-Su Miners 11 9 .550 1½
Glacier Pilots 10 10 .500 2½
Chugiak Chinooks 3 16 .158 9
Friday's results
Goldpanners 2, Pilots 1
Bucs 9, Miners 1
Oilers 7, Chinooks 2
Thursday's results
Pilots 5, Bucs 3
Pilots 5, Bucs 2
Goldpanners 14, Miners 4
Oilers 2, Chinooks 1
Saturday's games
Goldpanners at Pilots, 4 p.m., Mulcahy Stadium
Miners at Chinooks, 7 p.m., Loretta French Field
Oilers at Bucs, 7 p.m., Mulcahy Stadium
Anchorage Daily News