Anchorage Daily News

Kirk Niewenhuis broke open a tight game with a seventh-inning grand slam Tuesday night to lift league-leading Athletes in Action to a 7-2 victory over the Fairbanks Goldpanners at Growden Park in Fairbanks.

The win enabled the Fire to remain atop the Alaska Baseball League, 1 1/2 games ahead of the Mat-Su Miners, who kept pace with a 6-3 road win over the Anchorage Bucs.

AIA led 3-2 before Niewenhuis, a first baseman who entered the evening hitting a team-leading .366, rocked Panners starter Brandon Harmon with his game-turning bomb.

Niewenhuis also was instrumental in AIA's three-run third inning. He furnished an RBI triple, Joseph Lake chipped in an RBI single and Quinn Clair added a sacrifice fly.

Miners 6, Bucs 3

The last-place Bucs committed five errors and surrendered five unearned runs at Mulcahy Stadium to suffer their seventh-consecutive loss.

Anchorage, which was held in check after scoring two first-inning runs, has lost 11 of its last 12 games.

Miners starter Alex Rivers struck out seven in seven innings.

ALASKA BASEBALL LEAGUE STANDINGS

W L Pct. GB Overall

AIA 21 7 .750 -- 23-11

Miners 20 9 .690 1 1/2 21-9

Oilers 14 15 .482 7 1/2 22-15

Goldpanners 10 17 .370 10 1/2 15-19

Glacier Pilots 10 18 .357 11 17-20

Bucs 9 18 .333 11 1/2 17-20

RESULTS AND SCHEDULE

Tuesday's Results

AIA 7, Goldpanners 2

Miners 6, Bucs 3

Today's Games

Pilots at Goldpanners, 6:30 p.m.

Miners at Bucs, 7 p.m.

ABL LEADERS

Through Sunday

Team Batting

1) Athletes In Action Fire .309; 2) Fairbanks Goldpanners .295; 3) Anchorage Glacier Pilots .295; 4) Anchorage Bucs .288; 5) Peninsula Oilers .270; 6) Mat-Su Miners .249.

Team Pitching

1) Peninsula Oilers 2.13; 1) Mat-Su Miners 2.44; 3) Athletes in Action Fire 3.72; 4) Anchorage Bucs 3.98; 5) Anchorage Glacier Pilots 4.05; 5) Fairbanks Goldpanners 4.22.

Pitching (Minimum .9 innings per team games played)

ERA (Record) -- Matt Thomson, Oilers, 0.92 (4-3); Jason Erickson, Miners, 1.66 (3-2); Max Peterson, Miners, 1.67 (3-0); David Vicini, Pilots, 1.69 (1-1); Ryan Millard, AIA, 1.82 (2-2); Jared Eskew, Miners, 1.93 (1-1); Alex Rivers, Miners, 2.28 (3-1); Cheng-Chang Lee, Bucs, 2.62 (4-0); Michael Alldredge, Pilots, 2.77 (5-1); Brandon Harmon, Panners, 2.77 (2-2).

Wins -- Justin Wood, AIA, 5; Kyle Matkaitis, AIA, 5; Michael Alldredge, Pilots, 5. Strikeouts -- Jonathan Kountis, Panners, 40; Ryan Millard, AIA, 36; Matt Thomson, Oilers, 33. Saves -- Payton Tweddale, AIA, 7; Brad Schwarzenbach, Panners, 6; Paul Smyth, Oilers, 5. Innings Pitched -- Michael Alldredge, Pilots, 52; Ryan Millard, AIA, 49 1/3; Justin Wood, AIA, 44 2/3; Chen-Chang Lee, Bucs, 44 2/3.

Batting (Minimum 3 plate appearances per team games played)

Average -- Todd Sebek, Pilots, .378; Chris Tremblay, Panners, .365; Kirk Nieuwenhuis, AIA, .361; Michael Diaz, Pilots, .357; Mike Murphy, Pilots, .357; Kyle Morgan, Bucs, .354; Nick Buss, Oilers .346; Brent Wyatt, Panners, .344; Paul Keller, AIA, .341; Clay Calfee, Bucs, .340.

Runs -- Brent Wyatt, Panners, 29; Carl Uhl, Miners, 27; Michael Dabbs, Oilers, 26. Hits -- Chris Tremblay, Panners, 50; Clay Calfee, Bucs, 49; Todd Sebek, Pilots, 45; Kyle Morgan, Bucs, 45. Doubles -- Clay Calfee, Bucs, 15; Kyle Morgan, Bucs, 11; Matt Wagner, Pilots, 9. Triples -- Nick Buss, Oilers, 4; Mike Diaz, Pilots, 3; Kyle Morgan, Bucs, 3; Brent Wyatt, Panners, 3; Kirk Nieuwenhuis, AIA, 3. Home Runs -- Paul Keller, AIA, 6; Michael Ewing, Miners, 5; Paul Keller, AIA, 5; Cody Neer, Pilots, 4. RBIs -- Gabe Jacobo, Bucs, 31; Clay Calfee, Bucs, 27; Michael Ewing, Miners 25; Toby Davis, Oilers, 25. Stolen Bases -- Nick Buss, Oilers, 20; Bernard Williams, Pilots, 18; Todd Sebek, Pilots, 17.