FRIDAY IN THE ABL
6 p.m. — Peninsula Oilers at Fairbanks Goldpanners, Growden Park
7 p.m. — Anchorage Bucs at Chugiak Chinooks, Loretta French Field.
AROUND THE HORN
WEDNESDAY'S GAMES
BUCS SWEEP MAYOR'S CUP
The Anchorage Bucs dropped an eight-run anvil on the Anchorage Glacier Pilots in the seventh inning Wednesday night to rack a 10-2 victory and a sweep of the annual Mayor's Cup between Alaska Baseball League rivals who share Mulcahy Stadium.
The Bucs' win, combined with their 3-2 win Tuesday in the opener of the best-of-3 series, earned them their second straight Cup and rendered Thursday's series finale moot as far as possession of the Cup.
With the game tied 2-2, the Bucs in the seventh sent 13 batters to the plate, rapped seven hits and benefitted from two Glacier Pilots errors. Chane Lynch singled twice in the inning, driving in three runs. Grant Palmer led off the rally with a triple and added an RBI double. Gage West delivered a two-run single and Andy Crowley an RBI single.
Palmer went 3 for 5 and scored three runs. Cade Reiter furnished a two-run single in the fifth to push the Bucs into a 2-2 tie.
J.J. Wagner of the Glacier Pilots gave his club the lead with a two-run home run in the second inning.
Bucs starter Cody Rogina struck out six in six innings and reliever Alex Godzack struck out three in three scoreless innings.
MINERS RALLY IN THE VALLEY
Cameron Newell unloaded a one-out, walk-off grand slam in the bottom of the ninth inning Wednesday night to give the Mat-Su Miners a 5-3 win over the Chugiak Chinooks at Hermon Brothers Field in Palmer.
The Miners, who had been limited to three hits and one run through eight innings by Chugiak starter Thomas Altimont and relievers Zachary Freeman and Lance Phillips, roughed up reliever Tell Taylor in the ninth.
After getting the leadoff hitter out, Taylor was touched for a single by Brandon Smith, then walked Terence Connelly and Paul Panaccione before Newell hammered a full-count pitch.
Mat-Su's win, combined with the Glacier Pilots' loss, leapfrogged the Miners to the top of the ABL's National League standings, where the Miners lead the Glacier Pilots by percentage points.
GOLDPANNERS PUNISH OILERS
Jacob Hayes homered, reached base in four of his five plate appearances and scored three runs Wednesday night to help the Fairbanks Goldpanners beat the Peninsula Oilers, 9-3, at Growden Park in the Golden Heart City.
Kris Paulino went 3 for 4, drove in two runs and scored once for Fairbanks.
Gabriel Munoz homered for the Oilers.