Good pitching ruled the doubleheader between the Chugiak Chinooks and the Mat-Su Miners on Friday night.

But in the end, the Miners pitching was a bit better. Miners pitchers struck out 18 Chinooks in just 14 innings in both ends of the doubleheader. They did an excellent job limiting hard contact as well, as the Chinooks only could muster two extra-base hits, both doubles that couldn't come around to score.

Christian Seelhorst got the ball in game one and worked through the first three innings unscathed. Seelhorst struggled with command in the fourth and walked the bases loaded, but was able to get out of the jam with a punch out swinging. That was the end of the night for Seelhorst as he went four innings, allowing no runs and striking out six.

The Miners got on the board early with a Kevin Nakamura single to right field to plate Josh Mrozek (1-2, BB, 2 SB) and then in the fourth as Tyler Wilson recorded his first hit in a Miners uniform, a ringing single to right-center field to plate Mrozek again, and that was all the Miners needed offensively.

Nate Beimel took over in the fifth and ended up picking up the win, throwing two hitless innings with just one walk and two strikeouts. He turned it over to Alex Magers for the save in the seventh inning and he was electric, striking out two in a clean inning to give the Miners a 2-0 win. The win moved the Miners over .500 for the first time in 2021 and was their third consecutive win.

In game two, Wyatt Tucker got the ball in his first Miners start and did everything asked of him and more. Tucker did not allow a hit in his four scoreless innings, walking three batters and striking out five with no runs allowed. 

The Miners offense just could not get going however, as they left the bases loaded in both the first and the fifth and had guys on bases almost every inning, but were unable to bring them around.

Then in the sixth, relief pitcher Daniel Naughton got into a bit of a jam. Chinooks shortstop John Marc Mullins led off the inning with a double and advanced to third on a groundout to second baseman Kyle Landers. With one away, Naughton was able to work behind cleanup hitter Joe Kiel and was able to get a weak groundball back to him that got Kiel out and forced the speedy Mullins to stay put at third. With two away, Naughton blew away Pate Fullerton with a fastball and the Chinooks best scoring opportunity all day went to waste.

The Miners were unable to get anything on offense in the sixth or seventh, with Joe Williams keeping the score tied as he took over in the top of the seventh. This sent the game to extras.

In the top of the eighth, after a Leo Harris sac bunt got the designated runner at second to start the eighth Ty Beck to third, leadoff hitter Will Batz hit a flyball to straightaway center field for out number two, and as Beck broke home on the SAC fly, center fielder Josh Mrozek unleashed a laser of a throw to the plate that got Beck out by so much that he didn't even try to slide. Damage averted.

In the bottom of the eighth, with Tyler Wilson starting on second, Casey Rother popped out with no advance for out number one. After new pitcher Josh Harrel fell behind Nick Cirelli, he was intentionally walked. Then, Kevin Nakamura was walked on five pitches to load the bases. With the bases loaded and just one out, Harrel walked in Miner third baseman Gerard Sweeney for a walk-off 1-0 win.

The Miners are now winners of their last four in a row, with wins coming over the Anchorage Bucs, Peninsula Oilers and Chugiak Eagle-River Chinooks (twice).

The Miners are back in action again tonight in Anchorage against the Glacier Pilots before an off day tomorrow. First pitch from Mulcahy Stadium is slated for 7:05 pm. Catch the action live on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRMDZ40DFSpnK_O52YO6U5Q