The Peninsula Oilers came up two bases short on Wednesday night at Coral Seymour Memorial Park against the Anchorage Bucs. An 8-6 win for the Bucs (27-12) increased their lead on the Alaska Baseball League standings while the Oilers (13-27) fell one game behind the Chugiak-Eagle River Chinooks for fourth place in the ABL standings and the final Top of the World Series playoff spot.
Bucs 8- Oilers 6
The Bucs opened the game with a two-run first inning against Oilers starter Jake Adams. A two-out, two-run double by Ryan Sullivan put Anchorage up 2-0.
The Bucs doubled their lead in the third inning against Adams on a Blake Paugh sacrifice fly and a Cole Tate RBI single. Adams lasted 2.1 innings in his shortest start of the summer.
Anchorage took a 6-0 lead with two runs in the top of the fourth inning against reliever Travis Roberts.
The Oilers, in the sixth inning, scratched into the Bucs lead with a two-run home run by Bobby Goodloe against Bucs starter Evan Taylor.
The Oilers added runs in the seventh and eighth innings. In the seventh Victor Carlino grounded out into a 3-6 RBI fielder’s choice that scored Calvin Farris. In the eighth, a Farris RBI groundout plated Goodloe to cut the Bucs lead to 6-4.
The Bucs with a pair of ninth inning runs against reliever Robbie Knowles extended to an 8-4 lead.
The Oilers in the ninth racked up two runs against reliever Spencer Long on a Goodloe sacrifice fly and a Connor McCord RBI single, scoring Camden Vasquez. With the bases loaded and two outs, Farris faced the Bucs closer Colton Rendon who proceeded to strike out Farris looking to end the game, 8-6 Bucs.
Oilers continue final homestand on Thursday
The second game of a five-game series between the Oilers and Bucs begins on Thursday at 6 p.m. at Coral Seymour Memorial Park.
Oilers vs Bucs series schedule:
Thursday: 6 p.m.
Friday: Kendall Ford Night, 6 p.m.
Saturday: Dolifka & Associates Night, 6 p.m.
Sunday: Coca-Cola, 2 p.m.
Alaska Baseball League Standings:
Anchorage Bucs: 27-12
Mat-Su Miners: 22-16
Anchorage Glacier Pilots: 21-16
*Chugiak-Eagle River Chinooks: 13-25
*Peninsula Oilers: 13-27 (1 GB)
*Have not clinched a playoff berth
