The Peninsula Oilers concluded their 2018 Alaska Baseball League regular season by splitting a doubleheader against the Anchorage Glacier Pilots on Saturday at Coral Seymour Memorial Park.
The Pilots won game one 5-4, the Oilers responded with a 5-4 victory in game two.
The split for the Oilers puts their regular season record at 23-21 and the Oilers will enter the 2018 Alaska Baseball League Top of the World Series as the #3 seed in the tournament.
Game One: Pilots 5- Oilers 4
Both teams were held in check through the first five innings offensively. Oilers starter Christian Winston and Pilots starter Jed Moscot both tossed five, scoreless innings.
The Pilots broke the stalemate with five runs in the top of the sixth against Winston and Oilers reliever Andrew Lopez.
The Oilers responded with four runs in the bottom of the frame including a three-run homer by Chad Bible and a Calvin Farris RBI ground out closing the Pilots lead to 5-4. Final Score; Pilots 5, Oilers 4.
Game Two: Oilers 5- Pilots 4
In the closing act, the Oilers attacked early in the first scoring a pair of runs to take a 2-0 lead.
The Pilots roughed up Oilers starter Bret Ricklefs for four runs in the second inning, abruptly ending Ricklef’s outing.
The Oilers ended the game on a 3-0 run, producing a run in the bottom of the second on a Pilots’ throwing error, and plating two in the third with RBI’s by Evan Berkey and Calvin Farris. Final Score: Oilers 5, Pilots 4.
Oilers relievers Justin Jaime and Erikson Fish combined to throw five, scoreless innings of relief of Ricklefs.
2018 ABL Top of The World Series Playoffs
The Oilers, recorded four victories in the six-game series against the Pilots. The Oilers secure third place in ABL regular season standings, and secure the #3 seed into the ABL playoffs, set to begin on Wednesday, August 1st.
The Oilers #3 seed, is the only seed which is set in stone entering Sunday.
The Mat-Su Miners and Anchorage Bucs, meet in a one-game showdown on Sunday at Hermon Brothers Field, the winner claims the ABL championship, and earns home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.
The Pilots and Chugiak-Eagle River Chinooks enter their two-game set battling for the final playoff seed. The Pilots at 17-25, would need to win one of two games against the Chinooks; the Chinooks need to win both games, with their current record of 16-26.
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