It was one of those days at the ballpark for the Peninsula Oilers.
The Oilers opened a pivotal five-game series against the Chugiak-Eagle River Chinooks with a 10-7 loss in Alaska Baseball League play at Coral Seymour Memorial Park in Kenai.
The Oilers and Chinooks are fighting for the last playoff spot. Chugiak, at 5-18, has moved to 1.5 games from the Oilers, who are 6-16. The Mat-Su Miners are in first place at 19-8, the Anchorage Glacier Pilots are in second at 15-6 and the Bucs are in third at 14-11.
Peninsula and Chugiak continue the series tonight at 6 p.m. at Seymour Park.
Pitching has been a strength for the Oilers this season, but the staff struggled Thursday. Oilers pitchers walked 12 batters, hit two batters and gave up 13 hits. Throw in four errors by the home team, and it was a night to forget.
Despite that, the Oilers led 2-1 after three innings, 4-3 after four innings and 5-4 after five innings. The Chinooks went up 6-5 in the sixth, 9-5 in the eighth and 10-5 after the top of the ninth.
Peninsula managed to bring the tying run to the plate in the ninth with two outs, but Jerry Nix popped out.
Knolton Clark started for the Oilers, giving up four runs — three earned — on three hits in five innings while walking six. Blake Reilly took the loss, giving up five runs — four earned — in 2 2-3 innings on six hits while walking six. Homer product Mose Hayes gave up a run on four hits in 1 1-3 innings.
The Oilers piled up 13 hits, but also ran into four outs on the basepaths.
James Shimashita was 2 for 3 with two runs, Jacob Shaver was 2 for 4, Shunsuke Sakaino was 2 for 4 with two runs, Noah Hennings was 3 for 5 and Trey Becker was 2 for 3 with two runs.
Ryan Mathiesen was the big stick for the Chinooks, going 3 for 5 with a home run, two runs scored and three RBIs.
