The Peninsula Oilers snapped a seven-game losing streak with a crucial 6-2 win over the host Chugiak-Eagle River Chinooks in 12 innings Saturday.
The game against the Chinooks was the last in a nine-game road trip. The Oilers won the first of the trip before hitting the losing streak.
Peninsula and Chugiak-Eagle River are battling for the fourth and final spot in the Top of the World Series playoffs.
The two are tied in the standings 13.5 games out of first, with the Oilers at 13-26 and the Chinooks at 11-24. The Oilers own the season series 7-4.
The Anchorage Bucs lead the league at 25-11, while the Mat-Su Miners are next three games back at 21-13 and the Pilots are five games back at 19-15.
The Oilers now play the final five games of the regular season at home against the Bucs. The Oilers play at Coral Seymour Memorial Park on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 6 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m.
The Chinooks have nine games remaining — four against the Miners, four against the Pilots and one against the Bucs. Five are at home, while the other four are on the road.
If the Oilers do make the playoffs, the 12th inning Saturday will be a big reason why. It had been a frustrating evening to that point, with the Oilers leaving 15 runners on base.
Kenai Central product Paul Steffensen started the rally with a one-out walk, then Travis Bohall singled Steffensen to third. Jaden Fein then singled to score Steffensen and put Bohall on third.
Camden Vasquez was hit by a pitch to load the bases for Bobby Goodloe. That was crucial because the Chinooks had been intentionally walking Goodloe in the game. He showed why when he singled to score Bohall for a 4-2 lead.
While the Goodloe hit wasn’t surprise, the next batter was pitcher Bryan Woo, getting his first at-bat of the season. Woo singled to score Vasquez and Fein and give himself a nice cushion in the bottom of the 12th.
There, Woo retired three of four batters to end the game and earn the win.
Connor McCord gave the Oilers a solid start, going six innings and giving up six hits and two runs. The bullpen was then lights out, as Calvin Farris, Heath Olive, Travis Roberts, Jake Adams and Woo combined to pitch six scoreless innings and allow just one hit.
Victor Carlino and Bohall finished with three hits for the Oilers, while Fein and Goodloe had two apiece.
Friday, Mat-Su needed five pitchers to do it, but the Miners staff put together a shutout on the mound.
The Miners blanked the Peninsula Oilers 5-0 at Hermon Brothers Field in Palmer.
Randy Abshier earned the win on the mound, allowing a pair of hits and fanning five over four innings. Abshier, who hit 87 pitches, didn’t allow the Oilers to cash in on any of their six walks. The pitching staff combined to allow only four hits and strike out nine. Evan Floyd worked two innings, and fanned three. Owen Lamon, Grant Sloan and Jacob McNairy pitched an inning each.
Five different Miners finished with two hits each in the win. Sam Thompson finished with two hits and two RBIs. Justin Kirby had two hits and scored twice. Aaron Walters had a run, hit and RBI. Coby Boulware and Kody Huff added two hits and an RBI each.
Bobby Goodloe collected two of the Oilers four hits in the game.
Jeremiah Bartz of the Frontiersman contributed to this report.
