Sunday: Rain halts Oilers-Pilots game while it is still scoreless

The skies, the Peninsula Oilers and the Anchorage Glacier Pilots all did plenty of threatening Sunday afternoon at Coral Seymour Memorial Park in Kenai.

Only the gloomy clouds delivered on their threat, leaving this Alaska Baseball League game scoreless and to be decided at a later date.

The game will be started in the top of the sixth inning, with the Glacier Pilots batting with two outs and nobody on base. That resumption will likely happen Thursday in Anchorage — the only time the Oilers and Pilots are scheduled to meet for the rest of the season.

Immediately following the top of the second inning, the umpires called a rain delay just 25 minutes into the game.

The showers quickly abated, but the field had taken a lot of rain, and players and coaches worked to get it dry again. After a little under an hour, the game was on.

But the rain started again in the bottom of the fourth inning. The game ended in the top of the sixth inning when a bizarre play made it clear how unplayable the field had become.

Eugene Vazquez of the Glacier Pilots grounded the ball to shortstop Jim Galusky. He had trouble handling the ball, but it didn’t matter because Vazquez was still spinning his tires in the batter’s box.

By that point, Oilers head coach Kevin Griffin said that the infield had taken so much water that putting the tarp on and waiting for the showers to clear wouldn’t have worked, because the tarp would have simply sealed in all that water.

A game needs to go five innings to be official, or 4 1-2 if the home team is ahead. Both teams had ample opportunities to end this one early.

The Glacier Pilots put a runner on third with nobody out in the first inning, but Oilers starter Josh Medeles struck out two and induced a popup to end the threat.

In the third, the Pilots had runners on first and second with nobody out, but again two strikeouts and a fly ball were enough for Medeles to escape. In the fourth, Medeles worked around a one-out double.

“I was impressed by how he came back after such a long layoff,” Griffin said. “He definitely worked out of some jams that allowed it to stay a scoreless game.”

Medeles gave up two hits in four innings, walking five and striking out seven. Brandon VanStone worked 1 2-3 innings of perfect relief.

Pilots starter Will Hibbs also navigated traffic to keep a clean sheet, giving up five hits in five innings.

In the first inning, the Oilers put runners on second and third with one out thanks to one of Bennett Oliver’s two doubles on the day. But two grounders ended the threat.

In the second, the Oilers had a runner in scoring position with two outs, but another grounder broke that promise.

In the third, Oliver doubled with one down but again was left stranded.

In the fourth, with menacing skies closing in, Blake Wilfong led off with a single for the Oilers and was bunted to second by Galusky. After James Fowlkes flew out, Jordan Washam went into an 0-2 hole and fouled off three pitches before singling to right field.

Griffin sent Wilfong home, but Vazquez’s throw to Cameron Comer was good enough to foil early victory plans.

Had Wilfong scored, the Oilers could have shut the Pilots down in the fifth and secured the win.

“I was well aware of it,” Griffin said of the impending showers. “It’s why I sent him, and it’s why I bunted him.”

As it turned out, the only players to cross home plate safely were Brian Ruhm of the Oilers and Brett Brown of the Pilots — and even that’s a highly debatable point.

Both delighted their teams and the few remaining fans by stripping to just their compression shorts and taking muddy, head-first slides across the plate once the game had been called.

More in Sports

tease
1st Soldotna Cycle Series of the year draws 49

The first Soldotna Cycle Series race took place Thursday, July 10, at… Continue reading

Nick Varney
Reeling ‘Em In: Can things get even better?

The silvers are starting to get their finny freak on at our famous Nick Dudiak Fishing Lagoon.

Runners line up at the start for the Seldovia Salmon Shuffle 5K race on Friday, July 4, 2025, in Seldovia, Alaska. Photo courtesy Ecola Collier
255 do the Salmon Shuffle

The 5K race is held annually as part of Seldovia’s 4th of July celebrations.

Nick Varney
Reeling ‘Em In: Hard luck at the fishing hole

The action wasn’t as hot as in the past, but neither was the run.

Seward's Fred Moore stands at the base of Mount Marathon in Seward, Alaska, on Monday, June 24, 2019. Moore will run in his 50th consecutive Mount Marathon race on July 4. (Photo by Joey Klecka/Peninsula Clarion)
‘It’s been a good run’

Seward’s Moore explains his decision to end his Mount Marathon streak at 54

Matthew Schilling of the American Legion Post 20 Twins slides safely past Eagle River catcher Jack Mullen on Monday, July 7, 2025, at Coral Seymour Memorial Park in Kenai, Alaska. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)
Monday: Twins keep rolling with sweep of Eagle River

The American Legion Post 20 Twins swept Eagle River on Monday at… Continue reading

Sharon Tyone, Dan Aaronson and Jessica Small make the "real life slot machine" work at the Oilers All-Star Family Field Day on Saturday, July 5, 2025, at Coral Seymour Memorial Park in Kenai, Alaska. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)
Oilers return to field for All-Star Family Field Day

It was only for a day, but the Peninsula Oilers were able… Continue reading

David Norris, 34, of Steamboat Springs, Colorado, wins the men's race at the Mount Marathon Race on July 4, 2025, in Seward, Alaska. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)
Norris goes 6 for 6 in Mount Marathon men’s race; Moore’s streak ends at 54 races

One streak lived while another streak ended during a brilliantly sunny men’s… Continue reading

Anchorage's Klaire Rhodes, 27, wins the women's race at the Mount Marathon Race on July 4, 2025, in Seward, Alaska. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)
Anchorage’s Rhodes defends women’s Mount Marathon crown

With Seward stuffed with people for 97th running of the Mount Marathon… Continue reading

The juniors start at the Mount Marathon Race on July 4, 2025, in Seward, Alaska. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)
Anchorage’s Zuber, Flagstad capture junior Mount Marathon races

Kenai’s Boonstra takes 2nd in junior girls race

tease
Thursday: Twins finish strong road trip by sweeping South

The visiting American Legion Post 20 Twins picked up 10-0 and 18-5… Continue reading

tease
Post 20 Twins enact mercy rule on Eagle River

The visiting American Legion Post 20 Twins defeated Eagle River 11-0 in… Continue reading