Many a good run at an Alaska Baseball League title has been ruined by a long road trip to Fairbanks.
But the Oilers passed that test just fine, topping the Alaska Goldpanners of Fairbanks 18-4 on Thursday at Growden Memorial Park to earn a split in the six-game series.
The Oilers, who host the Chugiak Chinooks on Saturday at 7 p.m., leave Fairbanks in first place in the American League with a 7-7 record. The Anchorage Bucs (5-9) and Panners (4-8) are both two games back.
The Panners ran out of pitching at the end of a long series and the Oilers took advantage, putting up 18 runs, 18 hits and 18 RBIs.
James Fowlkes led the way by going 3 for 4 with two runs and six RBIs. Brian Ruhm also had a big day, going 3 for 5 with four runs.
Also for the Oilers, Jordan Washam had three RBIs; Alex Seifert and Ted Boeke had two hits, two runs and two RBIs; Brent Diaz had two hits and three RBIs; and Lukas Hermanson had two hits and two RBIs.
Kenai Central and American Legion Twins product Hector Rivera also made a plate appearance for the Oilers and walked to score a run and pick up his first RBI as an Oilers player.
The Oilers had planned a staff day on the mound, and that worked well, especially once the offense got rolling. Joe Mata lasted five innings for the win, while Cory Abbot, Travis Holden and Kyle Bovy had scoreless appearances.
Soldotna High School and Twins product Mitchel Daugherty pitched the ninth and gave up a run.
The Oilers actually were down 3-0 at the end of three innings, but scored five in the fourth, five in the fifth, one in the sixth, four in the seventh and three in the eighth to take command.
Thursday
Oilers 18, Panners 4
Oilers AB R H BI Panners AB R H BI
Wshm ss 5 1 1 3 Clto cf 5 1 3 2
Sfrt lf 6 2 2 2 Nlsn ss 5 0 1 0
Olvr 1b 5 1 1 1 Mtz c 5 1 0 0
Bke 3b 4 2 2 2 Bush dh 3 0 1 1
Kron ph 1 0 1 0 Lees lf 4 0 2 0
Rhm rf 5 4 3 0 Vrln 1b 3 0 1 1
Diaz c 5 3 2 1 Jnes 3b 4 0 0 0
Hmsn dh 3 2 2 1 Bnm rf 3 1 1 0
Rvra dh 0 0 0 1 Rbts rf 0 1 0 0
Glsy 2b 5 1 1 2 Ryds 2b 4 0 1 0
Flks cf 4 2 3 6 —- — — — —
Totals 43 18 18 18 Totals 36 4 10 4
Peninsula 000 551 430 —18
Fairbanks 003 000 001 —4
2B — Washam, Oliver, Fowlkes, Cassolato. 3B — Fowlkes, Bynum. SF — Washam, Fowlkes. SH — Hermanson. SB — Ruhm. E — Ruhm, Nielsen, Verlin. LOB — Oilers 15, Goldpanners 8. DP — Oilers 1.
IP H R ER BB SO
Oilers
Mata, W 5 7 3 3 2 2
Abbott 2 0 0 0 1 5
Holden 1 1 0 0 0 1
Bovy 1 1 0 0 0 1
Daugherty 1 1 1 1 0 0
WP — Abbott. HB — Wills, Stewart, Shoemaker 3.
