The Peninsula Oilers defeated the Chugiak-Eagle River Chinooks 6-3 on Wednesday in Alaska Baseball League play at Coral Seymour Memorial Park in Kenai.
The Oilers won the first game of the series that will decide the fourth spot in the Top of the World Series playoffs. Peninsula is now 4-1 this season against the Chinooks.
The series continues Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 6 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m.
The Mat-Su Miners took over first place in the ABL by defeating the Anchorage Glacier Pilots on Wednesday.
The Miners are 20-15, while the Glacier Pilots and Anchorage Bucs are both a half game back at 20-16.
The Oilers are 4.5 games back at 15-19, while the Chinooks fall seven games off the pace at 13-22.
The Chinooks were able to grab a 1-0 lead on the Oilers in the top of the second inning, but the Oilers were in control of the game from there.
Peninsula scored three in the bottom of the second, two in the sixth and one in the seventh.
In the eighth, the Chinooks had a pair of runs, but right fielder Leighton Helfrick mitigated any further damage by throwing out Ryan Leonesio at the plate to end the inning.
William Grimm had the victory, going six innings and giving up a run on four hits while walking two and striking out two.
In middle relief, Evan Langer allowed a pair of unearned runs on a hit while walking two and striking out three.
Harrison Metz, a product of Homer High and the American Legion Twins, picked up the save with a scoreless ninth. He gave up a hit.
Nick Costello and Michael Elko led the Oilers on offense, with Costello 2 for 4 with a run and an RBI, and Elko 2 for 3 with a run and an RBI. Josiah Chavez was 2 for 4, while Theo Forshey scored two runs and Ty Thomas had a pair of RBIs.
