OILERS vs. BUCS
KENAI -- The crack of the bat told Peninsula Oilers fans that Brian Van Kirk had hit a home run, but they waited until the ball sailed over the left-field wall before going nuts.
Van Kirk stood and stared for a moment too. He knew he crushed the ball. At the same time, though, he was playing at Coral Seymour Park, otherwise known as Death Valley of the Alaska Baseball League.
"I hit it good, but you never know here," Van Kirk said. "A lot of players on our team have hit many balls that we felt were (in the gap) or over (the fence). With the wind and how the field plays huge, it'll get held up."
But Van Kirk's ball cleared the wall, and it helped the Oilers clear a major obstacle in their quest to win the ABL pennant. Van Kirk's solo home run Thursday night put the finishing touches on an 8-1 victory over the visiting Anchorage Bucs in the second game of a pivotal three-game series between the two league leaders.
The victory allowed league- leading Peninsula to move 1 1/2 games ahead of the Bucs in the ABL standings and atone for Wednesday's 3-1 loss in 12 innings. It also gave tonight's series finale a Game 7 feeling because both teams still have a shot at winning the pennant and representing the ABL at the NBC World Series in Wichita, Kan.
"Not everybody gets a chance to go to Wichita," said Bucs outfielder Dom Duggan. "It's special."
The Oilers can claim the championship by winning tonight, while the Bucs would stay alive if they win. The Bucs could still win the title if they beat the Oilers and then defeat last-place Athletes in Action in Saturday's if-necessary make-up game at Mulcahy Stadium. The Bucs own the tiebreaker over the Oilers if both teams are tied in the standings because Anchorage won the season series.
"You can't ask for a better ending, the two best teams coming down to the final game," said Oilers pitcher Jesse Jordan. "That's as good as it gets right there."
The Oilers got in that position, thanks largely to Van Kirk's knockout blow in the sixth inning and Jordan's magnificent pitching performance. Van Kirk finished 4 for 5, but it was his solo homer that gave one of the season's largest home crowds -- nearly 1,000 fans -- a reason to stand up and cheer.
"We have a great crowd," Van Kirk said. "They always rally behind us. Sometimes they get on us, but they rallied behind us tonight. It's good. Home-field advantage definitely helps out."
Peninsula, which improved to 22-6 at home this summer, built a quick 4-0 lead through three innings against Bucs starter Shane Peterson, although it was hardly all his fault.
In the second inning, the Oilers loaded the bases and scored a pair of runs on Rocky Laguna's fly ball to left field. Laguna's pop up was deep enough to score Eric Hagstrom from third base, but outfielder Kevin Koski dropped the ball after falling backward to let Ryan Mottern race home with the second run.
In the third inning, they tacked on two more runs on a play reminiscent of the previous inning. With runners on second and third, Mottern dribbled an infield single to Bucs second baseman Dustin Hood that scored one run. But Hood's late off-balance throw to first base got away from Jason Castro and allowed another run to score.
Down 4-0, the Bucs finally got on the scoreboard in the fourth inning after getting two runners on base and some help from Jordan's high and wide throw to first base in an attempt to make a play on a sacrifice bunt. It was seemingly the only mistake Jordan made all night.
Jordan, a crafty lefty, allowed just four singles and an one unearned run in seven innings to win his team-high sixth game of the season.
"This was one of the biggest wins I've ever had," he said. "I wanted to do it for the town and the fans. We would've almost been out of it if we lost."
The Oilers made it 6-1 in the fourth inning on Jordan Opdyke's towering two-run double that dropped just short of the left-field wall. Bucs outfielder Koski appeared to have a bead on the ball, but it kept carrying over his head.
Jordan got stronger the longer he pitched. In the seventh inning, he threw just four pitches, benefiting from a double play after centerfielder David Newby caught a fly ball and doubled up the runner at first base. The Oilers southpaw held the Bucs -- a team hitting nearly .280 on the season -- to four singles.
"He was nibbling on the corners and keeping the ball down," Duggan said of Jordan. "The only time we really hit him was when he left the ball up. I couldn't get a feel for him today at all."
The Bucs hope to have better luck today against another Jordan, the Oilers' scheduled starter Jordan Meaker.
"We didn't get it done today, but that's why we've got a three-game series," Duggan said. "We knew we had a little bit of leeway, not to say we were complacent. But there wasn't any pressure on us.
"We know we can beat these guys."
Daily News reporter Van Williams can be reached at vwilliams@adn.com.
Goldpanners 3, Pilots 2
Mark Thompson was hit by a pitch to force in the game-winning run in the 11th inning and give the Fairbanks Goldpanners a come-from-behind win over the Anchorage Glacier Pilots at Growden Memorial Park in Fairbanks.
Thompson, who has been hit 24 times this season, drove home Mike Lissman, who reached on a walk.
The Panners' Ryne Price took the loss, while the Pilots' Kevin Hernandez pitched two-thirds of an inning of relief for the win.
The Goldpanners (16-18, 21-21 overall) and Glacier Pilots (15-19, 21-20 overall) flip-flopped for fourth and fifth place in the ABL standings.
Lucas Waters drove in the Pilots' first run on a sacrifice fly in the fifth and then scored in the eighth on a wild-pitch.
The Goldpanners tied the game at 2-2 in the bottom of the eight on a sacrifice fly and an Anchorage error.
The Pilots won the season series 4-2.
ABL STANDINGS
ALASKA BASEBALL LEAGUE
W L Pct. GB Overall
Oilers 22 12 .647 -- 30-15
Bucs 20 13 .606 1 ½ 26-15
Miners 18 15 .545 4 23-16
Goldpanners 16 18 .470 6 21-21
Glacier Pilots 15 19 .441 7 22-19
Fire 10 24 .294 12 12-26
RESULTS AND SCHEDULE
Thursday's Games
Peninsula Oilers 8, Anchorage Bucs 1
Fairbanks Goldpanners 3, Anchorage Glacier Pilots 2
Today's Games
Mat-Su Miners at Anchorage Glacier Pilots, 7 p.m.
Anchorage Bucs at Peninsula Oilers, 6 p.m.
Saturday's Games
Mayor's Cup Game No. 1 -- Anchorage Glacier Pilots at Anchorage Bucs 7 p.m.
ALASKA BASEBALL
Thursday's Results
Peninsula Oilers 8, Anchorage Bucs, 1
Fairbanks Goldpanners 3, Anchorage Glacier Pilots, 1
Today's Games
6 p.m. -- Bucs at Oilers RADIO: KUDO, AM-1080
7 p.m. -- Miners at Glacier Pilots RADIO: KHAR AM-590
