Anchorage Daily News

KENAI -- With the Alaska Baseball League pennant on the line Friday night, the Peninsula Oilers turned to an 18-year-old pitcher with peach fuzz on his face.

On paper, baby-faced Jordan Meaker didn't seem like a logical choice. He was young, winless on the summer and had been demoted to the bullpen a month ago.

But Oilers manager Thad Johnson knew what he was doing. And although he had planned on throwing Meaker well before Friday's must-win situation developed, the youthful right-hander made his manager look like a genius and helped the Oilers win the pennant.

Meaker threw the game of his life to propel Peninsula to a dramatic 1-0 victory over the Anchorage Bucs in front of a nearly packed house of more than 1,000 fans at Coral Seymour Park, clinching the team's first ABL title in six years and punching the Oilers' ticket to the NBC World Series in Wichita, Kan.

"You would think he would show a little nervousness, but if he was a little tight you never saw it," Johnson said. "He showed he's the real deal. He can definitely compete at this level."

Meaker, who was one of only two pitchers on the staff without a win this summer, pitched eight shutout innings in his longest outing with the Oilers (23-12, 31-15 overall). He gave up just four hits, walked none and struck out five before giving way to closer Taylor Bills in the ninth.

"I've never gone more than like five, six innings in my life," said Meaker, who came into Friday's game having pitched just 23 2/3 innings. "I was just on. My adrenaline was going so much."

The game was scoreless through five innings, with Meaker and Bucs starter Zack Ashwood matching goose eggs. In the sixth inning, though, the Oilers manufactured a run after loading the bases with one out. Ashwood struck out Andy Preston, bringing Jordan Opdyke to the plate.

Opdyke, a free-swinger who is prone to strike out, was probably the last guy anybody would predict could draw a walk, but he managed to lay off Ashwood's outside change up on a 3-2 count, forcing in the game's lone run. It was only the ninth walk for Opdyke in 126 plate appearances.

"I knew he wasn't going to bring me a fastball," said Opdyke, who was batting just .224. "I was seeing the ball really well. He threw that change up and I watched it (run) off the plate."

Given that the ABL pennant chase came down to the final game of the season, it was fitting that the winning run came on a close play.

The Oilers came into the three-game series needing to win two of three, but after losing Wednesday's series opener 3-1 in 12 innings, the Bucs were the ones in control. Anchorage needed to only win Thursday or Friday -- then beat last-place Athletes in Action in an if-necessary game -- to win their first ABL title since 1998.

It didn't happen, though. Instead, they lost consecutive games and were forced to watch the Oilers celebrate the championship and a berth to the NBC World Series. Dozens of fans joined the dog pile of players celebrating on the field after the game.

"It's hard to accept right now," said Bucs second baseman Dustin Hood. "After 46-some games, all the hard work, showing up and playing every day -- then to lose like this, it's tough."

The Bucs (26-16) had limited chances against Meaker, getting a runner to third base just twice.

The Oilers didn't have many more scoring opportunities, although they took advantage in the sixth. With one out, Jake Kahaulelio reached on third baseman Robert Taylor's fielding error, went to second when David Newby walked and third after Brian Van Kirk singled.

It wasn't long before Opydke delivered the biggest RBI of the season. It wasn't pretty -- he would rather have ripped a single -- but it was good enough to make the Oilers champions.

The Oilers will play Prestwood (Ill.) on Wednesday in the first round of the NBC World Series.

Peninsula didn't look like ABL contenders at the beginning of the season, dropping five of its first six league games. But then the team got hot at home and rode that momentum through the final series of the regular season.

"I don't know how many wins we had when we scored in the seventh, eighth and ninth inning, but we've had a ton of them this year," Johnson said. "Our offense just stays mentally locked in and knows that at the end we're gonna get a chance."

In the end, the Bucs couldn't muster the same offense that put them in the title hunt. They managed only nine hits -- all singles -- in the final two games here.

Friday's matchup, though, could've gone either way.

"I don't know if they really outplayed us," Hood said. "They may have caught one more break than we did, but it was a hard-fought game. Both teams laid it on the line. You can't ask for much more than that."

Daily News reporter Van Wiliams can be reached at vwilliams@adn.com.

Miners 5, Pilots 0

Tim Smith weaved seven innings of shutout ball Friday, striking out five and scattering five hits to lead the Mat-Su Miners to a shutout win over the Anchorage Glacier Pilots at Mulcahy Stadium.

The Miners improved to 4-3 against the Pilots this season.

Joe Ercolano went 2 for 4 with a triple and two runs scored.

For the Pilots, James Belyea pounded out three singles -- all ground balls between shortstop and third base.

The Miners will battle the Panners at 5 p.m. today at Hermon Brothers Field in Palmer to wrap up their season.