Aces claim PCL division title in extras

There are winner-take-all finales, and then there are games that live up to the mantle of being one.

Arizona's No. 9 prospect Nick Ahmed drove in the go-ahead run in the top of the 10th inning as Triple-A Reno clinched the PCL Pacific Northern Division title with a 2-1 road win over second-place Sacramento.

The division race came down to a season rivalry that had been as even as possible entering Monday. The Aces needed a win to wrap up the title, and a loss would have given the division to the River Cats by virtue of a better head-to-head record that stood at 8-7 in favor of Sacramento heading into the season's final day.

The Aces scored the game's first run when Blake Lalli singled home Roger Kieschnick in the top of the fifth inning, but the River Cats answered in the seventh. Shane Peterson hit a leadoff double to right field and then crossed the plate on a two-error play that included a fielding miscue by right fielder Brett Jackson and an errant throw by second baseman Chris Owings.

With two outs in the 10th, Ahmed cashed in Mike Freeman's leadoff double for the game-winner.

Reno charged to the division title with a flurry, winning 21 of its final 31 games to catch and pass Sacramento. The River Cats went 15-16 over that span.

Starter Charles Brewer threw six shutout innings for the Aces before giving way to his bullpen. Kevin Munson (4-3) worked 1 1/3 scoreless innings, and Jake Barrett worked around two walks in the bottom of the 10th to finish off his 16th save of the year.

Other clinchings:

Eastern League
Erie 4, Akron 2

Akron fell in its regular-season finale, but clinched the Western Division with Bowie's loss to Altoona. The RubberDucks secured the crown despite a slump to the finish line. Akron lost 10 of its last 11 and 13 of its last 16. Ollie Linton doubled and drove in a run while adding a run scored in the Labor Day loss. Gameday box score

Texas League
Frisco 7, Midland 0

When the RoughRiders needed a South Division-clinching win, they got it, unsurprisingly, from their star's bat. No. 1 Rangers prospect Joey Gallo blasted his 42nd home run of the season and 21st in a Frisco uniform to spark his club in the first inning. Gallo fell one home run shy of matching Iowa's Kris Bryant, the Cubs' top prospect, for the 2014 Minor League crown. Five RoughRiders pitchers combined on a two-hitter. Gameday box score

California League
Inland Empire 10, Lancaster 3

The 66ers' impressive second-half turnaround resulted in a South Division title. Cal Towey homered and plated four runs while Angel Rosa amassed four hits, two runs and an RBI. Anthony Bemboom added a solo homer. Lake Elsinore's loss secured the division for Inland Empire. Box score

Carolina League
Myrtle Beach 3, Lynchburg 2

The Pelicans clinched the Southern Division with Salem's loss earlier in the day, but Myrtle Beach still had a season finale to remember. Luis Mendez doubled in Nick Vickerson in the bottom of the ninth inning to wrap up a Southern Division sweep in 2014 for Myrtle Beach. Box score

Midwest League
South Bend 5, Lansing 4 (6 innings)

With a four-run fifth inning and some rain, the Silver Hawks wrapped up the Eastern Division with a road win at Lansing. Recently promoted from Rookie-level Missoula, Trevor Mitsui doubled and drove in a run, and Chuck Taylor scored twice for South Bend. Box score

New York-Penn League
Connecticut 9, Lowell 8

Brett Pirtle, a 23rd-round pick this year, doubled twice and drove in five runs to lead the Tigers to a Wild-Card berth. Connecticut and Brooklyn finished tied for the circuit's final postseason ticket, but the Tigers won the tiebreaker. Box score

Pioneer League
Idaho Falls 6, Ogden 5

Despite falling to the Chukars, the Raptors wrapped up the league's South Division by virtue of Orem losing to Grand Junction, 11-10. Theo Alexander doubled and scored twice for the Raptors, who won a league-best 12 games in the second half to advance to the postseason. Box score