GREAT FALLS, Mont. — The Orem Owlz lost their lead in the ninth inning, and it took until the 16th inning to get it back.
Jay Brossman homered to left field with one out in the top of the 16th to give Orem a 3-2 extra-innings win over Great Falls, and their third Pioneer League championship in four years — its second in three years.
The Owlz did it this time with a sub-.500 regular-season. They made it to the playoffs only because Idaho Falls won the division in both halves of the season, so the team with the next-best overall record — Orem — got the chance to play Idaho Falls in the first round of the league's playoffs.
The Owlz, who had the best record in the South Division last year, now this year have avenged their premature first-round ousting in 2006 by the Idaho Falls Chukars, who snuck into the playoffs as a second-place team. The Owlz earlier this week swept the Chukars 2-0. With the two-games-to-none victory over Great Falls in the championship series, the Owlz end postseason undefeated.
Great Falls got two runners on base in the bottom of the 16th, but one was called out for interference and the other was stranded.