Fish win! Fish win! Goldeyes headed to league championship series for 1st time since 2017

The Winnipeg Goldeyes are championship bound.

The Fish captured theAmerican Association of Professional Baseball's West Division crown at their home park on Thursday nightin the must-win thirdgame of a best-of-three series against the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks.

Goldeyes pitcher Mitchell Lambsonput on a clinic with his best performance of the entire season, striking out 11 and allowing just one run and five hits in nearly seven innings of work.

Thehome squad took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the fourth inning before the teams traded single scores in the following frame.

The Goldeyes heldon to that thin 2-1 lead into the bottom of the eighth, whenfirst basemanJake McMurrayput a solo shot over the left field onto Waterfront Drive for some insurance.

It was all they'd need. Nick Trogrlic-Iversonpitched an inning in relief andWinnipeggerBen Onyshko closed things off for the Fish.

They now play in the Miles Wolff Cupchampionship for the first time since 2017, facing the Kane County Cougars.

The best-of-five final startsSaturday at Northwestern Medicine Field in Geneva, Ill.

Game 2 is Sunday in Illinois, before the Goldeyes return home to Blue Cross Park forGame 3 on Tuesday and, if necessary, games 4 and 5 on Wednesday and Thursday.

"I've been to a few games this year and I thought [that one] was just fantastic," fan Rob Barnsleysaid following Thursday's contest.

"And this stadium is amazing. I've been in many provinces, many states and this crowd is great. I hope everybody comes out for the final and packs this place."

Karen Zapisockiwill also be among the fans there. She went straight from her seat to the box office to grab her ticketafter the clinching win.

"We wanted to make sure we grabbed it right away for Tuesday's game."

After a shaky start to the season, which saw the Goldeyes stumble out to a 3-7 start in their opening 10 games, they caught fire, eventually clinching first place in the West with a56-43record going, coincidentally, 7-3 in their final 10.

The series opener will feature GoldeyesaceJoey Matulovichon the mound.A video stream of every gamewill be available for free through the American Association.

TheGoldeyeswere champions of the Northern League in 1994, in their inaugural season, and played in that league until 2010 when it ceased operation.

The team joined the American Association for the following season and won it all in 2012, then took back-to-back titlesin 2016 and 2017.

In the six years since, they have failed to make the playoffs five times, including last season. They reached the division final in 2022 but lost.

Jocko Rodgers, whohas been a Fish fan since 1994, was decked out with a hat from that year's championship and a jersey coming out of Thursday night's game.

He credited the team's turnaround to its pitching and didn't hesitate when asked for his prediction around the final series.

"We're gonna win."