What a way to turn 19.

Leadoff hitter Darwin Perez launched a fly ball Sunday with a strong wind at his back for a game-winning double that clinched the first half of the Pioneer League race for the Owlz.

They won, 4-3, taking both games in a quasi-doubleheader against Idaho Falls caused by rains that postponed a game from Saturday night.

"I just knew I needed to make contact, make something happen," the 5-foot-10 shortstop Perez said through a translator of his two-out hit that landed on the left-field warning track and easily scored runners who started at first and second base.

The hit by the birthday boy capped a stunning turn of events for the defending league champions, who appeared to be on the outside looking in at the race to be considered first-half champions, which ensures a bid in the four-team playoffs at the end of the 76-game regular season.

Orem (25-13) was swept by Casper in two games, then started Saturday figuring it had to win both games with the Chukars. And even that wouldn't be a guarantee, as Casper was playing at Ogden, which like Idaho Falls carries a losing record. The Ghosts (23-15) had a half-game edge in the standings when the weekend started.

Turned out that Orem's second Sunday win wasn't necessary, nor was following the result of the Ogden-Casper outcome, which was 12-5 Ogden in the seventh inning as the Owlz were busy celebrating. (That game ended 13-6.)

"The bottom line is, we won the two games when we had to," Orem manager Tom Kotchman said. "That's the way you want to do it, not having to think about what another team does."

Orem could not have settled for a tie, because Casper owned the advantage having won 6-of-8 meetings so far.

So the Owlz got a little lucky over the weekend, but they also created some good fortune by playing well for 12 innings Sunday.

After cutting Idaho Falls' lead from 4-1 to 4-3, Saturday night's game was suspended after four innings when rain and heavy winds caused a delay. After a 45-minute wait, the umpires decided to finish the game the following day.

Orem rallied to win, 7-4, thanks to a three-run sixth inning fueled by Roberto Lopez's leadoff home run and a two-run, two-out double from Ivan Contreras. Kotchman praised the pitching of Jayson Miller, who improved to 4-1 by throwing all five remaining innings and allowing three hits while striking out four.

The Owlz had to play the second game -- a seven-inning affair per league rules when doubleheaders are involved -- using all hurlers from the bullpen. Nonetheless, three combined for the win.

Idaho Falls took a 3-2 lead in the fifth and appeared to be in good shape when James Thompson took the mound abruptly after his teammate was hurt while delivering a pitch. The 6-3 righthander struck out both batters he faced in the sixth.

But he allowed a double by Donato Giovanatto to start the seventh. After getting two outs, he unraveled. First came a four-pitch walk to Orem's No. 9 batter, Beau Brooks (.178 average) to set up a chance for Perez (.311).

"The wind was blowing out hard," Kotchman said, "so you knew if a ball got in the air it could be trouble. It was one of the few times you want a guy (Perez's) size to hit one in the air."

A switch-hitter opting to go lefty on this at-bat, Perez worked the count to 2-1 before sending a high flyball that appeared to be an easy out. Try telling that to Idaho Falls' leftfielder, who was playing shallow perhaps in case of a ground ball that might have forced a play at the plate.

Shawn Griffin made a couple of panicked spin moves but could never track down the ball. Brooks, a catcher, scored the game-winning run without a play at home plate.

"We just had to stay focused and work as hard as we could to win these games," said Perez, who is from Venezuela.

Orem is at Ogden for a three-game series starting tonight. It won't be the same team that's playoff bound. Kotchman said reliever Francis Cabrera, who pitched the final inning to pick up the second-game win yesterday to improve to 2-0, has been called up to Class A Cedar Rapids (Iowa).

So was first baseman Gabe Jacobo, who went 0-for-3 with a pair of strikeouts in the seven-inning game but is still hitting .327.