[EMSoccerCoach]

PENNANT RACE REPORT

Sept. 24, 2017

Northern League West

Chicago Hitmen	83	72	.538	-
Milwaukee Bangers	82	73	.530	1.0
Sacramento Stingers	81	74	.522	2.0

Louisville 4, Milwaukee 3: Mickey Harris won his 21st for Louisville and Brad Lidge closed his 27th as Louisville threw a monkey wrench at the Bangers' playoff chase. Nellie Fox drove in a pair for Louisville. Joe Tinker drove in all three runs for Milwaukee, while Smokey Joe Williams fell to 12-13.

Chicago 3, Sacramento 2: Len Barker improved to 14-11, allowing 1 run over 8 innings despite failing to strike out a batter. Barker's been tremendous, going 4-1 with a 1.22 ERA over his last 7 starts. Babe Ruth, Roger Connor and Frank Baker each drove in a run for Chicago, which took over sole possession of first place.

Southern League East

St. Louis Tides	85	70	.551	-
New Orleans Knights	84	71	.543	1.0
Alabama Airmen	80	75	.516	5.0

St. Louis 15, Memphis 5: After dropping six straight, the Tides unload for 21 hits to hand Ralph Branca his 18th loss. Duke Snider tripled, homered and drove in 4 and Hal Chase drove in 3 for the Tides, who overcame Willie Stargell's two homers to give him 33 to take over the Southern League home run lead from L.A.'s Dan Brouthers.

Los Angeles 4, New Orleans 2: Ewell Blackwell blew his 5th save in the 9th for New Orleans and Eddie Murray hit a walkoff 2-run homer for Los Angeles to drop the Knights a game back and give the Idols a much-needed win as they continue to chase Arizona.

Alabama 2, Orlando 1: After each team scored once in the first, Alabama's Larry Sorensen and Orlando's Al Javery threw up zeroes until the top of the 10th, when Mike Hegan hit a 2-out RBI double off Harry Brecheen to give Alabama the lead.

Southern League West

Arizona Sandmen	97	58	.630	-
Los Angeles Idols	95	60	.618	2.0

Oklahoma City 2, Arizona 1 (10 innings): Ron Guidry won his 13th, outdueling 23-game winner Dutch Leonard as September callup Carlos Quentin, a one-time 30-homer man, hit his first homer of the season to win it in the 10th.

NOTE: San Antonio's Tim Raines hit a first-inning single to extend his hitting streak to 32 games, one shy of the PBL record set by Richie Ashburn last season.