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THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Wednesday, September 27, 2045
2045 IPA DIVISION CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES - Game 7
Ruthlandian Union
RATTLERS UPSET ROOSTERS IN 7 GAMES
The sixth-rated Sugar Valley Rattlers had to rally from a three games to one deficit to upset the third-ranked Middlefield Roosters in the Ruthlandian Division Championship Series... in his first start in this series Antonio Cedeno hogtied the Middlefield bats 3-1 in crucial game seven to give the Rattlers a very hard-earned victory... Cedeno (1-0/0.82) quelled the Roosters on 6 hits with 4 Ks and 3 walks... SS Roger Hobbs (.200) gave him all the runs he needed with a 3-run smash in the top of the fifth frame... that was the only mistake James Long made... none of the runs were earned... Long (2-1/0.33) gave up only 4 hits in a heart-breaking defeat.
Long-time Sugar Valley manager Gibby Bobkins is in his farewell season... he would like nothing better than to go out with a Pro Cup in his trophy case... 13 times Bobkins has taken his Rattlers to the playoffs, but he has never won the IPA crown... twice he made the Finals, but they lost both times in 2004 and 2024... Bobby Gamble will take over in the 2046 season... he will be a playing manager next year.
Speaking to the press after the game, Bobkins said, "You have to take each series one at a time, but it would certainly be a great way to cap my career if we could win our first Pro Cup... we beat a very good Middlefield team... if we continue to play well, the sky's the limit... my Rattlers can play with anyone."
Rooster manager Ricky Tinker told reporters, "We just couldn't finish them off... up 3-1 and couldn't win it... that's sad... you got to give it to the Rattlers, they never gave up... we had our ace on the mound in game seven and he pitched a hell of a game... apparently it just wasn't our time this year."
It should a whale of series for the Ruthlandian League Championship... Glasco and Sugar Valley have explosive offenses and fine pitching.
Tycobbian Union
RED SOX EDGE WILDCATS 4-3 IN GAME 7
It took a herculean effort, but Red Bluff, the number-two choice to win the Pro Cup this year, finally subdued a tough bunch of Kenwood Wildcats in the Tycobbian Division Series... the Red Sox edged them 4-3 in game seven, scoring the winning run in the last of the eighth on pinchhitter Lee Wood's RBI single that scored Phil White from second base... Jud Cox (2-1/1.85) worked a standout game, going 8 innings and limiting the Wildcats to 3 runs on 5 hits... only one was earned... George Reynolds came on in the ninth and notched his second save in the series, despite walking two batters... he got the final out with the winning runs on base... Clyde Myers (1-2/3.91) worked a credible game, permitting 4 runs, 2 earned, and 10 hits with 5 Ks and 2 walks.
The Red Sox picked up 10 hits to just 5 for the Wildcats... back-to-back sac flies by C Corky DiNozzo (.231) and 1B Bert Henrich(.261) gave Kenwood a 2-0 lead in the top of the first... Red Sox SS Leemon O'Donovan (.130) doubled to lead off the second and scored on C Phil White's (.259) base hit to cut it to 2-1... Red Bluff knotted it up 2-all in the fourth when SP Jud Cox (.222) singled in LF Jesse Shaw (.154) from second base... in the fifth frame the Wildcats again took the lead 3-2 on an RBI single by CF Warren Vickers (.233) that scored 2B Akihiro Samurakami (.217)... the Red Sox came right back in the last half of the frame to even it up at 3-3 when LF Jesse Shaw (.154) singled and plated CF Ike Sweetwater (.333).
Red Bluff skipper Jim Schubert commented, "Hats off to the Wildcats... they really had me sweatin'... Boy, we had our backs to the wall losing the first two games... it was really tough to come back and take four out the the last five games... you don't do that that often in this league... Cox and Wallace really came through for us... Wallace won game six and Cox won game seven."
Aaron Hankins, Kenwood manager, wasn't happy with the results, but he was very proud of his team. "We did our best and almost pulled it off... nobody on our team is hanging his head... we are all standing proud."
Red Bluff now get the honor to tangle with the defending Pro Cup champion Southport Sun Sox and their tremendous pitching staff for the Tycobbian League title... the Red Sox hit a record 283 homers this year, while the Sun Sox have one of the top-rated staffs in the IPA... it should be quite a series.
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