|
THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Monday, September 17, 2046
IPA PRO CUP PLAYOFFS SLATED FOR WEDNESDAY
With the close of the regular season, the IPA "second season" is slated to begin this Wednesday at four sites around the Islands... eight division winners have qualified for the Pro Cup playoffs... in the Ruthlandian Union the Valmara Vipers (95-59) and Claxton Diamonds (93-61) won their divisions in close encounters... the Vipers dethroned last year's RU North winner Glasco by two games, while the Diamonds captured the RU South for the second season in succession, nipping Waleska and Valka by three games... the current Pro Cup champion Sugar Valley Rattlers (93-61) easily repeated in the Ruthlandian East with a 12-game bulge over runner-up Eastshore (81-73)... Rocky Rapids (94-60) was the best in the West as they knocked off last year's winner Middlefield (89-65) by five games... In the Tycobbian portion of the Pro Cup playoffs, it will be three runaway flag winners... Hartsdale (98-56) had a very easy time in the TU North, whipping Blue Lake (83-71) by a whopping 15 games... defending champ North Hills (81-73) dropped to a distant third this year after winning 11 times in the last 13 seasons... the Red Bluff Red Sox (93-61) raced to an 11-game win over Tuckanarra (82-72) in the TU East... it was the Red Sox's second straight division crown... Kenwood (92-62) swept the Tycobbian West by 10 games over Arlon (82-72)... and Summerland (94-60) fended off last year's pennant winner Southport by a single game... the division title was decided on the final day of the season... the Sunsets topped Oxford 8-6, while the Sun Sox were beaten 2-1 by Blue Lake.
In the Ruthlandian Division Series Rocky Rapids will open up at home against the Sugar Valley Rattlers, the reigning Pro Cup trophy holder in a best-of-seven series... in the other match-up it's Valmara hosting the Claxton Diamonds... In the Tycobbian Union Summerland will be on the road against the Hartsdale Hellcats and Kenwood will travel to play the Red Sox in Red Bluff... last season in the Pro Cup Finals Sugar Valley bested the Southport Sun Sox in six games.
The baseball scribes are forecasting another wide-open battle for the IPA crown with seven clubs given an equal shot at coming away with the Pro Cup trophy... Claxton was the only team given little chance by the oddsmakers of being the Island champion.
2046 IPA FINAL STANDINGS ON SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 16
|