Week 12: July 11-22
Round 23:
...National 3-2 Otahel City - 7-2, 3-4(10), 9-2, 0-1, 17-0
..A.Spirits 3-2 Sitache - 1-0, 4-1, 4-5, 1-7, 5-2
...Akashemo 2-3 Pasataki - 2-1, 8-3, 3-9, 1-6, 1-5
.....Tsapna 3-2 Kupore - 2-10, 5-3, 5-9, 2-1, 5-3
.....Keleri 3-2 Mithazni - 5-2, 2-3, 10-7, 6-5, 1-2
Mighty Oaks 3-2 Kepmem - 8-2, 1-0, 6-9, 1-0, 2-8
....Cheshek 3-2 Fampalo - 0-8, 3-6, 8-7, 6-0, 3-2(12)
...Westline 2-3 Hokrof - 1-6, 0-5, 7-4, 7-10, 8-7
..Sh.Eagles 0-5 Lutrul - 4-7, 2-8, 4-14, 4-6, 3-6
....Nokelto 1-4 Amnanache - 9-2, 2-3, 1-5, 9-12, 1-9
Hokrof 6, Westline 1: A season-ending injury for my Lokasi "counterpart",
Westline SP Uriyoko Tselsiko. He'll finish his first EL season with an 8-8 record (after, at one point, being tied for the league lead with 6 wins) and a 3.92 ERA. Given his impending free agency, I wonder if this might be the last time I see him in the EL. Even worse, the duration of his injury was announced on our shared birthday.
Lutrul 14, Shunna Eagles 4: in this blowout win,
Lutrul SS Rair Felitsu hit for the cycle, the third player to do so this season. He was on cycle watch early, picking up his triple in the 1st inning and homering in the 3rd, and he finished it early with a double and single in the 4th and 6th. Overshadowed was LF Sil Nokolo's two-homer game, even with 5 RBI.
Kepmem 9, Mighty Oaks 6:
Oaks SP Kiosho Epofemi left this game after just seven batters faced, and the next day we learned he will miss the rest of the season with a bone spur. His replacement, Kesi Taowa, faced 7 batters and only retired one before leaving with an injury himself, all within an 8-run second inning for Kepmem. The Oaks battled back to 8-6 but couldn't get closer than that.
Lutrul 6, Shunna Eagles 3: Another medium-term injury for
Lutrul CF Ipitashi Rerawe, this one a bicep strain that will keep him out about a month and a half. Rerawe has been limited to a total of just 110 games the past two seasons, keeping him from showing his usual standard and keeping Lutrul from really showing their full strength.
Round 24:
Mighty Oaks 1-4 Fampalo - 0-1, 1-4, 2-4, 5-4, 1-6
...National 5-0 Mithazni - 4-2, 5-1, 7-2, 7-6, 12-1
....Nokelto 4-1 Sitache - 6-0, 7-2, 3-2(10), 6-5, 2-11
....Cheshek 1-4 Amnanache - 1-2, 1-13, 0-9, 4-2, 0-1
..A.Spirits 5-0 Lutrul - 2-1, 6-4, 11-0, 5-0, 3-1
...Westline 3-2 Otahel City - 9-0, 9-4, 2-6, 7-3, 10-11
.....Keleri 2-3 Kupore - 2-5, 0-3, 5-4, 11-1, 0-4
.....Tsapna 3-2 Kepmem - 5-2, 7-11, 7-1, 5-1, 4-5
...Akashemo 4-1 Hokrof - 7-3, 7-4, 6-3, 6-7(10), 3-1
..Sh.Eagles 3-2 Pasataki - 5-6, 8-6, 5-2, 7-3, 3-4
Kupore 5, Keleri 2: It is really good to see
Kupore 1B Fomo Tirma back in action. He actually returned against the Oaks last week, but this game shows that he hasn't missed a beat. One of two 4-hit games he had in this series, in the opener he smacked a double and two home runs, including a grand slam, while driving in all 5 Kupore runs on the night. Tirma suffered a concussion off the field late last season and had been out since then. Still, he had played enough to qualify and won the 2021 batting title, and early in his 2022 campaign he is hitting above .400 (21 for 52).
Fampalo 4, Mighty Oaks 1: The streak is over, as
Notsimi Feshasu has taken his first loss of the season after having started 16-0. He was outmatched by Fampalo youngster
Pecho Tsytemoi, who threw 7.1 shutout innings.
National 12, Mithazni 1: Little-used
National CIF Nini Sichayoeko was the star today in just his 11th start of the year, going 5-5 with a homer, a bases-clearing double, and 6 RBI total while giving regular 3B Pelik Yelishike a rest day.
Standings..........W..L
--
Mighty Oaks 83 37
--
...National 80 40
+1
...Pasataki 70 50
+1
.....Keleri 70 50
+1
.....Tsapna 70 50
-3
.....Kepmem 70 50
--
....Cheshek 68 52
--
..A.Spirits 64 56
--
.....Lutrul 59 61
+4
..Amnanache 58 62
--
....Fampalo 57 63
--
...Akashemo 57 63
--
...Westline 55 65
-4
..Sh.Eagles 55 65
--
.....Kupore 54 66
--
....Sitache 51 69
--
Otahel City 50 70
-----------------------------
--
....Nokelto 48 72
--
.....Hokrof 45 75
--
...Mithazni 36 84
Well, well, well - the title race is definitely not over, though it is definitely a two-team race for the moment, exemplified by the big four-team tie for 3rd at present. What was a 7-game lead going into the weekend has shrunk to 3 owing to the Oaks offense suddenly running completely dry (9 runs for the series) as National shut down Mithazni in Hefem.
Lo and behold, the two title rivals will have their final matchup of the season in week 13. By this time next week, could we be talking about National taking the league lead over?
It will also be a big week for Hokrof, facing the other two teams in the relegation zone. A chance to dig themselves out!
Round 25:
Sitache vs. Akashemo
Lutrul vs. Mighty Oaks
Amnanache vs. National
Pasataki Galaxy vs. Cheshek
Otahel City vs. Keleri
Kupore vs. Shunna Eagles
Hokrof vs. Nokelto Scouts
Fampalo vs. Tsapna
Kepmem vs. Westline
Mithazni vs. Aroketsil Spirits
Round 26:
Shunna Eagles vs. Nokelto Scouts
Otahel City vs. Sitache
Kupore vs. Lutrul
National vs. Mighty Oaks
Tsapna vs. Keleri
Fampalo vs. Kepmem
Hokrof vs. Mithazni
Akashemo vs. Cheshek
Westline vs. Aroketsil Spirits
Amnanache vs. Pasataki Galaxy