[Ruwisc]

Week 18: September 21-October 2, 2024

Round 35

...Mithazni 2-3 Westline - 6-3(10), 6-7, 6-3, 2-14, 0-15
...Akashemo 2-3 Cheshek - 0-3, 4-2, 4-1, 0-2, 2-9
....Sitache 3-2 Hokrof - 8-13, 8-3, 3-6, 8-3, 6-5
......Nokir 3-2 Muni - 6-4(10), 0-1, 5-6, 10-5, 3-1
.....Semyof 3-2 Tsapna - 2-4, 3-0, 0-4, 5-4, 5-3
Mighty Oaks 3-2 Kupore - 10-2, 2-7, 13-10, 1-4, 2-1(10)
...National 4-1 Keleri - 5-0, 6-5(10), 2-0, 5-9, 3-2
...Pasataki 3-2 Meka - 5-12, 8-9, 5-1, 9-8, 7-5
..BK Kepmem 3-2 Amnanache - 2-6, 7-4, 4-5, 6-3, 18-2
..Sh.Eagles 2-3 Lutrul - 1-3, 2-4, 5-2, 1-7, 7-4


Not an overwhelming amount of movement in round 35, though the one team that did win 4 of 5, National, is a relevant one, pulling to within 2 games of Westline at the top of the league.

Semyof 3, Tsapna 0: Star Tsapna 2B Lawori El sprained his ankle in this game, which will cost him the remainder of the season. It was a tough year for the two-time MVP (2017 with Muni, 2020 with Tsapna) as he has now had three separate injuries that all cost him on the order of a month, and played in less than half of Tsapna's games this season. His absence contributed to their slow start, and his availability had corresponded with their resurgence.

September 24: Semyof SP Chasolo Latemohi agrees on a 1-year contract extension. The 22-year-old Latemohi was due to be a free agent for the first time at season's end and chooses to forgo a long contract for now. It might have been a good time to cash in - Latemohi has had a great season, well above what I thought was his breakout year last year. He'll make $10.5 million for the 2025 season, which if he pitches like this again will be a good deal for Semyof.

BK Kepmem 18, Amnanache 2: The biggest single inning I can remember seeing in quite a while. Kepmem scored a massive 13 runs in the top of the 8th inning, taking a conventional 5-2 ballgame and making it something more interesting. 12 of the 13 runs scored with two out - RF Rosana Pishot popped up for the second out of the inning, and he was able to come up again and deliver the final blow with a 3-run homer. There were 8 hits, 4 walks, a hit batter, and an error in the inning altogether.

Round 36

.....Kupore 3-2 Akashemo - 5-2(10), 7-2, 2-3, 7-4, 2-3
.......Muni 1-4 Semyof - 9-13, 1-7, 1-3, 5-6, 8-2
....Cheshek 1-4 Pasataki - 2-7, 3-4, 8-0, 4-10, 5-8
.....Hokrof 1-4 Sh.Eagles - 3-7, 2-4, 4-6, 4-8, 4-1
...Westline 1-4 Sitache - 2-3, 2-3, 3-5, 6-4, 3-4
..Amnanache 2-3 Mighty Oaks - 6-4, 5-7(10), 1-6, 7-6(10), 0-1
.....Lutrul 1-4 National - 0-4, 1-3, 7-8, 5-9, 10-6(11)
.....Keleri 3-2 Nokir - 5-3, 2-1(12), 2-3, 3-5, 9-6
.......Meka 2-3 BK Kepmem - 1-2, 4-2, 4-6, 2-13, 4-2
.....Tsapna 2-3 Mithazni - 2-3, 0-2, 7-14, 4-3, 6-2


Now things have gotten very interesting: Westline fail to take advantage of their easy schedule this week, dropping their first three games at Sitache on the weekend as National won all three days. For Westline, a two-game lead has become a one-game deficit. It stayed at 1 game the rest of the weekend. I thought this might be the week that Westline all but sewed up their first EL crown in 25 years, but now they'll play the final week 19 starting from behind!

BK Kepmem 13, Meka 2: The best individual offensive performance of the week came in this game, off the bat of Kepmem catcher Towi Pylashe. He was 5-5 with a double and a home run. Pylashe has had a dreadful year at the plate, with a slugging percentage under .300, and that's with this game having raised that mark by 15 points all on its own.

September awards:

Batter of the Month: Cheshek 1B Syshawe Arachihe - .338, 11 HR, 24 RBI, 21 runs. I think I've made this comp before, but Arachihe is very similar to a young Joey Votto. A good athlete at first base, pretty good power, but an absolutely elite understanding of the strike zone. It's a dangerous combination.

Pitcher of the Month: Cheshek SP Tosolefi Loap - 4-0, 1.31 ERA, .176 BAA, 48 K/13 BB, 41.1 IP in six starts. September was actually Cheshek's first above-.500 month of the season, and I think we're seeing why. Loap recorded consecutive 1-0 wins over National and Hokrof earlier in the month, and threw five quality starts out of his six outings. He also recorded Cheshek's only win in their series against the Galaxy to close out this week.

Rookie of the Month: Shunna Eagles CF Topeshe Tsaruo - .356, 12 XBH, 25 runs, 17 RBI. I don't give out Rookie of the Year awards, but if I did, Tsaruo would be a lock. It was actually a lower-power month for him with just 6 HR: he has 45 this season, placing him in the EL's top ten power hitters.


Standings...........W..L
+1 ....National.. .113 67
-1 ....Westline.. .112 68
-- ....P.Galaxy.. .108 72
-- ......Semyof.. .103 77
+1 ......Kepmem.. .101 79
+2 .Mighty Oaks.. ..99 81
-2 ......Lutrul.. ..99 81
-1 ........Meka.. ..98 82
-- ......Keleri.. ..97 83
-- ......Tsapna.. ..90 90
-- ...Amnanache.. ..89 91
-- .......Nokir.. ..88 92
-- ........Muni.. ..85 95
-- ......Kupore.. ..83 97
-- .....Cheshek.. ..79 101
+1 ...Sh.Eagles.. ..76 104
-1 Akashemo Utd.. ..75 105
-----------------------------
-- ....Mithazni.. ..74 106
-- .....Sitache.. ..69 111
-- ......Hokrof.. ..62 118


Improbably, we will go into the season's final week with National in the lead by a game! They have not actually held the lead at any update point all season. The Galaxy also have to be feeling much more hopeful than they were last week, now just 5 games back and knowing that the two leaders will play each other over the season's last five games - they don't control their own destiny, but they will definitely have the chance to gain on somebody.

Before we go into the final 10 games, I'll update the promotion and relegation races from the lower tiers of the pyramid. The Second League promotion race has been a great one and I'm excited to see it play out the rest of the way.