[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Sunday, May 27, 2001

Ruthlandian Union - South Division

SV Rallies, Tops Sunbirds 6-3 in First Game
It was looking bad for Sugar Valley. The Rattlers were losing 3-2 to Belair Beach going into their last bat and they would have to face Lou Zanelli, one of the best closers in the IPA. Four runs and six hits later, Sugar Valley had its fourth consecutive triumph, a 6-3 victory in the first game of the doubleheader at Bayside Park. The Sunbirds bit the dust for the third straight time. Zanelli (5-1 1.96) was nailed with his first loss of the season, while reliever Jay Washington (1-0 3.71) got his first win with two scoreless innings. He retired all six batters he faced. Leading the charge for the Rattlers were third baseman Jorge Vargas (.343) with 3-for-4 and two RBIs, first baseman Ken Arnold (.278) with 3-for-4 and an RBI and right fielder Karl Dietz (.257), who got his 5th homer. Sugar Valley outhit Belair Beach 11-5.

Sunbirds, Rattlers Divide Twinbill
In the second game of the twinbill, Belair Beach snapped Sugar Valley winning string at four with a 5-3 victory. Lefty Dirk Garrett (4-5 4.57) went the distance, gave up eight hits to the Rattlers, walked three and fanned just one batter. Taking the loss was Tony Michelet (3-4 4.13), who worked six innings, allowed five hits and four runs with only two earned. He whiffed six and walked none. Third baseman Mike Janocko (.286) slugged the game-winner, a two-run roundtripper in the sixth to put the Sunbirds up 4-2.

The Rattlers (21-16) are on top of the RU South, while Belair Beach (20-18) is in the third spot, but just 1.5 games off the pace.

Diamonds Win Opener from Nine 6-5
Manager Stacy Engel made the right call in game one of a doubleheader, when he summonded Alex Vanzetti in from the bullpen today at Avalon Stadium in Claxton. Vanzetti (2-0 2.55) came in trailing 5-2 in the fifth and held Marston without a run the rest of the game, winning it 6-5. A big four-run sixth sealed the victory for the Diamonds, highlighted by second baseman Donnie McCoy's (.362) two-run double to make it 5-4, third baseman Keith Olsen's (.312) RBI-single to tie it and first Marty McCluskey's (.268) run-scoring groundout to go ahead 6-5. Nick Pace (5-5 4.28) had a tough outing, but went all the way, surrendering all six runs on eight hits. Pace struck out four and walked just one. Marston was led offensively by shortstop Lenny Torricelli (.273) and left fielder Ronnie Horn (.302) with three hits each. Horn rapped his 4th home run of the year.

Marston Wins Nightcap 6-2 over Claxton
Skipper Johnny Walters of the Marston Nine almost didn't give the start to Cody Hill in game two of the twinbill with Claxton. Now he is glad he did -- Hill (3-2 4.68) restricted the Diamonds to seven hits in the 6-2 win in the nightcap. Hill also had eight strikeouts and issued only one base on balls. Right fielder Chris Deangelo (.282) and first baseman Johnny Berthold (.246) paced the Nine with two RBIs apiece. Second baseman Ken Green (.365) and catcher Mo Chappell (.293) had the other two. Getting the loss was Zach Nuxhall (1-4 4.62), who hurled seven innings, yielded three runs and seven hits.

The Marston Nine (21-17) are in the runner-up spot to the RU South-leader, the Sugar Valley Rattlers (21-16). Marston trails by a only a half-game. Claxton (14-24) is still pulling up the rear and is in the division basement.

Westerners Win Opener from Lumberjacks
In the first game of the doubleheader in Waleska, the Westerners edged Forest City 6-5 for their third win in succession, sending the 'Jacks to their fourth straight defeat. Starting pitcher Gary Hill (4-1 4.02) survived a four-run fourth inning and nabbed the victory. Hill fanned nine, walked one and allowed seven hits in his eight innings of work. Closer Buddy Kennedy (1-3 4.19) picked up his third save with a perfect ninth. Waleska collected 11 hits off of 'Jacks pitching and were led by shortstop Errol Eichhorn (.243) with two hits, including a home run, second baseman Wiz Taylor (.256) with two hits and two runs, third baseman Yoshihide Nishida (.275) with two hits and a run and left fielder Big Hoss Burkhalter (.303) with two hits and an RBI. Forest City third baseman Johnny Mack Butler (.268) had a two-run smash and shortstop Pops Keller (.281), left fielder Chuck Hill (.367) and right fielder Benny Davis (.242) had the other three RBIs. Lefthander Buddy Hutchinson (2-6 4.15) lost it as the Westerners banged out 11 hits in six innings and scored all six runs on him.

FC-Waleska Split, 'Jacks Win Nightcap 1-0
In the nightcap of the twinbill, it was all Vinny Edelman. He hurled a standout game and blanked the Waleska Westerners 1-0 on seven hits to gain a share of the doubleheader. The Lumberjacks had lost the last four games. Edelman (2-2 2.40) fanned four and walked one in evening his record to 2-2. Marv Chancellor (1-7 6.26) almost matched him, allowing only one run and seven hits in seven innings with four strikeouts and one walk. The only run of the game came in the third, when shortstop Jesse Pearson (.300) walked and moved to third on catcher Gerry Tucker's (.248) double and scored on Ryan Morse's (.370) sac fly to right.

Waleska (20-19) is fourth in the RU South standings, two games behind first place Sugar Valley (21-16), while Forest City (18-21) is four games off the pace in fifth place.