ISLANDIAN PRO ALLIANCE (RUTHLANDIA and TYCOBBIA BASEBALL UNIONS)

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Monday, September 22, 2025

Swing Kings Crowned By IPA
The top hitters in the two IPA leagues have been proclaimed. This year's Ruthlandian and Tycobbian Union batting crown trophies have been awarded to Lloyd Kelly of San Dimas and Dennis Hartwig of Oxford.

It's the second time in three seasons that Hartwig has captured the Tycobbian award. The 23-year-old left fielder led the TU in 2023 with a .372 average. This year the multi-talented Hartwig batted .353 to edge out Ozarka's George Jenkins and Arroyo Grande's Andy Pearson. Hartwig collected 198 hits, 48 doubles, 11 triples and 24 homers. He batted in 109 runs and scored 111. Hartwig also stole 33 bases. Jenkins was a close second, batting .349, while Pearson was third with a .343 batting average. Jenkins totaled 27 home runs, 99 RBIs and 96 runs in 152 games. Pearson appeared in 149 games, hit 18 out of the park, scored 97 runs and batted in 74.

The Ruthlandian champ was a 19-year-old rookie Lloyd Kelly, who led the IPA with a .382 mark, easily outdistancing Grand City veteran Ricky Rich and another first-year player Kyle Hunt of Ranford. Playing in only 129 games, Kelly put up modest numbers with 17 doubles, 11 homers, drove in 57 runs and scored 58. But he ran away with the batting title. In 149 games 33-year-old Rich posted a .338 batting average with 12 homers, 85 RBIs and scored 87 times. Hunt in his rookie season batted .336 with 13 roundtrippers, 71 runs batted in and tallied 75 runs. Hunt participated in 129 games.

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Tuesday, September 23, 2025

2025 IPA Elite 8 Series

IPA Elite 8 Set To Go Thursday
Magic is in the air all across the Islands. It's Pro Cup playoff time with the best 8 teams in the Islandian Pro Alliance going at it this Thursday at four sites. On tap in the Ruthlandian Elite 8 are the Far Mountain Redhawks at the Crystal Lake Crushers and the Middlefied Roosters at the Wynnamac Sundowners. Oddsmakers are giving the favorite role to the Crushers because of the overwhelming pitching. Same thing for pitcher-heavy Wynnamac. A Crystal Lake-Wynnamac battle is forecast in the RU. The Rolling Hills Reds are the choice to take the Tycobbian title. They will have to whip a fine South Fork team in the Elite 8, which had the best record in the IPA this season with 96 wins. Then the Reds will meet either the Ginza Ninjas or the Fairfax Frogs, who tangle in the other Elite 8 matchup. The experts think it will be a Reds-Ninjas finale. All of the series will be best-of-seven.

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Wednesday, September 24, 2025

Times Poll Picks Reds In Pro Cup
The baseball experts have made the Rolling Hills Reds of the Tycobbian Union the top choice to win the IPA Pro Cup this season. Number two in The Islandian Times poll was the Crystal Lake Crushers of the Ruthlandian Union. These two talented clubs are predicted to win their leagues and face each other in the Island finals. In the championship series Rolling Hills was given the edge because of its better hitting. Crystal Lake has great pitching, but not much at the plate. The Wynnamac Sundowners were voted the third-best team with the South Fork Stallions rated fourth. In spite of winning the most games in the regular season, the Stallions were downgraded because they only have two strong starters. The Sundowners have excellent starters and a lineup that can score runs. The Ginza Ninjas and the Far Mountain Redhawks are rated dark horses with the Fairfax Frogs and Middlefield Roosters given little chance to take the Island title. Middlefield is the only returning club. The Roosters lost out early in the first round last season. They lost superstar first baseman Allan Stewart in June and will greatly miss his bat this year... South Fork whipped Tuckanarra in the TU East this season. The Blue Jays won the Pro Cup the last two years. Far Mountain, Crystal Lake, Middlefield, Wynnamac and Ginza have won the Pro Cup in previous years. The Redhawks took three straight 2011-2013 and the Crushers won twice in 2020 and 2022. Wynnamac copped the Pro Cup in 2008, Middlefield in 2005 and Ginza way back in 2001, the first IPA season.

The Islandian Times Pro Cup Poll
1. Rolling Hills Reds (93-61)
2. Crystal Lake (92-62)
3. Wynnamac Sundowners (92-62)
4. South Fork Stallions (96-58)
5. Ginza Ninjas (93-61)
6. Far Mountain Redhawks (91-63)
7. Fairfax Frogs (87-67)
8. Middlefield Roosters (85-69)

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Thursday, September 25, 2025

2025 IPA Elite 8 Series

Ruthlandian Union

Roosters Rally, Edge Wynnamac 6-5 In Opener
On the road at Granger Field, the Middlefield Roosters rallied from a 5-1 deficit to whip the Wynnamac Sundowners 6-5 in game one of the Ruthlandian Elite 8 Series... PH Larry McFarlane's 2-run double in the ninth was the decisive hit... bullpen ace Jim Horton (0-1) blew the save and lost it for Wynnamac... Middlefield outhit the Sundowners 12 to 8 and were led by C Rod Buckley and LF Floyd McClellan with 3 hits each... CF Tom Daniels and RF Chuck Larkin each drove in a pair of runs for the victors... 3B Dorak Aranda paced Wynnamac with 2 homers and 3 RBIs... Ken Crawford (1-0) got the victory with a scoreless 7th and 8th... Waylon Hillman picked up the save with a scoreless, but tense ninth... the Sundowners got runners to second and third with two outs before Hillman closed it out.

Cooper Wins Duel With Welch, FM Nips CL 1-0
In the opening game of the Ruthlandian Elite 8 at Trumpy Donald Stadium in Crystal Lake, Jeff Cooper (18-11) outdueled Duncan Welch (21-14) and led the Far Mountain Redhawks to 1-0 victory over the Crystal Lake Crushers... Cooper (1-0), who led the IPA with a 1.86 ERA, was at his best, limiting Crystal Lake to just 4 hits... going all the way Cooper walked 3 and fanned 2... Welch (0-1) was almost as tough, yielding just 5 hits with 5 Ks and a walk... the only run of the game came in the fifth when 2B John Deville singled, was sacrificed to second, advanced to third on a groundout, then scored on RF Travis Baker's single.

Tycobbian Union

Reds Roll Over Stallions 8-2 In Game 1
At Jock Ewing Stadium in South Fork, the visiting Rolling Hills Reds rolled over the hometown Stallions 8-2 in the Tycobbian Elite 8 opener... 23-game winner Sal Jordan went the distance, backed up by a 12-hit attack... Jordan (1-0) allowed 9 hits, but only 2 runs, struck out 6 and issued one walk... sparking the Reds at the plate were CF Skip Greene, 3B Jeff Booker, 1B Billy Christianson, C Don Schexnayder and Jordan, all with 2 hits apiece... leading 3-1, Rolling Hills wrapped it up with a 5-run seventh, sending Gary Price down to defeat... Price (0-1) was rocked for 8 runs and 8 hits in 6 innings with 7 walks and 7 strikeouts... Price was 22-14 in the regular season... CF Shelby Glasscock homered for South Fork.

Frogs Nips Ninjas 2-0, Meeks Outstanding
At Ninja Stadium in Ginza, two of the top pitchers in the IPA squared off in the first game of the Tycobbian Elite 8 Series... 21-game winners went at it with Fairfax's Kevin Meeks outdueling Ginza rookie Daniel Ferguson 2-0... the game was scoreless until the seventh when Fairfax won it on a 2-run double by C Anthony Lee... Meeks (1-0) worked 8 shutout innings, allowed only 3 hits, fanned 7 and walked 2... closer Manny Hunsinger saved it with a runless ninth... Ferguson (0-1) went the distance, giving up only 5 hits, struck out 8 and walked 3... none of the runs against Ferguson were earned.

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Friday, September 26, 2025

2025 IPA Elite 8 Series

Ruthlandian Union

Wynnamac Holds Off Middlefield 4-3, Series Even
In game two of the Ruthlandian Elite 8 Series, the Wynnamac Sundowners held off a late rally by the Middlefield Roosters to even it up at a game each with a 4-3 triumph... the Sundowners Jerry Meeks was cruising along with a 2-hitter and a 4-0 lead after 7 innings and just barely escaped with the win... the Roosters struck for 3 runs in the eighth to make it close... Meeks (1-0) picked up the win, permitting 4 hits in his 8 innings with 3 Ks and 3 walks... Jim Horton nailed down the save with a perfect ninth... Frank Dean (0-1) went the distance for Middlefield, surrendered 4 runs and 9 hits... the Sundowners were led by 2B Liam Cadbury, C Tweet Tillman, 3B Dorak Arando and 1B Pete Simmons, each with a pair of hits... Simmons had a homer, Cadbury a triple and Aranda a double... games three, four and five will be played in Middlefield.

Crushers Slip By Redhawks 5-4, Tie Series With 3 HRs
It took 3 home runs and a walk-off single to give Crystal Lake the 5-4 win over the Far Mountain Redhawks in game two of the RU Elite 8... the series is now tied at a game apiece... three bottom-of-the-ninth back-to-back-to-back singles by LF Michael Melchiore, PH Ben McKinney and SS Pete Hicks scored the winning run... Keith Hunter (1-0) blew the save in the top of the ninth, but racked up the victory... Hans Becker (0-1) lost it for the Redhawks... Hicks, RF Augie Marshall and 1B Benny Rousseau blasted homers for Crystal Lake... SS Rusty Adler led the Redhawks with 2 doubles... Dennis Taylor started for the Crushers and left with a 4-3 lead after 8 innings, allowing only 5 hits and one earned run... Taylor struck out 6 and walked 3... Karl Franz tossed 8 frames for Far Mountain and was tagged for 7 hits and 4 runs... the two teams will now head to Far Mountain for the next three games.

Tycobbian Union

SF Trims RH 6-4 To Tie Series
It's all even after two games of the Tycobbian Elite 8... South Fork trimmed Rolling Hills 6-4 with a 3-run seventh inning, nullifying the Reds 4-3 lead... 2B Norris Nettles doubled in the tying run, C Dennis Johanson groundout drove in the winning run and pitcher Bill Massey added an insurance run when he also grounded out... rookie SS Kurt Pankewicz and CF Shelby Glasscock went deep for the Stallions... Glasscock also homered yesterday... the Reds also had two homers... CF Dwain Altman had a two-run clout and 1B Billy Christianson a solo shot... winning pitcher Massey (1-0), a 20-year-old rookie southpaw, pitched a complete game for the win, striking out 6, walking none and giving up 9 hits... McGraw Christianson (0-1) also went the route and went down to defeat, ripped for 6 runs and 9 hits... the series now switches to Rolling Hills for the next three contests.

Yoshida Blanks Frogs 1-0, Ginza Evens Series
It was another pitching gem in Ginza at Ninja Stadium, this time by the Ninjas to deadlock the TU Elite 8 Series at a game each... Yutaka Yoshida bested Darien Russell and the Fairfax Frogs 1-0 on a six-hit shutout... in a masterful performance Yoshida (1-0) walked only one and fanned 6... Yoshida was backed by 3 double plays... Russell (0-1), a rookie right-hander, permitted only 5 hits, struck out 6 and walked 2... SS Ralph Hart's long sacrifice fly in the seventh inning was the only difference in the game... the two clubs will now move to Fairfax for games 3, 4 and 5.

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Saturday, September 27, 2025

2025 IPA Elite 8 Series

Ruthlandian Union

Sundowners Shoot Down Roosters 7-1, Up 2-1
Like father, like son... Wynnamac's Jason Meeks, the 21-year-old son of Jerry Meeks, shot down the Middlefield Roosters 7-1 on the road, a day after dear old dad beat them, giving the Sundowners a two-games-to-one edge in the Ruthlandian Elite 8 Series... junior Meeks (1-0) was sensational, stopping the Roosters on just 3 hits and going all the way with 3 walks and 5 strikeouts... 1B Karl Yashin's home run in the ninth was the only run Meeks allowed... the Sundowner bats rapped out 9 hits and were paced by CF Nathan Cockroft (.286) with 2 hits and 3 RBIs, 2B Liam Cadbury (.333) with 2 hits, including a 2-run roundtripper, and by 3B Dorak Aranda (.700) with 2 hits and 2 runs scored... rookie Tyrus Cobb (0-1) was the losing pitcher... he was shelled badly for 6 runs and 7 hits in 5-plus innings.

Crystal Lake Takes Lead, Whips Far Mountain 5-1
Crystal Lake got a sterling performance from its newest starter Rick Gilliam, who stumped Far Mountain 5-1 on 5 hits to send the Crushers ahead in the RU Elite 8 Series by a 2-1 count... Gilliam did not give up an earned run, fanned 5 and walked 2... Gilliam was 7-2 after moving into the starting rotation in August, taking the placed of the traded Willie Crawford... the light-hitting Crushers battered the Redhawks for 10 hits, getting 8 of them off loser Jakob Wagner (0-1)... Wagner permitted 5 runs in 7-plus frames, but only 2 were earned... SS Pete Hicks (.385) and C Rob Stern (.300) both had 2 hits and scored twice for the Crushers, while CF Herb Taylor (.231) and 1B Benny Rousseau (.333) posted 2 hits and drove in 2 runs apiece.

Tycobbian Union

Stallions Outslug Reds 12-7, Nab Series Lead
Balls were flying all over the Midtown Base Ball Grounds in Rolling Hills in game three of the Tycobbian Elite 8 Series... however the visiting South Fork Stallions did most of the damage with 20 hits and a 12-7 triumph over the hometown Rolling Hills Reds, moving them up two-games-to-one in the series... the Stallions ripped 4 triples and 2 doubles... LF Patric Giles (.273) scored 3 times, knocked in 3 runs and had 3 hits to lead the attack, 2 of them triples... 1B Teddy Nixon (.500) added 3 hits and 2 runs batted in... SS Kurt Pankewicz (.364) smacked 2 hits and batted in 2 runs... and 2B Norris Nettles (.444) drilled a double and a triple, scored twice and batted in a run... the Reds had 12 hits and stayed close until the fifth inning, when they only trailed 5-3... but South Fork exploded for 4 to make it 9-3... the Reds cut it to 9-7 with a 4-run sixth, but South Fork put 3 more on the scoreboard in the ninth to cinch it... the Reds top bats were C Don Schexnayder (.385), who drove in 4 runs with 2 doubles and SS Eddie Dupre (.500) with a pair of hits, an RBI and 2 runs scored... South Fork's number three starter Ozz Gatsby started and had a terrible day, but got the win... Gatsby (1-0) lasted into the fifth, gave up 7 runs and 6 hits... four Stallions relievers blanked the Reds the rest of the way... Reds starter and loser Errol Gaudet (0-1) was blistered for 11 hits and 8 runs in 4-plus innings.

Ginza Gigs Frogs 10-9, Lead By 1 Game
There were lots of runs, lots of hits and lots of errors in wild game three of the TU Elite 8 Series between Ginza and Fairfax at Frog Stadium... the Ninjas rebounded from an 8-2 deficit after 4 innings to snatch a 10-9 victory away from the Frogs, taking the lead in the top of the ninth when RF Kenji Yamamura (.100) doubled in the winning run... Ninja reliever Ken Kechida (1-0) was the winning hurler, holding the Frogs without runs in the last two frames... Fairfax closer Manny Hunsinger (0-1) took the loss... Ginza got 16 hits with 1B Johnny O'Rorke (.462) getting 4 of them and 3B Kurt Holstein (.333) 3 of them... SS Russ Wellman (.400) drove in 3 runs with a pair of hits and 2B Ralph Hart (.222) batted in 2 with 2 hits... Fairfax piled up 11 hits and were led by CF Alton Dale (.273) with 2 hits, 2 runs and an RBI and 3B Sandy Coburn (.214) with 2-for-5... 2B Walt Cumby (.125) got a hit, scored twice and batted in one run... defense was non-existent with 10 errors in the game... the Frogs committed 6 errors and gave up 6 unearned runs... the Ninjas made 4 miscues that led to 3 runs.

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Sunday, September 28, 2025

2025 IPA Elite 8 Series

Ruthlandian Union

Roosters Tie Sundowners, Denver Fires 3-Hitter
Just when Middlefield badly needed a victory, they got it from ace Danny Denver, who stifled Wynnamac 4-1 at home on just 3 hits to tie the RU Elite 8 at two-all... Denver was wild and wooly with 8 walks, but he shut down the Sundowners when he had to and struck out 5... the Roosters were led at the plate by 1B Keith Yashin (.333), who got his second homer of the series... Yashin went 2-4 and drove in a run... CF Tom Daniels (.250) had 2 hits and batted in a run, while 3B Stu Butterworth (.231) collected 2-4 and scored twice... Middlefield took the lead 2-1 in the last of the fourth and never gave it up... the Roosters also scored in the fifth and eighth frames.

Crystal Lake Squeaks By FM, Takes Command
In another battle of aces, Duncan Welch got revenge for a first-game loss to Jeff Cooper as Crystal Lake squeaked out a 2-1 victory in game four to take a big three-games-to-one lead in the RU Elite 8 Series... Cooper won the opener 1-0... They were both equally good this time around at Sky High Stadium in Far Mountain... Welch (1-1 1.06) worked 8 sharp innings for the win, allowed 7 hits, fanned 9 and walked 3... closer Keith Hunter got the save by blanking the Redhawks in the ninth... Cooper (1-1 1.00) pitched the entire game, giving up 2 runs on 6 hits with 4 Ks and 2 bases on balls... CF Herm Taylor (.235) gave Welch all the runs he needed with a 2-run clout in the third inning... Cooper (.600) tripled in the Redhawks only run in the bottom of the fourth... Far Mountain had the advantage in hits 8 to 6.

Reds Knot Series, Nip Stallions 2-1
Game four was crunch time for the Rolling Hills Reds... playing at home they couldn't afford another loss to South Fork in the TU Elite 8 Series... longtime star Sal Jordan came through like he has many times before... Jordan whipped Gary Price and the Stallions 2-1 to knot the series at two games each... Jordan also won game one 8-2... Jordan (2-0 1.59) fashioned a 5-hitter, struck out 8 and walked just 2 for the victory... he did need help from closer Alfonso Gonzales, who notched his first save in the postseason this year... Gary Price (0-2 1.93) lost again, but redeemed himself with a strong outing... Price worked a complete game, scattering 8 hits and permitting only one earned run... South Fork went in front in the fourth 1-0 on a triple by LF Patric Giles (.267) and a double by 1B Teddy Nixon (.455)... it lasted until the sixth when the Reds tied it up... RF Pat Webb (.261) singled, was bunted to second and then he scored when 3B Mark Barker (.364) botched a ground ball... PH Bucko Parks (.250) was the hero when he doubled in the game-winner in the eighth.

Ginza Trims Fairfax 2-1, Lead Series 3-1
On the road at the Frog Pond, Ginza gained its third consecutive one-run victory over the tough Fairfax Frogs, slipping past them 2-1... the Ninjas had to beat Kevin Meeks, who had blanked them 2-0 in the series opener... first-game loser Daniel Ferguson was the victor this time with a 5-hit performance... Ferguson (1-1 0.53) walked 2 and had 6 strikeouts in his 8 innings... closer Ken Kichita fanned 2 of the 3 batters in the ninth for the save... going the route Meeks (1-1 1.06) again was outstanding, allowing only 2 runs on 8 hits with 7 Ks and 2 walks... Ninja CF Taka Yokayama (.143) plated the game's first run with a single in the top of the second... Fairfax tied it in the bottom of the inning... RF Kenji Yamamura (.143) threw it away when he had a chance to cut down RF Johnny Eichhorn (.083) at the plate... the Ninjas won it in the third on a single by C Crash Davis (.250) and a double by 1B Johnny O'Rorke (.588).

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Monday, September 29, 2025

2025 IPA Elite 8 Series

Ruthlandian Union

Roosters Rule, Beat Sundowners In 12th
At Middlefield Park the underdog Roosters outscrapped favored Wynnamac 5-4 in 12 innings to go up by a game in the Ruthlandian Elite 8 Series... Middlefield has a 3-2 advantage and needs only one more win to advance to the RU Final 4... 3B Stu Butterworth (.333) led off the 12th with a single, moved up to second on a sacrifice and scored the winning run on a single by SS Tim Tyler (.333)... it was an up-and-down affair... Middlefield was up 2-0 after 3 innings... Wynnamac came back to tie 2-2 in the fourth... the Roosters scored single runs in the seventh and eighth to make it 4-2, but they blew it in the ninth and allowed the Sundowners to tie it at 4-4... both clubs got good starting efforts... Middlefield's Frank Dean tossed 8 strong innings, yielding only 2 runs on 5 hits with 6 strikeouts and a couple of walks... Dean departed with a 4-2 lead, but his relief Waylon Hillman couldn't hold it... Jerry Meeks went 8 innings, surrendered only 4 hits, but 3 of the went out of the park... Meeks was touched for 4 runs, 3 of them earned... Jim Horton blanked the Roosters on one hit in his 3 innings... Carlo Nardini (0-1) came on in the 12th and lost it... Alec Bacardi got the victory with 2 perfect frames... Middlefield's 1B Keith Yashin (.300), CF Tom Daniels (.238) and SS Tim Tyler (.333) all cracked homers... it was Yashin's third in five games... each club collected 7 hits... 1B Pete Simmons (.438) paced Wynnamac with 2-for-4, an RBI and a run scored... C Tweet Tillman (.421) had two singles and scored a run.

Crystal Lake Crushes FM Redhawks In 5 Games
Second-seeded Crystal Lake showed its stuff by whipping Far Mountain, a sixth seed, in five games... the Crushers finished the Redhawks off 7-2 in the fifth game... 22-game winner Dennis Taylor (1-0 1.59) went all the way, fanned 5, walked one and held Far Mountain to 2 runs on 8 hits... losing pitcher Karl Franz (0-1 8.03) was lambasted for 7 runs in 4-plus frames... 1B Benny Rousseau (.368) had a marvelous game with 2 homers and 4 runs batted in... 2B Mack Hood (.235) chipped in 2 hits and 2 RBIs... Both teams picked up 8 hits apiece.

Tycobbian Union

Stallions Sneak By Reds 3-1, Snatch Series Lead
South Fork rookie Bill Massey won the crucial fifth game in the Tycobbian Elite 8 Series to give the Stallions a one-game edge in the best-of-seven series... Massey (2-0 2.65) stopped Rolling Hills 3-1 at the Midtown Base Ball Grounds... South Fork got a big break when the Reds scheduled starter McGraw Chrisianson missed his turn due to illness and number four starter John Ryck got the call... Massey permitted 7 hits, but only one run, struck out 7 and walked none in an almost flawless outing... loser John Ryck (0-1 3.38) pitched well, too, giving up 3 runs on 7 hits with no walks and 6 Ks... LF Patric Giles (.263) homered for South Fork... 1B Teddy Nixon (.467) and CF Shelby Glasscock (.300) drove in the other runs... Glasscock's sac fly in the fifth was eventual winning run... the Reds only run was batted in by 3B Jeff Booker (.350) in the third frame, cutting the lead to 2-1.

Ginza KOs Fairfax, Wins Elite 8
As expected the Ginza Ninjas knocked off the Fairfax Frogs four games to one in the TU Elite 8 Series... the fifth-seeded Ninjas will now advance to play the South Fork-Rolling Hills winner in the TU Final 4... Fairfax was the number 7 seed... Ginza's stylish southpaw Yutaka Yoshida (2-0 0.50) hurled a superb 3-hitter and eliminated the Frogs 5-1... in his previous start Yoshida shut them out 1-0... Yoshida whiffed 7 and walked nobody today... rookie Darien Russell (0-2 2.12) had the misfortune to face Yoshida twice in the series... the Ninjas got to him for 5 runs and 8 hits, but only 3 were earned... Russell went the distance, fanned 5 and walked 3... RF Kenji Yamamura (.167) hit a two-run double in the fifth to lead Ginza in the win... C Crash Davis (.190) and LF Daiki Kono (.263) drove in the other two scores.

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Tuesday, September 30, 2025

2025 IPA Elite 8 Series

Ruthlandian Union

Roosters Upset Sundowners, Advance To RU Final 4
Surprise, Surprise... the lowest seed in the playoffs this year, the Middlefield Roosters, have knocked off the number three seed Wynnamac Sundowners, winning the Ruthlandian Elite 8 Series in six games... the Roosters were shut out 2-0 through seven innings by young Jason Meeks, who looked unbeatable at that point... but then Meeks collapsed, giving up 3 in the eighth and 4 more in the ninth... Middlefield battered him 7-3 to end the series in sudden fashion... 3B Stu Butterworth (.333) started the ball rolling with a 3-run homer, giving the Roosters a 3-2 lead... Wynnamac quickly tied it in the bottom half of the inning, only to lose it in the 4-run ninth... 1B Keith Yashin (.280) drove in the series-winning score with a single... CF Tom Daniels (.269) added two insurance runs with another single... and PH Nick Kanellis drove the last one with a base hit... winning pitcher Tyrus Cobb (1-1 5.93) made amends for a bad outing in the 7-1 loss in game three... Cobb was only 11-14 in the regular season, but had a fine 3.20 ERA... this afternoon he pitched a solid 8 innings, allowed only 5 hits and 3 runs with 2 walks and 6 strikeouts... Alec Bacardi picked up the save with a scoreless ninth... Meeks (1-1 4.15) suffered the loss... Middlefield mauled him for 10 hits and all 7 runs, though he fanned 10, while walking 4... the Roosters had 11 hits to 6 for the Sundowners... Middlefield now goes up against the number two seeded team, the Crystal Lake Crushers for the Ruthlandian crown and the right to go to the IPA Pro Cup Finals.

Commenting on his club's 8th seeding by The Islandian Times poll, Rooster manager Bailey Norcross told the press after the game, "Before the first game I just told my boys that quite a few times low seeds have won the Pro Cup, so don't worry about what you read in the polls... worry about what you do on the field... that's where the game is played, not in the papers."

Tycobbian Union

Tettelbach Brilliant, SF Wins Series
"Hey, we won 96 games... we didn't get lucky."... That was manager Duroche "Lips" Leon's comments after his South Fork Stallions whipped the favored Rolling Hills Reds and captured the TU Elite 8 Series by a 4-2 margin... "We didn't care what the so-called experts said... we expected to win this series... and we did... and we also expect to win the Pro Cup."... Rolling Hills was rated the top seed in the Pro Cup playoffs, while the Stallions were ranked only fourth in The Islandian Times poll... In the sixth-and-deciding game at Jock Ewing Stadium in South Fork, Leon got a great performance from his number three starter Jim Tettelbach, who fired a 1-hit shutout for 8 innings and beat the Reds 1-0 with the help of closer Tommy Galloway... Galloway sat down the Reds in the ninth for his second save of the series... the winning run came in the fourth inning when LF Patric Giles (.261) hit a 435-homer off losing pitcher McGraw Christianson... Christianson (0-2 3.94) was magnificent in defeat, yielding only 4 hits, struck out 4 and walked only one... The Stallions will now go up against the fifth seeded Ginza Ninjas for the Tycobbian title.

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Wednesday, October 1, 2025

IPA Final 4s Set, Stallions And Crushers Favorites
The number one seed Rolling Hills is gone after the first round in the IPA Pro Cup playoffs. In round two, the Ruthlandian and Tycobbian Final 4s will feature the number 2, 4, 5 and 8 seeds. In the RU, number 2 Crystal Lake will try to take care of underdog Middlefield, the lowest rank team, and over in the TU it will be fourth seed South Fork and fifth seed Ginza. The most impressive teams in the Elite 8s were the Crystal Lake Crushers, who easily disposed of Far Mountain in 5 games and the South Fork Stallions, who beat the top-ranked club, the Rolling Hills Reds in 6 games. The Ginza Ninjas also played very well whipping Fairfax in 5 games. The unheralded Middlefield Roosters bounced back from a 2-1 deficit to win the last three games and eliminate favored Wynnamac.

Lips Leon's South Fork Stallions gained a lot of respect by knocking off a very talented Rolling Hills team, but they are in for another battle in the TU Final 4. Ginza has fine pitching and will be no pushover. In fact, the Ninjas took 2 of the 3 regular season games with the Stallions, who led the IPA with 96 victories. South Fork has fine pitching, plus some very good bats. That should give them the edge over Ginza. Crystal Lake's pitching dominance continued into the postseason. The Crushers allowed Far Mountain only 9 runs in 5 games. Baby George's Crushers are a very similar team to Wynnamac. Neither of them have much offense, but pitch very well. Bailey Norcross's Roosters took care of the Sundowners and feels he can do it to Crystal Lake, too. The two clubs split 6 games in the regular campaign. All of them were decided by 2 runs or less. This may be a closer match-up than the soothsayers say.

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Friday, October 3, 2025

2025 IPA Final 4 Series

Ruthlandian Union

Crushers Edge Roosters, Welch Wins Opener 3-2
Manager Herman "Baby" George continues to get super pitching... The low-scoring Crystal Lake Crushers edged Middlefield 3-2 in the opening game of the Ruthlandian Final 4 Series... and they did it the hard way, scoring runs on a balk, wild pitch and finally a base hit... winning pitcher Duncan Welch (2-1 1.44) went 8 strong innings, limited the Roosters to 4 hits and 2 runs, while fanning 8 and walking just one batter... closer Keith Hunter finished it off with a runless ninth... Danny Denver (1-1 3.13) was done in by mistakes... he went the route, gave up 6 hits and 3 runs... it was 0-0 until the bottom of the sixth when the Crushers went up 2-0... after two singles put runners on the corners, Denver balked in a run and RF Augie Marshall (.091) had an RBI single... the Roosters RF Chuck Larkin (.200) deadlocked it in the top of the seventh with a 2-run smash... then Crystal Lake won it in the last half of the inning when Welch doubled (.143) and went to third on a fielder's choice... Welch scored the winning run on a wild pitch... not much hitting in the game... the Crushers had 6 hits to the Roosters 5.

Tycobbian Union

Ginza Grabs 1st Game, Ferguson Stops SF 4-1
Opening up out of town at Jock Ewing Stadium, the Ginza Ninjas grabbed game one of the Tycobbian Final 4 with a 4-1 triumph over the South Fork Stallions... Daniel Ferguson (2-1 0.36) pitched a whale of game, holding the potent Stallions to just 3 hits and an unearned run... Ferguson fired strikes past 8 batters and issued 3 walks in his 8 innings... closer Ken Kichida chalked up his second playoff save with a perfect 1-2-3 inning... SS Kurt Pankewicz's (.360) double gave South Fork an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third... that was all the offense for the day for the Stallions... the Ninjas took charge in the top of the fourth on a bases-loaded walk to 2B Russ Van Kleek (.188) and a sacrifice fly by SS Ralph Hart (.158)... C Crash Davis (.208) singled in another run in the fifth to make it 3-1 and Ginza tacked on a run in the ninth on an RBI single by PH Yuko Mihashi (.333)... LF Daiki Kono (.304) led the Ninjas with 2 doubles in 4 at-bats.

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Saturday, October 4, 2025

2025 IPA Final 4 Series

Ruthlandian Union

Roosters Even CL Series, Zap 'em 7-3
In game two of the RU Final 4 the Middlefield Roosters ripped Crystal Lake 7-3 to deadlock it at one game each... the Roosters tore into Crusher starter Dennis Taylor (1-1 4.66) for 7 runs in 2-plus frames and won going away, making shambles of Crystal Lake's vaunted pitching... 3B Stu Butterworth (.318) and 1B Keith Yashin (.294) led the Roosters 10-hit attack with homers... Yashin had 3 hits overall... Frank Dean went the distance for the win, checking the Crushers on 7 hits and 3 runs, just one of them earned as Middlefield made 4 errors.

Massey Blanks Ninjas 5-0, SF Knots Series
South Fork was outhit 9 to 4, but they came away with a weird 5-0 victory over Ginza behind 20-year-old rookie left-hander Bill Massey... Massey stranded 10 baserunners, while allowing 9 hits... Massey (3-0 1.73) continued a great postseason by striking out 7 and giving up only 2 walks... the Stallions took a 3-0 lead in the second on two hit batsmen and two singles...1B Joe Peters (.250) walked to force in the first run, C Dennis Johanson (.273) got hit for run number two and Massey (.000) brought in the third one with a sac fly... all the runs came off loser Yutaka Yoshida (2-1), who lost for the first time in the playoffs and also suffered an arm injury and will miss the rest of the playoffs... the Ninjas are also playing without its regular left fielder Chuck Wilson (.234 BA/18 HR/77 RBI), who went out for the season in September... Yoshida was tagged for 3 runs on just 2 hits in 5-plus innings... he fanned 4 and walked 3... South Fork added 2 more scores in the eighth on PH Paul Kretzmeier's (.200) two-bagger.

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Saturday, October 4, 2025

2025 IPA Final 4 Series

Ruthlandian Union

Roosters Crow Loudly, Trounce Crushers 8-3
The eighth-seeded Middlefield Roosters have a lot to crow about so far... they surprised the Wynnamac Sundowners and everybody else by winning the Elite 8 Series and doing it without injured superstud first baseman Allan Stewart... now the Roosters are crowing even louder with a 8-3 troucing of number two seed Crystal Lake for the second game in a row to go up in the series two games to one... Middlefied bashed out 11 hits and got 9 walks in the rout... they busted up a tight 4-2 ballgame with a 4-run uprising in the last of the eighth... SS Wes Gore (.280) sparked the win with 2 hits and 3 RBIs... his 3-run shot in the eighth pretty much put Crystal Lake away... CF Tom Daniels (.297) went 2-for-3 and batted in 2 runs and PH Sammy Randell (.333) also drove in a pair of runs... rookie Tyrus Cobb turned in his second consecutive standout performance... Cobb (2-1 4.57) worked 8 impressive innings and held the Crushers to just 2 runs on 7 hits... starter Rick Gilliam (1-1 2.40) took the loss as he was shelled for 4 runs and 8 hits in his 6 innings... Crystal Lake racked up 4 double plays and still lost.

Tycobbian Union

Stallions Blank Ninjas Again, Up 2-1 In Series
South Fork manager Lips Leon likes what he saw... back-to-back shutouts over the Ginza Ninjas to give them a two games to one edge in the TU Final 4 Series... 20-year-old rookie Jim Tettelbach (2-0 0.00) was sensational again with 8 shutout innings... he surrendered 8 hits with 2 walks and 5 Ks... in the playoffs Tettelbach has not allowed a single run in 17 innings... closer Tommy Galloway combined with him for the shutout by setting Ginza down in order in the ninth... Ron Koehler (0-1 3.68) pitched the entire game for the Ninjas, gave up 10 hits, but only one earned run... Stallion SS Kurt Pankewicz (.323) snapped a scoreless tie in the sixth with a sacrifice fly... South Fork padded the score with another run in the eighth on PH Paul Kretzmeier's (.333) base hit.

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Sunday, October 5, 2025

2025 IPA Final 4 Series

Ruthlandian Union

McClellan HR In 16th Makes Middlefield Winner
Here we go again!... the upstart Middlefield Roosters are about to whip another favorite... this time in the Ruthlandian Final 4... the Roosters took a giant step to go up three games to one with a 6-5 victory over the Crystal Lake Crushers... LF Floyd McClellan (.308) 16th-inning blast did it... both clubs got spotty pitching from ace starters Duncan Welch and Danny Denver, but excellent relief work... the Crushers led 4-1 after 3 innings, but the Roosters rallied and went in front 5-4 at the end of 6... Crystal Lake forced extra innings with a run in the eighth... the Roosters collected 11 hits to the Crushers 6... Waylon Hillman and Ken Crawford gave up no runs and hurled 1-hit ball over the final 7 frames, with the win going to Crawford (2-0 0.00)... he allowed no hits in his 4 innings... likewise three Crusher relievers stopped the Roosters on no runs and 3 hits over 8 innings... Sammy Richards (0-1 3.00) lost it in the 16th... C Rod Buckley (.225) and 2B Arnie Stone (.167) led the Roosters with 2 RBIs each... Crusher 2B Mack Hood (.188) had two doubles and 3 runs batted in.

Tycobbian Union

SF Up 3-1 On Ginza, Wins 9-8 In Game 4
The hitters finally lashed out and scored some runs in the Tycobbian Final 4... South Fork took a commanding 3-1 lead in the series by outlasting Ginza 9-8 at Ninja Stadium... 27 hits reverberated around the park with South Fork getting 15 of them... even the pitchers got into the act with 5 RBIs... the Stallions built up a 7-3 lead in the fourth, only to have the Ninjas bounced back and tie it 7-all by the sixth... in the top of the seventh South Fork went ahead to stay 9-7 on CF Shelby Glasscock's 2-run single... leading the way for the Stallions were rookie SS Kurt Pankewicz (.324), 2B Norris Nettles (.290) and Glasscock (.225), all with 2 RBIs each... C Dennis Johanson (.290) had 3 hits and scored twice for the winners... Ginza starter Daniel Ferguson (.222) doubled in 3 runs in the second inning, SS Ralph Hart (.241) singled in 2 in the fourth and reliever Kakuzo Harimoto hit a solo homer in the sixth... 2B Russ Van Kleek (.280) had 3 hits, scored twice and drove in a run... Ozz Gatsby (2-0 9.39) got credit for the win, going a rocky 2-plus , giving up 4 hits and a run... Tom Galloway closed it out by retiring three straight in the ninth for his 4th playoff save... Harimoto (0-1 3.86) suffered the lost after permitting 2 runs and 6 hits in 4-plus frames.

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Monday, October 6, 2025

2025 IPA Final 4 Series

Ruthlandian Union

Roosters Earn Pro Cup Slot
Higher seeds don't mean much to the eighth-seeded Middlefield Roosters... they have KO'ed another one and now will get a shot at the Holy Grail - the much-coveted IPA Pro Cup... the Roosters have won it only once... in 2005, 20 years ago... of course, they will have to beat another higher seed to win it.

Middlefield powered 4 home runs and came back from a 7-0 deficit to nip favored Crystal Lake 11-10 in game five of the Ruthlandian Final 4... the Roosters took four of the five games and put an end to the Crushers season... LF Floyd McClellan was again the hero with 2 roundtrippers and 4 RBIs... 1B Keith Yashin (.326) got his 5th homer in the series and drove in two runs... 3B Stu Butterworth (.433) cracked his 3rd and batted in 4 runs, too... overall Middlefield smacked 16 hits, while Crystal Lake managed 14.

1B Benny Rousseau clouted his 4th postseason home run and drove in 3 runs to lead the Crushers... SS Phil Hicks (.233) had 2 hits, 3 RBIs and scored twice... CF Herm Taylor (.227) went 2-5 with 2 runs batted in... 3B Tommy Gompers (.233) was 3-5 with 2 doubles and 2 runs scored... and C Rob Stern (.361) had 3 hits and scored two times for Crystal Lake.

Middlefield's Butterworth singled in the series-winning run in the bottom of the ninth... the Roosters rallied with 3 runs in the third and 6 in the fourth to take a 9-7 lead... in a seesaw game the Crushers tied it with single runs in the fifth and sixth, then lost the lead again when Middlefield scored a run in the last of the seventh, making it 10-9... Crystal Lake managed to tie it up in the top of the ninth, only to lose it and the series in the last of the ninth.

8 of the 9 pitchers in the game gave up runs... Glenn Tackett (1-0 9.00) blew the save, but copped the win... Keith Hunter (1-1 2.57) was the loser... Middlefield will take on the Tycobbian champ in the Pro Cup Series... it will be either the 4th seeded South Fork Stallions or the 5th seeded Ginza Ninjas... no problem for the Roosters... they have already beaten the second and third seeds.

SF Stallions Race By Ginza In 5 Games
After losing the opening game in the Tycobbian championship series, the South Fork Stallions reeled off four victories in a row to wipe out the Ginza Ninjas... Now South Fork will battle Middlefield, the RU champ, for the Islands' Pro Cup... They lost in the second round in 2001... and in the TU Final 4 in 2002... haven't been in the playoffs since... and have never played in the Pro Cup Finals.

Game 5 went to the Stallions 4-2 behind the solid pitching of rookie left-hander Bill Massey (4-0 1.86)... He tossed 8 innings, held the Ninjas to 2 runs on 8 hits with 2 walks and 6 strikeouts... Ricky Raeburn closed it out with a perfect ninth for the save... Harlan Wilson (0-1 4.00) took the loss in his first start of the postseason... Wilson allowed 4 runs and 7 hits in 7 innings, walking 6 and fanning 4.

South Fork had 9 hits to 8 for the Ninjas... RBIs by RF Robby Michael (.256), LF Patric Giles (.225), CF Shelby Glasscock (.227) and 2B Norris Nettles (.314) gave the Stallions a 4-0 lead after 6 and a half innings... CF Lyle McCann (.333) doubled in Ginza's only runs in the seventh.

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Wednesday, October 8, 2025

South Fork Favored In Pro Cup Finals
The 25th IPA Pro Cup begins play on Friday afternoon at J. R. Ewing Stadium in South Fork. Middlefield hasn't been to the Pro Cup Finals for the last two decades and South Fork has never been here until now. So who's the favorite? It's easy for the critics and the forecasters. Just go by the season records - the Stallions were tops in the IPA with a 96-58 record, while the Roosters were a lowly 85-69. Or go by what The Islandian Times Pro Cup poll indicated - South Fork was rated the fourth-best team in the playoffs and Middlefield was the worst. All that was based on stats, suppositions, summations and speculation. However on the diamond, South Fork whipped the Pro Cup favorite Rolling Hills Reds and fifth seed Ginza, while the overlooked Roosters knocked off number three Wynnamac and number two Crystal Lake to get their shots at the renowned Pro Cup, symbolic for the best pro baseball team in Islandia.

Serious analysis doesn't go with the heart and choose the underdog Roosters. Most of the experts point out South Fork won more games than anybody over the long regular season. Not only do the Stallions have better starting pitching than Middlefield, they hit better, too. The two bullpens are pretty much even. Defensively South Fork is a little below average (.971 FA) with the glove, while Middlefield is poor (.968 FA).

The experts say this is the first time in the playoffs the Roosters will face a good-hitting team. Crystal Lake and Wynnamac possessed outstanding pitching, but neither Crystal Lake, nor Wynnamac could hit. Those that favor Middlefield counter that South Fork will be facing a team with power for the first time in the playoffs. Middlefield hammered 170 homers in the regular season and top the playoff teams with 15 roundtrippers so far. South Fork went deep 136 times duing the year, but only 5 times in the postseason.

It will be a close series going six or perhaps seven games. One key factor for South Fork will be whether Gary Price can regain his regular season form. Price was 22-14 with a fine 2.95 ERA, but has struggled in the postseason with an 0-3 mark with a high 4.44 ERA. Another key factor will be whether number three starter Jim Tettelbach can sustain his remarkable playoff performance. Tettelbach is 2-0 in 2 starts and has not allowed a run. During the season he was 17-12 with 3.63 ERA.

All things point to a Pro Cup crown for the South Fork Stallions. Manager Duroche "Lips" Leon has the better starters. Rookie Billy Massey was great in the regular season with a 21-10 record and a strong 2.99 ERA... and even better in the postseason with a spotless 4-0 mark and a superb 1.85 ERA. And Tettelbach has been extraordinary. All Leon and the Stallions need is for Price to do it like he did during the season and they are home free. If that happens, it could be a short four or five games series. At the plate in the postseason the Stallions top performers have been SS Kurt Pankewicz with a .300 BA, 1 HR, 8 RBI and 5 runs scored, 2B Norris Nettles with a .314 BA, 0 HR, 5 RBI and 5 runs, CF Shelby Glasscock with a .227 BA, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 5 runs and 6 SB and LF Patric Giles with a .225 BA, 2 HR, 6 RBI and 10 runs scored.

Skipper Bailey Norcross needs his starters to step it up a notch for the Roosters to upset the Stallions. He also needs his bats to keep booming and bombing. Danny Denver is the ace and only consistent starter. Denver went 23-7 with a 3.31 ERA. None of the other starters had winning records. Frank Dean was only 16-17 with a good 3.03 ERA, especially in the small confines of Middlefield Park with its very short dimensions. Rookie Tyrus Cobb was 11-14 with a 3.20 ERA. In the playoffs Denver is 1-1 with a 3.67 ERA, Dean 1-1 with a 3.09 ERA and Cobb 2-1 with a 4.57 ERA. But Cobb has really pitched well in his last two starts after being creamed in his initial start. Offensively in the playoffs Middlefield has been led by 3B Stu Butterworth with a .433 BA, 3 HR, 9 RBI and 8 runs, 1B Keith Yashin with a .326 BA, 5 HR, 8 RBI and 11 runs, CF Tom Daniels with a .306 BA, 1 HR, 9 RBI and 5 runs and LF Floyd McClellan with a .341 BA, 3 HR/5 RBI and 9 runs scored.

South Fork will have the homefield advantage. The Stallions were 49-28 at home and 47-30 on the road, while Middlefield played very well at home with a 51-26 mark, but dismally away, posting a poor 34-43 record. South Fork hits right-handers better, compiling an 81-47 record. Against southpaws there were only 15-11. The Roosters were better against lefties with a 22-14 record. They were 63-55 against the righties. Middlefield has four portsiders, while South Fork only has two. Two of the three starters on each team are right-handed.

Pro Cup Prediction: South Fork Stallions in 6 games.

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Friday, October 10, 2025

2025 IPA Pro Cup Series

Roosters Stun Stallions 9-3 In Pro Cup Opener
On the road the underdog Middlefield Roosters jumped out to an 8-0 lead in the first two frames and stunned the favored South Fork Stallions 9-3 in the opening game of the 2025 IPA Pro Cup Finals... the Roosters ripped rookie Bill Massey for 6 runs in the first inning and never looked back... it was Massey's (4-1 3.41) first postseason loss... Middlefield pounded out 15 hits and were paced by RF Chuck Larkin (.196) with a homer and a double and 4 RBIs... LF Floyd McClellan (.348) and SS Tim Tyler (.263) batted in a couple of runs apiece... Danny Denver (2-1 2.85) was effective, especially with such a big lead... He permitted only 2 earned runs and 7 hits, while going the distance.

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Saturday, October 11, 2025

2025 IPA Pro Cup Series

Tettelbach Tames Roosters, SF Evens Pro Cup
South Fork's Jim Tettelbach cooled off the red-hot Middlefield Roosters 6-2 and snapped their 4-game winning streak... Tettelbach (3-0 0.69) stopped them on 6 hits, struck out 7 and issued two walks and won his third successive playoff game... Tettelbach's 17-inning scoreless string came to an end in the first inning, but it didn't matter... the Stallions promptly tied it up in the bottom of the first, then broke the game wide open with 4 runs in the fourth... South Fork outhit Middlefield 12 to 6... RF Robby Michael led the way with 3-for-4 and 3B Mark Barker (.320) and C Dennis Johanson (.262) collected 2 hits each... SS Kurt Pankewicz (.277) drove in 2 runs for the winners... rookie Tyrus Cobb (2-2 6.12) took it on the chin and was pelted for 6 runs and 10 hits in 3-plus innings.

Middlefield was happy to get split at J. R. Ewing Stadium. The series will now switch to Middlefield Park after the first two were played in South Fork. Middlefield plays much better at home where the Roosters are 51-26. On the road they are only 34-43. The Stallions play well at home and away.

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Sunday, October 12, 2025

2025 IPA Pro Cup Series

Roosters Up 2-1 In Pro Cup, Nose Out SF 7-6
Happy to be back at home at Middlefield Park, the pesky Middlefield Roosters nosed out favored South Fork 6-5 to go ahead two games to one in the IPA Pro Cup Finals... although they were peppered for 14 hits and only got 7 themselves, they managed to salvage a win... 11 bases on balls made the difference... the Roosters shot in front 3-0 after 3 innings, lost the lead 4-3 in the fourth, regained it for good in the fifth with 4 runs, then held off the Stallions in the late innings... strong relief pitching saved the day... Ken Crawford, Waylon Hillman and Alec Bacardi combined to hold the Stallions at bay the last few innings... starter Frank Dean faltered in the seventh... Dean (2-1 4.01) got credit for the win despite being tagged for 6 runs and 13 hits in 6-plus innings... Dean fanned 6 and walked just one... Gary Price's (0-4 4.94) playoff woes continued to plague him... the Roosters routed him in the fifth and dealt him his fourth straight defeat... Price allowed 7 runs in 4-plus innings... 7 walks killed him.

Sparking the Roosters were RF Chuck Larkin (.185), who got his 3rd home run in the postseason and batted in 2 runs... CF Tom Daniels (.328) added an RBI triple and scored twice... SS Wes Gore (.222) and C Rod Buckley (.263) each batted in a run... and Dean (.200) also chipped in an RBI double... top bats for South Fork belonged to CF Shelby Glasscock (.259), LF Patric Giles (.302) and 1B Teddy Nixon (.500), all with 3 hits apiece.

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Monday, October 13, 2025

2025 IPA Pro Cup Series

Stallions Outslugs Roosters 9-7, Ties Pro Cup
Down 7-5 in the final at-bat at Middlefield Park, South Fork stung Middlefield for 4 runs and captured the fourth game of the Pro Cup Series to tie it at two games each... in the top of the ninth, 1B Teddy Nixon (.500) doubled in two runs to win the game... it was a slugfest with both clubs registering 12 hits... winning pitcher Richie Raeburn was superb in relief of South Fork starter Bill Massey... Raeburn (1-0 0.84) came on in the fourth frame, trailing 7-1 and shut down the Roosters on one hit and not a single run for 4 and a third innings... closer Tom Galloway took over in the bottom of the ninth and stumbled in with his 5th postseason save... Galloway loaded the bases on a single and two walks, then got out of the mess with a double play to end the game.

South Fork CF Shelby Glasscock (.290) was 3-for-4 with 4 runs batted in... one of them was Glasscock's 3rd roundtripper in the playoffs... he now leads the Stallions with 12 RBIs... LF Patric Giles (.316) also knocked in a pair of runs for South Fork... Middlefield cracked 3 out of the park with LF Floyd McClellan (.345) getting 2 of them, good for 4 RBIs and 2B Arnie Stone (.217) went deep, too... McClellan had 3 hits in defeat and scored 4 times... Rooster closer Waylon Hillman (0-1 6.75) blew his second save of the playoffs as he was battered for all 4 runs in the ninth.