ISLANDIAN PRO ALLIANCE (RUTHLANDIA and TYCOBBIA BASEBALL UNIONS)

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Tuesday, September 19, 2028

2028 Ruthlandian West Final Recap

Sligo Edges FTB And Stoner In RU West
The Ruthlandian West pennant chase went deep into September before the Sligo Rovers edged out the Fort Benton Defenders by 2 games and the Stoner Stars by 4... the Rovers rallied from third place in the final weeks of the season to wrap up their second pennant in a row... Volusia finished with a flourish and came in fourth place, 8 games back and tied with Middlefield... The Rovers rode a good September to the pennant, racking up a 10-6 record, while Fort Benton and Stoner could only muster 7-9 marks.

The best pitching in the IPA carried manager Eddie Keys' Sligo Rovers (87-67) to the title... his staff put up a 3.14 team ERA, led by solid core of starters... All-Star Earl Perkins (21-8/2.53) was the ace with support from Lou Page (21-14/3.01) and 37-year-old veteran Les Patterson (16-16/2.88)... closer Milt Flanagan (4-3) collected 16 saves and chalked up a strong 2.28 ERA... offensively Keys only had an average club with a .254 BA (18th), 700 runs (18th) and 161 home runs (14th), led by All-Star CF Darryl Collins (.296/31/112/84) and LF Biff Blauer (.302/17/63/85)... RF Teddy Brunet provided some extra firepower with 33 homers, 102 RBIs and 90 runs, but batted just .246.

Before the past two seasons, the last time the Fort Benton Defenders (85-69) really contended for the RU West pennant was in 2013, when they missed out by just one game... Robbie Brooks came real close this year, too, ending up only 2 games off the pace... Fort Benton's prime performers were All-Star Frankie Quinn (25-13/2.94), Edd Farmer (21-9/3.66) and Augie Marquis (18-12/3.16) on the hill and CF Vince Boylan (.303/34/95/93), 3B Ronny Frick (.283/16/95/64) and 1B Brad Jenkins (.332/9/67/70) at the plate.

The third place Stoner Stars (83-71) had strong bats and weak arms this season... skipper Benny Stern's Stars could put runs on the scoreboard, ranking third in runs with 813, 7th with a .275 BA and 10th in home runs with 169... Stoner's top bats were All-Star 3B Jeff Henderson, who wreaked havoc with 39 homers, 142 RBIs, 93 runs and a .339 BA... Henderson is just 21 and in his third year... along with 1B Fletch Fowler (.319/28/112/87), LF Kevin Fisher (.293/16/64/105), CF Al Rispone (.283/17/78/112), All-Star catcher P. J. Blake (.276/13/84) and RF Neil Mooney (.319/14/66/66)... the Stars top hurler was Raul Hidalgo with a 19-14 mark and a 3.11 ERA... Lou Neuman made the All-Star team with a 10-1 record and a 3.01 ERA, but crashed in the second half, winding up with a 15-8 mark and a 4.50 ERA.

After a slow start, manager Alfonso Feliz finally got his Volusia Vigilantes (79-75) going in the second half with a fourth-place finish, 8 games off the pace... the Vigilantes haven't made the playoffs since 2006 and have wallowed in the second division the past three seasons... in the last three months of the year the V's were 41-32... Volusia depended on good pitching, ranking third in the league with a 3.62 ERA... All-Star Cisco Almeida (22-7/2.52) and 11-year vet Sixto Moreno (17-13/3.74) were the stalwarts of the staff... RF Dave Skoglund (.290/17/78/95) was Feliz's most dependable hitter... other run producers were LF Marty Hollenbeck (.316/12/57/64), SS Joao Rosales (.308/8/58/65), 3B Valerio Cortes (.240/23/86/85) and CF Vasco Aguilar (.261/23/77/60).

At mid-year, the Middlefield Roosters (79-75) were on top of the RU West, a game ahead of Stoner and Sligo and 5 in front of Colfax... Bailey Norcross' Roosters slipped badly (31-42) in the second half, but managed to hold on to fourth place, tied with Volusia... taking advantage of its small ballpark, Middlefield exploded for 211 homers to top the RU, but hit poorly with a .225 BA (32nd) and were 22nd in runs scored... Norcross had four players with 20 or more roundtrippers... LF Floyd McClellan hit 33, but batted just .215, 1B Paul Smiley had 33 and batted .260, 3B Stu Butterworth chipped in 23, while hitting .217 and CF Tom Daniels swatted 23 and batted just .206 for average... Norm Phillips was the only starter of note... after being moved into the starting role in August, Phillips was 9-4 with a 2.98 ERA... Tyrus Cobb added a 16-10 mark, but posted a 4.39 ERA, which is not bad at tiny Middlefield Park.

The sixth place Colfax Blasters (77-77) had a decent season, though they were 10 games behind Sligo, but Ilya Szabo's club still wound up with a .500 mark... All-Star CF Hal Granders (.320/11/60/122) and C Mitch Fullerton (.310/18/95/65) were the main bats, while Jon Cruise (18-12/4.05) and Dean McCord (8-2/3.20) were the most effective starters... McCord didn't move into the starting rotation until July and responded in a fine way.

Ryan Noland's Rocky Rapids Snappers (71-83) came in seventh this season, but improved a little bit over 2026 and 2027, when they were in the RU West basement... the Snappers did it with some good pitching from All-Star Terence Mulloy (16-12/2.95), Walter Noland (15-17/3.32) and Matt Loudermilk (15-18/3.20)... woeful hitting doomed the Snappers... only 1B Angelo Nardone (.292/30/87/75) did much damage.

The last place Forest City Lumberjacks (66-88) haven't made the postseason since 2013... manager Rob Jackson is in sore need of talent... C George Arnick topped the team with a .277 mark, 19 homers and 86 RBIs... 1B Barry McKnight (.218 BA) led the team with 30 roundtrippers, followed by CF Fred Weldon (.256 BA) and LF Ryan Ray (.244 BA) with 20 each... Stephen Phillips (15-19/4.55) and Norm Dawson (13-17/4.41) were the best the 'Jacks could put on the mound.

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Tuesday, September 19, 2028

2028 Tycobbian North Final Recap

Mahaska Whips White River In TU North Playoff
It was a topsy-turvy year in the Tycobbian North, the weakest division in the IPA... the teams did a flip-flop after mid-season... the Mahaska Haymakers came from seventh place and 5 games out and 5 games under .500 at the All-Star Game to win the division... in the second half of the race they put it into high gear and came away with a hard-earned title by whipping the defending division champ White River Rascals in a one-game playoff... down the stretch Mahaska was 11-6, while White River was 8-9 and Hartsdale was 6-10... the third place Hartsdale Hellcats were nosed out by a game and a half and the Blue Lake Blue Sox were just 2 and a half games off the pace in a very tight pennant race... even fifth place Oxford Red Caps and the Luxora Zorros were close, only 5 and a half game back... the North Hills Hawks were just 7 and a half games behind in seventh place and the Fairfax Frogs were on bottom, 10 and a half games out... at the halfway point in the schedule the Hawks, Zorros and Frogs were close to the top in the standings... all of them spiraled to near the bottom by season's end.

The Mahaska Haymakers (80-75) relied heavily on its hitting prowess to cop the TU North flag... Rusty Tanussa's team hit .273 (7th), ranked 8th in scoring with 759 runs and was 24th in homers with 144... pitching-wise the Haymaker hurlers were pretty bad with a 4.40 team ERA... All-Star RF Travis Tuttle had a massive season, leading the TU with a .366 BA... Tuttle slammed 39 homers, drove in 132 runs and scored 113 times... Mahaska's lineup was filled to the brim with quality hitters: C Bucky O'Brian (.307/21/87/70), 1B Paul Davies (.313/22/76/85), LF Johnny Yevtushenko (.297/23/79/77) and 2B Todd Tarkovsky (.279/17/87/73)... on the hill it was another story... Arno Vainmaa was 22-12 with a 3.93 ERA and led the club with some help from Maxim Petrosian (17-14/3.86)... Mahaska went into September in third place, 2 games behind Hartsdale and a game in back of White River... the Haymakers got hot at the right time and came away the winner.

The second place White River Rascals (79-76) won the division in three of the last 6 years and came within a heartbeat this season... the Rascals lived and died on the right arms of two 20-game winners: All-Star Paul Sardini (23-7/2.12) and Carl Dreux (20-13/3.43)... Sardini had the best ERA in the IPA this year... manager Mick Cronyn's club's biggest problem was at the plate... the Rascals hit only .242 (28th) and ranked 25th in scoring with 674 runs... homer-wise they hit 150 (20th)... All-Star 1B Marty Blake was the most productive hitter with 27 homers, 75 RBIs, 81 runs and a .286 average... at age 34 Blake was pushed by young Valery Perkins, who hit .389 with 18 homers and 48 RBIs in 34 starts... it will be tough to keep him on the bench as a backup too much longer... no one else had much in the way of numbers this year.

Kendry Moulton has made his presence known as skipper of the Hartsdale Hellcats (78-76) and he almost got them their first pennant in 14 years, but he came up one and a half games short... they were in first place at mid-year and as late as September... Moulton lost his number two starter Les Chylak (12-11/3.35) with six weeks to go, which was a critical loss... Donovan Lee (19-14/3.53) anchored the staff... the Hellcats didn't have much after Lee and Chylak, although Hank Cooke was activated in August and he ran off a fine 6-2 record in 9 starts with a very healthy 2.16 ERA... Cooke looks good for next year... Moulton only had a modest offense... .262 BA (12th), 707 runs (18th) and 132 HR (27th)... Hartsdale's best bats were All-Star C Durward Anderson (.289/12/48/85) and 1B Johnny Scott (.281/23/82/92).

The fourth place Blue Lake Blue Sox (77-77) were the best ballclub in the TU North the last two months of the season, but they weren't very good the first four months... the Blue Sox were 30-15 in August and September and closed fast, but fell 2 and a half games short... manager Rick Hilliard saw much improvement this season as the Blue Sox rose up from last place in 2027... Hilliard had some quality starters in Doug Kirkpatrick (19-14/3.09), Chris Landry (17-11/3.35) and Billy Trakas (16-14/3.55)... Blue Lake had two All-Stars: 3B Skipper Smith (.298/15/75/89) and 2B James Mack (.278/23/77/73)... Mack is a marvel at age 43... LF Eddie Nagen (.267/27/84/92) and C Mac Williams (.273/22/83/64) hit with power and also drove in some runs.

The Oxford Red Caps (74-80) and the Luxora Zorros tied for the fifth spot in the standings, just 5 and a half games off the pace... Mack Spencer has decent bats, but little in the way of pitching... leading the Red Caps attack were LF Dennis Hartwig (.293/31/119/93), 1B Kerry Sterling (.301/38/111/78) and CF Barney Burns (.272/8/52/107)... Carmine Scalise (14-13/3.64) was the best of the lot on the hill.

The Luxora Zorros (74-80) were looking forward to this year after finishing a surprising second in 2027, but it never happened... the Z's were right up with the leaders, in third place and only 2 games back at the All-Star break, but then fell back to earth and tied for fifth... the Zorros struggled at bat, but did hit a lot of homers (192 HR/6th-tied)... they batted only .239 (30th)... Lacey Tompkins still had good pitching, but not as good as last year... this year Luxora posted a 3.69 team ERA (4th), headed up by Benny DeVito (19-14/3.29)... 1B Gerry Hathaway led a trio of sluggers, who hit 30 or more out of the park... Hathaway had 37, LF Byron Glenn slammed 32 and SS Karl Lindquist collected 30... Hathaway paced the team with a .299 BA... Glenn hit .253 and top the team with 84 RBIs... Lindquist batted only .207 for average.

The North Hills Hawks (72-82) were within a game of the top at mid-season in second place, but faltered badly the second half and sunk to seventh, trailing by 7 and a half games... 21-year-old pitcher Andy Dahlberg (18-14/3.65) had a good sophomore season to lead Masaichi Okawa's club on the mound... Terry Costanza (15-14/3.57) pitched well, too... SS Keith Ingram (.315/19/98/81) was the only position player, who had a fine year... no one else was close to his numbers.

The Fairfax Frogs (69-85) fell apart in the second half... they were tied for third with Luxora midway through the season, just 2 games behind leading Hartsdale... manager Dane Wesner lost his All-Star closer Zack Dowdle (5-1/1.58), who had racked up 18 saves by the end of July... starter Joey Santini (18-15/3.39) was the Frogs only effective pitcher... leading the offense were 2B Johnny Velasco, who walloped 30 roundtrippers, drove in 95 runs and batted .276... RF Randall Crawford smacked 23 home runs, batted in 84 runs and hit .281... LF Alton Dale had 22 homers, scored 102 runs, drove in 67 and batted .257... and CF Eric Kusek chipped in 11 home runs, 73 RBIs, 78 runs, while hitting .274.

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Tuesday, September 19, 2028

2028 Tycobbian South Final Recap

Sun Sox Snatch Pennant From Ninjas
The defending IPA Pro Cup champion Southport Sun Sox really proved their mettle by catching the Ginza Ninjas on the final day of the regular season, then won the Tycobbian South flag in a single-game playoff, bombing the Ninjas 11-5... in a colossal collapse Ginza was only 5-12 in the final weeks of the season, while Southport was a scorching 14-3... the Ninjas blew a huge lead in September... they were up by 8 games over the Sun Sox... third place went to Summerland and Colchester, who were 4 and a half game back of Southport.

Manager Charley Oscar's Southport Sun Sox (87-68) possessed a potent offense with a .275 BA (5th), 790 runs scored (4th) and 180 homers (14th), but only average pitching with a 4.14 team ERA (16th)...the Sun Sox top guns were All-Star RF Lorne Evans, who had a great year with 55 home runs, 120 RBIs and an IPA-leading 165 runs... Evans batted .325 and walked 133 times... 1B Kyle Ross also lent a hand with 32 roundtrippers, 122 RBIs and scored 91 times, while hitting at a .296 pace... C Luis Alvarado added a .308 BA, 18 homers and 89 runs batted in... injuries were a problem for Oscar... he lost starter Dan Pascioni (10-11/3.65) for the season in July and 2B Sam Cousins in late August for the year... Cousins hit .329 with 9 home runs, 56 RBIs and 54 runs... CF Rick Cabrini (.301/13/49/91) also went out for over 20 games, but will be back for the playoffs... Ronnie Galus was the main man on the mound with a 23-13 mark and a 3.36 ERA... Al Laclair was 19-14, but saw his ERA soar to 4.97 this year... spot number three will probably go to Bob Bundy, who was 8-2 with a 2.67 ERA after being moved in from the bullpen to the starting rotation in June... closer Joel Shepard saved 21 games, while posting a 5-4 record and a fine 2.61 ERA.

The runner-up Ginza Ninjas (86-69) played very well the entire season except for September... manager Huroko Uchiyama had four All-Stars, led by Cotton Cornwall (.323/35/111/112), SS Russ Van Kleek (.304/16/83/83), 2B Howard Winston (.312/18/77/84) and C Crash Davis (.303/12/65/66)... 1B Johnny O'Rorke didn't make the All-Stars, but put up some fine numbers with a .296 BA, 35 home runs, 110 RBIs and 95 runs scored... as a team Ginza batted .286 (1st), scored 798 runs (3rd) with 161 homers (17th)... on the hill the Ninjas were pretty fair with a 3.94 team ERA (8th), sparked by 23-year-old Ryuji Kaneko with a 17-12 record and a 2.98 ERA and 24-year-old Hollis Pace ((19-13/3.08)... 27-year-old ace Daniel Ferguson had a disappointing season with a 13-17 record and lofty 4.81 ERA... in seven years Ferguson has put up a rock-solid 3.02 ERA with a 103-88 record... Ferguson won 20 games in three of his first four seasons, but has had a losing record the last two years.

It was a rebound year for skipper Will Hackett and his Summerland Sunsets (82-72) as they tied with Colchester for third place, trailing Southport by 4 and a half games... Last year the Sunsets were stuck in the basement... Clive Coxford (14-7/3.78) and Scotty Ellison (18-13/2.91) were the top pitchers, while 1B Mandu Purula had a career year with a .354 BA, 30 homers, 100 RBIs and 93 runs... SS Gregg Proctor contributed 26 home runs and 101 RBIs, but hit only .250 for average... RF Stefan Noon slapped 26 out of the park and drove in 85, while batting .268.

The Colchester Elites (82-72) were up with the leaders for most of the year and wound up deadlocked for the third spot in the TU South... Mike Kierkegard (20-10/3.05) was manager Uncle Robbie Wilbertson's number one hurler... and Brandy Snow (18-17/4.23) also pitched well at times... but it was the Elite bats that carried the day, headed up by the IPA co-home run leader Jim Lewellen, who blasted 56 home runs, knocked in 142, scored 138 times with a .279 BA... Loco Dillinger of Waleska also drilled 56 home runs to top the Ruthlandian Union... RF Cleve Belton (.283/31/97/81), 1B Steve Burns (.315/17/88) and CF Carlos Manuel (.282/22/48/108) also chipped in run support.

Given a little more pitching, the San Alejo Montaneros (78-76) could have been a serious contender for the TU South crown... manager Alberto Herrera's club came in fifth this season, 8 and a half games out... the Monties were second best in scoring with 808 runs and batted a solid .268 (9th) with 197 homers (6th-tied)... but on the hill they were horrendous with a 4.51 team ERA (27th)... the only reliable arm was John Kaltenbach with a 20-16 record and a 3.84 ERA... 3B Bubby Blackwell had an impressive season with a .355 BA (2nd), 12 home runs, 90 RBIs and 95 runs... 36-year-old late bloomer 1B Ramon Escabedo was a standout, too, with 39 roundtrippers, 116 RBIs, 106 runs and a .288 BA... longtime star CF Warren Love collected 37 homers, 109 RBIs and scored 84 times with a .310 BA.

The three remaining clubs were out of the running... sixth place Turon (73-81) was only 4 games behind at the All-Star break, but went on the fritz in the second half and tumbled 13 and a half games off the pace... it's been 9 years since Whitey Richburn's once-powerful Typhoons have made the playoffs... at the plate All-Star 1B Michael Page stood out with a sparkling .350 BA, 39 home runs, 95 RBIs and 83 runs, leading the team in all four categories... 3B Grant Odom was also productive with a .305 BA, 5 homers, 62 RBIs and 83 runs... on the hill Sal Quattrone led the way with a 20-14 mark and a 3.88 ERA... finally at age 39 IPA icon and all-time wins leader Nicky Engstrom showed signs of his 19 years as he suffered his first losing season with a 13-22 record... Engstrom also saw his ERA jumped to 4.27... lifetime Engstrom is now 384-209 with a 2.39 ERA.

The Cape Coral Hurricanes (69-85) and Arroyo Grande Suns pulled up the rear in last place, 17 and a half games out of first... The Hurricanes missed the playoffs for the 13th straight season... manager Flipper Bird needs a lot of help on the mound and at the plate... his best performers were CF Dan Isenberg (.300/22/82/88) and pitcher Randy Burns (11-11/3.88)... not much talent after them.

For the first time in 10 seasons Cyclone Cobb finished lower than third place in the standings and it was quite a jolt, all the way to the cellar... the Arroyo Grande Suns (69-85) had horrible pitching with a 4.70 ERA (29th), but they still can sting the ball... the Suns went deep 217 times, ranking second to High Mesa's 257 total and seventh in scoring with 768 runs... the Suns still hit for power, but not much for average... All-Star C Gary Troxell led with 42 homers and 110 RBIs, but hit only .221... 1B Rusty Vizcarra had 37 roundtrippers and 122 RBIs with a .274 BA... LF Rod Jacobs slugged 30 home runs, scored 109 times, batted in 57 runs, while hitting .236... 2B Andy Pearson hit 25 homers with 98 RBIs and 100 runs and a .270 mark... RF Johnny Eichhorn had 29 dingers, 67 RBIs and a .273 BA... Cobb's only decent pitcher was Chico Huerta (15-9/3.56), who chalked up his best season, but was injured in late August.

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Tuesday, September 19, 2028

2028 Tycobbian East Final Recap

Tucks Breeze To TU East Title
The Tuckanarra Blue Jays were challenged by East Point and South Fork until mid-year... the Blue Jays led the Panthers by 4 and the Blue Sox by 5 at the All-Star Game... however they totally demolished the Tycobbian East to win in a breeze by 15 games over East Point... 17 games better than third place South Fork... it was Tuckanarra's fourth division flag in the last six seasons... the Midway Wolves, who won the division last year, slipped to fourth and 25 games off the pace.

Tuckanarra (102-52) won more games than anyone in the IPA this year... Lefty Stevens had an overpowering club with a fine offense and solid pitching... the Blue Jays hit .277 (3rd), led the TU with 829 runs (1st) and had good home run power with 182 (12th)... the pitching corps registered a good 3.42 ERA (1st)... Tuckanarra was sparked by All-Star 1B Lynn Starr with 40 home runs, 127 RBIs, 114 runs and a .322 BA... other solid performers were 2B Eddie Darby (.319/16/74/97), C Trevor Dowd (.293/11/58/88), 3B Koora Nawajuk (.266/23/86/95), CF Terry Jasper (.257/18/85/92) and SS Jed Turchin (.274/14/87/70)... on the hill Quinn Starr was the ace with a 25-10 record and a 2.80 ERA... newcomer Jamie Gustafson, acquired from Cold Creek, had a super year with a 21-12 mark and a 2.71 ERA... Last year he was 13-22... Philip Marston benefited from the strong offense and chalked up a 21-8 record with a 3.72 ERA... veteran Sam Tate passed the 200-win milestone this season with a 15-13 record and a 3.71 ERA.

Karol Zodoka used firepower and pitching to enable the East Point Panthers (87-67) to finish second for the second year in a row... it was the Panthers most wins ever... they hammered 210 homers (4th) and had pretty fair pitching with a 3.82 team ERA (5th), but were weak in the bullpen (4.37 ERA/23rd)... All-Star 1B Tetsu Tanaka (.291/39/99/111) and CF Kenji Aoki (.253/37/93/85) were the prime performers at the plate... on the hill it was All-Star Frank Blair (20-12/3.00), Joe Foley (18-15/3.31), Jack Bolden (13-10/2.81) and Dixie Brooks (22-10/4.05).

Fine pitching and longballs got the South Fork Stallions (85-69) the third spot in the TU East standings... Duroche "Lips" Leon's team batted only .239 (31st), but connected for 196 homers (8th), but ranked 23rd in scoring with 688 runs... on the hill the team ERA was 3.65, second best in the league... All-Star Richie Raeburn (24-12/2.13) had an outstanding year... Jim Tettelbach (18-15/3.36), who missed most of 2027 with an arm injury, came back well... five players had 20 or more homers, led by CF Shelby Glasscock (.232/31/77/105), LF Patric Giles (.247/27/79/76), C Mel Danley (.226/23/60/45), RF Paul Kretzmeier (.238/23/56/59) and 1B Troy Trimble (.229/22/72/55), but none of them hit for average.

Last year's pennant winner, the Midway Wolves (77-77) could only break even and dropped to fourth place, trailing by 25 games... Cochise Chandler had fairly good pitching with a 3.88 team ERA (7th), but were only average offensively with a .248 BA, 715 runs (17th) and 179 home runs (15th)... the Wolves had two standout starters in All-Star Bobby Dorignac (19-10/2.60) and Cary Snead (18-5/2.55)... pacing the batters were 1B Jake Welsh, who blossomed with 40 homers, 128 RBIs and 78 runs, while batting .306... 3B Rusty Graves hit .281 with 21 home runs, 77 RBIs and 89 runs and RF Jamie Turner had his best season with 26 roundtrippers, 75 RBIs, 71 runs and a .280 BA... SS Rob Gigler also chipped in with 16 homers, 57 RBIs, 85 runs and a decent .267 BA.

The high-powered High Mesa Cowboys (76-78) wound up 26 games back in fifth place... the Cowpokes almost set a new record for homers with 257, but fell short of Arroyo Grande's 260 in 2005... manager Frisky Franks had several talented players, but not enough of them to contend this year... Emil Kaltenborn is a super talent... pitching in a bandbox, Kaltenborn was 20-13 with an unbelievable 2.80 ERA... Roger Hart also stood out with a 21-14 mark with a 3.62 ERA... 35-year-old slugger, Jack Elliott, the IPA all-time home run leader with 811, is still a productive bat, but hasn't hit for much average the last two seasons... a lifetime .342 hitter, Elliott batted just .275 this year, but blasted 49 homers, drove in 109 runs and scored 95... 3B Freddy Franks has a good year with a .277 BA, 28 home runs, 74 RBIs and scored 96 runs... All-Star C Johnny Gore batted .294 with 15 roundtrippers and 71 runs batted in.

Rawhide Marshall, skipper of the sixth place Hillsboro Blazers (70-84), has a mediocre ballclub... the Blazers ranked near the bottom with a .240 BA (29th) and 661 runs (28th-tied)... pitching is only fair with a 4.12 team ERA (15th)... Gregg Hughes is a quality pitcher with a fine 2.29 ERA and a 13-9 record... Marshall's only reliable bat is 2B Jason DiMucci with a .293 BA, 15 HR, 84 RBI and 99 runs... several players have punch, but don't hit for average and they strike out a lot... LF Paul Green led the team with 36 homers, but batted only .222... RF Tommy O'Hara walloped 30 out of the park, but hit just .238... and CF Biggy Washington drill 26 homers, while batting just .221... veteran 1B Larry Guichard, perhaps the best player on the team year-in and year-out, had a down year with only 12 homers, 73 RBIs and 51 runs, but he did bat a very respectable .294 for average.

It's been 19 long years since the Red Bluff Red Sox (66-88) graced the postseason... this season they were seventh and 36 games behind pennant-winning Tuckanarra... very little talent on the team... vet Trini Corona (11-6/4.15) was Bucky Frizzell's best starter and RF Corbett Brooks (.254/37/105/86) and 2B Leander Burks (.232/32/92/76) were the top position players... none of them were worth shouting about.

Once-proud Ozarka (61-95) suffered its worst season in the IPA, finishing last and 41 games out in the pennant chase... the Naturals pitching was atrocious with a gaudy 5.44 ERA (32nd)... the worst team ERA in IPA history belongs to the Arroyo Grande Suns with a 5.79 ERA in 2002... no one put up much in the way of offensive numbers this year... All-Star James Couch batted .323 with 16 home runs, 60 RBIs and scored 99 runs... 1B George Jenkins hit .300 with 19 roundtrippers, 70 RBIs and 81 runs... All-Star RF Shannon Farmer missed a month in the second half and ended up with only a .278 average, 18 home runs, 67 RBIs and 68 runs... Farmer did most of his damage in the first half.

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Tuesday, September 19, 2028

2028 Tycobbian West Final Recap

La Claire Nabs First TU West Flag
Until this season the closest the La Claire Lynx had ever come to winning the Tycobbian West was a second-place finish in 2008... Well, this year they finally won it... otherwise the Lynx were never closer than 7 and a half games... the long-suffering La Claire fans will now know what its like to have their team competing for the IPA Pro Cup... this season La Claire ran up a good 8-game lead by the All-Star Game and then held off the fast-finishing Kenwood Wildcats by 5 games... third place went to Rolling Hills... the Reds had taken the crown the past three seasons, but came up 10 games short this year... the Arlon Champions were a distant fourth and trailed by 16 games.

Manager Zeppy Deshotel and his La Clair Lynx (94-60) had the second-best record in the Tycobbian Union this year, shooting up from fifth place in 2027... the Lynx had average hitting with a .260 BA (15th) and good offense with 752 runs (11th) and excellent power with 207 home runs (5th)... just average pitching with a 4.05 ERA (14th)... All-Star LF Carroll Candy led the club with a .305 average, 39 home runs and 118 RBIs... Candy has a bad shoulder and will miss much of the playoffs... he could be back by the Pro Cup Finals... all-time IPA great and All-Star 3B Flash Devlin, a 12-time All-Star, topped the team with 105 runs and 108 walks, while batting .297 and driving in 78 runs... other steady producers were RF Kelly Chambelain (.277/28/57/101), 1B Jess Swain (.283/19/80/88) and 2B Norm Petitjean (.279/25/80/63)... Pat Kovacs (23-11/3.10) had an exceptional season with 391 strikeouts, a new IPA record... Kovacs easily broke Howard Hutch's mark of 353, set in 2026... Alvar Vickers (21-13/4.41) also notched 20 victories.

The Kenwood Wildcats (89-65) messed around until halfway through the regular season, 15 games behind in fifth place, but manager Aaron Hankins lit a fire underneath them and they blazed through the second half in torrid fashion with a 51-22 record... a .280 team BA (2nd) and a solid offense (775 runs-5th) carried the club, but the Wildcats lacked power, hitting just 103 HRs (32nd)... on the mound the starters were effective with a 3.85 ERA, but the relief corps was lacking, being tagged for a lofty 4.41 ERA (24th)... Kenwood was led at the plate by All-Star SS Jeff Lang with a .346 BA, 17 HR, 111 RBI and 102 runs, RF Babe Hankins with a .321 mark, 17 HR, 99 RBI and 93 runs and 3B Eric Hollister, who batted .280 with 23 roundtrippers, 99 RBI and 91 runs... LF Hank Lunsford hit .277 and scored 101 runs... backups OF Jesus Hernandez hit .367 with 6 homers, 50 RBIs and scored 66 times in 94 games and CF Matthew Hankins, the skipper's younger son, had 9 HR, 57 RBIs and a .319 BA in 102 games... Wildcat ace Jody Gentry (21-16/2.74) had a fine comeback season at age 34 after going a horrible 8-25 in 2027, but suffered an undetermined injury in his last start in September... Claude Watson was the number two man with a 20-8 mark and a 4.10 ERA.

Despite being 10 games out of first and in third place, the talented Rolling Hills Reds (84-70) still had a good season... statistically they might have been the best team in the league... Matty Christianson's club hit .274 (4th) and scored 772 runs (6th)... however the Reds lacked power, hitting just 128 homers (29th-tied)... they were strong on the hill with a 3.65 team ERA (3rd), especially in the bullpen where they compiled a 2.42 ERA (1st)... All-Star Errol Gaudet led the staff with a 21-13 record and a 3.15 ERA... All-Star Johnny Brown also chipped in with an 18-10 mark with a 3.57 ERA... Rolling Hills best bats were 1B Billy Christianson (.322/16/114/110), LF Pat Webb (.304/31/125/95), RF Bobby McConnell (.322/5/41/92) and CF Scotty Yiska (.279/19/68/107)... it's surprising the Reds didn't win their fourth consecutive division title... I guess stats don't always tell the truth.

The Arlon Champions (78-76) were just an average ballclub and ended up in fourth place... Rocco Belasario's Champs were 16 games out of first... they batted .255 (17th), had some clout with 181 home runs (13th) and posted a 4.04 team ERA (13th)... Dorsey Peters (19-9/4.11) and Stan Svoboda (18-12/4.34) were the best arms... top bats were 1B Artie Anderson with 38 roundtrippers, 108 runs batted in and a .271 BA... 2B Ryan Hicks had a solid season with a .311 BA, 23 HR, 97 RBI and 86 runs... CF Del Carpenter batted .268 with 21 HR, 81 RBI and 78 runs... SS Johnny Madigan scored 109 runs, but hit just .257 for average.

Fifth place Bayview (75-79) has not made the postseason since 2016 and hasn't made the first division in the last six seasons... skipper Chancey Quibedeaux's Vikings hit well with a .270 BA, 750 runs (12th) and 190 homers (9th-tied), but could use some help on the hill, mainly in the bullpen (5.05/30th)... Tommy Wynn (21-14/3.78) was the club leader on the mound, while in the batter's box it was All-Star RF Wayne Kenney with an excellent year, batting .351 with 38 home runs, 113 RBIs and scored 96 runs... 20-year-old rookie LF Roy Ricks sparkled with a .306 BA, 24 HR, 87 RBI and 103 runs... other solid hitters were CF Knut Valen (.282/25/77), 1B J. R. Hawkins (.267/22/74/84), SS Bobby Nordahl (.283/18/75/81) and C Wesley Cash (.245/25/82/73).

After third place finishes the last two seasons, the Chicopee Braves (69-85) fell to sixth place and 25 games back... Chicopee has never made the playoffs in its 27 years in the IPA... the Braves have come very close four times, in 2012, 2013, 2015 and 2020... manager Harry Fleetfoot had good bats with a .266 BA (10th), 758 runs (9th) and 187 HR (11th), but pitiful pitching with a 4.89 team ERA... the Braves big bats belonged to RF Charlie Jensen (.305/36/104/110), 1B Gary Burchfield (.314/27/86/76), LF Sakima Shaman (.282/33/92/105), 2B Takota Littlefeather (.281/11/65/102), SS Robby Johnson (.280/15/73/55) and C Vinny Anderson (.250/21/84/63)... Fleetfoot's most effective pitcher was Frank Mullins with a 17-15 record, but a high 4.47 ERA.

The Bay St. Clair Buccaneers (68-86) eight-game string in the first division came to an end this season... the Bucs fell out of sight to seventh place, 26 games out... Guy Rondre's mound staff let him down badly this season as they soared to a 4.25 ERA, up from 3.04 the year before... the loss of Eddie Lasky (4-8 4.59) in late May didn't help things... 36-year-old Lasky is 247-213 in 16 seasons, twice a 20-game winner and the TU Pitcher of the Year in 2023 with a 25-8 mark... Lasky is also a 5-time Golden Glover... Rondre did have two decent starters in vet Greg Moss (17-15/3.25) and rookie Danny Darby (12-9/3.39), who replaced Lasky on the roster in June... the Buccaneer batting order had four 30-homer hitters: LF Chris Blanton (.265/39/95/90), 1B Jerry Todd (.309/36/96/78), RF Neil Lamont (.255/35/89/83) and 2B Terry Adams (.293/32/74/83).

The cellar-dwelling Denton City Redbirds (56-98) were probably the worst club in the IPA this year... manager Lavon Gooch's team ranked near the bottom in almost all categories, chalking up a .235 BA (32nd) and a 5.02 ERA (31st)... Glenn Hamilton (12-24/3.74) was the only decent pitcher in the rotation... none of the batters hit well... the best of the lot was RF Don Smithers with 21 homers and 61 RBIs, but he hit just .239 for average... that's how bad the Redbirds were this season... it's been 15 years since Denton City was in the playoffs.

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIME
Tuesday, September 19, 2028

Bobcats Davis Cops 2nd Bat Crown
This season Beechwood right fielder Jojo Davis won the Ruthlandian Union batting crown. His .382 average led everyone in 2028. Davis' season stats included 187 hits, 6 home runs, 79 runs scored and 65 RBIs. This was the second time 29-year-old Davis has taken batting honors. He also led the league in 2023 with a .360 average. Davis is a career .336 hitter in 7 seasons. He appeared in 148 games.

Third baseman Leevi Viru of the Valka Blackhawks was the runner-up with a .367 batting average. Viru. just 21, collected 215 hits, 21 homers, 100 RBIs and scored 96 runs in 141 games. Winding up third was 22-year-old outfielder Pettis Pentleton of the Elnora All-Stars. Pentleton played in 143 games with a .365 BA, 13 roundtrippers, 57 runs batted in and scored 107 times.

Mahaska's Tuttle Top Bat In TU
The leading hitter in the Tycobbian Union this season was 28-year-old Mahaska right fielder Travis Tuttle, who chalked up a .366 batting average. Among his 185 hits were 44 doubles, 4 triples and 39 home runs. Tuttle also chipped in 132 RBIs and scored 113 times in a standout year. This was his first batting title. Tuttle is a lifetime .313 hitter in 6 seasons.

22-year-old Bubby Blackwell, second baseman for the San Alejo Montaneros, came in second with a .355 batting average, 12 home runs, 90 RBIs and 95 runs scored. Summerland's first sacker Mandu Purula was third in the batting race with a .354 average. The 29-year-old Purula batted .354 with 30 homers, 100 RBIs and scored 93 times.

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Wednesday, September 20, 2028

IPA Elite 8 Starts Friday
It's playoff time! The best 8 teams have been decided in the divisional battles and now it's the survival of the fittest. Only one team will survive and they will be crowned the Islandian Pro Alliance champion. All of the playoff series will be best-of-seven.

Here are the match-ups in the Elite 8 Series:
Valmara Vipers (90-64) versus Waleska Westerners (92-62)
Sligo Rovers (87-67) versus Marston Nine (91-63)
La Claire Lynx (94-60) versus Tuckanarra Blue Jays (102-52)
Mahaska Haymakers (80-75) versus Southport Sun Sox (87-68)

Southport is the defending Pro Cup titleholder, but it just barely got back. The Sun Sox made an incredible stretch run to return as they trailed Ginza by 8 going into September. Southport whipped the Ninjas in a playoff game for the Tycobbian South pennant. However, the Tuckanarra Blue Jays are the Pro Cup favorites in The Islandian Times Pro Cup poll. The Tucks won more games than anybody this season and finished with a 102-52 record. Southport was 87-68 and is seeded number two in the poll.

Team Rankings in The Islandian Times Pro Cup poll:
1. Tuckanarra Blue Jays (102-52)
2. Southport Sun Sox (87-68)
3. Waleska Westerners (92-62)
4. Marston Nine (91-63)
5. Sligo Rovers (87-67)
6. La Claire Lynx (94-60)
7. Valmara Vipers (90-64)
8. Mahaska Haymakers (80-75)

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Thursday, September 21, 2028

Tuckanarra-Waleska Pro Cup Favorites
What does it take to win the Pro Cup? If hitting is all it takes to win the IPA Pro Cup, then pick the Waleska Westerners or the Mahaska Haymakers. If pitching will do it, the choice would be the Sligo Rovers. If it's a combination of the two, then it might be the Marston Nine or the La Claire Lynx. However, if you have the best hitting and the best pitching in the IPA, then you have it all and are the 2028 favorite to win it all in the Islandian Pro Alliance Pro Cup playoffs. You are the powerful Tuckanarra Blue Jays. There are four former Pro Cup champions in this year's field of dreamers: Tuckanarra won in 2023 and 2024, Valmara in 2026, Sligo in 2021 and Southport won last year.

Carlton "Lefty" Stevens has quite a ballclub in Tuckanarra. The top-seeded Blue Jays led the IPA in just about everything this year, winning 102 games and losing just 52. They won their division by 15 games. Stevens has three fine starters, who all won 20 games: Quinn Starr (25-10/2.80), Jamie Gustafson (21-12/2.71) and Philip Marston (21-8/3.72). Tuckanarra also has a solid lineup of hitters, too, headed up by 1B Lynn Starr (.322/40/127/114), 2B Eddie Darby (.319/16/74/87), 3B Koora Nawajuk (.266/23/86/95) and CF Terry Jasper (.257/18/85/92). 14 current Blue Jays played on the Pro Cup champions of 2023 and 2024.

Last year's Pro Cup winner is back for a chance at repeating. The number-two seed Southport Sun Sox were 7 games under .500 the first two months of the season, but then they began to play like champs and won a postseason spot by defeating Ginza in a single-game playoff. Southport wound up 87-68 for the year. Skipper Charley Oscar has a slew of fine hitters, led by RF Lorne Evans, who was second in the IPA with 55 homers and the leader with 162 runs scored. In a super season Evans batted .335 with 120 RBIs. 1B Kyle Ross had quite a year, too, with 32 home runs, 122 RBIs, 91 runs and a .296 BA. Other good run producers were C Luis Alvarado (.308/18/89/73) and CF Rick Cabrini (.301/13/49/91). Last year's Pro Cup MVP Ronnie Galus (23-13/3.35) is the ace of the mound staff. Southport will need vet Al Laclair (19-14/4.98) and 21-year-old Bob Bondy (8-2/2.67) to stand out to win back-to-back IPA titles. The Sun Sox are strong in the bullpen with closer Joel Shepard (5-4/2.61/21 saves) and starter/long reliever Rob Ricks (7-2/3.30/4 saves). Southport will be missing 2B Sam Cousins (.329/9/56/54) and starting pitcher Don Pascioni (10-11/3.65) in the postseason. Cousins injured his elbow in late August and Pascioni went out with a shoulder problem in late July.

The third-seeded Waleska Westerners sport some heavy artillery, but manager McGraw Johnson will have to get improved pitching to win the Pro Cup. The Westerners posted a .280 BA (2nd), scored 879 runs (1st) and hit 189 roundtrippers (2nd). Johnson has two superstars in his lineup: all-time IPA great RF Roy Hobbs, who batted .359 this year with 36 homers, 142 RBIs and scored 125 runs. Not too shabby for a 35-year-old and 13-time All-Star. LF Loco Dillinger was even better with 56 home runs and 154 RBIs, both tops in the IPA. Dillinger scored 132 runs and hit .357. It didn't stop with those two, either. CF Wilson James (.299/11/64/119), 3B Yahto Sisika (.297/23/94/111) and SS Jose De Leon (.281/6/85/61) were valuable contributors as well. Waleska has only one standout on the hill - Wild Bill Butler (23-10/2.97). 20-year-old rookie Terry Richards (15-12/4.04) and 24-year-old Cliff Dyer (17-12/4/67) will have to step it up big time in the playoffs for Waleska to challenge for the championship.

The fourth-seeded Marston Nine has a well-rounded team with fine hitting and fine pitching. Manager Danny Church has a solid trio of starters in Denny Carravaggio (20-13/3.55), Ronald Schmitt (20-15/4.08) and Jack Tunstall (10-7/2.95). Veteran 37-year-old closer Bobby Daniels (5-3/2.82/17 saves) will handle the bullpen duties in a reliable fashion. The Nine can put runs on the scoreboard, too, with the likes of 1B Shelby Lansbury (.300/19/96/104), 2B Lonnie Trekell (.289/36/109/91) and future IPA Hall-of-Fame CF Russ Woodward (.277/23/86/95), who is still doing the job at age 34. Marston has three other .300 hitters: SS Doyle McCandlish (.310/0/40/87), 3B George Varsh (.303/8/47/62) and LF Carlton Curtis (.310/17/68/64).

Manager Eddie Keys has to depend on his talented pitchers for success in the playoffs. The fifth-seeded Sligo Rovers just don't hit very well except for CF Darryl Collins (.296/31/112/84), RF Teddy Brunet (.246/33/102/90) and LF Biff Blauer (.302/17/63/85). The Rovers starting trio of Earl Perkins (21-8/2.53), Les Patterson (16-16/2.88) and Lou Page (21-14/3.01) is outstanding and gets excellent relief help from Milt Flanagan (4-3/2.28/16 saves) and Glenn Pipton (5-3/2.22/4 saves).

The La Claire Lynx are seeded number six in the Pro Cup rankings. Manager Zeppy Deshotel has a well-balanced team with pretty fair pitching and hitting, plus longball power. The Lynx went deep 207 times this year and were powered by 12-time All-Star 3B Flash Devlin (.295/30/78/105), still a standout player at age 35, RF Kelly Chamberlain (.277/28/57/101), 1B Jess Swain (.283/19/80/88), 2B Norman Petitjohn (.279/25/80/63) and C Tom Krebs (.266/21/70/42). Help for ace Pat Kovacs (23-11/3.10) will be the key to the Lynx postseason success. Kovacs broke the IPA strikeout record this season with 391 Ks, but he can't do it alone. Alvar Vickers (21-13/4.41) and Ryan Brown (16-12/4.57) will have to be better than they were in the regular season.

The seventh-seeded Valmara Vipers still have a lot of players left over from the 2026 Pro Cup title run. Manager Jet Kazmarek just doesn't have the pitching like he did back then. But he still has some capable ballplayers. At the plate the Vipers are led by CF Teddy Szymanski (.309/31/116/97), LF Sonny Oliver (.292/21/86/91), C Floyd Randolph (.260/36/105/88) and 2B Alec Leclerc (.279/1/53/109). Carroll Cain (21-7/3.33) is a fine hurler, but will need some help from young Teddy Lem (19-14/4.42) and 35-year-old Pro Cup veteran Billy Ray (19-17/4.77) to advance far in the postseason. Kazmarek has a good relief corps, led by Ivan Guzek (7-2/3.70/22 saves) and Chris Phillips (5-1/2.71), who were both on the Pro Cup winners. Bullpen mates Clem Carmouche (7-6/5.22) and Pavel Volkov (11-16/4.55) were also on the 2026 team, but play lesser roles now.

No one is expecting much from the eighth-seeded Mahaska Haymakers, who have the poorest record of all the postseason clubs. The Haymakers only managed an 80-74 mark during the regular season, but they can wield the bats. RF Travis Tuttle won the TU batting title with a .366 batting average, hit 39 out of the park, drove in 132 runs and scored 113. Other solid hitters in Rusty Tanussa's batting order are longtime star C Bucky O'Brian (.307/21/87/70), 1B Paul Davies (.313/22/76/85), LF Johnny Yevteshenko (.297/23/79/77), 2B Todd Tarkovsky (.279/17/87/73) and CF Pasha Yablonski (.271/2/40/97). Mahaska's best pitchers are Arno Vainmaa (22-12/3.93) and Maxim Petrosian (17-14/3.86). Tanussa has very little in the way of pitching after them.

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Friday, September 22, 2028

2028 IPA Elite 8 Series

Ruthlandian Union

Sligo Slams Marston 14-1 in Elite 8 Opener
In the opening game of the Ruthlandian Elite 8 Series at Marston's Legends Field, Earl Perkins did his usual good job on the mound for the Sligo Rovers and his teammates slammed 14 hits in a rare offensive display in the 14-1 rout of the Marston Nine... Perkins (1-0) worked 8 solid innings for the victory, allowing 8 hits and a run with 4 strikeouts and a walk... Glenn Pipton closed it out with a 1-2-3 ninth... RF Teddy Brunet led the attack with 2 hits and 4 RBIs... SS Howie Robertson added 3 hits and 3 RBIs, 2B Kent Henry 2 hits and 4 runs scored and 3B Clayton Ingram had 3 hits and scored 3 times... Perkins also drove in 2 runs with a double... Brunet and PH Bryan Strickland collected homers... Dennis Carravaggio (0-1) picked up the loss as he gave up 5 runs in 4 innings.

Cain Corrals Westerners 4-0, Vipers Win Game 1
In game one of the RU Elite 8 Series, Valmara's Carroll Cain hurled a sharp game and blanked the hard-hitting Waleska Westerners 4-0 at Westerner Field... Cain (1-0) stopped them on 7 hits... leading the Vipers at the plate were RF Gerry Kazmarek with 2-3 and 3 runs, CF Teddy Szymanski with 2 hits and 2 RBIs and C Floyd Randolph with 2 base hits and a run batted in... Wild Bill Butler (0-1) went all the way in defeat and was tagged for 8 hits and 4 runs... Butler walked 7 and fanned 5.

Tycobbian Union

Mahaska Rallies, Tops Southport 8-5 In Elite 8
At Pleasure Beach Park in Southport, it was the visiting Mahaska Haymakers that had all the fun in game one of the TU Elite 8 Series... Mahaska rallied to beat defending Pro Cup champ Southport 8-5 after trailing by 5-0 after 4 frames... the winning blow came off the bat of 2B Todd Tarkovsky when he cracked a 2-run homer to put the Haymakers ahead 6-5... RF Travis Tucker also went deep in the seventh to make it 7-5... winning pitcher Arno Vainmaa battled back and blanked the Sun Sox from the fifth to the eighth... Vainmaa (1-0) was touched for 5 runs and 7 hits in his 8 innings... closer Viktor Stravinsky notched the save with a scoreless ninth... it was tough going for last year's Pro Cup MVP Ronnie Galus (0-1)... he couldn't hold a 5-0 lead and took the loss, giving up 6 runs in 6 innings... Mahaska had the edge in hits 11 to 8 and were led by Tarkovsky with 2 hits and 2 RBIs and SS Lyndon Washington with 2 hits and 3 RBIs... Southport's best bats were 1B Kyle Ross and CF Rick Cabrini with 2 RBIs each.

Blue Jays Blast Lynx 14-4 In TU Opener
The big bats were booming at Central Park Stadium in Tuckanarra, where the hometown Blue Jays blasted the La Claire Lynx 14-4 in the first game of the Tycobbian Elite 8... Tuckanarra, the top seed in the Pro Cup playoffs, really showed off with 15 hits, paced by 3B Koora Nawajuk, SS Jed Turchin and C Trevor Dowd with 3 RBIs apiece... winning pitcher Quinn Starr (1-0) wasn't at his best, but he survived 14 hits by La Claire... with the help of three double plays Starr held them to 4 runs... Tuckanarra teed off early on strikeout king Pat Kovacs (0-1), pounding him for 6 runs in the first 3 innings... Kovacs was 23-11 during the regular season and set a new IPA record with 391 strikeouts.

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Saturday, September 23, 2028

2028 IPA Elite 8 Series

Ruthlandian Union

Rovers Win Again, Patterson Stops Marston 5-1
The Sligo Rovers rolled over the Marston Nine for the second game in a row in the RU Elite 8 Series... 37-year-old vet Les Patterson (1-0) stopped Marston 5-1 on a 6-hitter, walking just one and fanning 4, putting the Nine up 2 games to none... weak-hitting Sligo again got 14 hits and were sparked by 3B Clayton Ingram (.667), SS Howie Robertson (.545) and 1B Johnny Sackett (.300) with 3 hits each... Jack Tunstall (0-1) went the distance in defeat and was hit hard, but 5 doubles plays kept the score down... Tunstall permitted 14 hits and 3 earned runs... the series now switches to Sligo for games three and four... and five if necessary.

Waleska Evens Series, Nips Valmara 2-1 In 12
Two tough and talented teams went at it for 12 innings in game two of the RU Elite 8 Series... two Waleska superstars then teamed up to give the Westerners a slim 2-1 triumph over the Valmara Vipers at Westerner Field... RF Roy Hobbs tripled in CF Loco Dillinger with the winning score to even the series up at a game apiece in the best-of-seven set... starters Terry Lem for the Vipers and Terry Richards for the Westeners battled to a 1-1 draw over the first 9 innings... Lem allowed 8 hits, while Richards gave up 6... Westerner Yancy Garrett tossed 2 scoreless frames in the tenth and eleventh and was matched by Chris Phillips of the Vipers... Jared Laclair (1-0) struck out the side in the twelfth for the win, while Ivan Guzek (0-1) suffered the loss... Waleska outhit Valmara 12 to 6... the series will now shift to Valmara for the next three games.

Tycobbian Union

Sun Sox Tie Series, Bondy Halts Haymakers 7-3
Last season in the drive to win the Pro Cup the Southport Sun Sox turned to young Bob Bundy to win several critical games and he came through for them... ditto this year... Southport didn't want to go down 2-0 in the series and needed a victory in game two of the TU Elite 8 with the Mahaska Haymakers... Bondy halted the Haymakers 7-3, yielding 7 hits in the process, shutting them out over the final 6 frames... the Sun Sox exploded for 9 extra base hits to subdue Mahaska... they totaled 14 hits in all with 4 doubles, 4 triples and one home run... LF Rick Cabrini (.444) had 3 hits, CF Barry Ruth (.750) 3 hits and C Luis Alvarado (.222) and 1B Kyle Ross (.500) 2 hits each... and 2B Alex Hodge (.333) socked a solo homer... Maxim Petrosian (0-1) got the loss, permitting 6 runs in 5 innings... Mahaska took an early 3-2 lead after 3 innings, but Southport pounded them with 4 runs in the fourth to wrap up the game.

Tucks Take First Two, Gustafson Licks Lynx 5-2
The favored Tuckanarra Blue Jays are off to a good start in their quest for another IPA Pro Cup... the Tucks took the first two games of the Elite 8 Series with the La Claire Lynx, knocking them off 5-2 at Central Park Stadium... This is La Claire's first appearance ever in the playoffs... Jamie Gustafson held the Lynx to 2 runs and 6 hits in a complete game... Gustafson walked 2 and posted 7 Ks in a fine outing... C Trevor Dowd (.571) broke open a 3-2 game with a 2-run double in the fifth to give Gustafson a little breathing room... the Blue Jays battered La Claire for 13 hits with 3B Koora Nawajuk (.500) leading the way with 3 hits... and 2B Eddie Darby (.556), C Dowd (.571) and LF Bill Moody (.444) chipping in with a pair of hits apiece.

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Sunday, September 24, 2028

2028 IPA Elite 8 Series

Ruthlandian Union

Marston Skims By Sligo 4-3, Still Trails in Series
On the road at Silver Mountain Park in Sligo, the Marston Nine pulled out a win by skimming by the Rovers 4-3 in game three of the Ruthlandian Elite 8... Marston dropped the first two games at home... now they are back in it... Ronald Schmitt (1-0) bent, but he didn't break... Schmitt scattered 11 hits, but held the Rovers to 3 runs, striking out 6 and issuing 2 bases on balls... loser Lou Page (0-1) went the route, too, surrendering 4 runs on 6 hits with 8 Ks and no walks... The Nine were paced 2B Lonnie Trekell (.333) and 1B Shelby Lansbury (.182) with solo homers... 2B Kent Henry and 1B Johnny Sackett (.357) swatted solo shots for the Rovers... Sligo had 11 hits to just 6 for the Nine... after knotting the score at 1-1 in the last of the second, Sligo stayed close, but lost the lead in the third 2-1 and never got closer than one run the rest of the game.

Waleska Wallops Valmara 9-6, Up 2-1 In Series
In game three of the RU Elite 8 at War Memorial Stadium in Valmara, Waleska stunned the home crowd with a 7-run outburst in the first inning, then had to hold on to whip the Vipers 9-6... the Westerners are now up 2-1 in the best-of-seven series... 2B Doug Melton (.556) and SS Jose De Leon (.286) smashed roundtrippers and drove in 3 runs each for the Westerners, while 2B Alec Laclerc (.286) led Valmara with 3 hits and 2 runs batted in... the Vipers cut the lead to 8-6 after 7 innings, but that was as close as they got... Cliff Dyer (1-0) got credit for the victory, but struggled... Dyer saw his 7-0 lead disipate by the seventh... he gave up 6 runs and 9 hits in 6-plus innings, then yielded to relievers Tucker Wilton and Yancy Garrett, who shut down Valmara on one hit the last 2 and a third frames to nail down the win.

Tycobbian Union

Tarkovsky's 3-Run Shot Gives Mahaska 7-4 Win
Trailing 4-3 in the last of the eighth, Todd Tarkovsky gave the Mahaska Haymakers a shot in the arm with a 3-run blast that beat Southport 7-4 and gave them a 2 games to one lead over the defending Pro Cup champion in the Tycobbian Elite 8... the Haymakers had a 12 to 11 hit advantage... Tarkovsky (.455) drilled 2 hits and batted in 4 runs... the other runs were driven in by CF Pasha Yablonski (.286), SS Lyndon Washington (.231) and 1B Paul Davies (.364)... 1B Kyle Ross (.545) topped the Sun Sox with 2 doubles and 2 runs batted in... RF Lorne Evans (.222) also had a home run and 2 RBIs... Yuri Nikolsky (1-0) weathered 11 hits, but managed a complete-game win... Nikolsky walked 5 and fanned 5... Al Laclair held a 4-3 lead going into the eighth, but couldn't hold it... Laclair (0-1) allowed 11 hits and 7 runs in his 7 innings.

Blue Jays Could Sweep, Beat Lynx 7-4
Powerful Tuckanarra flexed its muscles again and beat La Claire 7-4 for its third straight win in the TU Elite 8 Series... the Blue Jays could be headed for a sweep... in his first ever playoff start young Philip Marston gave a steady complete-game performance checking the Lynx on 4 runs and 7 hits with 5 strikeouts and 2 walks... 2B Flash Devlin (.273) and 3B Darren Jardoin (.667) tagged him for homers... Tucks SS Jed Turchin (.693) continued to blister La Claire with 4 hits... LF Bill Moody (.538) added 3 hits, C Trevor Dowd (.500) 2 hits and 3B Koora Nawajuk (.500) also had 2 hits... Tuckanarra totaled 14 hits... Dowd and CF Terry Jasper (.167) led the winners with 2 runs batted in each... La Claire starter Ryan Brown (0-1) was routed after giving up 7 runs in 5-plus frames... Brown was the losing pitcher.

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Monday, September 25, 2028

2028 IPA Elite 8 Series

Ruthlandian Union

Marston Trims Sligo 6-4, Series Knotted
On the mound and at the plate the star of game four of the RU Elite 8 Series was Marston's Dennis Carravaggio, who worked a complete game in the 6-4 victory over the Sligo Rovers... Carravaggio had 2 RBIs on sac flies, including the go-ahead run in the eighth... Carravaggio (1-1/6.23) won ugly, permitting 4 runs on 7 hits with 7 walks and just 2 strikeouts, but he got the job done to knot the series at two games apiece... Marston had 13 hits and was sparked by 2B Lonnie Trekell (.400) with a pair of hits and 2 RBIs... Earl Perkins (1-1/3.38) caught the loss as he was mauled for 12 hits and 5 runs in 8 innings... Perkins struck out 6 and walked one... the Rovers were led by RF Teddy Brunet (.467) and C Wendell Crosby (.235), both with 2 hits and 2 runs batted in.

Cain Ties Series, Vipers Blank Westerners 3-0
For the second time in four days, Carroll Cain has shut out the powerful Waleska Westerners... in game four left-hander Cain stopped the Westerners 3-0 to tie the RU Elite 8 series at two games each... Cain (2-0/0.00) was touched for 9 hits, but stranded 11 baserunners... Cain went all the way, fanned 6 batters and walked 3, outpitching Waleska young ace Wild Bill Butler (0-2/3.18), who only allowed 4 hits himself... Butler walked 3 and whiffed 4 in a complete game... RF Gerry Kazmarek (.313) drove all of the Vipers runs... Valmara got a run in the fourth on a triple by 2B Alec Laclerc (.333) and a single by Kazmarek... Kazmarek also had a 2-run single in the eighth.

Tycobbian Union

Haymakers Eke By Sun Sox 2-1, Near Series Win
Arno Vainmaa came up big in game four of the Tycobbian Elite 8 as he outduelled Ronnie Galus 2-1 in the Mahaska victory over last season's Pro Cup titlist Southport to give them a huge three games to one edge in the series... one more win for the Haymakers and the Sun Sox are gone from this year's playoffs... Vainmaa (2-0/3.18) went the route, holding Southport to just 4 hits... Galus also worked the entire game (0-2/4.50), yielding 7 hits... the Sun Sox got the lead in the third frame when 3B Jason Hinton (.300) doubled and moved around to score on two groundouts... Rich Cabrini (.333) got him in... Mahaska came back to win the game in the sixth on Lyndon Washington's (.294) RBI double and Johnny Yevtushenko's (.250) RBI single.

Blue Jays Sweep Series, Blister Lynx 9-4
In the TU Elite 8 Series, this year's Pro Cup favorite, the Tuckanarra Blue Jays steamrollered the hapless La Claire Lynx in a four-game sweep... the Blue Jays finished them off 9-4 with an 18-hit attack, led by 2B Eddie Darby (.500), 3B Koora Nawajuk (.529) and CF Terry Jasper (.294), all with 3 hits... plus homers by 1B Lynn Starr (.143) and RF Dunston Lane (.231)... on the hill Quinn Starr (2-0/3.00) staggered a bit, but picked up the win, going all the way... Starr allowed 11 hits and walked 6 in a lackluster performance... Pat Kovacs (0-2) was bombed again by the Blue Jays... they slammed the IPA strikeout king for 7 runs and 15 hits in just 6 and two-thirds innings... La Claire SS Jared O'Neal (.375) and LF Kelly Chamberlain (.235) led them with 3 and 2 hits respectively.

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Tuesday, September 26, 2028

2028 IPA Elite 8 Series

Ruthlandian Union

Sligo Squeezes By Marston 3-2, Patterson Victor
The Sligo Rovers are now up 3 games to 2 in the Ruthlandian Elite 8 Series... In game five at Silver Mountain Park, the hometown Rovers squeezed out a 3-2 verdict over the Marston Nine on the fine arm of Les Patterson... 37-year-old Patterson got the best of 24-year-old Jack Tunstall, who also went the distance... Patterson (2-0/1.50) claimed his second win in the series, scattering 8 hits, fanning 5 and walking 3... the Nine scored first in the fourth on RF Tiger Noland's (.421) 2-run shot... the Rovers came back and tied it up in the sixth on RBI singles by LF Biff Blauer (.438) and C Wendell Crosby (.286)... 3B Clayton Ingram (.429) won it in the last of the eighth with a game-winning double... Tunstall (0-2/2.65) hung tough, although he was tagged for 14 hits... Tunstall stranded 11 baserunners, struck out 4 and issued 2 bases on balls... Blauer led all hitters with 3 hits... Crosby, Ingram, SS Howie Robertson (.333) and 2B Kent Henry (.389) each collected a pair of hits for the Rovers... the last two games of the best-of-seven series will be played at Marston's home park, Legends Field.

Waleska Outscores Valmara 10-8, Up 3-2 In Series
At War Memorial Stadium in Valmara, the visiting Waleska Westerners outgunned the Vipers 10-8 in a slugfest to take a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series... three back-to-back two-baggers by 2B Doug Melton (.462), PH Dusty Rogan and CF Wilson James (.375) gave the Westerners a 10-7 lead in the top of the eighth to decide it... the Westerners walloped 14 hits off 5 Viper pitchers, paced by 3 hits apiece by James and LF Loco Dillinger (.364)... RF Roy Hobbs (.286) gave Waleska a 4-3 lead with a 2-run blast in the 6-run sixth... James had 2 doubles and drove in 3 runs for the winners... Valmara totaled 10 hits with 2B Alex Leclerc (.391) going 3-for-5 and scoring 3 runs... Valmara SS Teddy Rudek (.111) was 2-for-4 with 3 runs batted in... CF Teddy Szymanski (.333) and LF Sonny Oliver (.316) batted in 2 each for the Vipers.

None of the pitchers fared well... the win went to starter Terry Richards (1-0 4.30), who wasn't very effective... Richards permitted 6 runs in 5-plus innings... Jarred Laclair registered the save, but was tagged for a run in his 2 innings... Viper starter Teddy Lem (0-1/5.52) was nailed for the loss after being shellacked for 8 runs in 5-plus frames... Waleska will host the final 2 games of the series, although they would like nothing better than for it to end in 6 games.

Tycobbian Union

Mahaska Upsets Southport, Wins In 5 Games
8th-seeded Mahaska upset the 2nd-seeded and defending Pro Cup champion Southport Sun Sox and needed only 5 games to do it... PH Mickey Hennessey (.667) cracked open a 4-4 game with a 2-run single in the last of the eighth and CF Pasha Yablonski (.364) singled in an insurance run, all off losing pitcher Joel Shepard (0-1)... reliever James Allington (1-0/4.15) notched the victory even though he allowed a run in his one and one-third innings... the Haymakers outhit the Sun Sox 13 to 12... Yablonski topped Mahaska with 3 hits and C Bucky O'Brian (.375) and 3B Wapi Ahmik (.353) chipped in 2 hits each... LF Rick Cabrini (.364), 1B Kyle Ross (.450), SS Scoop Adams (.263) and 3B Denny Pfeffer (.286) led Southport with a pair of hits apiece... Mahaska will now get its chance to knock off the number one seeded Tuckanarra Blue Jays in the Tycobbian Final 4. The Tucks swept past La Claire in four games to gain the league finals.

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Wednesday, September 27, 2028

2028 IPA Elite 8 Series

Ruthlandian Union

Sligo KO's Marston In 6 Games
In a slight surprise the fifth-seeded Sligo Rovers eliminated the four-seeded Marston Nine in the Ruthlandian Elite 8 Series four games to two to move on to the league championship round, the RU Final 4, against third seed Waleska... the Rovers had to win on the road, taking the Nine down 8-3 in game six at Legends Field... Sligo racked up 13 hits and got a solid outing from Lou Page, who went all the way, checking Marston on 8 hits... Page was a 21-game winner in the regular season... after allowing 3 runs in the first 3 frames, Page (1-1/3.50) blanked Marston the rest of the game, striking out 6 batters and walking 3... Ronald Schmitt (1-1/3.95) suffered the defeat, allowing 6 runs in 4-plus innings, but only 3 were earned... Page had lost game three to Schmitt 4-3.

Sligo banged out 13 hits, sparked by LF Biff Blauer (.500) with 3 hits... three other Rovers added 2 hits apiece: 1B Johnny Sackett (.286), RF Teddy Brunet (.391) and CF Darryl Collins (.292)... Collins led the way with 3 runs batted in... Marston CF Russ Woodward (.273) had a solo homer and a single... pitcher Schmitt (.750) went 2-for-2 with a 2-run double.

Waleska Wins Elite 8, Tops Valmara 4-3 in 17th
In a superb game at home at Westerner Field, third seed Waleska outlasted seventh seed Valmara 4-3 in 17 intense innings to capture the RU Elite 8 Series in six games, winning four games to two... the Westerners won the right to play the Sligo Rovers in the Ruthlandian title game... it was quite a struggle... the Westeners were desperate twice, first in the 14th inning and then in the 17th... both times it looked like the Vipers were going to win and force a seventh game... Two unearned runs in the 17th finally ended the game... a bases-loaded walk to 3B Yahto Sisika (.172) tied the score at 3-3, then CF Loco Dillinger (.345) dealt the coup de gras with line drive single to win the game and the series.

It was a game of magnificent pitching... Valmara's Billy Ray worked 10 innings and Waleska's Cliff Dyer went 9 innings, each yielding only one run... Viper relievers Ivan Guzek and Clem Carmouche shut out the Westerners in 2 innings each... Jarred Laclair and Yancy Garrett held the Vipers scoreless in 2 innings apiece... Tucker Wilton (1-0/3.86) got the win, but allowed Valmara to take a 3-2 lead in the top of the 17th... Pavel Volkov (0-1/0.00) gave up two unearned runs in the bottom of the innings and sustained a tough loss.

Waleska had the edge in hits 15 to 13, paced by Dillinger with 2 hits and 2 RBIs, including a fourth-inning homer... RF Roy Hobbs (.310) and C Calico Clay (.345) both went 3-8 for the winners... SS Teddy Rudek (.192) collected 3 hits for the Vipers.

Valmara scored first in the fourth on Rudek's RBI single... Dillinger came right back with a home run in the last of the fourth to even it up at 1-1... from then on no one scored until the 14th when they both got runs... the Vipers got theirs on a double by RF Gerry Kazmarek (.286), single by CF Teddy Szymanski (.321) and a sacrifice fly by LF Sonny Oliver (.280), only to be tied up again by the Westerners when Hobbs singled to lead off the inning, moved up to second on a groundout and was doubled in by Calico Clay.

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Thursday, September 28

IPA Final 4s On Tap
Defending IPA Pro Cup titleholder Southport is gone at the hands of the eighth-seeded Mahaska Haymakers, so there will be a new champion in the Islands. Tuckanarra, Waleska, Sligo and Mahaska made the cut and will now go at it in the RU and TU league championship series with the victors tangling for the much-coveted Pro Cup. Top seed Tuckanarra will now try to fend off Mahaska in the Tycobbian Final 4 and third seed Waleska will encounter the number five seed Sligo Rovers in the Ruthlandian Final 4. Both series will be best-of-seven affairs.

In the Tycobbian Final 4 both clubs are hot off fine performances in the Elite 8. The Tuckanarra Blue Jays swept a good La Claire club and Mahaska surprised the Southport Sun Sox and eliminated them in five games. Most experts feel the Haymakers don't have enough pitching to stay with the Blue Jays. The Tucks also are a little better at the plate than Mahaska. The Haymakers get the edge defensively. Tuckanarra is a powerhouse that won 102 games this year. Mahaska has probably run out of surprises this season and will meet its match here. The Blue Jays will win in 5 or 6.

Most analysts are on the Waleska bandwagon in the playoffs this season. However, many think that Sligo's excellent pitching may win the day. The Rovers thoroughly throttled a pretty fair Marston club in the first round and could do the same thing to the Westerners, who have suspect pitching. Waleska's vaunted bats did well against a very good Valmara team and will have to do even better to whip the Rovers. This series is a toss-up with a slight edge to Sligo. The series should go six or seven games and be a humdinger.

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Saturday, September 30, 2028

2028 IPA Final 4 Series

Ruthlandian Union

Perkins Prevails, Sligo Whips Waleska 5-3
Game one in the Ruthlandian Final 4 went to the Sligo Rovers behind the strong pitching of Earl Perkins, who dismissed the power-laden Waleska Westerners on 6 hits in a 5-3 victory at Westerner Field... Perkins (2-2/2.52) went the distance, fanned 5 and also walked 5... both teams scored in the opening inning... RF Teddy Brunet (.385) doubled in a run for the Rovers and CF Roy Hobbs' (.333) base hit plated a run for the Westerners... a big 3-run fourth frame carried the Rovers to victory... 1B Johnny Sackett (.303) doubled in the first run and C Wendell Crosby (.310) had a 2-run single to highlight the inning... Sligo added its final score in the fifth on a triple by LF Biff Blauer (.478) and another single by Crosby, who led the team with 3 RBIs... Waleska cut it to 5-3 in the last of the eighth on a 2-run single by Wilson James (.321)... losing pitcher Wild Bill Butler (0-3/4.50) lasted only 5 innings, gave up 5 runs, fanned 5 and walked 5... Sligo had the edge in hits 8 to 6... James and Hobbs led the Westerners with 2 hits each.

Tycobbian Union

Mahaska Massacres Tucks 15-6 In Opener
There was a shocker in Tuckanarra in the first game of the Tycobbian Final 4 Series... underdog Mahaska massacred the heavily-favored Blue Jays 15-6, ripping them for 17 hits... the Haymakers broke up a 1-0 pitching duel between Arno Vainmaa and Quinn Starr by putting up 6 runs on the scoreboard twice in back-to-back innings, the sixth and the seventh, eventually building up a 15-1 margin by the ninth... the Blue Jays then had a big inning of their own, but it was too little, too late... RF Travis Tuttle (.292) and 2B Todd Tarkovsky (.417) sparked the rout with 4 RBIs apiece... Vainmaa (3-0/4.15) went the route and cruised to victory, though he allowed 12 hits and 6 runs... 1B Lynn Starr (.211) and 3B Koora Nawajuk (.524) topped the Tucks with 2 hits and 2 RBIs each... Quinn Starr (2-1/5.01) was shelled for 7 runs in 5 innings for the loss.

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Sunday, October 1, 2028

2028 IPA Final 4 Series

Ruthlandian Union

Westerners Get Even, Trip Rovers 6-5 In Game 2
Game two of the RU Final 4 was a seesaw affair that was finally won by Waleska 6-5 with a stirring 2-run rally in the last of the ninth on CF Wilson James' (.344) 2-run single... the best-of-seven series is now locked up at one game each... in a gutsy performance 20-year-old rookie Terry Richards (2-0/3.42) permitted just 2 earned run in his 9-inning stint... Richards fired 9 strikeouts, walked 5 and allowed 5 total runs on 7 hits... closer Mike Flanagan (0-1) blew the save and lost it in the ninth.

Waleska jumped ahead 2-0 in the second on C Calico Clay's triple (.361) and a groundout by Doug Melton (.321)... the Rovers retaliated with 2 runs in the top of the third on an RBI single by LF Biff Blauer (.444) and RF Teddy Brunet's (.357) fielder's choice... only to have the Westerners take back the lead 4-2 in the bottom half on CF Loco Dillinger's (.382) 2-run salvo... Sligo tied it up 4-4 in the seventh when Clayton Ingram (.364) tripled and scored on an infield error and 1B Johnny Sackett (.278) hit a sac fly... the Rovers went in front 5-4 on 2 doubles by Ingram and SS Howie Robertson (.308), but reliever Flanagan could hold it.

Tycobbian Union

Mahaska Stuns Tucks Again, Wins 6-3 In Game 2
In a most unlikely turn of events, the unheralded and eighth-seeded Mahaska Haymakers have stunned the Pro Cup-favored Tuckanarra Blue Jays again in the Tycobbian Final 4... in a complete game Maxim Petrosian (1-1/3.92) held the Blue Jays to 3 runs - just one of them earned - and 7 hits... Petrosian was sharp with 9 Ks and just one walk... Petrosian was backed up by a 14-hit Haymaker attack that bombed Jamie Gustafson (1-1/3.94) for 5 runs and 11 hits in 7 innings... It was 6-2 when Gustafson departed the game... SS Lyndon Washington (.300) led the onslaught with a pair of hits and 3 RBIs... Tuckanarra SS Jed Turchin (.481) had 2 runs batted in to lead them.

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Monday, October 2, 2028

2028 IPA Final 4 Series

Ruthlandian Union

Sligo Slips By Waleska 7-6, Up 2-1 In Series
The Sligo Rovers walked away with a 7-6 win in game three to send them up by a game in the Ruthlandian Final 4... the Rovers are in front two games to one... losing pitcher Jarred Laclair (1-1/2.16) working in relief walked 2B Kent Henry (.273) with the bases full to force in the winning run in the bottom of the ninth... reliever Christien Trudeau (1-0/0.00) was the winner... Trudeau blanked the Westerners in the top of the ninth.

The Rovers had to rally to win it... they trailed 4-0 after the first 4 frames, then rebounded to take the lead 6-4 after 6, only to give up single runs in the seventh and eighth to knot the score at 6-6... Sligo had a big advantage in hits with 13 to Waleska's 8... SS Howie Robertson (.341) paced Sligo with 3 hits and RF Teddy Brunet had 2... Henry and starting pitcher Lou Page (.100) had 2 RBIs each... 3B Yahto Sisika (.171) and 2B Dusty Hickerson (.231) led the Westerners with 2 hits apiece and SS Jose De Leon (.233) drove in a pair of runs.

Tycobbian Union

Tucks Thump Mahaska 7-4, Trail By A Game
Tuckanarra's top two pitchers couldn't stop the rampaging Mahaska Haymakers, but the number three starter Philip Marston put them away 7-4 and got the Blue Jays back into the TU Final 4 Series... Marston cut the Haymakers' lead to two games to one in the best-of-seven series... it was a critical win for the Tucks... Marston survived one bad inning - the fifth - when he was tagged for 4 runs, narrowing the Blue Jays lead to 5-4... but Marston didn't let it faze him and he shut them out the rest of the game... Marston (2-0/2.50) surrendered 10 hits, but only one earned run, fanned 3 and walked 3, while going all the way... Yuri Nikolsky (1-1/6.75) was shelled for 7 runs and 7 hits in 5-plus innings... Nikolsky also issued 8 bases on balls in a terrible outing.

SS Jed Turchin (.469) led the Blue Jays 10-hit attack with 2 hits, including a crucial 2-run clout that put them ahead 7-4 in the sixth frame... Marston (.333) also drove in a pair of runs... C Trevor Dowd (.500) racked up 3 hits as well... Mahaska's top bats were RF Travis Tuttle (.323) and 2B Todd Tarkovsky (.433), who batted in 2 runs apiece... Tarkovsky leads the postseason with 14 RBIs so far.

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Tuesday, October 3, 2028

2028 IPA Final 4 Series

Ruthlandian Union

Westerners 3 HRs Power Past Rovers 8-4, Series Tied
On the road in Sligo, Waleska's high-powered artillery let loose with a 3-homer barrage in game four that waylaid the Rovers 8-4 and evened the Ruthlandian Final 4 at two games each... Yahto Sisika blasted two out of the park and Roy Hobbs hit another one... Sligo stay in the game with a 3-2 lead after 5 innings, but Sisika's and Hobbs' homers highlighted a 3-run sixth to send the Westerners ahead for good 5-3... Sisika also homered in the ninth... Waleska totaled 11 hits to 8 for the Rovers... CF Hobbs (.333) led with 3 base hits, while Sisika (.200) and 2B Doug Melton (.355) had 2 apiece... Wild Bill Butler (1-3/4.66) finally got a postseason win with a fair outing... Butler gave up 4 runs on 8 hits in his 7 innings with 3 walks and 4 strikeouts... the loser was Earl Perkins (2-2/3.69), who was lambasted for 6 runs in 6-plus frames... 1B Johnny Sackett (.295) led the Rovers with 2 hits and 3 RBIs and SS Howie Robertson (.362) collected 2 hits and scored twice.

Tycobbian Union

Vainmaa Stops Tucks 4-2, Mahaska In Driver's Seat
The underdog Mahaska Haymakers got a sharp performance from Arno Vainmaa at home in Heartland Stadium in game four of the Tycobbian Final 4 and moved into the driver's seat with a decided 3-1 advantage in the best-of-seven series... Vainmaa (4-0/3.60) remained unbeaten in the playoffs by stopping heavily-favored Tuckanarra 4-2... a junk-balling right-hander Vainmaa was touched for 8 hits and went the distance... Mahaska settled the game in the fourth with 4 runs, 3 on RF Travis Tuttle's (.343) roundtripper... the Blue Jays ace Quincy Starr (2-2/5.22) worked 6 frames and was smacked for 4 runs and 7 hits... in a rarity, no one struck out on either team during the game... leading the Tucks were SS Jed Turchin (.444) with a solo homer and 2B Eddie Darby (.343) with 2 hits and an RBI... Tuckanarra outhit the Haymakers 8-7... the Blue Jays need a miracle being down three games to one... comebacks happen, but only pretty rarely.

[Eugene Church]

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