ISLANDIAN PRO ALLIANCE (RUTHLANDIA and TYCOBBIA BASEBALL UNIONS)

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Friday, June 29, 2001

Tycobbian Union - West Division

La Claire Edges Frogs 6-5 in X-Innings
Third place La Claire did what few teams have been able to do this season - they beat Fairfax's superb closer, Takehide Takahashi, 5-4 in 10 innings. Shortstop Dirk Lindahl (.279) singled with one away, was sacrificed to second and scored on left fielder Rich Hart's double. Takahashi (8-2 1.51) lost for only the second time this year. He was touched for two hits and a run in two innings. Monoto Kishata (4-7 3.06) notched the win with two and two-thirds scoreless innings. Kishata struck out four and allowed one hit in finishing off the first place Frogs. Hart (.269) and third baseman Luis Marquez (.288) led the way for the Lynx. Hart was 4-6 with three RBIs and Marquez was 2-3, homered twice and drove in three. Lindahl was 4-5 and scored three times. La Claire totaled 15 hits to 9 for Fairfax. Third baseman Stan Cobb (.341) had a good day for the Frogs with two hits and three runs batted in, including his 9th homer and a double. Right fielder Gregg Vincent (.341) went 3-for-5 with a double and a triple and left fielder Gator Davis (.277) had two RBIs.

Fairfax tied the IPA record for most double plays with four. Arlon originally set the mark with four on May 29 in a 4-1 win over Bay St. Clair.

The Frogs (47-25) have the best record in the IPA and have an 11-game lead over third place La Claire in the Tycobbian Union West Division.

Vikings Pillage BSC Bucs for 8th Straight
Walter Johanssen's Bayview Vikings continued to sizzle with an easy 9-3 triumph over Bay St. Clair. It was the Viks 8th straight victory and the Buccaneers 4th straight loss. Bayview garnered 11 hits in the games and were paced by first baseman Dwayne Coleman (.311) with 3-for-5, two RBIs and a home run, center fielder Phil Kanaan (.313) with 2-for-4, a triple and two runs batted in and third baseman Bob Klostermann (.264) with a two-run double. Coleman is now tied with Fairfax's Gregg Vincent for the homer and RBI lead with 26 and 74 respectively. Buc left fielder Charley Moon (.267) went 3-for 5 and got his 9th roundtripper of the year. Johanssen also got strong pitching from starter Paul Hood (5-3 2.79), who fanned 10 batters in just six innings. He walked four and gave up six hits, but tired and left the game with a 9-2 lead. Tony Vardaman (0-0 4.50) and Buzzy Lewis (3-3 2.83) finished out the game for him. BSC starter Norm Gross (7-7 3.73) was treated roughly by the Vikings as he was slammed for seven runs in four and a third innings.

One more win for Bayview will tie the IPA mark for most consecutive victories.

Bayview (42-32) is slowly narrowing the gap between them and first place Fairfax (47-25). The second place Vikings are now 6 games off the pace. Bay St. Clair (26-47) has now fallen 21.5 games out.

Blue Sox West Fires 3-Hit Shutout Against Champs
Three hits, nine strikeouts and no walks. It is hard to top that. Blue Sox hurler Bennie West (8-7 2.49) fired a three-hitter and shut down the Arlon Champions 4-0 today at Harbor Stadium in Blue Lake. First baseman Fred Taranto (.319) gave him all the runs he needed with a two-run first-inning smash, his 10th of the year. Taranto was 3-3 and drove in three runs. Woody Fitzgerald (3-4 4.01) dropped his third decision in a row, but went the distance, yielding ten hits, fanning six and allowing four bases on balls. It was the Blue Sox third consecutive victory over the Champs.

West told BNN in the postgame interview, "This is a game of adjustments and I made some good ones in this game."

In pitching stats this season West has rung up 8 wins and 7 losses in 18 games. He has an ERA of 2.48 and has fanned 108 batters in 137 innings.

Blue Lake (33-38) edged a half-game ahead of Arlon (33-39) in the battle for fourth place in the division. The Blue Sox trail first place Fairfax (47-35) by 13.5 games.

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Saturday, June 30, 2001

Ruthlandian Union - North Division

Blasters Blast Redhawks 11-8 in 15 Innings
The top two clubs in the Ruthlandian Union North are separated by only one-half game now after second place Colfax jolted first place Far Mountain 11-8 in 15 innings and extended their losing streak to three games. It was the opener of a five-game series and was won in dramatic fashion by shortstop Josh Jackson's (.257) grand slam off losing pitcher John Luzzatti (5-5 3.41). Luzzatti, normally a starter, was making his second relief appearance. The Blasters had to come back twice. They trailed 5-0 after five innings, took the lead 6-5 after seven, were tied in the top of the ninth and fell behind again in the top of the 15th 8-6 on third baseman Johnny Strickland's (.288) 13th home run. Jim Dreyer (2-0 3.83) got credit for the victory despite allowing Strickland's blast. Dreyer pitched three innings and gave up two runs. Luzzatti has lost both games in his two relief appearances. Colfax ripped 18 hits to 13 for the Redhawks with right fielder Pat Lott (.270) going 3-5 with a homer and five RBIs, left fielder Blinky Brandon was 4-5 and scored twice and first baseman Dennis Cole (.312) went 2-5, scored two runs and had a run batted in. Second sacker Tucker Hill (.336) also homered in the 15th for Colfax, cutting the score to 8-7. Shortstop Al Nixon (.268) had two hits and two RBIs for Far Mountain and catcher Dave Davis (.381) was 3-6 and scored a couple of runs.

The Redhawks (43-31) are only a half-game in front of Colfax (42-31) after the defeat. It was the third consecutive loss for the RU North Division leader. The Blasters have won three straight and 9 of the last ten games, while Far Mountain is 7-3.

Turner Tosses 3-Hitter, Vipers Blank Z's 5-0
Righthander Todd Turner of Valmara cooled off the Volusia Vigilantes 5-0 on three hits as the Vipers won their second successive game after a disastrous nine-game spiral. Turner (7-5 3.98) walked two and had four strikeouts in his first shutout of the season. First baseman Matt Mazurek (.268) had three hits and batted in two runs to lead Valmara at bat. Right fielder Jet Kazmarek (.304) chipped in three hits and drove in one run and shortstop Scotty Peterson (.266) had a two-run double. Lefty Raul Sandoval (7-8 3.35) was laced for 13 hits and five runs. He lasted only five and two-thirds innings and picked up the loss.

Third place Volusia (36-37) fell back below the .500 mark and trails Far Mountain (43-31) by 6.5 games. Valmara (35-38) is in the fourth spot in the standings and tied with Glasco (34-37), 7.5 games out.

Glasco Trio Stops All-Stars 3-1
A trio of twirlers stopped Elnora with a 3-1 victory. Glasco's Jerry Smith, Arnie McFalls and Ray Cook combined to hold the All-Stars to four hits with the win going to Smith (8-8 4.03). Smith got his first win since being traded from La Claire 10 days ago. He gave up four hits in six innings with six Ks and two bases on balls. McFalls (3-4 4.95) worked a perfect seventh and Cook (1-4 1.88) closed it out by retiring the last six batters in a row, striking out three of them for his 7th save. The A's took the lead 2-1 in the sixth with the help of two infield errors and first baseman Maury Smith's (.349) fielder's choice RBI. Third baseman Zach Byorvik (.227) added an insurance run with his 6th homer in the eighth. Shortstop Johnny Zumwalt's (.265) double and second baseman Gil Foster's (.353) single gave Elnora a brief lead in the top of the sixth. Tyrone Gray (4-8 4.08) dropped a tough one, yielding only one earned run in six and a third innings.

Glasco (34-37) kept pace with Valmara (35-38). They are still tied for fourth place and are 7.5 games behind leading Far Mountain (43-31).

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Saturday, June 30, 2001

Ruthlandian Union - South Division

Claxton Clips Marston 11-10 in 10 Innings
It was a holiday for hitters at Avalon Stadium in Claxton. The hometown Diamonds unleashed 19 hits to subdue the Marston Nine 11-10 in ten innings. Claxton recovered from a 10-5 deficit to pull off a stunner. After two were out, a walk and three singles decided the exciting extra-inning extravaganza. First baseman Marty McCluskey (.311) singled with the bases loaded to win it. Sparking the way was right fielder Dixie Baker (.322), who had a superb game with three hits, two homers and five RBIs, giving him 69 for the season to top the Ruthlandian Union. Baker now has 22 home runs and is second in the league. Three other Diamonds had three hits apiece: second baseman Donny McCoy (.350), third baseman Keith Olsen (.292) and left fielder Dan Molnar (.429). The Nine did some heavy bashing, too, with 15 hits, paced by third baseman Roland Thomas (.347) with 3-4, two doubles and a grand slam, good for four RBIs and second baseman Ken Green (.350) with 4-4, three runs scored and two runs batted in. Right fielder Chris Deangelo (.294) supplied a two-run roundtripper, his 10th. Claxton portsider Pat Castellani (5-4 4.92) notched the victory with a scoreless ninth and tenth, while Milt Wilson (0-4 2.70) lost it.

The two clubs tied the IPA mark for most runs in an extra-inning affair with 21. Bay St. Clair beat Bayview by the same score in 12 innings on May 20 at Shoreline Park.

First place Marston (43-28) has a 10.5-game edge over fifth place Claxton (34-40).

Sunbirds Squeeze by Lumberjacks 6-5
Down 5-2 in the eighth, Belair Beach roared back for four runs to squeeze by the second place Forest City Lumberjacks 6-5. The winning run came in on a bases-loaded walk to pinchhitter Mike Janocko (.237) off losing pitcher Timmy Brooks (1-3 1.87), who gave up one run, two hits and a walk in one and a third innings. The Sunbirds had the edge in hits 10 to 8 over the 'Jacks. Heading the hit list were left fielder Nicky Swift (.336) with two doubles and an RBI, first baseman Phil Gravelli (.313) with two hits, an RBI and two runs scored and third baseman Dom Corbelli (.265) with two hits and a run batted in. Skipper Marty Pedrosa, desperate for pitching, has switched Ray Watson to the starting rotation and it paid off. Watson (1-1 4.25) worked seven innings for the win, gave up five runs on seven hits, but only three of them were earned. He fanned five and issued one walk. Closer Lou Zanelli (5-4 2.79) held Forest City scoreless over the last two frames, striking out three and got his 8th save. Left fielder Chuck Hill (.336) and right fielder Benny Davis (.251) each hit two-run homers for the Lumberjacks, while center fielder Ryan Morse (.362) delivered two doubles, scored a run and drove in a run.

Forest City (39-35) is in the second spot in the RU South standings, 5.5 games out of first. Belair Beach (30-43) is last and 14 games behind first place Marston (43-28).

Westerners Nip Rattlers 7-6
At Westerner Field, Waleska nipped Sugar Valley 7-6 on a walk-off single by Wiz Taylor in the last of the ninth. Both clubs had a dozen hits apiece with Taylor (.292) going 3-5 with an RBI and a run scored, left fielder Big Hoss Burkhalter (.316) was 1-3 with a run and two batted in and center fielder Rick Vaughn (.298) collecting a pair of hits, scoring once and driving in one run. Waleska jumped ahead 3-1 after four innings, the Rattlers rallied and tied it at 3-3 after six, then Westerners took a 6-3 lead in the last of the eighth, but couldn't hold it. Sugar Valley erupted for three runs to tie it again 6-6, only to lose it in the last of the ninth. Right fielder Karl Dietz (.264) paced the Rattlers with 4-for-5, scored one and drove one in and shortstop Flipper Bird (.275) and third baseman Jorge Vargas (.350) both hammered solo homers, number 7 for Bird and number 19 for Vargas. Both closers tried hard to lose it. Andrei Marsiske (4-2 3.29) got the win, but allowed three runs in his only inning, while Gregg Neal (5-4 2.22) was belted for two runs and four hits in less than two frames for the loss.

Sugar Valley (37-35) is third in the division and trails first place Marston (43-28) by 6.5 games and the Westerners (35-37) are fourth and 8.5 games off the pace.

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Saturday, June 30, 2001

Tycobbian Union - East Division

Z's Pierce End Ninjas Streak at 5
At De la Vega Stadium in Luxora, Chris Pierce put an end to Ginza's five-game winning streak, blanking them 6-0. Pierce (7-5 3.32) spuns a sensational five-hit shutout with 13 Ks and just one walk. All of the Ninjas hits were singles. Luxora was led by center fielder Tommy Fortunato (.267), who hit a three-run homer in the eighth to put the game out of reach. First baseman Paul Hallenbeck (.335), second baseman Paco Benitez (.254) and Kris Baker (.258) paced the Z's 10-hit attack with a pair of hits each. The loss went to Kojiro Matsumoto (11-3 2.82), who suffered only his third defeat of the season. Matsumoto allowed three runs and seven hits in seven innings.

Ginza (42-31) leads the TU East Division and is 7 games in front of the fifth place Luxora Zorros (34-37).

Hellcats Hang One On Hurricanes 4-2
The last place Hartsdale Hellcats toppled the second place Cape Coral Hurricanes 4-2 behind the fine pitching of Phil Reed and Gene Young. Reed (9-2 2.89) struck out seven in eight innings, allowing only two runs on nine hits to run his record to a sparkling 9-2. Young (4-4 3.17) got his 7th save with a scoreless ninth. The Hellcats got only five hits off three Cape Coral hurlers, but made them count. They got to starter Jeff Salow (1-1 3.50) for all of their runs, scoring four in five innings on four hits. Back-to-back errors led to the first run in the opening frame. In the fourth first baseman Walt Long (.212) doubled in a run. In the fifth second baseman Francisco Abreu (.312) added in two more with his 18th roundtripper to make it 4-0. Hartsdale got only one hit the rest of the game off relievers Hadley Frasch (0-1 2.70) and Cody Burg (1-1 4.31). Shortstop Bobo Hatfield (.268) went 3-3 and scored both of the Hellcats run.

The Hurricanes (38-35) are in second place in the division and still trail first place Ginza (42-31) by 4 games. Hartsdale (32-41) is in the cellar, 10 games out.

Nats Knock Off Stallions, Hatch Wins It 4-1
Hard-throwing Luther Hatch of Ozarka knocked off South Fork 4-1 today at Ellie Ewing Stadium. Hatch (8-8 3.72) limited the Stallions to just three base hits, all singles. It was the durable righthander's 11th complete game. Hatch fanned ten and walked five to even his record at 8-8. Newcomer Vince Bernini (1-2 2.95) took the loss, pitching into the seventh. Ozarka broke open a 1-1 game with a three-run burst in the seventh, highlighted by a run-scoring double by right fielder Denny Little (.231) and a two-run triple by left fielder Ronnie Patterson (.247). Bernini was touched for four runs and four hits with eight strikeouts and four bases on balls. South Fork got its only run in the fourth on an RBI groundout by catcher Ronnie Blair (.163).

The victory moved the Naturals (36-37) back into a tie with the Stallions (36-37) for the third spot in the Tycobbian Union East. They are now 6 games behind the top club, the Ginza Ninjas (42-31).

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Saturday, June 30, 2001

Tycobbian Union - West Division

Frogs Hayagawa Stops Lynx on 3-hits 4-1
Working the corners with great movement, Fairfax junkballer Kaz Hayagawa mesmerized La Claire 4-1 on a masterful 3-hitter. Hayagawa (8-8 3.72) went the distance, struck out seven and walked two. Second baseman Greg Inman (.285) and first baseman Ernie Hutchinson (.275) led the first place Frogs to victory with two RBIs each. Hutchinson got his on a two-run homer in the eighth, Inman with singles in the second and seventh. Left fielder Gator Davis had two hits and scored twice for Fairfax. It was quite a duel between Hayagawa and Pat Daniels with a 1-1 tie after six innings. Daniels (6-3 4.45) was tagged with loss as he went eight innings, surrendered four runs and nine hits.

Fairfax (48-25) is the number one team in the Tycobbian Union West Division and leads third place La Claire by 12 games.

Champs Snap Viks 8-game win string 5-4
The Bayview Vikings battled hard, but came up one run short in their quest for an IPA-tying 9th consecutive victory. They were derailed by Ace Howe and the Arlon Champions 5-4. They went into the last of the ninth down 5-2, narrowed it to one run and had the tying run on second with two outs. The streak ended when closer Jeff Nieman (6-5 1.53) struck out right fielder Dean Howell (.293) for the last out of the game to get his 4th save. Howe (7-6 2.87) tossed a solid game until he weakened with two outs in the the ninth. He allowed four runs and eight hits for the win. Offensively the Champs got all of their runs in the 5-run fourth. In the inning shortstop Bama Hartley (.259) and left fielder Kris Gervais (.250) rapped two-run homers and right fielder Kenny Michaud (.333) smacked an RBI double. Jesus Carvajal (9-4 3.72) was victimized by four unearned runs in the inning and caught the loss. Arlon only got one hit the remainder of the game as Charley Andrews (5-4 5.00) and Tony Vardaman (0-0 2.25) turned in impressive relief jobs. Second baseman Alan Hansen (.381), the TU-leading batter, had two doubles in five at-bats and drove in a pair of runs for Bayview.

The second place Vikings (42-33) lost a game to first place Fairfax (48-25) in the TU West race and now are 7 games off the pace. Arlon (34-39) is 14 games behind the Frogs.

Blue Sox Survive Bucs Rally, Win 4th In a Row
After seven innings the Blue Lake Blue Sox were comfortably on the way to a fourth straight triumph with a 10-4 lead. But the Bay St. Claire Buccaneers made it tough on them with a run in the eighth and four in the ninth, finally losing 10-8. For the Bucs it was the 6th loss in a row. Both teams had potent offenses today with 11 hits each. Blue Sox first baseman Fred Taranto (.326) went 3-4 with two RBIs and scored three times, right fielder Fred Collins (.287) got his 7th home run, was 2-5, scored two and drove in two and left fielder Greg Boone (.299) had 2-3, scored twice and had an RBI. The Buccaneers had plenty of firepower, too, with three roundtrippers. Left fielder Charley Moon (.270) had a grand slam in the ninth and scored twice, Jose Valenzuela (.307) had a two-run job and Tony Mann (.342) a solo homer, both in the fourth inning. Taking the fall was Duncan McFalls (4-2 2.67), who was roasted for six runs in the first two frames. Bay St. Clair committed three errors and gave up three unearned runs. Clint McPherson (2-3 4.53) got credit for the win, although he was pounded for eight runs in eight and two-thirds innings. Closer Russ Courtney (5-2 3.13) registered his 8th save by striking out the last batter in the game.

Blue Lake (34-38) is fourth in the standings, 13.5 games in back of the division leader, while the Buccaneers (26-48) are deep in the basement and 22.5 game out.

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Sunday, July 1, 2001

Ruthlandian Union - North Division

FM Breaks 3-Game Slump, Holds On to First
First place Far Mountain rose to the occasion in the opening game of a doubleheader in Colfax and took a crucial game from the second place Blasters. A Colfax victory would have put them on top of the Ruthlandian Union North Division. Sonny Elliott (11-5 2.54) put an end to the Redhawks three-game slump with a 4-2 win and gave them a 1.5-game edge in the race. Elliott held the Blasters to two runs on nine hits as he went the distance for the 10th time this season. Elliott walked two and fanned seven. Third baseman Johnny Strickland (.288) supplied the offense with a two-run single in the first frame. Center fielder Hawk Gallagher (.318) was 3-for-5 and left fielder Gerald Davis (.249) went 2-for-4 in the game and each had RBI singles in the fourth and fifth innings respectively. Alex Castille (8-6 4.14) was the losing pitcher. He allowed ten hits and four runs in seven innings. Colfax had plenty of opportunities and left 10 men stranded. Second baseman Tucker Hill (.340) had three hits to lead them.

The Redhawks (44-31) are still on top, but not by much. The Blasters (42-32) are just 1.5 games behind.

Blasters Split with Redhawks, Win 2nd Game 2-1
Colfax won the nightcap of the twinbill 2-1 to split with Far Mountain behind a strong performance by Flash Guidry at Mountain View Stadium. The victory put them back within a half-game of first place. Guidry (10-6 2.58) stopped the Redhawks on one run and seven hits, while fanning six and walking two batters. Manager Alex Groveland has to dip into the bullpen for a starter. None of his normal starters were rested enough to go, so Groveland used Dave McDonald, who just recently joined the team. McDonald (0-1 4.76) lost it, but did a fine job, holding Colfax to just two runs and seven hits in six innings. Right fielder Pat Lott (.270) had an RBI double to put the Blasters up a run in the opening frame. They upped it to 2-0 in the third when a run scored on a double play ball by Tatsuya Sasaki (.286). Far Mountain got its only run in the seventh, when left fielder Gerald Davis (.250) walked, stole second and rode home on a double by second baseman Shirai Kobayashi (.271).

The Redhawks (44-32) are first in the RU North race and have a half-game lead over second place Colfax (43-32).

A's Score Late, Win Opener From All-Stars 5-4
In Glasco, the hometown boys brought home the 5-4 victory over visiting Elnora in the first game of two at Athletics Field. Pinchhitter Maury Smith (.352) singled up the middle with two outs in the last of the ninth to drive in third baseman Rick Adkins (.205) from third base. That made a winner out of closer Ray Cook (2-4 1.80) and a loser out of Wally Tidwell (3-5 3.67). Cook worked the eighth and ninth and gave up only one hit, while Tidwell came on in the ninth and gave up hits to Adkins and Smith. The A's had two home runs with center fielder Chet Reynolds (.289) powering his 4th out of the park and left fielder Ox Beauvais (.337) knocking his 14th. The All-Stars outhit Glasco 12 to 9, but still came up short. First baseman Paul Kesler (.413) had 3-for-4 and scored a run to lead Elnora. Third baseman Richie Franklin (.248) plated a pair of runs. The Athletics Bill Darby and the All-Stars Pat Savoie pitched decent games. Darby (3-4 3.63) tossed seven innings and permitted four runs, while Savoie (3-1 2.88) allowed four runs in eight innings and struck out nine.

Glasco Takes Two From All-Stars
Game two of the twinbill was just as tight as the first game. The Glasco A's nipped the Elnora All-Stars again to take both games by one run, this time the score was 6-5. The Athletics won it in the seventh when shortstop Kyle Ballentine (.308) singled to lead off the inning, advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt and scored on center fielder Chet Reynolds' single. Reliever Arnie McFalls (4-4 4.87) got credit for the victory with a scoreless seventh. Bobby Joe Belvin (0-2 2.03) got five of the six outs via strikeouts, intermingled with three hits and no runs in two innings for his 2nd save. Starter Sean Sykes (7-8 5.20) was rocked for six runs and ten hits in seven innings for the loss. Both teams rang up a dozen hits apiece with Reynolds (.295) going 3-4 with a double, scoring twice and driving home a run to pace the A's, with help from catcher Pete Kilgour (.238) with 3-4 and two RBIs, left fielder Ox Beauvais (.340) with 2-4 and an RBI and right fielder Lee McDougall (.280), who was 2-4 with two runs scored. Elnora catcher Fuzzy Cox (.122) had the only homer in the game. Cox, shortstop Johnny Zumwalt (.268) and left fielder Quincy Peterson (.288) all had a pair of hits.

Glasco's (36-37) sweep moved them into a third place tie with Valmara (37-38) in the division race. Elnora (29-47) sunk deeper in the cellar, dropping 15 games out.

Vipers Edge Vigilantes in 13 Innings
Both Volusia and Valmara got well-pitched games in the first game of the twinbill at War Memorial Stadium. The game went 13 innings before the Vipers pulled out a 4-3 win on second baseman Fred Vinson's (.321) RBI double that drove in center fielder Jan Szymanski (.249) from first base with the winning run. It was Valmara's third straight win and Volusia's third loss in succession. Southpaw Danny Blauser (6-3 2.42) nailed down the victory with four shutout innings, besting the Vigilantes fine closer Ricky Moreno (3-2 2.45). Moreno gave up only one run in three innings. Valmara had 13 hits and was headed by Szymanski (.249) with a perfect 4-4 day, shortstop Matt Mazurek (.279) with 3-5 and third baseman Rickey O'Reilly (.271) with two hits, including his 7th homer. Volusia had nine hits and two home runs. Catcher Jojo Nunez (.304) hit his 5th and left fielder Winky Rush (.280) got his 7th of the year. Right fielder Jesus Arroyo (.292) went 4-for-6.

Vipers Win 4th Straight, Sweep Volusia
Valmara skipper J. Jackson Samuel may have found him a much-needed starter in 19-year-old righthander Vanya Vasylenko. He held the Volusia Vigilantes to six hits in the 4-3 triumph to sweep both ends of the doubleheader. Just added to the roster a few days ago, Vasylenko (1-0 2.25) went all the way, allowed only two earned runs, fanned six and walked just two. A four-run explosion in the third inning gave him all the runs he needed, highlighted by first baseman Yank Jankowski's (.322) two-run roundtripper. Right fielder Jet Kazmarek (.304) and center fielder Jan Szymanski (.250) knocked in the other two runs. The V's center fielder Alex Luna (.257) drove in two runs with a single and a sacrifice fly and catcher Jorge Rosado (.340) tripled in the other one. Vigilante starter Ike Moore (3-2 4.35) suffered the loss, giving up four runs in four innings. Relievers Manny Seguin (0-0 0.00) and Hank Massey (2-8 5.35) combined to blank the Vipers on one hit over the last four frames.

Valmara (37-38) holds the third spot in the division standings, tied with Glasco (36-37), 6.5 games off the pace of the top team, the Far Mountain Redhawks (44-32). Volusia (36-39) has skidded to 7.5 games behind.

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Sunday, July 1, 2001

Ruthlandian Union - South Division

Marston Rallies, Reinhold's HR Beats Diamonds 3-2
It's a rarity - an inside-the-park homer - and this time it even won the game. In the first game of a doubleheader at Claxton, first place Marston rallied to win in 10 innings on center fielder Tommy Reinhold's (.310) inside-the-park roundtripper. The Nine had been shut out 2-0 for seven innings, when they finally broke through against closer Dennis Scott in the eighth for two runs to tie the score. Former closer, now starter, Earl Weber (5-3 3.13), was outstanding, stopping Marston on just four hits in seven innings with seven strikeouts and a walk. Marston's starter Nick Pace (11-4 2.63) was excellent, too. He gave up two runs, but only one earned, in his seven innings. Vince Gardner (1-2 2.74) gained the victory with three scoreless innings and six Ks, while Scott (7-7 4.54) lost it by allowing three runs over the last three frames. For the winners, pinchhitter Kerby Jost (.571) tripled in the first run and left fielder Ronnie Horn (.298) tied it 2-2 with an RBI groundout. For the losers, right fielder Dixie Baker (.325) and first baseman Marty McCluskey (.315) each had two base hits and drove in a run.

Diamonds Split with Marston, Win Nightcap 5-3
At Avalon Stadium in Claxton in the nightcap, the Diamonds jumped on 11-game winner Casey Ledbetter (11-4 3.59) for four runs in the first two innings, then hung on to top the first place Marston Nine 5-3 to divide the doubleheader. Only a two-run homer in the ninth by third baseman Roland Thomas (.342) made it look close. Skipper Clem Rogers got a fine outing from winner Alex Vanzetti (4-2 3.47), who worked six innings and stopped Marston on one run and six hits with six strikeouts and no bases on balls. Left fielder Dan Molnar (.432) continued to be red-hot at the plate and led Claxton with 4-for-5 and an RBI. Shortstop Bobby Ritter (.307) chipped in with two RBIs. The Nine's second baseman Don Nichols (.300) had two hits and an RBI and center fielder Tommy Reinhold (.313) added two hits and scored one run.

Marston (44-29), the RU South's top club, is 8-2 in the last ten games and leads fifth place Claxton (35-41) by 10.5 games. The Diamonds have broken even in the last ten games.

'Jacks Take S'Birds in Opener 6-5 in 10
In the opening game of a twinbill, Forest City's third baseman Jesse Pearson's (.255) tenth-inng sacrifice fly scored Johnny Mack Butler to skim by Belair Beach 6-5. Butler (.253) paced the Lumberjacks with two hits, including his 8th home run, two RBIs and scored three times. Right fielder Benny Davis (.251) contributed two RBIs, while left fielder Ryan Morse had two hits and scored twice. The Sunbird batters were led by catcher Denny Everhart (.215), who hit his 9th homer of the season, good for two runs. Left fielder Nicky Swift (.338) delivered two hits and two RBIs and first baseman Phil Gravelli (.313) had a double and a sac fly. Reliever Buddy Hutchinson (3-6 4.16) registered the win with a perfect tenth and closer Lou Zanelli (5-5 2.82) lost it. He was tagged for one run in two and two-thirds innings. Neither starter, Lyndon Yarbrough (0-1 4.53) for Belair Beach, nor Vinny Edelman (6-6 3.23) for Forest City were effective.

BB Everhart's HR Beats 'Jacks to Split 'Bill
Last place Belair Beach pinchhitter Denny Everhart (.219) slammed his 10th homer of the year to beat the second place Forest City Lumberjacks 5-4 in 11 innings to divide the twinbill. Everhart's two-run bomb put the Sunbirds up 5-3 and they held on to win it. The 'Jacks scored one and then loaded the bases against winning pitcher Terry Christian (2-4 5.13), but he managed to get the last out and salvage the victory. Pacing Belair Beach was center fielder Matty McDermott (.324) with 3-5, including his 12th home run, a solo shot. Second baseman Rick Sullivan (.264) tripled and scored twice and catcher Dusty James (.255) was 3-4, scored once and batted in a run. Leading Forest City were first baseman J. T. Edmonds (.287) with two hits and two RBIs and shortstop Pops Keller (.306) with two hits and a run scored. The first game winner, Buddy Hutchinson (3-7 4.37), lost the second game. He pitched only one inning and was touched for the game-winning home run by Everhart.

The Lumberjacks (40-36) are second in the Ruthlandian Union South Division, 5.5 games behind first place Marston (44-29), while the Sunbirds (31-44) are last, 14 games out.

Westerners Win Opener Over Rattlers 4-3
At Westerner Field in Waleska, the Westerners took advantage of a wild pitch and an error in the bottom of the ninth to edge Sugar Valley 4-3 in the first game of a twinbill. Shortstop Jinx Giarussa singled, went to second on a wild pitch by reliever Gregg Neal, then scored the winning run when third baseman Jorge Vargas' bad throw resulted in a two-base error. Neal (5-5 2.20) was tagged with the loss, while Jack Wagner (3-0 4.08) got the victory with a scoreless top of the ninth. Waleska's best batters were second baseman Wiz Taylor (.294), Giarussa (.289), Big Hoss Burkhalter (.320) and Milt Carlson (.257). All of them had two hits each. Giarussa scored twice, while Taylor, Burkhalter and Woodruff drove in a run apiece. The Rattlers had more hits than the Westerners, outhitting them 11 to 9. Jorge Vargas (.356) was 3-4 with an RBI, shortstop Flipper Bird (.279) went 2-4 and scored a run and center fielder Freddie Vaux (.347) was 1-3 with an RBI and scored once.

Westerners Romp, Hill Blanks Rattlers 13-0
In game two Waleska romped over Sugar Valley 13-0 to sweep the doubleheader and move into a tie with them for third place. It was Waleska's third straight triumph over the Rattlers. Righthander Gary Hill (7-5 4.80) registered his first shutout of the year, finishing the game with eight strikeouts and one walk. He allowed the Rattlers nine hits, but no runs. The Westerners teed off on Sugar Valley pitching for 14 hits, including five doubles, a triple and three home runs. Left fielder Big Hoss Burkhalter (.319) hit his 18th homer and drove in four runs, third baseman Yoshihide Nishida (.283) cracked his 13th and batted in two runs and backup backstop Dom Kessinger (.200) got his first and drove in two runs. Right fielder Charley Williamson (.295) had a double and a triple and three RBIs and second baseman Wiz Taylor (.303) went 4-for-5, scored three and drove in one. Dale Bixler (0-1 32.41), in his first start for the Rattlers, took it on the chin and was ripped for six runs in the first two innings.

Waleska and Sugar Valley both have 37-37 records and are tied for the third spot in the Ruthlandian Union South Division, 7.5 games in back of the first place Marston Nine (44-29).

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times

Sunday, July 1, 2001

Vargas Honored as RU Batter of the Month
Jorge Vargas, Sugar Valley's third baseman, won the Ruthlandian Union Batter of the Month Award for June. To take the honor he put up some standout stats including a .368 average, 12 home runs and 35 RBIs. The Islandian Baseball Writers Association will present his trophy at the next home game for the Rattlers. Posting a .350 batting average to date, Vargas has 19 home runs and 57 RBIs.

Pace Selected June's #1 Hurler in Ruthlandian Union
Nick Pace of the Marston Nine has been selected as the Ruthlandian Union's Hurler of the Month. Pace racked up a 6-1 mark during June, finishing up with an outstanding 1.00 ERA in 7 starts. He pitched 63 innings and fanned 56 batters. For the season Pace is 11-6 with a 2.63 ERA, 3 shutouts and 10 complete games in 19 starts.

McCluskey Heads RU Rookie Class
It was an excellent month for Marty McCluskey. He really swung into action! The first baseman for the Claxton Diamonds was named June's best newcomer in the Ruthlandian Union. He captured the honor by hitting .385 with 45 hits, 4 home runs, 21 RBIs and 14 runs scored.

In 69 games this year McCluskey has posted a .311 average and put up these numbers: 7 home runs, 37 RBIs and 34 runs scored.

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Sunday, July 1, 2001

Tycobbian Union - East Division

Zorros Outduel Ninjas 3-2 in 11 Innings
At De la Vega Stadium in Luxora, the Zorros and Ginza Ninjas both got standout pitching in the first of two games. They dueled for 11 innings before it was finally decided. In the top of the inning, Ginza took a 2-1 lead, when right fielder Charlie Campbell (.280) hammered his 10th roundtripper. But Luxora came back to win it with two in the last half of the inning. Catcher Eric Richter (.350) evened it up with an RBI single and third baseman Rico Vina (.298) delivered a two-out RBI single that won it. Roberto Martinez (7-3 2.29) got a reprieve with the two-run rally to get credit for the victory. He pitched two and one-third innings. Ken Watkins (3-4 2.97) was the loser, giving up two runs and four hits in two and two-thirds innings. Both starters were very strong with Kazuhiro Nakayama (5-9 3.03) working eight innings for the Ninjas, allowed only one run on four hits with six strikeouts and three walks, while Keith Callahan (6-6 2.98) made it into the ninth for the Z's, surrendered six hits and one run with four Ks and two bases on balls. Richter led the Luxora hitters with 3-for-5. The Zorros had 8 hits in all and Ginza got 7.

Zorros Sweep Ninjas, 6-3 in Nightcap
The Luxora Zorros swept a pair from first place Ginza and ran their winning skein to four games with a 6-3 triumph in game two. The Ninjas suffered a third consecutive defeat. Lefthander Johnny Montel (7-8 3.12) was tough on the Ninjas, holding them to two runs and three hits in seven innings. Montel fanned four and gave up two walks in the win. Roberto Martinez (7-3 2.37) closed it out for his 2nd save on the year, despite permitting a run in the top of the ninth. Vince Rousakis (8-8 3.67) absorbed the loss by allowing five runs in seven innings. Both clubs played shoddy defense with seven errors in the game, four by Luxora and three by Ginza. Z's center fielder Tommy Fortunato (.269) scored twice, had two hits, including his 7th homer. Third baseman Rico Vina (.301) also had two hits, scored a run and batted in a run with his 10th roundtripper. Ninja first sacker Kenshin Yamamoto (.294) got his 14th home run among his three hits. Yamamoto had two RBIs and scored twice.

Ginza's (42-33) lead over third place Luxora (36-37) has shrunk to five games in the Tycobbian Union East standings. The Zorros are tied for third now with the South Fork Stallions (37-38) and the Ozarka Naturals (37-38).

'Cats Cop First Game 4-3 in 11 Innings
In the opener of a doubleheader, Hartsdale manager Zim Donner got some good pitching today in the Hellcats 4-3 victory in 11 innings at Cape Coral. Danny Griffin (6-8 3.82) checked the second place Hurricanes on six hits and three runs in eight-plus innings. 17-year-old Tal Vaitkus (1-0 0.79) came on in the ninth and held Cape Coral runless over the last two and two-thirds innings. Vaitkus chalked up the win, yielding two hits and striking out two. Wally Robinson (9-5 2.79) started for Huggy Miller and allowed only three runs and six hits in eight innings. First baseman Walt Long (.225) was the hero with 3-for-5 and four RBIs. Long blasted a three-run shot in the sixth and singled in the winning score in the eleventh. The 'Canes got RBIs from catcher Rick Clark (.319) and third baseman Scoop Estes (.303) in the ninth. Both ballclubs got 8 hits in the game. Scotty Lohmeyer (2-5 3.93) suffered the loss as he was touched for one run and two hits in two innings of relief.

'Canes Rebound, Crush 'Cats 9-1 for Split
Katsuyuki Nagashima gave up a bunch of hits, but was stingy with the runs in second place Cape Coral's 9-1 victory in game two of the doubleheader with last place Hartsdale. Nagashima (7-6 2.46) was tagged for 12 hits, but stranded 11 runners. The stylish lefty fanned nine and walked just two in his 6th complete game of the season. Pacing the Hurricanes 10-hit offense were first baseman Rodger Wooten (.295) and left fielder Rod Kelly (.319), who both hit three-run homers in the first and second inning respectively. Third baseman Scoop Estes (.314) was 2-3 and scored three times. The losing pitcher was Glenn Mann (6-10 3.66). Cape Coral pounded him for seven runs in less than two innings.

The Hurricanes (39-36) ended a three-game losing skid and are second in the Tycobbian Union East race, 3 games off the pace. The Hellcats (33-42) are last in the standings.

SF Outlasts Ozarka 4-3 in First Game
In the opener of a doublebill at Ellie Ewing Stadium in Ozarka, the South Fork Stallions outlasted the Naturals 4-3 in 14 innings. With one away center fielder Ronnie Lee (.318) got on base with a single off Billy Krsnich and came around to score the eventual winning run on a triple by first baseman Keith Burke (.319). Krsnich (0-1 5.40) notched the loss, giving up a run on three hits in two innings. Glenn Turnbull (4-3 2.97) claimed the victory with five splendid innings of relief. Turnbull allowed one run and four hits. Billy Joe Gordon (0-5 2.61) closed it out with a scoreless 14th for his 7th save. Burke led the Stallions with three hits and Lee scored twice. Natural left fielder Ronnie Patterson (.249) smashed the only homer in the game. It was his 13th. He had two hits and scored two runs. South Fork had 11 hits to 10 for Ozarka.

Braun's 3-Run HR Gets Nats Split with SF
Ozarka came back from a 3-1 deficit to slip past South Fork 4-3 on center fielder Teddy Braun's (.292) clutch three-run homer in the seventh inning to divide the doubleheader. His 7th homer of the year gave Sid Hyder (2-0 1.20) the victory. Hyder started and worked seven and a third frames, allowed three runs - only two earned - eight hits with six strikeouts and a walk. Closer Alex DiMaggio (7-2 1.46) got the last five outs in order to preserve the win. DiMaggio now has five saves. Flint Battle (10-7 2.45) pitched well, except for Braun's roundtripper, surrendering four runs and nine hits over eight innings. Battle fanned seven and issued four walks in defeat. Battle (.231) also drove in two runs and went 3-3.

The Naturals (37-38) triumph made it a three-way tie for third place in the TU East with South Fork (37-38) and Luxora (36-37), all of them trail first place Ginza (42-33) by 5 games.

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Sunday, July 1, 2001

Tycobbian Union - West Division

Frogs and Takahashi Too Tough for La Claire
When manager Harry Buckley gets into trouble, he just calls Takehide Takahashi in from the bullpen. Buckley did it for the 28th time this season in the first game of the doubleheader in La Claire's Capitol Park Stadium and Takahashi (8-2 1.45) did his job and got his 9th save in the 7-4 Fairfax victory. He stopped the threatening Lynx cold over the last two innings. The Frogs cracked open a 3-3 game with four runs in the eighth inning. Left fielder Gator Davis (.280) put them in front 5-3 with a two-run single and catcher Marv McCoy (.339) followed it with a two-run homer. Shortstop Warren Lee (.320) also hit one out for Fairfax, good for two runs in the third inning. Third baseman Stan Cobb (.347) went 3-for-3 and scored twice for the Frogs. Leading the Lynx were center fielder Lenny Collins (.297) with 4-for-5 and catcher Dennis Weiss (.253) with 2-for-5. They both scored a run and batted one in. Starter Jackie Leslie (11-4 3.17) was the victor, going seven innings and giving up three runs on nine hits with eight strikeouts. Kimo Orlando (2-1 3.04) labored and lost it. Fairfax raked him for five runs in seven and two-thirds innings.

Frogs Sweep, Beat Lynx 4-2 in Game Two
In game two of the twinbill between Fairfax and La Claire, Frog closer Takehide Takahashi was summoned in again from the bullpen and he shut down the Lynx again to save a 4-2 victory. Takahashi (8-2 1.42) took over for starter Robby Meredith in the ninth with the tying runs on base and promptly struck out two batters and got the third out on a flyball to get his 10th save. Meredith (10-2 2.76) was the winning pitcher. He permitted 11 hits in eight innings, but only one earned run. Meredith fanned seven and allowed one walk. Tony Nygaard (2-5 3.36) went the distance in defeat, surrendering four runs and nine hits, while striking out six. Shortstop Warren Lee (.324) had three hits and two RBIs to pace Fairfax. Left fielder Gator Davis (.284) had a pair of hits, including his 17th home run.

The first place Frogs (50-25) swept the doubleheader for their third win in a row over La Claire (36-39). The Lynx are in a third place tie with Arlon (36-39) and trail by 14 games.

Arlon Wins First Game 5-1 Over Bayview
Arlon's 35-year-old righthander Craig Smith put down the second place Bayview Vikings 5-1 in the opening game of a twinbill at Downtown Plaza Stadium. Smith (9-5 2.89) registered his third win in a row, struck out nine and walked none in a very solid outing. Trailing 1-0 in the sixth, the Champs broke up Jerry Harrison's (9-4 3.17) shutout with two in the sixth and three in the seventh. Harrison allowed seven hits and five runs in six-plus innings, but only two of the runs were earned. First sacker Brad Ray (.290) and catcher Jean-Luc Babin (.222) both crushed two-run homers for Arlon.

Champs Slaughter Bayview 11-3
The Arlon Champions scored early and often in game two of the doubleheader and slaughtered Bayview 11-3 to take both games. Arlon banged 19 hits in the game and were led by right fielder Andy Pettorini (.308) with two hits and three RBIs, second baseman Karl Detwiler (.319) with 4-5, two runs scored and two batted in and shortstop Bama Hartley (.265) with 3-5, two runs scored and a run batted in. Center fielder Jerry Keller (.305), first baseman Brad Ray (.296) and catcher Smoke Zakharov (.233) each contributed a pair of hits. The Vikings were never in the ballgame and trailed 9-0 after five frames. Skipper Gary Louis used five pitchers with the win going to Kurt DeHaan (1-0 0.00). Loser Frank Wells (7-5 3.90) took a shellacking and yielded six runs in two-plus innings.

With the pair of victories Arlon (36-39) climbed up into a tie for third with La Claire (36-39), 14 games behind first place Fairfax (50-25). Bayview (42-35) dropped to 9 off the pace in second place in the Tycobbian Union West.

Bucs Rally for 10-9 Win Over Blue Sox in Opener
In a 12-inning marathon Bay St. Clair came back from an 8-run deficit to defeat Blue Lake 10-9 on Tony Mann's (.338) RBI single. That snapped the Buccaneers six-game slide and halted the Blue Sox winning streak at four games. In the first game of two, Bucs manager Guy Rondre used six hurlers with the win going to one of his starters called in for extra duty. Norm Gross (8-7 3.64) pitched three scoreless innings. Bay St. Clair belted four Blue Lake pitchers for three homers and 18 hits and the Blue Sox collected three homers and 17 hits off Buccaneer pitching. Going deep for the Bucs were left fielder Stan Denton (.229), third baseman Bobby Tracy (.323) and first baseman George Lyons (.237). while shortstop Cy Orgeron (.261), pitcher Dino Manetti (.063) and third baseman Timmy Smith (.303) hit one out for the Sox. Happy McManus (0-1 13.50) suffered the defeat. Bay St. Clair rallied from 8-0 after two innings, cut it to 8-7 after five and tied it in the bottom of the ninth.

Sox-Bucs Split, Blue Lake Wins 5-3
A three-run sixth is just what the doctor ordered as the Blue Lake Blue Sox bumped off Bay St. Clair 5-3 in the nightcap to divide the doubleheader. First baseman Fred Taranto (.332) ripped an RBI triple, third baseman Timmy Smith (.303) hit a sac fly and right fielder Fred Collins doubled in the third run of the inning, all off losing pitcher Adam Lundgren (3-3 3.07). Jay Clay (8-3 2.70) went all the way for the victory, holding the Buccaneers to seven hits and three runs. Clay fanned six and walked three. First baseman George Lyons (.239) hit his 14th roundtripper for Bay St. Clair.

After splitting the twinbill, Blue Lake (35-39) was in fifth place in the standings, while sixth place Bay St. Clair (27-49) is pulling up the rear, 23.5 games behind. The Blue Sox are 14.5 game out.

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times

Sunday, July 1, 2001

Coleman Top Hitter in TU
Today Dwayne Coleman was voted Tycobbian Union Batter of the Month for July. During the month he compiled a .349 batting average.

Most importantly for Bayview though, he also posted 9 home runs, 29 RBIs and 19 runs scored.

This year Coleman is batting .310 with 26 home runs and 74 RBIs. In 74 games he has scored 58 times.

Ito #1 TU Pitcher in June
The best pitcher this past month in the Tycobbian Union was Toshiharu Ito of the Ginza Ninjas. He really razzle-dazzled league hitters, finishing June with a standout 6-0 record and 1.55 ERA.

The Ninjas twirler made 7 starts and surrendered 46 hits in 64 innings. He struck out 51 and walked 22.

This season in 7 starts Toshiharu Ito has a record of 7-1 with 78 strikeouts in 87.1 innings and a 1.85 ERA.

First Year Fame: Harrison Top TU Rookie
The Tycobbian Union made it official today -- Jerry Harrison of the Bayview Vikings is the Rookie of the Month.
In June he impressed the sportswriters with his domination of league hitters.

Harrison made 7 starts, registered 6 wins and no losses with a solid 3.12 ERA. In 57.2 innings he allowed 56 hits, racked up 30 strikeouts, walked 10 and permitted teams to hit .258 against him.

So far this year Harrison has 9 wins and 3 losses and a 3.19 ERA.

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Monday, July 2, 2001.

Ruthlandian Alliance - North Division

Blasters Take Over First Place
At Mountain View Stadium in Colfax, the Blasters slipped by Far Mountain 4-3 and took over the top spot in the Ruthlandian Union North. Colfax tied the score at 3-3 in the eighth and won it in the last of the ninth on left fielder Blinky Brandon's (.304) RBI single that scored second baseman Tucker Hill (.346). Hill had singled and stole second. Val Watford (1-0 0.00) got the win in relief of starter Harry Manning. Watford worked a scoreless ninth and struck out two. Manning (10-4 3.17) hurled a solid game with five strikeouts and a walk in eight innings, yielding just three runs and six hits with only two earned runs. Closer Doc Rutledge (6-4 2.33) was the losing pitcher. He allowed three hits and a run in one and a third frames. Stan Lamoreaux was bothered by his control, but held Colfax to four hits and three runs in seven innings with six Ks and six walks. Both clubs had seven hits each. Hill topped the Blasters with 2-for-5 and an RBI. Center fielder Hawk Gallagher (.313) had a two-run homer for the Redhawks.

Colfax (44-32) has won 8 of the last 10 games and climbed into first place, a half-game up on Far Mountain (44-33), who are 5-5 recently. The two teams will play again tomorrow.

V's Vault Past Vipers 6-5 in 13 Innings
Volusia fought back from a 4-0 deficit and finally vaulted past Valmara 6-5 at War Memorial Stadium. The Vigilantes ended a four-game slump and snapped the Vipers winning streak at four. The two clubs are now tied for fourth in the RU North race. Center fielder Alex Luna (.257) plated Gabie Barksdale (.500) with the winning run with a two-out line drive single to right off losing pitcher Jace Allardyce (0-1 6.75). Shortstop Scooter Perez (.377) slapped out five hits to pace the V's. Newcomer third baseman Barksdale chipped in three hits in his first game. Volusia totaled 18 hits to 11 for Valmara. The Vipers slugged three home runs, one each by right fielder Jet Kazmarek (.302), second baseman Steve Kaminski (.267) and center fielder Jan Szymanski (.253). Gaining the victory was Ricky Moreno (4-2 2.31), who blanked the Vipers in the eleventh and twelfth innings. 19-year-old Manny Seguin (0-0 0.00) saved it with three Ks in the bottom of the thirteenth. Manager Alfonso Feliz got great relief work from Brian King (1-0 2.18), Moreno and Seguin over the last six innings as they held Valmara to just one unearned run and three hits.

The Vigilantes and Vipers are tied for fourth with identical 37-39 marks this season and are 7 games off the pace of the new division leader Colfax (44-32).

A's Win 4th Straight, All-Stars Fall Again
The Glasco Athletics rode the big bat of big Ox Beauvais to a 3-2 triumph over Elnora at Athletics Field. Left fielder Beauvais (.342) hit two homers off Carl Costas to drive in all three runs and send the A's to their fourth consecutive win and the All-Stars to a fourth straight defeat. Southpaw Charles Darby (10-6 3.28) checked them on two runs and eight hits in a complete-game performance, walking four and fanning three All-Stars. Costas (4-9 3.54) also went the route, allowed nine hits and three runs with five strikeouts and no bases on balls. Costas (.297) also drove in both of Elnora runs with a seventh-inning double.

Glasco (37-37) improved to the .500 mark and are in third place in the standings, 6 games off the pace. Elnora (29-48) is in last place, 15.5 games behind the division-leading Colfax Blasters (44-32).

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Monday, July 2, 2001.

Ruthlandian Alliance - South Division

Szwak Fans 12, Mauls Marston 8-1
At Avalon Stadium in Claxton, the Diamonds used three homers to maul the first place Marston Nine 8-1 with some fine pitching from Johnny Szwak, who had 12 strikeouts in the game. Right fielder Dixie Baker (.329) and third baseman Keith Olsen (.294) both bashed three-run homers and left fielder Dan Molnar (.417) hit a solo salvo to top Claxton at the plate. Baker took over the RBI lead in the Ruthlandian Union with 73, two more than Big Hoss Burkhalter (.319) of Waleska. Szwak (8-2 3.47) gave up 10 hits, but was tough to score on as Marston left 10 runners on base. Booger Burchfield (4-7 3.41) was ripped early for six runs in less than three innings and suffered the loss.

Marston (44-30) is 9.5 games in front of fifth place Claxton and on top of the RU South Division.

Sunbirds Frey Lumberjacks 3-2
In Forest City at Riverside Park, the Belair Beach Sunbirds squeezed out a 3-2 verdict over the Lumberjacks. Ken Frey (5-6 3.54) hurled a strong game and held them to two runs and seven hits. Frey walked only one and had seven strikeouts. The former closer outpitched Glenn Moore (8-6 2.91), who went eight innings, allowed three runs and seven hits with six Ks and two walks. The Sunbirds took an early lead and held on to win. In the opening frame left fielder Nicky Swift (.338) hit a sacrifice fly to go up 1-0, then in the third, back-to-back solo roundtrippers by right fielder Matty McDermott (.327) and first baseman Phil Gravelli (.309) made the score 3-0 and sealed Moore's fate. It was McDermott's 13th on the season and Gravelli's 14th. Forest City got its runs on third baseman Donnie Shropshire's (.161) home run in the last of the third and shortstop Pops Keller's (.305) two-bagger in the fifth. The Sunbirds had the edge in hits 8 to 7.

The Lumberjacks (40-37) are in the runner-up spot in the division, trailing first place Marston by 5.5 games. Belair Beach (32-44) is in the basement, 13 games out.

Rattlers Break 3-Game Slide Against Westerners
Sugar Valley finally broke the spell in this series and beat Waleska 6-4 at Westerner Field and snapped a three-game slid. Center fielder Freddie Vaux (.353) smashed two homers and drove in three runs and new first baseman Phil Taylor (.194) walloped a three-run clout to lead the way to victory. All the roundtrippers came off losing pitcher Marv Chancellor (5-11 5.74). He only lasted four innings. Winning pitcher Ron Benson (12-6 2.79) made it into the seventh and captured his 12th win, best in the IPA. Benson gave up three runs and six hits before he hit the showers. The save went to Kid Reininger (0-0 6.43), his first of the year. He worked the ninth, surrendered a hit and a walk after one was out, then fanned the last two batters to close it out. The Rattlers outhit the Westerners 13 to 9. Center fielder Rick Vaughn (.301) sparked Waleska by going 3-for-4 with his 6th homer, a double and four RBIs.

Sugar Valley (38-37) has the third spot in the division standings, 6.5 games out from first place Marston (44-30). Fourth place belongs to Waleska (37-38), which lost its three-game win string and fell to 7.5 games behind.

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Monday, July 2, 2001

Tycobbian Union - East Division

Ito Spins Win, Ninjas Best Zorros 6-1
First place Ginza's skipper Horoko Uchiyama is glad to get back on the win track after three successive losses. His chubby little righthander Toshiharu Ito was just the man for the job. Ito went the distance in an easy 6-1 victory over Luxora at De la Vega Stadium, ending the Zorros win string at four games. Ito (8-1 1.78) limited them to five hits, fanned four and walked four. Ito has won seven straight games. Backup first baseman Mitsuru Takaki (.111) supplied the offense with a grand slam in the fourth inning off loser Francisco Fernandes (5-8 4.53), who has now lost his last three decisions.

Ginza (43-33) is the top team in the TU East and is 6 games up on fifth place Luxora (36-38).

'Canes Clout 3 Homers, Beat Hartsdale 6-3
Second place Cape Coral got good outings from Gary Fountain and Owen Pruitt as the hometown Hurricanes knocked off the last place Hartsdale Hellcats 6-3 at Seaside Stadium. Gary Fountain (6-2 4.33) started and went four fine innings, allowing only one run and four hits, but a long rain delay caused his arm to tightened up and reliever Owen Pruitt had to come in. Pruitt (5-5 4.00) got credit for the victory, going five innings and giving up two runs, while striking out four with no walks. Stan Vandenberg (0-4 11.40) was battered again and got the loss. He gave up five runs in less than four innings. Third baseman Scoop Estes (.321), second baseman Andy Anderson (.276) and catcher Rick Clark (.329) provided the offense as each had a bases-empty home run. For the Hellcats first baseman Walt Long (.239) went 3-for-4 and scored twice. Left fielder Jay Luna (.268), center fielder Greg Reynolds (.255) and shortstop Terry Bellino (.328) drove in a run apiece.

The Hurricanes (40-36) are runner-up to first place Ginza (43-33) in the division and are 3 games behind. Hartsdale (33-43) is in the cellar and rests 10 games off the pace.

Conner Stiffs Nats 8-2, Stallions Take Third Place
South Fork's Ken Conner and Glenn Holliday joined forces and propelled the Stallions to an easy 8-2 triumph over Ozarka at Ellie Ewing Stadium. The win gave South Fork clear title to third place in the Tycobbian Union East Division and dropped the Naturals to fourth. Conner (5-2 2.40) gave up two runs in the first frame, but that was it for the day. He permitted seven hits, whiffed eight and gave up only one base on balls. It was Conner's third straight quality start since being added to the rotation by manager Deroche "Lips" Leon. Third baseman Glenn Holliday did his part, too. He slugged two homers and drove in three runs. Holliday has hit 15 home runs this season. Left fielder Gene Woodruff (.267) helped out with two hits and two RBIs, including his 6th home run. Ozarka third baseman Doug Cunningham (.261) had a double and a homer with two RBIs. It was his 20th roundtripper. Donnie Young (5-6 4.34) was tagged with the loss as he yielded all three homers and seven runs in just four innings.

The Stallions (38-38) eked ahead of Luxora (36-38) and Ozarka (37-39) in the battle for the third spot in the standings. South Fork trails the leader Ginza (43-33) by 5 games. Ozarka is in fourth place, 6 games out and one percentage point in front of fifth place Luxora.

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Monday, July 2, 2001

Tycobbian Union - West Division

Fairfax Nips La Claire 7-6
The Fairfax Frogs love playing on the road and today they added another victory to their already sparkling record. The first place Frogs nipped the La Claire Lynx 7-6 at Capitol Park Stadium for their fourth successive win over them. They ran the road mark to 24-8, best in the IPA. Catcher Marv McCoy (.341) hammered a three-run homer to lead the way. Fairfax was outhit 11-10 by the Lynx, but got 6 walks to more than make up for it. On the mound Eddie Castillo (0-3 4.54) stood out with three good innings of relief. He got his first save this season by holding La Claire to one run and three hits, while striking three and walking none. Starter Jim DiGregorio (2-1 3.55) notched the win, but struggled. In six innings he allowed five runs and eight hits. Frank Lamoreaux (6-6 3.63) lost it. He worked only two and two-thirds innings and gave up seven hits and five runs, but only one earned. Lamoreaux was trailing 5-2 when he departed. Pacing La Claire at bat were shortstop Dirk Lindahl (.289) with 4-5, three runs scored and an RBI, center fielder Lucky Collins (.303) with 3-4, a double, run scored and one batted in, third baseman Luis Marquez (.282), who was 2-4 with a double and two RBIs and second baseman Darrell Boyce (.248) with his 10th home run.

The Frogs (51-25) are easily the best team in the TU West and are 15 games ahead of third place La Claire (36-40). The Lynx are tied with the Arlon Champions (36-40).

Bayview Nips Arlon 4-3 on Richards Slam
Bayview shortstop Shorty Richards (.248) stands only 5'6" and weighs 150 pounds, but he does pack some punch. Just ask Ray Hunt of the Arlon Champions, who gave up a grand slam in the third inning to Richards. That was all the runs the Vikings needed to nip the Champs 4-3 and snap a three-game losing stretch. First baseman Brad Ray (.294) got a two-run shot for Arlon in the fourth and right fielder Andy Pettorini (.306) singled in a run in the eighth, but they came up one run short. Winning pitcher Paul Hood (6-3 2.77) was superb on the hill for Bayview. He struck out 11 in seven innings, walked only one and allowed two runs on only four hits. Closer Buzzy Lewis (3-3 2.90) worked the last two frames for his 13th save. Lewis permitted one run on two hits and fanned three. Bayview had the edge in hits 10-6. Ray Hunt (5-9 4.10) suffered the setback, working seven innings, giving up four runs and eight hits with a walk and four Ks.

The Vikings (43-35) are the number two team in the TU West and are 9 games in back of the top club, the Fairfax Frogs (51-25). Arlon (36-40) is tied for third with La Claire (36-40) and is 15 games off the pace.

Bucs Bomb Blue Sox 8-3
A 16-hit barrage finally did in the Blue Lake Blue Sox as Bay St. Clair bombed them 8-3. But it took a four-run uprising in the eighth to put the Sox away. Shortstop Chuck Hankins (.314) led the attack with 5-for-5, three runs scored and four RBIs - three singles, a double and his 7th homer did the job. Ironman Norm Gross (9-7 3.60) was back on the hill for his regular turn after a three-inning relief win yesterday. The soft-throwing southpaw started off slowly, giving up three runs in the first four frames, but then settled down and shut them down the rest of the way. Gross allowed nine hits, fanned two and walked two. The Blue Sox best bats were first baseman Fred Taranto (.335), who had 2-for-4 and hit his 11th roundtripper this year and third baseman Timmy Smith (.311) with 3-for-3 and two runs scored. The Blue Lake loser was Bennie West (8-8 2.73), who was shelled for 13 hits and seven runs in seven and a third innings.

The defeat sent the Blue Sox (35-40) to the number five spot in the TU West race, 15.5 games out of first. Bay St. Clair (28-49) is in last place, 23.5 games behind.

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Tuesday, July 3, 2001

Ruthlandian Union - North Division

Blasters Blast Redhawks 10-1
The Colfax Blasters blasted Far Mountain on the scoreboard, routing them 10-1. But when you looked at the stats, they got only seven hits, which apparently was plenty enough. Colfax has beaten the Redhawks the last three games and has now pulled ahead of them by 1.5 games in the RU North Division. The Blasters won the series four games to one. First baseman Dennis Cole (.307) smacked a three-run homer, second baseman Tucker Hill (.347) hit a two-run triple and pitcher Robbie Smith (.238) drove in two runs with a single and a double. Cole now has 20 home runs. Far Mountain also helped out by committing four errors in the game. On the mound Robbie Smith (4-4 3.32) finessed his way to a five-hitter, finishing with five strikeouts and four walks. John Luzzatti (5-6 3.70) gave up four walks and two hits in the loss that tranlated into six runs. He faced five batters in the four-run second inning and got no one out.

Colfax (45-32) has moved to the top by winning 8 of the last 10 games, while second place Far Mountain (44-34) has slumped to 4-6 in recent games. The Redhawks will be happy to get out of Colfax, but still hold the edge in the season series, 11 games to 8.

A's Smash All-Stars for 5th In a Row
The Glasco Athletics have done a quick turnaround. Fresh off a long losing streak, the A's have now won five in a row, sweeping the whole series from Elnora. They wrapped up the series by smashing the All-Stars 10-4 at Athletics Field. Third baseman Zach Byorvik (.234) homered and drove in four runs to pace the A's with help from first baseman Maury Smith (.351), who had a homer, three runs scored and an RBI. Right fielder Buck Bucholtz (.375) also went 3-4, scored three times and drove in a run and center fielder Chet Reynolds (.299) had a two-run double. Elnora right fielder Quincy Peterson (.295) accounted for all of their scoring with two roundtrippers and four RBIs. Peterson has totaled 15 homers this season. Glasco righthander Jerry Smith (9-8 4.03) went the distance with a four-hitter, striking out nine and walking two.

Third place Glasco (38-37) is 6 games in back of first place Colfax (45-32), while Elnora (29-49) is 16.5 games behind in last place.

Volusia Rallies, Tops Vipers 7-6
Volusia fell behind 4-0 in the opening inning in Valmara, but came back to take slim 7-6 victory to move ahead of the Vipers in the battle for fourth place. Skipper Alfonso Feliz got outstanding work from his bullpen with Augie Giertych (1-1 2.29) getting the win with four fine innings. He held the Vipers to one hit and one unearned run. When Giertych got into trouble with walks in the eighth inning, Manny Seguin (0-0 0.00) bailed him out and closed out the game for his second save. Seguin hasn't allowed an earned run in nine innings and five relief appearances since joining the team about ten days ago. Leading the Vigilantes at the plate were right fielder Jesus Arroyo (.283) with three RBIs and left fielder Lonnie Howard (.249) with a pair of runs batted in. Arroyo put Volusia ahead to stay 7-5 with a two-run single in the sixth. Center fielder Jan Szymanski (.255) was the Vipers batting star with two hits and four RBIs. Szymanski now is tied with Colfax's Dixie Baker for the RBI lead with 73 in the Ruthlandian Union. Todd Turner (7-6 4.18) was nailed with the loss as he was rapped hard for seven runs in five and a third innings. Control was a major problem as he walked six.

The fourth place Vigilantes (38-39) are one game up on fifth place Valmara in the RU North standings and are 7 games out of first.

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Tuesday, July 3, 2001

Ruthlandian Union - South Division

Claxton Shocks Marston with 4-Run Ninth
The Claxton Diamonds shocked Marston today at Avalon Stadium and scored four runs in the last of the ninth to win 6-5. Paul Azard (7-4 4.13) was headed for a 5-2 victory and all he needed was three outs. Instead he got a surprising loss. Pinchhitter Juan Barajas (.224) doubled in two runs to cut the margin to one run and center fielder Wayne Wilson (.290) unloaded another two-run two-bagger to upend the first place Nine. Right fielder Dixie Baker (.331) and left fielder Dan Molnar (.404) also helped out earlier in the game with solo homers. Baker's 24th roundtripper of the season put him back in the top spot in RBIs with 74 in the Ruthlandian Union. Dennis Scott (8-7 4.46) won it with two scoreless innings of relief. Marston's top hitters were catcher Mo Chappell (.300) with a two-run shot and shortstop Lenny Torricelli (.238) with a two-run double, both in the four-run sixth. The Diamonds had the edge in hits 12 to 10.

First place Marston (44-31) has now lost three in a row to Claxton (37-41). The Nine is 8.5 games ahead of the fifth place Diamonds.

'Jacks Power by Sunbirds 13-8
Trailing in the fifth 8-1, it was looking dismal for manager Rob Jackson and his Forest City Lumberjacks. Suddenly the bats came alive and outscored Belair Beach 12-0 the rest of the game to come away with a startling 13-8 triumph. A seven-run eighth inning put the Lumberjacks over the top. Second baseman Jesse Wolf (.307) spearheaded the comeback with five RBIs and his 18th homer of the year. Right fielder Bennie Davis (.253) got number 16 and drove in a pair of runs, along with third baseman Jesse Pearson (.262) and catcher Joey Jarvis (.279), each with two RBIs. Shortstop Pops Keller (.308) also knocked a homer, his 5th. Pacing the Sunbirds were third baseman Dom Corbeiii (.270) and second baseman Russ Sullivan (.262), each with two runs driven in. Each club mustered 16 hits apiece with Nick Marceau (2-1 3.52) getting the victory. He was one of the few pitchers, who didn't get scored on today. Marceau worked the seventh and eighth with help from J. D. Gisclair (0-0 14.40), who retired three of the four hitters he faced. Lou Zanelli (5-6 3.57) was torched for the loss as he surrendered four runs in the eighth.

Second place Forest City (41-37) got a game closer to first place Marston (44-31) in the RU South with the victory and now are only 4.5 games out. Belair Beach (32-45) is in the basement, 13 games behind.

Waleska Wallops Rattlers 7-3, Kraft Wins It
Rusty Kraft (6-7 4.14) made quick work of Sugar Valley today at Westerner Field in Waleska as the Westerners walloped the Rattlers 7-3. Kraft allowed seven hits and three runs, going the route with seven Ks and just one walk. For the winners, left fielder Big Hoss Burkhalter (.313) boomed a two-run homer, giving him 19 on the year. Other contributors were Yoshihide Nishida (.283) with 2-4, two runs and two RBIs, second baseman Wiz Taylor (.304) with 2-4 and two runs scored and right fielder Rick Vaughn (.305) with 2-4 and two runs and an RBI. Losing pitcher Paul Haines (5-5 3.40) departed after four innings, trailing 6-1. Shortstop Kiley Dickson ((.222) and right fielder Karl Dietz (.262) homered for Sugar Valley. Waleska collected nine hits off of three pitchers.

The two teams moved back into a two-way tie for third place in the Ruthlandian Union South, each with a 38-38 mark this season, 6.5 games behind first place Marston (44-31).

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Tuesday, July 3, 2001

Tycobbian Union - East Division

Matsumoto Blanks Z's, Ninjas Win 1-0
The scoreboard operator just about had the day off today at Luxora's De la Vega Stadium. Kojiro Matsumoto (12-3 2.64) logged his third shutout of the season by blanking Luxora 1-0. Matsumoto checked them on six hits with two walks and two strikeouts. Little-used catcher Kris Michel (.162) homered in the fifth frame for the game's only score. Loser Chris Pierce (2-6 3.23) went six innings, allowed eight hits and fanned six, while Tito Tovares (0-0 0.00) finished up with three scoreless innings and five Ks.

Ginza (44-33) is in first place in the Tycobbian Union East standings and leads fifth place Luxora (36-39) by 7 games.

Hellcats Homers Beat Hurricanes 7-5
Third baseman Steve Ward sent two longballs into the stands to lead Hartsdale over Cape Coral 7-5 at Seaside Stadium. The Hellcats recovered from a 4-1 deficit after five innings to come back and beat the second place Hurricanes. Ward (.295) had two hits and three RBIs to top Hartsdale's 14-hit attack. He also scored three runs. Reliever Tal Vaitkus (2-0 1.45) recorded the win, surrendering one unearned run in three innings. Cody Burg (1-2 4.96) suffered the loss as he was slammed for three runs in less than two innings. Shortstop Bobo Hatfield (.269) paced Cape Coral with two hits and two RBIs. The Hurricanes had eight hits in the game.

The second place Hurricanes (40-37) fell another game back in the race and now trail first place Ginza (44-33) by 4 games. Hartsdale (34-43) is 10 games out in last place.

Stallions Triumph 5-3 Over Nats
South Fork righthander Vince Bernini settled down after a three-run fifth cut his lead to 4-3 and shut out Ozarka the last three frames to triumph over them 5-3. Bernini (2-2 2.37) permitted ten hits and only one earned run, struck out eight and walked none in a good outing. The Stallions collected ten hits off Nats pitching and were led by shortstop Bobby Riley (.254) with two RBIs. Pitcher Bernini (.182), right fielder Paul Giles (.270) and left fielder Mac Stewart (.247) also drove in a run apiece. Shortstop Gil Lantz (.241), first baseman Poochie Kramer (.244) and Vinny Shepherd (.250) had RBIs for Ozarka. Starter Luther Hatch (8-9 3.83) was KO'd after five frames and picked up the loss, yielding four runs and seven hits.

The South Fork Stallions (39-38) are 7-3 in the last ten games and are in third place, 5 games off the pace. Ozarka (37-40) is now fourth in the TU East Division and seven games out.

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Tuesday, July 3, 2001

Tycobbian Union - West Division

Lynx Break Losing Streak, Whip Frogs 5-1
It takes good pitching to shut down the first place Fairfax Frogs and La Claire got it from righthander Pat Daniels today. Daniels (7-3 4.12) limited the hard-hitting Frogs to just five singles and whipped them 5-1. it was the Lynx's first win in the series and snapped Fairfax's streak at four wins. La Claire won it in the fifth with a four-run explosion to make it 5-1. Left fielder Rich Hart (.263) hit his 16th homer in the inning, a two-run shot. First baseman Dominic Valmont (.223) chipped in an RBI double and second baseman Sean Allen (.163) an RBI groundout to complete the scoring. Kaz Hayagawa (8-9 3.88) took the loss. He was ravaged for five runs and nine hits in four-plus innings.

Fairfax (51-26) took four of the five-game series and tops third place La Claire (37-40) by 14 games in the Tycobbian West. The Lynx are tied with Arlon (37-40).

Champs Fitzgerald Tops Viks 9-2
Three roundtrippers backed up Woody Fitzgerald's strong pitching performance in third place Arlon's 9-2 thrashing of second place Bayview. Left fielder Matt Merrill's (.310) walloped his 15th and 16th this year and drove in four runs and shortstop Bama Hartley (.265) slugged his 7th to plate two more runs for the Champions. Catcher Kelly Fox (.298) also added in a two-run single. Fitzgerald (4-4 3.75) breezed to the victory, striking out four, walking two and permitting nine hits. Jesus Carvajal (9-5 3.89) was touched for four runs in the first four innings for the loss.

Bayview (43-36) has won 7 of its last 10 and is 9 games behind the division leader Fairfax (51-26), while Arlon (37-40) is in the third spot in the TU West, tied with La Claire (37-40) and are 14 games out.

Hankins Homers, Bucs Nip Blue Sox 5-4
Down 4-2 going into the bottom of the seventh at Shoreline Park in Bay St. Clair, shortstop Chuck Hankins (.313) launched a three-run shot that gave the Buccaneers a 5-4 decision over the Blue Lake Blue Sox. That stroke of good fortune made a winner of Duncan McFalls (5-2 2.93), who allowed four runs and eight hits in seven innings with five strikeouts and a couple of walks. Closer Chris Van Arden (1-0 1.50) put down the Blue Sox in the eighth and ninth for his first save of the year. Van Arden joined Bay St. Claire ten days ago and has stood out in three relief appearances. The Bucs were held to just six hits, but it was sufficient. First baseman Stan Denton (.228) drove in the other two runs. Blue Lake put up ten base hits, but left 11 men on. Left fielder Greg Boone (.305) had three singles and an RBI. Second baseman Ken Bennett (.260), third baseman Timmy Smith (.312) and pitcher Clint McPherson (.100) knocked in the other three runs. McPherson (2-4 4.19) had things well-in-hand until the ill-fated seventh. That inning cost him the game. He gave up five runs and five hits in seven innings, only one run was earned.

The Blue Sox (35-41) are holding forth in fifth place in the Tycobbian Union West race, 15.5 games out of first. The Buccaneers (29-49) are still wallowing in the cellar, 22.5 games off the pace.

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times

Wednesday, July 4, 2001

No Games Today in the IPA
It's an off day in the Islandian Pro Alliance today. Everybody will be in action tomorrow.

In the league's tightest race, the Colfax Blasters, who have a 1.5-game lead over the Far Mountain Redhawks in the RU North, will travel to play the fourth place Volusia Vigilantes at the Jailhouse. Both clubs have been hot of late. The Blasters have won 10 of the 15 games against the V's this season.

Far Mountain will be at home at Sky High Stadium, where they are 29-9 so far this year. The second place Redhawks hope to make up the lost ground against the last place Elnora All-Stars. Far Mountain is 9-6 against Elnora.

In the Ruthlandian Union South Division, the top club, the Marston Nine, will head to Sugar Valley to play the third place Rattlers. Marston has a four-game edge over second place Forest City and a six-game edge over Sugar Valley. In the season series the Nine lead with 6 wins in 9 contests.

The Lumberjacks will be on the road in Claxton against the fifth place Diamonds. Claxton has been playing very well of late with 7 victories in the last 10 games. Forest City's record against them this season is 8-7.

The Ginza Ninjas lead the Tycobbian Union East Division with a four-game cushion on second place Cape Coral. The Ninjas will be entertained by the last place Hartsdale Hellcats, while the Hurricanes will have their hands full with one of the hotter clubs, the third place South Fork Stallions. The Stallions will host the series and trail the leader by five games. Ginza is 11-3 in the season series with the Hellcats, while Cape Coral has won 9 and lost 6 to South Fork.

In the West Division, the Fairfax Frogs have been a runaway leader with a nine-game lead over second place Bayview. The Frogs will be at home at the Frog Pond hosting the fifth place Blue Lake Blue Sox. Fairfax has won 8 of the 9 games so far this year. The Vikings will be away against the basement-dwelling Bay St. Clair Buccaneers at Shoreline Park. Bayview has a one-sided 11-4 record against them this year.