ISLANDIAN PRO ALLIANCE (RUTHLANDIA and TYCOBBIA BASEBALL UNIONS)

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times

Saturday, September 1, 2001

Fairfax Falters, Blue Lake and Arlon Challenge in TU West

The Fairfax Frogs had another down month, but still has a 3-game edge over the Blue Lake Blue Sox in the Tycobbian Union West race. The Frogs finished August at 15-18, while Blue Lake has a great 20-12 month. The Arlon Champions were 18-14 and have climbed up to third place, just 4 games off the pace. The Bayview Vikings slumped badly with a poor 12-18 mark and have now fallen 6 games back in fourth place. The La Claire Lynx had a good August with a 17-14 record and now trail by 7 games. Pulling up the rear is the Bay St. Clair Buccaneers, who compiled a 13-19 mark and are 13 games behind.

The Fairfax Frogs have been the dominant club in the TU West all season long and have never been seriously challenged until late in the season. The loss of power-hitting Gregg Vincent will be devastating down the stretch and into the playoffs. This will give Blue Lake and Arlon an outside chance to catch them in the run for the division title.

The Frogs have gained the top spot in the division with excellent hitting and power. Fairfax is tops in homers with 134 this season and in scoring with 684 runs. They rank second with a .281 team batting average. are tied for third in fielding with a .977 mark and rated fifth with a 4.12 team ERA.

Manager Harry Buckley has always had the bats to beat the other teams in the division, but will sorely miss Vincent and his .327 batting average, 38 homers, 108 RBIs, 86 runs, 34 doubles and 7 triples. Louie Ward and newcomer Freddy Ryan will platoon in right field. Ward is hitting .299, mainly as a backup this season. Ward has started only 35 games and has only one home run to his credit with 17 RBIs and 22 runs scored.

The Frogs still have a good offense with left fielder Gator Davis, who has 27 roundtrippers, 91 RBIs and has scored 71 times, third baseman Stan Cobb with a .307 mark, 38 doubles, 4 triples, 13 homers, 78 RBIs and has scored 74 times, and shortstop Warren Lee with a .307 average, 22 doubles, 2 triples, 12 home runs, 63 runs batted in and 74 runs scored.

A great addition to the ballclub has been second baseman Cecil Parmenter, who joined the team at mid-season and has put up a .340 average with 9 homers and 34 RBIs in 42 games. His will take over the clean-up chores from the injured Vincent. First baseman Earl Hutchinson has hit only .257, but has delivered 33 doubles, 13 triples, 7 roundtrippers, 52 RBIs and scored 69 times.

Skipper Buckley still has the best bullpen ace in the IPA, Takehide Takahashi, who has racked up a 10-6 record with 18 saves in 55 games and a brilliant 1.44 ERA. In Buckley's starting rotation Fairfax Robbie Meredith has fared well with a 14-8 record and a 3.12 ERA. Also at times Jackie Leslie and Kaz Hayagawa hav pitched excellently. Leslie is 15-11 and a 4.23 ERA and Hayagawa is 12-14 with a 3.85 ERA. These hurlers will have to carry the load the rest of the regular season and the playoffs.

Manager Cobb Tyson has brought his Blue Lake Blue Sox along well in the inaugural IPA season. They have caught fire in the last month and are now poised to make a run at Fairfax for the regular season division flag, trailing by just three games. The Blue Sox are third in the division with a 3.70 ERA. Tyson's team is led by a fine starting foursome, two of them All-Stars - Jay Clay is 15-5 with a 2.89 ERA and Bennie West is 18-10 with a 2.92 ERA. Neil Krogstad is the number three man in the rotation and is 5-6 with a 3.29 ERA and Mickey Dwyer is number four with a 6-7 record and 3.06 ERA. And backing them up is a fine fireman, Russ Courtney, who has appeared in 56 games and put up a 6-4 mark and 2.27 ERA with 19 saves on the season.

At the plate Blue Lake is fourth with a .264 team batting average, fourth in home runs with 114 and fourth in scoring with 611 runs. Second baseman Ken Bennett and center fielder Donnie Frazier are the Blue Sox best batters. Bennett sports a .290 batting average with 29 doubles, 4 triples, 24 homers, 92 RBIs and 73 runs scored, while Frazier is hitting at a .291 clip with 23 doubles, 3 triples, 19 roundtrippers, 83 runs batted in and has scored 78 times.

A fine mid-season acquistion, Doyle Osborne, has become a fixture in the outfield with a .354 average in 44 games. Osborne has 10 doubles, 3 triples, 4 homers, 25 RBIs, has scored 31 times and stolen 11 bases. Also contributing to the offense has been first baseman Fred Taranto with a .283 mark, 29 doubles, 3 triples, 17 home runs, 66 RBIs and 68 runs scored, along with third baseman Timmy Smith, who carries a .292 average with 29 doubles, 5 triples, 11 homers, has driven in 57 runs and scored 57.

Blue Lake's line-up is solid throughout. Left fielder Greg Boone has hit .279 this year, scored 78 runs and stolen 10 bases, right fielder Fred Collins is batting .282 with 8 home runs, scored 50 times and stolen 18 bases, and shortstop Cy Orgeron has a .274 batting average with 9 homers and 52 runs scored.

The Blue Sox are also tied with Bayview for the best fielding team. Both have a .979 fielding percentage. Tyson's best glovemen are first sacker Fred Taranto (.994), second baseman Ken Bennett (.980), shortstop Cy Orgeron (.981), left fielder Doyle Osborne (.986), center fielder Donnie Frazier (.991) and right fielder Fred Collins (.980).

Blue Lake is a well-balanced ballclub and looks like a worthy contender in the Tycobbian Union West pennant chase.

Mild-mannered Gary Louis is at the helm of the third place Arlon Champions, who have surged up to within 4 games of the top spot in the standings. The Champs are the top pitching team with an impressive 3.41 ERA. If Arlon could put more runs on the scoreboard, they would have a nice, comfortable lead in the TU West race. The Champions are last in the division with a .254 team batting average, but have a little bit of power. They have hit 115 home runs and rank third behind Fairfax (134) and La Claire (124). Louis' crew handles the gloves well with a .977 fielding percentage and is tied for third in that category with Fairfax.

Arlon's strong point so far has been its bullpen with the sensational Jeff Nieman, who has chalked up a 10-7 record with an outrageously low 1.28 ERA, 12 saves and has appeared in 48 ballgames. His setup man is outstanding, too. Rob Kelley has registered a 10-3 mark with 4 saves and a 3.04 ERA in 42 games.

Louis has a trio of good starters, too. The Champions are paced by Craig Smith with a 15-11 record and a 3.71 ERA, Ace Howe is 12-11 and 2.92, and completing the staff is Connie Gavagan with a 6-5 mark and a superb 1.98 ERA.

At bat, Arlon depends on center fielder Jerry Fuller, who has a .294 batting average with 31 doubles, 7 triples, 19 homers, 95 RBIs, 80 runs and 12 stolen bases. Left fielder Matt Merrill has a good stick with a .301 average, 27 doubles, 10 triples, 19 roundtrippers, 73 runs batted in , 78 runs scored and has notched 20 steals. Second baseman Karl Detwiler has been a solid performer with a .308 mark, 24 doubles, 6 triples, 11 home runs, 48 RBIs, scored 86 times and 18 stolen bases. Right fielder Andy Pettorini had done well since coming in a trade with Bay St. Clair in late June. Pettorini is batting .297 with 18 doubles, 5 triples, 4 home runs, scored 47 times and driven in 28.

Manager Louis has several standout defenders in catcher Smoke Zakharov (.993), second baseman Karl Detwiler (.971), shortstop Bama Hartley (.983), left fielder Matt Merrill (.996) and center fielder Jerry Keller (.987).

The Champions strong pitching will keep them in the running for a playoff spot.

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times

Saturday, September 1, 2001

The Bayview Vikings, managed by Walter Johanssen, played well in the first half of the season, but Fairfax played superbly, outdistanced them by a wide margin and built up a double-digit lead. In May and June Bayview was the best team in the division and they slowly cut down the Frogs lead. Since the All-Star break, the Viks have gone into a tailspin and tumbled to fourth place, 6 games out of first place. Last month they were a poor 12-18.

Bayview has a good hitting club, rated third in the TU West with a .268 team batting average. Though the Vikings are last in homers with 86, they can still score runs and are ranked second with 647 runs. Bayview is tied for first in fielding with a .979 fielding percentage and last with a 4.15 ERA.

Heading the hitters is second baseman Alan Hansen, just about the best all-around performer in the IPA. Hansen flirted with .400 much of the season and just recently dipped down to .382, still the top batting average in both leagues. Hansen has 24 doubles, 9 triples, 1 homer, 48 RBIs, 119 runs scored, 106 walks and 59 stolen bases. First baseman Doug Cunningham has been outstanding with a .279 mark, 17 doubles, no triples, 39 homers, 115 RBIs and 83 runs. Center fielder Phil Kanaan is hitting .301 with 22 doubles, 8 triples, 10 home runs, 70 RBIs and 80 runs and 17 stolen bases. Left fielder Glenn Burns is another solid performer with a .297 batting average, 30 doubles, 4 triples, 8 homers, 76 RBIs and 66 runs scored. Right fielder Dean Howell is hitting .284 with 48 RBIs, scored 50 times and stole 22 bases.

Defensively, second baseman Hansen (.986), first baseman Cunningham (.993), center fielder Phil Kanaan (.990) and right fielder Howell (.990) have excelled with the glove.

On the hill, skipper Johanssen's staff has not done the job. The Viking pitchers are last in the TU West with a 4.15 ERA. His best hurlers are in the bullpen. Buzzy Lewis has notched 18 saves, pitched in 57 games with a 5-8 record and a 3.09 ERA. Wally Tidwell has done very well since coming over in a trade with Elnora a month ago. Overall, Tidwell is 5-7 with a 3.15 ERA in 46 games and has 8 saves. However, his ERA with Bayview is 1.69 in 18 games with a pair of saves and a 2-1 record.

Bayview's best starters have come from the bullpen. Tony Vardaman and Paul Hood spent half the year in relief. Vardaman is 5-4 with a 2.72 ERA and Hood is 9-6 and a 3.44 ERA since being elevated. Two others in the rotation have been up-and-down, Jerry Harrison and Fred Wells. Harrison is 13-10 and a 3.84 ERA and Wells is 12-10 and a 3.76 ERA.

Rip Calkin handles the La Claire Lynx and has piloted them to a fifth place finish so far. Calkin has good pitching with a 3.61 team ERA, rated second to Arlon's 3.41 ERA, good power with 124 roundtrippers, ranking second in the division, but is fifth in hitting at .259 and in scoring with 583 runs. The Lynx are also down near the bottom in fielding with a .974 percentage. La Claire is 7 games out and would be in the thick of things except for two poor months, May (12-21) and July (14-19).

George Gentry didn't join the squad until late June, but has become the ace of the mound corps with an 8-3 record and a 2.79 ERA. Power pitcher Tony Nygaard has fanned 224 batters in only 210 innings and has compiled an 11-8 mark with a 3.50 ERA. Pat Daniels has also pitched well at times with a 12-10 record and a 3.62 ERA. Calkin's main reliever has been Munoto Kishata, who has registered 15 saves, appeared in 48 games and compiled a 3.33 ERA.

La Claire's line-up has five batters in double digits in home runs. One of them was obtained in a great trade with July with Cape Coral. Center fielder Antonio has turned into one of the division top hitters with a .335 average. Guerrero has 18 doubles, 2 triples, 11 home runs, driven in 39 runs and scored 36 times. Left fielder Rich Hart has been Calkin's main run producer with 104 RBIs. Hart is batting .267 with 17 doubles, 5 triples, 28 homers and scored 74 runs. Center fielder Lucky Collins has been steady all year with a .318 batting average, 29 doubles, 4 triples, 6 home runs, 37 RBIs, 79 runs and 40 stolen bases. Collins has been quite good in the field, too, with a .991 fielding percentage. Shortstop Dirk Lindahl has .277 mark this season with 17 doubles, 4 triples, 12 roundtrippers, 53 RBIs and scored 79 times. Third baseman Luiz Marquez and second baseman Darrell Boyce also hit with power. Marquez has 16 home runs, is hitting .282 with 60 RBIs and Boyce has totaled 19 homers and batted in 67 runs, but is only hitting .236 for the season.

The Bay St. Claire Buccaneers have wallowed in the cellar much of the year, but manager Guy Rondre's crew can hit the ball. The Bucs lead the Tycobbian Union West with a .283 mark, but perform dismally in the pitching department and are rated fourth with a 4.10 ERA. They don't have much power and are ranked fifth with 93 home runs. In scoring, Bay St. Claire has piled up 653 runs, good for third in the division. The Bucs are the worst defensive club in the IPA with a very poor .972 fielding percentage.

Rondre can start six .300 hitters: second baseman Tony Mann (.329 BA, 21 D, 11 HR, 63 RBI, 84 R, 20 SB), third baseman Ed Albrecht (.318 BA, 10 D, 4 HR, 27 RBI, 24 R, 61 G), catcher Jake Singleton (.311 BA, 20 D, 2 HR, 43 RBI, 56 R), shortstop Chuck Hankins (.309 BA, 15 HR, 55 RBI, 73 R, 29 SB), center fielder Wayne Latham (.301 BA, 6 D, 5 T, 4 HR, 36 RBI, 29 R, 7 SB, 51 G) and left fielder Charley Moon (.301 BA, 33 D, 9 T, 14 HR, 66 RBI, 84 R, 15 SB). Add in first sacker George Lyons (.255 BA, 17 D, 23 HR, 71 RBI, 68 R) and right fielder Jose Valenzuela (.280 BA, 24 D, 4 T, 10 HR, 52 RBI, 66 R) and you have a fairly potent attack.

On the mound Bay St. Claire has only two solid twirlers in starter Norm Gross and closer Chris Van Arden. Gross has recorded a 15-10 mark and a 3.41 ERA and Van Arden is 6-3 in 28 games with a 3.08 ERA and 10 saves since joining the Buccaneers in late June. Adam Lundgren, who spent half the season in middle relief, has been a pleasant surprise with a 7-6 mark with a 3.14 ERA.

Pitchers obtained in trades have not panned out thus far. Duncan McFalls (9-6 3.54), Kenny Metcalf (7-5 4.15), Hal Meissner (4-2 5.27) and Jeremiah McDonald (3-7 4.18), so far have been disappointments.

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times

Saturday, September 1, 2001

RU, TU Announce Monthly Award Winners

Chuck Hill, Forest City's left fielder, won the Ruthlandian Union Batter of the Month Award for August! To take the honor he put up some good numbers including a .357 average, 9 home runs and 28 RBIs. The SION Baseball Writers Association will present his trophy at the next home game for the Lumberjacks. Hill is presently hitting at a .328 pace with 33 home runs and 110 RBIs. He has played in 128 games and scored 99 times.

Antonio Guerrero of the La Claire Lynx recorded a .358 batting average in August. His hitting spree racked up the Tycobbian Union Batter of the Month award for his trophy case. The La Claire right fielder battered opposing pitchers all month, accumulating 10 home runs, 31 RBIs and scoring 25 runs. Guerrero is batting .335 in 2001 with 11 home runs, 39 RBIs and 36 runs scored. He has 71 hits in 212 at-bats.

Bud Ford hated to see August turn to September. And who could blame him? The 29-year-old hurler piled up 6 wins and no losses for the Redhawks last month and won the Ruthlandian Union Pitcher of the Month award for his efforts. Ford stymied opposing batters on 50 base hits and a .214 batting average. He rang up 40 strikeouts in 63.2 innings of work, surrendered 10 walks and fashioned a sparkling 2.40 ERA. To date Ford is 6-1 in 10 starts with a 2.84 ERA and has 57 strikeouts in 79.1 innings.

Sid Hyder of Ozarka had an excellent August with a 6-0 record and was selected the Pitcher of the Month in the Tycobbian Union. He finished the month with a 1.56 ERA, while piling up 60 strikeouts in 69.1 innings and holding opposing hitters to a .210 batting average. This season Hyder has worked 123.1 innings with 108 strikeouts en route to a 10-3 record and a 2.55 ERA.

Flipper Bird's eyes seem to light up whenever he sees the baseball. The young Sugar Valley shortstop has been hitting everything in sight for the better part of a month. In August he was voted the Rookie of the Month Award. During the month he hit .324 with 8 doubles, 3 triples and 8 home runs. Bird also scored 31 times and drove in 15 runs. During the 2001 season Bird has hit .299 with 19 home runs and 55 RBIs. He has played in 131 games and scored 98 times.

18-year-old Sid Hyder is deceptively poised for such a young man. In 9 starts he bagged 6 wins in August and took home the Tycobbian Union Rookie of the Month Award. The Ozarka hurler logged a 6-0 record, 60 strikeouts in 69.1 innings, held opponents to a .210 average and compiled an ERA of 1.56. In 16 starts this season Hyder has recorded a 10-3 record and a 2.55 ERA.

[Eugene Church]

NOTE TO VIEWERS:
I am returning to write-ups for each game. I just don't get immersed in simming games with no write-ups. It takes longer to play a league, but it is more enjoyable for me. The write-ups will be briefer and contain only the bare basics.

Islandian Pro Alliance

Sunday, September 2, 2001

Ruthlandian Union - North Division

Redhawks Edge Vigilantes 3-2
In game one of a doubleheader, Volusia collapsed in the field and committed five errors, costing the Vipers a 3-2 setback at the hands of the first place Far Mountain Redhawks. John Luzzatti (17-8 3.32) hauled in the win with eight strong innings, allowing only two runs on five hits with six strikeouts and a walk. Mike McCabe (6-4 2.30) closed it out for him for his 9th save with a perfect ninth inning. Tommy Betanzos (2-1 1.88) went the route and gave up no earned runs and six hits. Catcher Jojo Nunez tied the IPA mark for most errors in a game with three.

V's Divide with Redhawks, Collins Wins Game Two
Volusia and first place Far Mountain divided the twinbill as the Vigilantes took game two 6-1 behind the strong pitching of Lenny Collins. He pitched a six-hitter to run his record to 14-10. Collins has a 4.03 ERA, fanned eight batters and issued two walks. The loser was Bud Ford (6-2 2.99), who lost for only the second time. Ford gave up six runs in eight innings. Center fielder Alex Luna (.276) drove in two runs to pace Volusia, while left fielder Winky Rush (.291) and right fielder Jesus Arroyo (.296) each batted in a run.

Far Mountain (78-61) is the top team in the RU North Division and leads the third place Volusia Vigilantes (70-69) by 8 games.

Colfax Nips Valmara on Bartz's HR in 15th
At Mountain View Stadium in Colfax in the first game of the doubleheader, pinchhitter Cy Bartz went deep in the top of the 15th to nip Valmara 4-3. Jasper LaForge (1-1 1.29) got credit for his first career win by getting the final two outs. Gerry Wojcik (6-4 4.50) was tagged with the defeat. He worked five innings and gave up only one run. First baseman Dennis Cole (.328) also homered for the Blasters. It was his 37th of the year.

Vipers Nip Blasters in Game Two 5-4 for Split
Game two of the twinbill went to Valmara. The Vipers and Colfax Blasters traded one-run games. Valmara won the nightcap 5-4 to gain the split. The Vipers ran up a 5-1 lead early and held on for the win. The victory went to starter Todd Turner (15-9 3.98), who tossed seven innings, allowed ten hits and three runs. Eli Keeton (3-1 3.34) was credited with his third save. He got the last two outs of the game. Colfax starter and loser Harry Manning (13-15 4.17) had a rocky outing and allowed five runs in three-plus innings. The Blasters had the advantage in hits over the Vipers 11 to 10. Only one homer in the ballgame and that was by Colfax right fielder Blinky Brandon (.316).

Second place Valmara (73-67) is 5.5 games back of first place Far Mountain (78-61) in the Ruthlandian Union North pennant chase, while the Colfax Blasters (69-71) are in the fourth spot and trail by 9.5 games.

A's Smash All-Stars in Opener 9-2
Glasco smashed Elnora 9-2 in the opening game of a doubleheader at Athletics Field. The A's cracked two homers and 12 hits to back up the solid pitching of Charles Darby, who captured his 17th win of the season. Darby (17-15 3.68) went the distance and stopped the All-Stars on six hits, fanned two and walked three. It was his 14th complete game. First baseman Maury Smith (.361) and right fielder Claude Delancey (.235) each hit home runs. It was number 14 for Smith and Delancey's first. Pat Savoie (11-8 3.83) garnered the loss, departing after only three innings and allowing five runs.

Elnora Outpowers Glasco 8-5, Divide Doubleheader
The Elnora All-Stars came back in the second game to outpower the Glasco Athletics 8-5 and divide the doubleheader. Right fielder Paul Giles (.284) and first baseman Paul Kesler (.236) both hammered three-run homers to sink the A's. Elnora also outhit Glasco 12 to 10. Leading the All-Stars at the plate were catcher Nick O'Neill with a three-run smash and second baseman Barry McCord (.298) with a two-run shot. Starter Carl Costas (14-13 3.48) was hit hard, but got the win. He went eight innings and gave up five runs. Taylor Gibbs (3-1 5.54) got his fourth save with a scoreless ninth inning. The defeat went to A's starter Jake Nyberg (2-3 4.19), who exited after five innings trailing 6-0.

Glasco (68-72) is fifth in the standings, 10.5 games out of first. Elnora (61-79) is last and way back at 17.5 games.

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Sunday, September 2, 2001

Ruthlandian Union - South Division

Diamonds Melton Hurls Gem, Blanks Marston 4-0
In the opening game of the doubleheader at Avalon Stadium in Claxton, the Diamonds Sammy Melton sat down the first place Marston Nine 4-0 on a five-hitter. Melton (7-6 2.94) fanned four and issued no walks in the game for his first career shutout. Catcher Howie Peterson and shortstop Bobby Ritter had three hits apiece with Ritter driving in two runs. Claxton beat 20-game winner Nick Pace (20-12 2.82), who gave up all four runs in his five innings.

Marston Splits with Claxton, Win Nightcap 2-1
Marston salvaged a split of the doubleheader by taking the nightcap from Claxton. Casey Ledbetter (15-12 3.68) stymied the Diamonds in the 2-1 triumph. He hurled eight innings and allowed seven hits. Walt Sellers (5-6 3.02) picked up his 16th save with a scoreless ninth. Left fielder Ronnie Horn's (.294) two-run homer in the eighth gave the Nine the victory over Johnny Szwak (14-10 4.16). In a fine outing, Szwak went the distance, struck out eight, gave up only five hits and walked three.

The Marston Nine (81-59) continues to have a comfortable lead in the Ruthlandian Union South race with a 7-game edge over second place Sugar Valley (74-66). Marston is 18 games in front of the last place Diamonds (63-77).

Sunbirds Bomb Sugar Valley in Extra Innings
The Belair Beach Sunbirds busted up a 4-4 tie with a five-run eleventh to wallop Sugar Valley 9-5 at Farmers Memorial Park in the first game of a twinbill. Second baseman Rick Sullivan led the way with a two-run triple. Sandy Kozicz (2-1 3.80) held the Rattlers scoreless in the ninth and tenth for the win, while Gregg Neal (10-6 2.49) suffered the loss. Sugar Valley left fielder Bruno DiPirro (.318) had the only roundtripper, his 4th this season. The Birds outhit the Rattlers 15 to 13.

Rattlers Rebound in 2nd Game, Beat Sunbirds 7-3
The Sugar Valley Rattlers rebounded in the second game to split the twinbill with the fifth place Belair Beach Sunbirds. The leading pitcher in the IPA, Ron Benson, notched his 23rd victory. Benson (23-10 2.74) beat the Sunbirds 7-3 in the nightcap. He worked into the eighth inning, surrendering two runs and seven hits, while striking out nine and giving up five bases on balls. Gregg Neal (10-6 2.48) and Hec Skurgan (0-2 5.31) saved it for him. The save went to Skurgan, his first this season. Sparking the Rattlers at the plate were first baseman Ron Armstrong (.328), who hit two homers and drove in two runs, and second baseman Rudi Oliver (.350), who had three hits and three RBIs, including his 16th roundtripper. Armstrong now has hit 11 for the season. Ken Frey (11-13 4.51) was charged with the loss as he gave up four runs in three innings. Both clubs had 8 hits each in the game.

With the split, Sugar Valley (74-66) moved ahead of Forest City into second place in the Ruthlandian Union South race. The Lumberjacks lost a doubleheader today and fell a half-game back in third place. The Rattlers are 7 games in back of first place Marston (81-59).

Westerners Slip Past Lumberjacks 3-2 on Error
In the opening game of a twinbill, an error by third baseman Jesse Pearson sent the Forest City Lumberjacks down to a 3-2 defeat at the hands of Waleska in a 12-inning battle. Andrei Marsiske (5-5 3.56) blanked the 'Jacks over the last four frames for the win, while Timmy Brooks (4-6 2.05) sustained the loss. Brooks only surrendered one unearned run in his three and two-thirds innings. There were two homers in the game. Left fielder Chuck Hill (.335) rapped his 34th of the season for Forest City and catcher Jody Hill nailed number 5 for the Westerners.

Westerners Win Nightcap, Sweep Lumberjacks
The fourth place Waleska Westerners swept the doubleheader from the Forest City Lumberjacks, pounding them 9-2 in the second game. The Westerners hit six doubles among their dozen hits to rout the 'Jacks. Waleska was led by first baseman Freddie Shelton (.296) with a 2-RBI double and pinchhitter Eric Eichhorn (.248), who plated three runs with a double. The winning pitcher was Devon Turner (1-3 3.33), who corraled his first-ever win in the IPA. Turner fanned 10 in an outstanding performance, yielding only one hit and no runs in eight innings, while walking four. Overall Forest City got only four hits in the game. Reliever Rusty Kraft (9-15 4.32) gave up three hits and two runs in the ninth. Knucks Nomellini (6-1 2.95) took his first loss this year, giving up all nine runs and 12 hits, while pitching the whole game.

The double defeat dropped Forest City (73-66) down to third place, a half-game behind second place Sugar Valley, and 7.5 games behind the top team, the Marston Nine (81-59). Waleska (64-75) is in the fourth spot in the RU South Division and 16.5 games off the pace.

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times

Monday, September 3, 2001

Close Race for Wild Cards in RU
Heading down the home stretch in the Ruthlandian Union, the division winners appear set with Far Mountain (78-61) in the North Division and Marston (81-59) in the South Division. It is unlikely that either will be overtaken. The Redhawks are 5.5 games ahead of Valmara and the Nine is 7 games up on Sugar Valley. Far Mountain has 11 games left on the schedule, while Marston has 10 to play. The Rattlers magic number is six, while the Nine is down to just four.

Right now Sugar Valley (74-66) and Forest City (73-66) are in the lead for the two wild cards playoff slots for the Final Four Series. But close behind are the Valmara Vipers (73-67), just a game behind the Rattlers and a half-game behind the Lumberjacks. Volusia (70-69) is still in the running, but has a lot of ground to make up in a short time with only 11 games left in the regular season for them.

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times

Monday, September 3, 2001

Far Mountain's Davis and Cape Coral's Wooten IPA Players of the Week

The Ruthlandian Union has selected Dave Davis of the Far Mountain Redhawks as Player of the Week. He hit .500 (12-24) this past week collecting 9 RBIs, scored 5 runs and 1 home run. Batting .352 to date, Davis has 8 home runs and 76 RBIs.

Rodger Wooten, the 26-year-old Cape Coral first baseman, put up some exceptional numbers the past seven days collecting the Tycobbian Union Player of the Week Award. He racked up 14 hits in 30 at-bats, 2 home runs and 7 RBIs last week in 8 games. In 134 games this season Wooten has batted at a .303 pace with 162 hits and 27 home runs.

[edog23]

Eugene, it's been awhile since I was able to pop in here and let you I'm really enjoying this thread. Also, its nice to read that the Blue Sox are making a run for the playoffs after that slow start. Good stuff, I like it.

Erik

[Eugene Church]

Originally Posted by edog23

Eugene, it's been awhile since I was able to pop in here and let you I'm really enjoying this thread. Also, its nice to read that the Blue Sox are making a run for the playoffs after that slow start. Good stuff, I like it.

Erik

Thanks for commenting. Always appreciate hearing from you.

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Sunday, September 2, 2001

Tycobbian Union - East Division

Ginza Blows Lead, Falls 5-4 to Luxora
In the first game of a twinbill, the first place Ginza Ninjas blew a 4-0 lead and fell to Luxora 5-4 at De la Vega Stadium. Ginza tough righthander Toshiharu Ito (16-7 2.62) blanked the Zorros for seven innings, but fell apart in the final two frames. Z's first baseman Paul Hallenbeck (.304) cut the lead to 4-2 with a two-run double in the eighth and center fielder Tommy Fortunato (.271) tied it with a two-run single in the bottom of the ninth. Right fielder Lacey Tompkins (.295) won it with an RBI double off losing pitcher Ken Watkins (4-7 2.43). Reliever Eddie Hoffman (2-3 2.95) pitched two scoreless innings for the win. Left fielder Takashi Fujimoto (.291) led the Ninjas with 3-4, including his 23rd home run.

Ninjas Matsumoto Stops Zorros 4-2 for 19th Win
Ginza's ace came through for them when they needed it. Kojiro Matsumoto rose to the occasion and stopped Luxora 4-2 to gain a split in the doubleheader. A loss would have dropped the Ninjas to second place behind South Fork in the TU East. Matsumoto (19-10 2.92) worked a strong eight innings, allowed two runs on seven hits and struck out five. Emil Kreskas (1-0 1.83) logged his third save with a perfect ninth. Second baseman Scoop McDonald (.241) hit three doubles in the game and drove in a pair of runs for the victors.

McDonald tied the IPA mark for most doubles in a game. He now shares the record with five other players: Donnie McCoy and Marty McCluskey, both of Claxton, Scooter Perez of Volusia, Jerry Keller of Arlon and Chris Deangelo of Marston.

The victory enabled Ginza (78-62) to hold onto the top spot in the division by a half-game over South Fork (77-62). Luxora (65-75) is fifth in the standings and is 13 games out.

Stallions Eke by Hellcats on Holliday's Homer
Third baseman Glenn Holiday's three-run homer in the first inning helped South Ford eke out a 3-2 victory over the Hartsdale Hellcats in game one of the doubleheader at Pioneer Park. It was number 31 on the year for Holliday (.285). Starting pitcher Flint Battle (19-10 2.62) notched his 19th victory by allowing only four hits and two runs in eight innings. Glenn Turnbull (7-5 2.77) came in and finished off the Hellcats in order in the ninth, fanning two of them. Loser Mitch Yassen (8-5 3.46) pitched well, gave up only five hits while going the distance. He struck out five in the game and walked one. Center fielder Greg Reynolds (.263) and right fielder Dan Rogers (.297) batted in runs for the Champs.

South Fork Sweeps Hellcats
Part two of the doubleheader at Pioneer Park in Hartsdale was no contest. The second place South Fork Stallions belted out 19 hits to shellack the Hellcats 13-1 and sweep both games. Catcher Darryl Burnett (.274) homered and drove in four runs for the Stallions, while Glenn Holliday (.287) hit his 32nd roundtripper, drove in three runs and scored four times. Right fielder Art Atkins (.315) swatted four hits and scored three runs. Ken Conner (14-8 2.83) pitched a four-hitter for his 14th win, while Jackie Bond (6-4 3.56) caught the loss. Bond was shelled for seven runs in less than three innings. Third baseman Whiz Weaver (.280) hit his 25th homer for the Hellcats only run.

South Fork (77-62) shaved a game off Ginza's (78-62) lead in the TU East standings. Hartsdale (64-75) fell deeper into the basement, 13.5 games behind.

Nats Hatch Tosses 4-Hit Shutout Over 'Canes
In the opener of the twinbill at Seaside Stadium in Cape Coral, Luther Hatch of Ozarka tossed a 4-0 shutout over the Hurricanes. Hatch 14-15 3.20) held them 4 hits, fanned two and walked two. Jeff Salow (7-6 3.60) took the loss, striking out 11 batters in six and one-third innings. Salow was tagged for four runs and seven hits. First baseman Floyd Snow (.247) had two hits and drove in two runs for the winners. Roger Wooten (.301) has three of the four hits for Cape Coral.

Clark's Grand Slam Wins Nightcap for 'Canes
Catcher Rick Clark's (.274) grand slam in the seventh inning enabled Cape Coral to divide the doubleheader with the Ozarka Naturals. His blast put the Hurricanes ahead to stay in the 7-3 triumph. Wally Robinson (17-10 3.08) captured his 17th victory, surrendering three runs on six hits in eight innings. Joey Martin (0-3 3.33) finished up for him with a 1-2-3 ninth. Tony Didriksen (12-15 3.85) absorbed the loss, going the distance. He allowed seven runs and 11 hits in a poor performance.

Cape Coral (68-72) remained a game in front of Ozarka (67-73) in the race for third place in the Tycobbian Union East. The Hurricanes are 10 games in back of the first place Ginza Ninjas (78-62). The Naturals are fourth and 11 games behind.

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Sunday, September 2, 2001

Tycobbian Union - East Division

Fairfax Blanks Arlon 7-0 in Opener
In the first game of the doubleheader at the Frog Pond, Fairfax blanked Arlon 7-0. Kaz Hayagawa (13-14 3.70) and Jimmy Dalton (8-8 4.88) combined on a six-hit shutout with Hayagawa going eight innings with nine Ks and one walk and Dalton closing it out in the ninth. Offensively Frog center fielder Billy Echevarria (.273), second baseman Cecil Parmenter (.335) and Gator Davis (.277) all had two RBIs. Ace Howe (12-12 3.02) sustained the loss, giving up four runs in four innings.

Frogs Shut Out Champs Twice in Sweep
The first place Fairfax Frogs shut out the Arlon Champions in both ends of the twinbill today at the Frog Pond. In the nightcap Jackie Leslie (16-11 4.08) registered his first shutout of the year. Leslie stopped Arlon 2-0 on just four hits, whiffed nine and walked two in a superlative performance. Left fielder Gator Brown supplied all of the runs with his 28th roundtripper this season. Burnell Bradford (1-3 3.42) tossed a solid game, yielding eight hits with seven strikeouts and two bases on balls.

Fairfax is on top of the Tycobbian Union West and leads third place Arlon (71-69) by 5 games.

Bucs Rally Late to Beat Blue Lake in Opener 8-6
In the opening game of the twinbill at Shoreline Park in Bay St. Clair, the last place Buccaneers rallied in the late innings to overtake second place Blue Lake 8-6. First baseman George Lyons (.263) led the hit parade with two home runs and four RBIs. Lyons blasted a three-run shot to decide the game in the last of the seventh, putting Bay St. Clair ahead 7-6. He has 26 homers so far. Right fielder Jose Valenzuela (.281) collected his 11th this year and batted in a pair of runs. Duncan McFalls (10-6 3.52) was the winner. He allowed one run and three hits in two-plus innings of relief. The Blue Sox belted three home runs with right fielder Fred Collins (.282) connecting for number 10, center fielder Donnie Frazier (.289) got his 20th and first baseman Fred Taranto (.288) jolted his 19th. Neil Krogstad (5-7 3.51) was nailed with the defeat after giving up seven runs and 13 hits in seven innings.

Blue Sox Divide Doubleheader, Win Nightcap in 10
Blue Lake and Bay St. Clair divided a doubleheader today with the Blue Sox winning the nightcap 7-5 in 10 innings. Shortstop Cy Orgeron's (.277) two-run single in the top of the tenth proved to be the game-winner. Blue Lake had 14 hits and was led by homers by first baseman Fred Taranto (.291) and second baseman Jeff Richey (.214). Bay St. Clair numbered 13 hits and was paced by first sacker George Lyons (.265), who got his 27th roundtripper this season. Happy McManus (4-1 2.11), the second of three pitchers, got credit for the victory. He worked an inning and a third and gave up no runs. Paddy O'Rourke (0-0 1.69) closed out the game with a scoreless ninth for his first career save. Duncan McFalls (10-7 3.48) lost the second game after getting the win in the opener. He was slammed for four hits and two runs in less than two innings.

Lynx Edge Viks on Marquez Homer 5-4
In the only single game of the day in the IPA, clutch hitting by Luis Marquez sparked La Claire to a comeback 5-4 win over the Bayview Vikings, who blew a 4-0 lead. The Lynx scored all of their runs after the sixth inning. Marquez (.284) won the game with a two-run shot in the last of the eighth. It was his 17th home run this season and was off losing pitcher Jerry Harrison (13-11 3.89), who had blanked La Claire for the first five innings. Marquez also doubled in a run in the sixth and had three RBIs in the game. First baseman Dwayne Coleman (.282) had a two-run double to pace Bayview, along with Shorty Richards (.250), who hit his 10th roundtripper. Reliever Henny Cossaboom (1-0 3.75) claimed his first IPA win with three scoreless frames. The save went to Munoto Kishata (7-9 3.28), who closed it out in the ninth. He retired the side in order and picked up his 16th save. Harrison gave up five runs in seven innings.

The Vikings (69-70) are now in fourth place in the TU West standings, 6.5 games off the pace. La Claire (68-71) is fifth and 7.5 games out of first.

The second place Blue Sox (73-67) dipped 3 games back of the first place Fairfax Frogs (76-64), who swept two games today. Bay St. Clair (62-78) are now 14 games out and in the division cellar.

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Monday, September 3, 2001

Ruthlandian Union - North Division

V's Sneak Past Redhawks 6-5
In the only game in the RU North today Volusia used three homers to sneak past Far Mountain 6-5 at Sky High Stadium. Left fielder Winky Rush (.292) and catcher Jojo Nunez (.268) had two-run homers in the first inning to put the Vigilantes up 4-0. Second baseman Francisco Abreu (.277) tagged a solo shot in the fifth to make it 5-4. Raul Sandoval (16-15) was the winner with help from closer Ricky Moreno. Sandoval went eight innings, yielded five runs and eight hits, but only three of the runs were earned. Moreno (4-5 2.14) fanned three in the last of the ninth to seal the victory, but did give up a double to Steve Kaminski (.295). However, that was as far as Kaminski got as Moreno struck out the dangerous Johnny Strickland (.284) for the final out of the game. This was Moreno's IPA-leading 23rd save. Rush led the V's with three RBIs. Hummer Romig (1-3 4.50) was dealt the defeat, giving up two runs in five innings of relief.

Volusia (71-69) is in the third spot in the RU South and trail first place Far Mountain (78-62) by 7 games.

Ruthlandian Union - South Division

Lumberjacks Nip Westerners 4-3
Only one game was scheduled today in the RU South. At Westerner Field in Waleska, the visiting Forest City Lumberjacks nipped the Westerners 4-3 with two runs in the top of the ninth. First baseman J. T. Edmonds (.295) made it 3-2 with a single, then catcher Gerry Tucker (.210) drove in the eventual-winning score with a sacrifice fly. Waleska came back to score a run in the ninth to make it close. Brian Charles (8-8 3.68) notched the win in relief. He went three and two-thirds innings and gave up just one run. Herm Bahr (15-7 3.43) started for Forest City, went five and a third innings, yielded five hits and two runs with six strikeouts, but he walked six. Jack Wagner (10-8 3.88) fanned 10 in eight-plus innings, but lost it. He gave up four runs, only two earned, on five hits.

The Lumberjacks (74-66) are tied for second place in the RU North Division with the Sugar Valley Rattlers (74-66), 7 games in back of the top club, the Marston Nine (81-59). Waleska (64-76) is fifth and 17 games behind in the standings.

Tycobbian Union - East Division

SF Moves into 1st Place Tie with Ginza
Only two clubs were scheduled today. The South Fork Stallions moved into a first place tie with idle Ginza in the Tycobbian East Division with an 8-2 decision over last place Hartsdale at Pioneer Park. It was South Fork's third win in a row over the Hellcats. Their talented lefty Vince Bernini (11-6 2.57) went the route, held Hartsdale to two runs and eight hits, while striking out five and walking only one. Bernini has won five of his last six games. The Stallions ripped three homers and were sparked by right fielder Art Atkins (.317) with three RBIs and third baseman Glenn Holliday with two runs batted in. Holliday slammed his 33rd home run, while Atkins picked up his 13th and shortstop Bobby Riley (.252) got his 8th of the season. Tal Vaikus (6-5 3.45) suffered the defeat, allowing six runs in four-plus innings. First baseman Mac Faulkner (.339) accounted for all of the Hellcats runs with a two-run roundtripper, his 6th of the year.

South Fork announced that left fielder Gene Woodruff has the flu and will be out for one to two weeks. They signed Lyle Lindsay to fill his place in the line-up. Woodruff is hitting .283 with 8 homers and 44 RBIs in 81 games this season.

South Fork (78-62) and Ginza (78-62) have identical records and are the co-leaders in the TU East. Hartsdale (64-76) is in the cellar and 14 games out.

Bayview's Vardaman Tops La Claire 8-4
Bayview's 23-year-old portsider Tony Vardaman (6-4 2.83) wasn't his sharpest, but he was good enough to top the La Claire Lynx 8-4 in the only game played today in the TU West. Vardaman was touched for four runs and ten hits, but he still delivered a victory. The Vikings backed him up with 12 hits and three homers, headed by first baseman Dwayne Coleman (.282) with four RBIs. Coleman hit his 41st of the year to tie him with Belair Beach's Nicky Swift for the IPA lead. Coleman is third with 122 RBIs. Vardaman (.231) and battery mate (.294) also went deep for Bayview. Leading the Lynx was right fielder Antonio Guerrero (.335) with three hits and two RBIs, including his 12th roundtripper. Taking the loss was George Gentry (8-4 3.03). He was roughed up for six runs in eight innings and all three homers.

Fourth place Bayview (70-70) put a little daylight between them and fifth place La Claire (68-72) and upped their lead to two games. The Vikings are 7.5 games behind first place Fairfax (76-64) in the Tycobbian Union West race and the Lynx are 8 games off the pace.

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Tuesday, September 4, 2001

Ruthlandian Union - North Division

Vipers Yosarian Stops Redhawks on 3-Hitter
Second place Valmara got a splendid effort from Jerry Yosarian to whip first place Far Mountain 3-1 at War Memorial Stadium, dealing them their third consecutive defeat. Yosarian (3-2 1.43) just joined the team two weeks ago and has done an outstanding job so far. He limited the Redhawks to just three hits, fanned 12 and walked five for his third win. Yosarian outhurled Sonny Elliott (16-13 3.01), who allowed six hits and three runs. Viper catcher Jerry Burkhardt (.244) drove in two runs and center fielder Jan Szymanski (.262) got the other RBI. Catcher Dave Davis (.353) supplied the only Redhawk run with his 9th homer of the season.

Valmara (74-67) cut Far Mountain's (78-63) lead in the Ruthlandian Union North Division to 4 games.

V's Squeeze By A's 3-2 in 13 Innings
At the Jailhouse in Volusia, the Vigilantes pitchers really shined on the mound. They stopped Glasco 3-2 on 7 hits in a 13-inning thriller for their third win in a row. Center fielder Alex Luna (.277) was the hitting hero. He and Jojo Nunez (.267) hit back-to-back two-baggers to tie the score in the bottom of the ninth to send it into extra innings. In the 13th Luna doubled again and scored the winning run on third baseman Bennie Anderson's (.249) single. Brian King (4-7 2.64) started and held Glasco to two hits and a run in seven innings, Ricky Moreno (4-5 2.07) retired all six batters he faced in the eighth and ninth, then Hank Massey (5-8 4.45) went the rest of the way for the win. Massey gave up only one run in his four innings. Starter Jerry Smith worked nine innings and surrendered only one run before going out for a pinchhitter. Reece Kilham (1-4 3.91) went down to defeat as he allowed two runs in three and two-thirds innings. Anderson and Scooter Perez (.375) each had three hits to pace the Vigilantes, while first baseman Maury Smith (.360) and second sacker Barry McCoy (.298) had two hits a piece for the Athletics.

Third place Volusia (72-69) trails the top team, the Far Mountain Redhawks (78-63), by 6 games. Glasco (68-73) is fifth and 10 games off the pace.

Elnora's Kerr Tames Colfax on 2 Hits
At Mountain View Stadium in Colfax, Elnora's Kenny Kerr (2-3 1.53) tamed the hometown Blasters 7-1 on just two hits. The 19-year-old lefty went all the way, fanned nine and walked four in a very impressive game. The All-Stars broke out the bats, too. They piled up 14 hits and were led by first baseman Paul Kesler (.249), who banged out four hits, drove in two and scored two. Kesler had two doubles and a home run in the contest. Right fielder Paul Giles (.283) and catcher Tommy Harrell (.260) also chipped in two RBIs apiece. Jim Dreyer (9-5 4.04) suffered the loss by giving up four runs in three innings. Shortstop Wayne O'Reilly (.247) and catcher Bill Urbanek (.216) both singled for the only hits in the game for Colfax.

Fourth place Colfax (70-72) is 9 games behind first place Far Mountain (78-63), the last place All-Stars are sitting in the basement, 17 games out.

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Tuesday, September 4, 2001

Ruthlandian Union - South Division

Waleska Bombs Marston 9-5
Waleska went wild in the 7-run fifth to bomb first place Marston 9-5 at Legends Field. The Westerners unloaded 12 hits and three homers to pound out an easy triumph. Right fielder Charley Williamson (.316) hit a two-run blast in the fourth and first baseman Freddie Shelton (.295) and center fielder Rick Vaughn (.300) rapped three-run homers in the fifth inning. On the mound Smokey Joe Carter (17-13) got credit for the win, going eight innings and surrendering five runs and eight hits, but only three were earned. Lenny Milazzo (0-1 3.97) staggered through the last inning by loading the bases, but got out of it unscathed. Nine first baseman Chuck Barrett's (.268) 10th home run gave Marston a short-lived 4-2 lead in the fourth. After that, it was all downhill for the Nine.

First place Marston (81-60) is 16 games ahead of the fourth place Westerners (65-76).

Wolf's 3-Run HR Lifts 'Jacks Over Rattlers 4-1
At Riverside Stadium in Forest City, the Lumberjacks rode the right arm of Glenn Moore and the big bat of Jesse Wolf to a 4-1 triumph over the Sugar Valley Rattlers. Moore went the distance, gave up only five hits, fanned four and walked two. Only Tommy Sonnier's (.262) 17th homer spoiled his shutout. All of Forest City's runs came via the longball. First baseman J. T. Edmonds (.296) hit number 18 in the fifth to put the Lumberjacks up 1-0. Wolf (.288) powered a three-run homer in the sixth to seal the victory. It was his 32nd of the season. Loser Stan Lamoreaux (12-9 4.64) also pitched a complete game, yielding five hits, while striking out six and issuing two bases on balls.

Forest City (75-66) is the number two club in the RU South and Sugar Valley (74-67) is third. The Lumberjacks are 6 games in back of the top team, the Marston Nine (81-60). The Rattlers are 7 games behind in the race.

Claxton's Garland Outduels Sunbirds Thompson 1-0
In a wonderful performance Claxton's 19-year-old righthander Ernie Garland outdueled Belair Beach's 30-year-old southpaw Carl Thompson 1-0. Both pitchers allowed five hits each. The only difference was a first-inning run. Third baseman Keith Olsen (.306) singled in second baseman Donny McCoy (.326) for the game's only score. Garland (2-2 2.70) fanned seven and walked only two, while Thompson (15-15 3.03) whiffed five and issued three bases on balls.

The victory moved the Diamonds (64-77) into a tie for fifth place with the Sunbirds in the RU South standings. The two clubs are 17 games out of first place.

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Tuesday, September 4, 2001

Tycobbian Union - East Division

Z's Callahan Blanks Stallions 6-0
The fifth place Luxora Zorros blanked the division co-leader, the South Fork Stallions, 6-0 on Keith Callahan's superb pitching. Callahan (16-12 3.20) fired a three-hit jewel, holding them to just three singles, fanning nine and walking none. In fact, there were no extra-base hits in the game. Luxora got seven hits, all singles. First baseman Paul Hallenbeck (.304) and shortstop Vince Cooper (.281) led them with two runs batted in each. Ken Olson (14-14 3.09) lost the game and didn't finish the first inning as he was slammed for five runs, although three of them were unearned.

The loss cost South Fork (78-63) a chance to move ahead of Ginza (78-63) in the race for the top spot in the Tycobbian Union East Division. Luxora (66-75) is the number five team and is 12 games out.

'Canes Trip Up Ninjas 4-3 in 13 Innings
The Cape Coral Hurricanes rang up 17 hits to just 8 for the Ginza Ninjas, but still took 13 innings to subdue them 4-3. The Hurricanes left 14 runners on base before first baseman Rodger Wooten (.303) finally decided the game with an RBI single, making a winner of reliever Max Darenhauer (1-0 3.38). It was his first career win in the IPA. He retired the last four batters in the game. Emil Kreskas (1-1 2.06) suffered the loss as he came on in the last of the thirteenth and gave up the winning run. Sparking the Cape Coral attack were left fielder Rod Kelly (.294) with his 21st homer and right fielder Danny Muliins (.252) with his 17th.

The Ginza Ninjas (78-63) remained tied with South Fork (78-63) for first place in the TU East. Cape Coral (69-72) is in third and is 9 games off the pace.

Hartsdale Dumps Ozarka 8-4
The visiting Hartsdale Hellcats dumped Ozarka 8-4 today at Ellie Ewing Stadium with a barrage of 14 hits, led by left fielder Jay Luna's (.271) three hits and right fielder Dan Rogers' (.300) 10th home run. On the hill Phil Reed (16-10 3.13) won his third straight, tossing eight innings and giving up four runs on five hits. Reliever Danny Griffin finished the game with a perfect ninth, retiring all three batters he faced. Losing pitcher Sid Hyder (10-4 2.74) was battered for seven runs in seven innings, three of them unearned. It was Hyder's first setback in over a month. He had won his last six decisions.

Hartsdale (65-76) is in last place, but is getting closer to escaping it. They trail fourth place Ozarka (67-74) by two games and fifth place Luxora (66-75) by a game. The Hellcats are 13 games back of Ginza (78-63), the TU East's top club.

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Tuesday, September 4, 2001

Tycobbian Union - West Division

Bethel's 3-Run HR Leads Viks Win Over Frogs 4-2
The Bayview Vikings awoke from their slumber with a four-run eighth to knock off the Fairfax Frogs at the Frog Pond. The highlight of the 4-2 triumph was catcher Hank Bethel's (.310) three-run smash. Strong pitching was the order of the day with Wally Tidwell (6-7 3.05) picking up the win, by holding the Frogs scoreless for an inning and a third. Buzzy Lewis came on in the ninth and closed it out with a scoreless ninth for his 19th save. Starter Frank Wells (12-10 3.69) also pitched well, permitting two runs and five hits over six and two-thirds frames. Wells fanned seven and walked three, giving up only one earned run. Robbie Meredith (14-9 3.02) pitched well, holding the Vikings scoreless through seven innings, but faltered in the eighth, when Bayview took advantage of faulty Fairfax fielding and scored all four runs. Meredith walked one and struck out five, deserving better. All the runs were scored on errors.

Going into the last week and a half of the regular season, Fairfax (76-65) has a 3-game edge on runner-up Blue Lake (73-68) and 5 games on third place Arlon (71-70) and Bayview (71-70).

Lynx Nygaard, Baumgartner Shut Out Blue Sox
On a misty, rainy day at Harbor Stadium in Blue Lake, the La Claire Lynx shut out the Blue Sox 3-0. Tony Nygaard and Nick Baumgartner combined for the victory with Nygaard working five and a third innings and allowing three hits with five Ks and Baumgartner closing it out with three and two-thirds innings, three hits with five strikeouts. Nygaard (12-10 3.42) got the win and Baumgartner (4-10 3.36) got his sixth save. Shortstop Dirk Lindahl (.272) hit a two-run homer and catcher Dennis Weiss (.247) a solo shot to power them to victory. Mickey Dwyer (6-8 3.06) pitched well in defeat, surrendering only two runs and four hits in six innings.

Blue Lake (73-68) missed a chance to slice a game off Fairfax's (76-65) lead in the TU West. The Blue Sox are still 3 games in back of them. La Claire (69-72) is 7 games behind in the standings.

Bucs Hurt Arlon's Playoff Hopes 2-1
The Bay St. Clair Buccaneers hurt the Arlon Champions playoff aspirations by nudging them 2-1 at Shoreline Park. The Bucs only got four hits off losing pitcher Connie Gavagan (6-6 2.00), who lost another tough ballgame. First baseman George Lyons (.265) led off the game with his 28th roundtripper and center fielder Wayne Latham (.300) doubled in shortstop Chuck Hankins (.311) with the deciding run in the third inning. The Champs only run came on Gavagan's (.056) double and second baseman Karl Detwiler's RBI single in the fifth frame. Arlon had 10 hits in the game, but left 13 runners on. Adam Lundgren (8-6 3.05) gained the win, chunking seven and two-thirds innings. He allowed nine hits, but only one run. Chris Van Arden (6-4 3.38) sealed the verdict for Lundgren and got credit for his 11th save. He walked two and gave up one hit in an inning and a third, but got three of the four outs on strikeouts.

Arlon (71-70) is third in the Tycobbian Union West Division, 5 games out of first, while Bay St. Clair (63-78) is in last place and is 13 games behind.

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Wednesday, September 5, 2001

Ruthlandian Union - North Division

Redhawks Romp Over Vipers 11-6
Snapping a three-game losing skid, the first place Far Mountain Redhawks had an easy 11-6 romp over second place Valmara today at War Memorial Stadium. The Redhawks pounded out 18 hits with right fielder Sid Cameron (.364) going 4-for-5 with two RBIs, catcher Steve Larson (.308) 2-for-4 and three RBIs, second baseman Steve Kaminski (.301) 3-for-5 and two RBIs and first baseman Royce Benson (.309) 3-for-5 with three runs scored and an RBI. Far Mountain had 7 doubles in the game, one short of the IPA record. Benson had the only home run, his 10th this season. John Luzzatti (18-8 3.30) got rough treatment from Valmara, but still chalked up his 18th win of the year. He worked seven innings and gave up six runs, but only two were earned, then gave way to closer Mike McCabe (6-4 2.25), who blanked the Vipers over the last two innings for his 10th save. Valmara had nine hits and was paced by right fielder Jet Kazmarek (.310) with three RBIs and first baseman Yank Jankowski (.288) with two RBIs. Jankowski hit their only roundtripper, his 11th. Losing pitcher Erich Ptacek (2-3 2.92) didn't get out of the first frame. He was shelled for five runs in two-thirds of an inning.

The Redhawks (79-63) increased their lead over the Vipers (74-68) to 5 games in the RU North pennant race.

Glasco Upends Volusia 5-4
The Glasco A's put an end to Volusia's three-game winning streak with a 5-4 triumph at Silver River Stadium. Jesse Balfour (15-11) got credit for the victory, but struggled. Balfour allowed four runs and nine hits in six-plus innings. He departed with a 5-4 lead and Ray Cook (4-5 1.80) closed it out for him with two scoreless innings to get his 17th save. The Athletics were outhit 11 to 6, but benefited from shoddy defense for the win. The Vigilantes committed three errors and allowed two unearned runs. Glasco left fielder Ox Beauvais (.331) walloped the game's only four-bagger, getting number 23 this year. Tommy Betanzos (2-2 2.51) took the loss, giving up five runs, three earned, in four and two-thirds innings.

It was a tough loss for the V's (72-70) in their run for a wild card slot. Volusia is now third in the division and 7 games behind Far Mountain (79-63). The Vigilantes are two games behind for the last wild card position. Glasco (69-73) is fifth in the RU North and 10 games out.

Colfax Beats Elnora Behind Guidry 6-1
At home at Mountain View Stadium, Colfax's Flash Guidry finally got back on the win track after 7 straight defeats. Guidry (14-17 3.74) pitched the complete game and beat Elnora 6-1 on a seven-hitter. He fanned eight and walked three. Tyrone Gray (9-16 4.34) was the loser, yielding six runs and ten hits in also going the route. Right fielder Blinky Brandon (.315) drove in a pair of runs to pace the Blasters.

Fourth place Colfax (70-72) is going nowhere this season and is 9 games out of first place and no chance for the playoffs. Ditto for last place Elnora (62-80). The All-Stars are 17 games off the pace.

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Wednesday, September 5, 2001

Ruthlandian Union - South Division

Marston Rallies, Edges Waleska 8-7 in 10 Innings
Not much went right for the first place Marston Nine in the first five innings of today's game against Waleska. The Westerners jumped ahead 5-0 and looked well on their way to victory, when the Nine rallied to tie the score at 7-7 after regulation and then won it in overtime 8-7 in ten innings on third baseman Roland Thomas' bases-loaded single. Walt Sellers (6-6 2.99) held the Westerners without a run in the top of the tenth to garner the victory, while Buddy Kennedy (2-7 3.77) was battered for four runs - only one earned - in an inning and two-thirds and took the loss. The Nine had the edge in hits 12 to 10. Thomas paced Marston with three RBIs. Waleska's left fielder Big Hoss Burkhalter's (.297) 41st homer was good for three runs and center fielder Rick Vaughn (.302) slammed his 14th on the year, also good for three runs.

The RU South leader, Marston (82-60), has a 17-game bulge over fourth place Waleska (65-77) and Claxton (65-77).

'Jacks Slaughter Sugar Valley 9-2
Second place Forest City slaughtered Sugar Valley 9-2 today at Riverside Stadium with solid pitching and hitting. Winning pitcher Knucks Nomellini (7-1 2.77) used his flutterball to baffle the Rattlers. Nomellini hurled seven innings, allowed six hits and two runs with eight Ks and four walks. Timmy Brooks (4-6 1.99) came to the rescue of the tired Nomellini and got the last six outs. Brooks fanned three in his two innings of work. Loser Harvey Hines (14-14 3.93) was gone early in the contest. He was shelled for six runs in two-plus innings. The Lumberjacks laced a dozen hits and were sparked by left fielder Chuck Hill (.337) with three hits. Hill had two doubles, scored twice and batted in a run. Right fielder Benny Davis (.275) and third baseman Jesse Pearson (.236) each had two RBIs and second baseman Jesse Wolf (.288) scored three times and drove in one.

Forest City (76-66) has beaten third place Sugar Valley in the first two games of the series. It was the Lumberjacks third consecutive triumph. The second place Lumberjacks are still 6 games off the pace of the Marston Nine (82-60) with only 8 games to go, but Forest City is leading the wild card race in the Ruthlandian Union. Sugar Valley and Valmara (74-68) of the South Division are both two games behind them.

Diamonds Vanzetti Bests Sunbirds Watson 1-0
The fans at Avalon Stadium in Claxton were treated to an old-fashioned pitchers' duel with Alex Vanzetti getting the best of Belair Beach's Ray Watson 1-0. Vanzetti (11-8 2.87) limited the Sunbirds to seven hits, fanned seven and walked no one, while Watson (10-6 3.06) was just about as tough, allowing one run on nine hits with five Ks and three bases on balls. The only run of the game came in the third inning when second baseman Donny McCoy (.328) drove shortstop Bobby Ritter (.318) in from third with a single.

Claxton (65-77) gave Belair Beach (64-78) its third loss in a row. The Diamonds are tied for fourth place in the RU South with Waleska and are 17 games out of first. Belair Beach is in last place and 18 games back.

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Wednesday, September 5, 2001

Tycobbian Union - East Division

Ninjas Blank 'Canes 3-0, Now First in TU East
In a tight pennant race with the South Fork Stallions, every game is vital for Ginza as the regular season is rapidly coming to a close. The Ninjas got clutch games from pitcher Kazuhiro Nakayama and first baseman Kenshin Yamamoto. Nakayama (13-13 2.72) put on a sterling performance, stopping Cape Coral 3-0 on a six hits with five strikeouts and no bases on balls. Yamamoto slugged his 23rd homer of the season in the second inning. That was the only run of the game until the ninth when the Ninjas added RBIs by right fielder Charlie Campbell (.293) and catcher Katsuya Noguchi (.267), Loser Katsuyuki Nagashima (12-16 3.48) tossed a good game, going eight innings, allowing six hits and three runs, only two earned.

The victory, coupled with South Fork's (78-64) loss to Luxora today, propelled the Ninjas (79-63) into first place in the Tycobbian Union East by a full game with 8 games to go in the regular season.

Stallions Fall to Zorros and Tovares 3-0
The second place South Fork Stallions ran into some fine pitching by Tito Tovares of the Luxora Zorros and fell a full game behind Ginza in the TU East flag chase. Tovares (5-10 2.15) throttled the Stallions on seven hits and shut them out 3-0. It was a scoreless duel between Tovares and South Fork's ace Flint Battle for eight innings. But it came to an end in the top of the ninth when the Z's scored three times. The big blow of the game was center fielder Tommy Fortunato's (.267) lead-off homer. Catcher Eric Richter (.313) and second baseman Paco Benitez (.259) also drove in runs in the inning to seal the verdict. Battle (19-11 2.59) had won his last four starts, but failed this time to win his 20th game. He only gave up five hits, fanned six and issued four walks. Battle had a one-hitter until the ninth.

South Fork (78-64) is ranked number two in the division, a game behind first place Ginza (79-63). Luxora (67-75) is currently in the fifth spot and trails by 12 games. The Stallions are almost a lock on a wild card, if they fail to take the division flag from Ginza. South Fork is 6 games up on Bayview in the wild card race.

Nats Outscore Hellcats 9-8
At Ellie Ewing Stadium in Ozarka, the Naturals rebounded from a 5-0 first-inning deficit to edge out Hartsdale 9-8. Third baseman Doug Cunningham (.251) rapped three hits and drove in three runs to pace Ozarka with some help from second baseman Duane Starr (.271), who also batted in three runs. The Nats blasted three homers with Cunningham getting his 29th, Starr number 13 and left fielder Ronnie Patterson hitting his 26th. The Hellcats outhit them 14 to 11, but came up one run short on the scoreboard. Reliever Marvin Gunn (1-0 2.45) registered his first win of the season with five impressive innings. He allowed just one run and five hits with five strikeouts. Gunn came in with the Naturals trailing 5-0 in the first inning and left after six with Ozarka up 8-6. First baseman Mac Faulkner (.341) led Hartsdale with two hits and three RBIs, including his 7th roundtripper. Third baseman Whiz Weaver (.283) had three hits and two RBIs and shortstop Mike Burke was 3-5 and scored twice. Mitch Yassen (8-6 3.76) started and lost it, giving up eight runs in four-plus innings.

Ozarka (68-74) is fourth in the division, 11 games off the pace, while Hartsdale (65-77) is last and 14 games out.

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Wednesday, September 5, 2001

Tycobbian Union - West Division

Bethel Homers, Vikings Nip Frogs 1-0
The Bayview Vikings won their third straight game, topping the first place Fairfax Frogs 1-0 on Hank Bethel's (.310) eighth-inning home run. The Viks only got two hits off Ted Ellison (0-1 0.87), but it was enough. Ellison pitched a sensational game in his first start since joining the team about ten days ago. Buzzy Lewis (6-8 2.97) got credit for the victory in relief of starter Paul Hood, who had an outstanding outing, blanking the Frogs on five hits in seven and one-third innings. Hood struck out ten. Wally Tidwell (6-7 3.01) closed the game out with a scoreless ninth to save it for Lewis. It was Tidwell's 9th save.

Bayview (72-70) still has an outside chance to win the division title, but it is unlikely. They trail the Frogs by 4 games with only 8 remaining. The Vikings have a better shot at one of the two wild cards. They and Arlon (71-71) are trying to catch Blue Lake (74-68) for the last playoff slot.

Blue Sox Barely Beat Lynx 2-1
It was crunch time for the Blue Lake Blue Sox and they came through with 2-1 victory over the La Claire Lynx to get to within two games of Fairfax for first place in the Tycobbian Union West. Second baseman Ken Bennett (.286) rapped a ground rule double in the last of the ninth to drive in first baseman Fred Taranto (.291) with the winning score. Taranto had led off the inning with a double. Both came off the Lynx closer Munoto Kishata (7-10 3.41). Reliever Paddy O'Rourke (1-0 1.42) got his first-ever win in the IPA with a scoreless ninth. Starter Bennie West (18-10 2.97) went the first eight innings, gave up only one run on six hits and fanned six. La Claire starter Pat Daniels (12-10 3.53) pitched a strong game, too. He worked eight innings, allowed one run and six hits with four strikeouts. Third base Luis Marquez (.282) hit his 18th home run for the Lynx's only run. It came in the second inning. Catcher Curly Harris (.237) drove in right fielder Fred Collins (.284) with a sacrifice fly in the second inning for Blue Lake's other run.

Blue Lake (74-68) climbed to within two games of first place Fairfax (76-66) in the Tycobbian Union West Division. The Blue Sox still have a chance at the division crown with 8 games remaining to be played. They also have a great chance to get a wild card, too. Blue Lake is currently two games in front of Bayview (72-70) for the last wild card position.

Bucs Slip Past Arlon 2-1
Arlon suffered its fourth consecutive defeat at the hands of the last place Bay St. Clair Buccaneers. Winning pitcher Kenny Metcalf (8-5 3.88) held them to just one run and four hits in his eight innings. He fanned eight and walked only one. Closer Chris Van Arden (6-4 3.29) sat the Champs down in order in the ninth for his 12th save. Bayview was led at bat by shortstop Chuck Hankins (.311) and catcher Jake Singleton (.312), who both had RBI doubles in the third and fourth innings. Arlon's only run came in the seventh when shortstop Bama Hartley (.266) tripled and scored on a groundout by Kelly Fox (.259). Losing pitcher Craig Smith (16-12 3.53) did his best to win it. He went the distance and gave up only two runs on nine hits, fanned five and walked one.

Arlon (71-71) fell back to fourth place with the defeat. The Champions are 5 games behind first place Fairfax (76-66) in the TU West race and 3 games behind Blue Lake (74-68) in the battle for the last wild card spot.