ISLANDIAN PRO ALLIANCE (RUTHLANDIA and TYCOBBIA BASEBALL UNIONS)

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Monday, May 13, 2001

Tycobbian Baseball Union

TBU West Division

Viks Win 5th Straight
The Bayview Vikings kept their hot streak going by outscoring Bay St. Clair 10-6 at Downtown Plaza Stadium. It was the fifth consecutive victory for the Viks as they slammed thirteen hits, led by first baseman Dwayne Coleman (.306) and second baseman Skip Daniels (.233). Coleman collected his 12th homer of the year and drove in three runs, while Daniels hit a two-run shot. Shortstop Hot Rod Patrick (.235) hit a solo roundtripper for the Buccaneers.
Adrian Strom (3-2) pitched into the eighth for the win and allowed four runs and eight hits. Sean Lawrence (0-3) started and lost it, being shelled for six runs in the first two frames.

This was Bay St. Clair's (7-18) sixth loss in a row and further entrenched them in last place in the TBU West race. The Buccaneers have tied their own mark for the most losses in a row. Bayview is on the rise and now has moved up into the second spot in the standings, trailing first place La Claire by just one game.

12 Ks for Frogs Leslie
Portsider Jackie Leslie (4-2) of the Fairfax Frogs polished off first place La Claire 7-2, finishing up with a seven-hitter and a dozen stikeouts. A five-run first off losing pitcher Jerry Smith (4-2) pretty much decided the game. Right fielder Gregg Vincent (.327) continued his home run assault on TBU West pitchers with his IPA-leading 15th homer of the season and two RBIs. He also is the top RBI producer with 35.

The triumph enabled Fairfax (14-11) to climb to within 1.5 games of first place La Claire (16-10). The Frogs are in third place.

Arlon Champs Clip Sox 3-2
Righthander Craig Smith (3-2) gave Arlon manager Gary Louis another good start with a 3-2 victory over the Blue Lake Blue Sox. Smith limited them to just four hits for his third win of the year. Jay Clay (2-2) lost it for the Blue Sox. He deserved a better outcome as he gave up only one earned run. Clay surrendered three runs and ten hits overall. The game was decided in the eighth inning when center fielder Jerry Keller (.367) led off with a triple and was driven in by Steve Barnett's (.273) single. Blue Lake center fielder Donnie Frazier (.368) nailed his 6th home in the contest.

Both Arlon and Blue Lake now have the same 12-13 record and are tied for the fourth spot in the TBU West Division. They are 3.5 games behind the first place La Claire Lynx (16-10).

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times

Tuesday, May 14, 2001

Far Mountain Redhawks

Ruthlandian Baseball Union - North Division

Owner: Johann Becker
GM/Manager: Alex Groveland

Far Mountain, located in northern Ruthlandia in the Appian Mountains, is a very popular year round ski resort and convention center. A beautiful town of 75,000 founded by immigrants from the German and Swiss Alps, Far Mountain oozes Tyrolian charm and culture. Horse drawn sleighs and buggies provide free public transportation. The rich and famous come here for wonderful ski vacations, to savor the good life and to enjoy the great hotels, nightclubs, shops, restaurants and nightlife. Yet it is priced for every pocketbook. Middle class families also partake of its many pleasures and activities. And with fine convention facilities, Far Mountain plays host to many professional and educational organizations.

And it is the home of the Far Mountain Redhawks baseball team of the Ruthlandian Baseball Union. The team is in the North Division and play their games at Sky High Stadium with a magnificent panoramic view of the Appian Mountains in the distance. A specialty at all Redhawks games is a great polka band that furnishes music and songs, whenever there is a break in the game action. During the seventh inning stretch Redhawks supporters have a great time doing the “Chicken Dance” and singing “Take me out to the ballgame” to the accompaniment of the polka band. And fans get to enjoy special culinary treats of Bavarian beers, Nurnberg bratwurst mit sauerkraut (fried sausage with sauerkraut), Schwartzwalder kirschtorte (Black Forest cake) and Apfelstrudel (apple strudel) pastries, and hot gourmet soups at the games. Many fine German beers are served in profusion, too. In addition all of the traditional ballpark favorites are provided.

The Far Mountain Redhawks are owned by Johan Becker, whose family has been for 150 years the proprietors of one of the oldest hotels in town, The Bavarian Gasthaus. Becker developed a love for baseball in high school and college and played varsity baseball for both. He met Jock Ewing of Ewing Oil and Ewing Enterprises and developed a business relationship with him to make Far Mountain into a tourist resort. When Ewing offered him one of the franchises in the IPA, Johan quickly invested in it.

For a general manager and field manager, he hired one of the great pitchers of the industrial leagues, Alex Groveland.

Sky High Stadium (1997)

Capacity: 10,444

Dimensions:
LF Line 330
LF 354
LC 380
CF 402
RC 380
RF 354
RF Line 330

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Tuesday, May 15, 2001

Ruthlandian Baseball Union

North Division

Cole Homers Twice, Colfax Blanks FM 3-0
First place Colfax blanked Far Mountain 3-0 as Harry Manning and Walt Sellers combined for the shutout. It was the Blasters sixth win in a row. Manning (4-1) registered the win went five innings and allowed only two hits, while Sellers worked the last four and surrendered three hits. First baseman Dennis Cole (.321) supplied all of the runs with two home runs, giving him a total of eight for the season. Sonny Elliott (3-3) took the loss, yielding four hits and all the runs in five innings. A long rain delay caused both starters to leave the game early.

The Blasters (16-9) are the top team in the RBU North, a game ahead of idle Valmara (15-10). Far Mountain fell to 10-14 this season and is in fifth place.

Elnora Edges A's in 12
It took twelve innings and six pitchers, but the Elnora All-Stars subdued Glasco 8-7 and dealt the A's their sixth straight loss. Center fielder Harry Wright plated the winning run with a two-out single off losing pitcher Arnie McFalls (2-4). Troy Hudson (2-1) got the win with three scoreless inning of relief.
Wright (.204) topped the hitters with 4-for-7 and three RBIs, including an IPA record of three doubles. He now holds the mark with Jerry Keller of Arlon and Scooter Perez of Volusia. First baseman Francisco Robles (.250) led the Athletics with 4-for-6 and two RBIs.

Glasco is still in third place in the RBU North race, 3.5 games behind first place Colfax. Elnora (12-14) is fourth and trail by 4.5 games.

There were only two games on today's North Division schedule. Last place Volusia (10-16) and second place Valmara (15-10) did not play.

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Tuesday, May 15, 2001

Ruthlandian Baseball Union

South Division

Ledbetter Beats Diamonds
Big Casey Ledbetter of the first place Marston NIne was touched for ten hits, but he spread them out enought to beat the Claxton Diamonds 5-2. Ledbetter (4-1) fanned eight and walked three for his fourth victory of the season. Left fielder Ronnie Horn (.300) racked up 4 hits in 4 at-bats and center fielder Tommy Reinhold (.268) with 2-for-5 and two runs scored paced the winners. Shortstop Bobby Ritter (.348) went 4-for-5 and Marty McCluskey (.260) 2-for-5 for the Diamonds. They hammered back-to-back roundtrippers in the fifth inning, the only runs off Ledbetter. Bill Wallace (0-3) lost his third straight game, permitting five runs and nine hits before leaving in the sixth. The Nine outhit Claxton 13 to 10.

Marston (15-11) is on top of the RBU South, while Claxton (9-17) is last in the division.

BB's Garrett Stops FC
Right fielder Nicky Swift clubbed a two-run homer in the sixth to send the Belair Beach Sunbirds to a 3-1 victory over Forest City Lumberjacks. His 10th roundtripper gave Dirk Garrett (2-5) a well-deserved win as he outhurled Buddy Hutchinson. Garrett checked the Lumberjacks on six hits, fanned three and walked three for the day. Hardluck Hutchinson (2-4) has only two victories to show for this season, yet he has an outstanding 2.91 ERA. He held the Sunbirds to just four hits over eight innings of work.

Belair Beach (13-13) and Forest City (13-13) are deadlocked in fourth in the RBU South, two games out of first place.

Second place Sugar Valley (13-11) and third place Waleska (14-12) had an off day.

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Tuesday, May 15, 2001

Tycobbian Baseball Union

East Division

Zorros Nick Ninjas 4-3
The Luxora tandem of Chris Pierce and Roberto Martinez tamed Ginza 4-3 at Ninja Stadium today for their fifth successive win. Pierce (3-0) chalked up the victory by pitching into the eighth, got into a little hot water and Martinez came in and bailed him out for his first save of the season. Second baseman Jimmy Eichelberger (.160) drove in two runs with two hits to spark the Zorros. Right fielder Tom Fortunato (.267) and catcher Eric Richter (.337) also collected a pair of hits and an RBI each, while second baseman Scoop McDonald (.275) had two hits and two RBIs for the Ninjas and shortstop Shinjiro Aoki (.301), first baseman Kenshin Yamamoto (261) and left fielder Ronnie Graf (.250) contributed a pair of hits each. Ginza starter Kazuhiro Nakayama (2-4) struck out twelve batters, while surrendering four runs and nine hits in his stint. He only allowed two earned runs and was taken out in the ninth.

The runner-up team, Luxora (13-11), gained a half-game on the top team in the division, the Ozarka Naturals and are now 1.5 games back. The Ninjas (12-13) are tied for the fourth spot with Hartsdale (12-13).

The first and last place clubs in the TBU East were not in action today. Ozarka (15-10) and South Fork (10-16) will resume play tomorrow.

Hellcats Win Squeaker from 'Canes
Hartsdale took a tight 8-7 tussle from the Cape Coral Hurricanes, who now have suffered five straight defeats. Both clubs had a dozen hits apiece, but the Hellcats outhomered the Hurricanes three to one. Center fielder Greg Reynolds (.252) boomed a solo homer in the first and first baseman Todd Seals (.212) and third baseman Whiz Weaver (.289) chipped in two-run shots in the third and fifth respectively. Left fielder Rod Kelly (.326) boomed one out for Cape Coral to cut it to one run in the last of the ninth. Starter Danny Griffin (3-4) was sent packing after permitting four runs and seven hits in six innings, but nabbed the win with closer Gene Young getting his 4th save, despite giving up Kelly's clout.

The Hurricanes (13-12) in the third spot in the TBU East standings. The Hellcats (12-13) are in fifth place.

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Tuesday, May 15, 2001

Tycobbian Baseball Union

West Division

Viks Win 6th in a Row
Mike Jardoin's brilliant mound performance paced the Bayview Vikings to their sixth consecutive triumph. He stopped the Arlon Champions on just two hits in eight innings, fanned six and walked only two. Jardoin didn't give up a hit until left fielder Matt Merrill's (.262) lead-off double in the seventh. In the eighth second baseman Karl Detwiler (.306) got the other one as he swatted a solo homer. Second baseman Alan Hansen (.411), left fielder Glenn Burns (.293) and center fielder Phil Kanaan (.343) had RBIs for the Vikings. Kanaan got his with his 4th roundtripper this year. Ray Hunt (3-3) was the losing pitcher. He worked seven innings and surrendered three runs on six hits.

Bayview (16-11) has climbed to within a half-game of first place La Claire (16-10). The Champions (12-14) are in a fourth place tie with Blue Lake in the TBU West Division.

The Lynx and the third place Fairfax Frogs (14-11) did not play today. The two teams had a day off.

Bucs Finally Win!
The Bay St. Clair Buccaneers ended their six-game losing stretch by bumping off the Blue Lake Blue Sox 4-2 behind the solid arm of Norm Gross. He went the distance and gained his fourth win this season. Gross (4-2) gave up nine hits, but only two runs. He finished the game with five Ks and two BBs. The Bucs banged out 14 hits with six players getting a pair of hits each. Loser Pete Henry departed after pitching six innings, getting shelled for nine hits and four runs. Shortstop Cy Orgeron (.289) collected three hits and first baseman Fred Taranto (.330) had a couple to lead the Blue Sox.

Blue Lake (12-14) has now dropped three games in succession and has fallen four games back of first place La Claire (16-10). The Blue Sox are tied with Arlon (12-14) for the fourth spot in the division. The Buccaneers (8-18) are in the TBU cellar.

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Times

Tuesday, May 15, 2001

Fairfax's Vincent TBU Player of the Week
This week's Tycobbian Baseball Union's top player was right fielder Gregg Vincent of the Fairfax Frogs. He batted .367 with 5 homers, 10 RBIs and scored 6 times to capture the honor.

So far this year, Vincent is leading the IPA with 15 homers and 35 RBIs. He is hitting .327 with 35 hits in 104 at-bats.

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Times

Tuesday, May 15, 2001

'Jacks Center Fielder RBU's Top Performer
Ryan Morse went on a week-long hitting spree against Ruthlandian Baseball Union pitchers and captured the Player of the Week honors. For the last week the Forest City center fielder battered the opposition for 15 hits and scored 7 runs, while compiling a .625 batting average.

This year Morse is hitting .415, has 11 RBIs, 3 home runs, scored 26 times and gotten on base at a .491 rate.

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Wednesday, May 16, 2001

Ruthlandian Baseball Union

North Division

Redhawks Win in 12th, Davis Homers
Far Mountain snapped Colfax's six-game winning streak with a 6-5 twelve-inning victory. Catcher Dave Davis smacked a home run off loser Pat Langlois (0-2) to decide the game. Redhawk closer Doc Rutledge (3-1) chalked up the win with four scoreless innings. He fanned five batters, walked one and allowed only two hits. Right fielder Tommy Sonnier (.260) also went deep for Far Mountain. Shortstop Wayne O'Reilly (.213) and first basemen Dennis Cole (.321) topped Colfax with homers.

The Colfax Blasters (16-10) and Valmara Vipers (16-10) are on top of the RBU North standings and the Redhawks (11-15) are in the number five spot.

Schoenfeld Blanks Vigilantes 4-0
The Valmara Vipers got another exceptional effort from righthander Paul Schoenfeld, who fired a three-hitter against Volusia and blanked them 4-0. The triumph put the Vipers back even with the Colfax Blasters and back into the top spot in the RBU North. Schoenfeld (2-2) collected five Ks and walked three in picking up his second straight win. Valmara got eight hits off of losing pitcher Raul Sandoval (3-3), who only allowed one earned run. Catcher Yoshi Motsuzuki (.273), center fielder Jan Szymanski (.284) and third baseman Matt Mazurek (.234) led the Viper batters with two hits each. There were no extra base hits in the game by either team.

Valmara (16-10) and Colfax (16-10) have identical records and are in a first place tie. Volusia (10-17) is in the division basement.

A's Darby Whitewashes All-Stars
The only difference between pitchers Charles Darby and Carl Costas was a second inning home run by first baseman Carl Kavanaugh (.167). That gave the Glasco Athletics a 1-0 victory over the Elnora All-Stars. Darby (3-2) allowed six hits during the affair, whiffed five and walked three. Costas (1-5) had a standout start as well as he limited the A's to just four hits in eight innings and fanned eleven.

Darby told reporters after the game, "My arm felt good, mechanics were good and my stuff was working ...it don't get any better than this."
The All-Stars manager Zoggy White said, "It was a rough one for Costas. We just didn't get him any runs."

Currently Darby has a 3-2 won-lost record in 6 starts with a 2.33 ERA. He also has 29 strikeouts in 46.1 innings.

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Wednesday, May 16, 2001

Ruthlandian Baseball Union

North Division

Rattlers Are in First!
Waleska was poised to move into the top rung along with Marston in the RBU South with a win, but it didn't happen. Sugar Valley spoiled the party for them by ripping them 8-4 at Westerner Field and taking over the top spot in the division. The Rattlers pounded out fifteen hits with center fielder Freddie Vaux (.290) and left fielder Cy Bartz (.321) leading the charge. Vaux hammered three hits and drove in three runs, while Bartz went 3-for-6 with two RBIs and scored twice. Sugar Valley's third baseman Jorge Vargas (.337) was 2-for-4 and scored three times. Tony Michelet (3-2) went all the way and stopped Waleska on eight hits and four runs with no walks and four strikeouts. Loser Marv Chancellor (1-5), the Westerner starter, continued to have trouble on the mound and was jumped on for six runs and seven hits in four innings.

The Rattlers (14-11) took over first place by a few percentage points over the Marston Nine (15-12). Waleska (14-12) dropped to third place, a scant half-game behind.

Diamonds Dump Marston 8-3
The outhouse got the best of the penthouse in the RBU South today -- The cellar-dwelling Claxton Diamonds socked it to the first place Marston Nine 8-3 at Legends Field. Left fielder Winky Rush (.291) delivered the decisive hit, a fourth-inning grand slam and lefthander Pat Castellani made it stand up. Castellani (3-2) was tagged for nine hits, but most of them didn't do much damage. Single runs in the second, fourth and seventh is all he gave up. Nick Pace (5-3) was looking for his sixth win, but he didn't get it. He surrendered seven runs and three hits and exited in the fifth losing 7-2.

Marston's season record fell to 15-12 and Claxton improved to 10-17.

'Jacks Cut Down Belair Beach
Glenn Moore was on target and fashioned a 5-1 victory over the Belair Beach Sunbirds. Moore (2-0) fanned seven, walked two and gave up eight hits and was backed up by home runs by right fielder Benny Davis (.267) and third baseman Donnie Shropshire (.167). Troy Wilson (2-3) caught the loss as he was whacked for five runs and seven hits. The Lumberjacks got rid of him in the eighth.

Forest City (14-13) took over the fourth spot in the RBU South Division and pushed the Sunbirds down to fifth (13-14). The Lumberjacks are only one game out of first and Cape Coral is just two games behind.

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Wednesday, May 16, 2001

Tycobbiian Baseball Union

East Division

Nats Hatch Too Good for Stallions
Righthander Luther Hatch sparkled on the hill in Ozarka's 4-1 victory over the South Fork Stallions. Hatch (5-1) held them to one run and seven hits, struck out five and walked just one in a complete game. Shining with the bats for the Naturals were center fielder Teddy Braun (.347) and left fielder Ronnie Patterson (.238). Braun slapped two hits and drove in two runs, while Patterson had a double and a triple, scored twice and had one RBI. Left fielder Paul Giles (.283) hit his 8th home run for the only run off Hatch.

Ozarka (16-10) is in first place in the TBU East race and the Stallions (10-17) are still sitting down in the basement.

Callahan Spins 4-Hit Shutout
Luxora's 20-year-old righthander Keith Callahan and Ginza's 23-year-old Vic Rousakis are throwing like grizzled vets. They both worked nine innings and gave up only one run between them -- that gave Callahan and Luxora a 1-0 victory. It was the Z's sixth straight win. An infield single in the top of the seventh by catcher Edmundo Neves (.111) plated the game's lone run. Callahan (3-2), a soft thrower, thwarted the Ninjas on four hits, walked none and fanned two, while Rousakis (2-4) in a losing effort struck out twelve, walked two and allowed seven base hits.

Keith Callahan was on top of his game today. He tantalized Ginza with crisp curves and changeups, mixed in with just enough fastballs to keep the batters honest. In the postgame comments, the Ginza skipper said, "He had the changeup working. You knew it was coming and you still grounded out -- and then he threw it even slower."

Callahan told reporters after the game, "To be successful in this league, you have to keep the ball down. If you don't, they'll make you pay."

So far this year he has made 7 starts, tossed 57 innings, struck out 37 batters and walked 12. His record is 3-2 with a 2.21 ERA and he has limited opposing teams to a .201 batting average.

The Luxora Zorros (14-11) kept pace with first place Ozarka (16-10) and remained 1.5 games behind in the TBU East standings. Ginza (12-14) is in a fourth place tie with Hartdale (12-14).

CC Wins Close One from Hellcats 2-1
Cape Coral edged Hartsdale 2-1 behind the four-hit pitching of Wally Robinson and put a stop to their five-game losing streak. He got the decision over Glen Mann, who only gave up four hits. The Hurricanes first baseman Rodger Wooten (.290) belted his 8th homer in the fourth inning and that turned out to be the game-winner. Robinson (5-2) went the distance and had eight strikeouts and two walks, while Mann fanned three and issued one walk.

Cape Coral (14-12) is in the third spot in the TBU East Division, while Hartsdale (12-14) is in fourth, tied with Ginza (12-14). The Hurricanes are two games off the pace of Ozarka.

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Wednesday, May 16, 2001

Tycobbiian Baseball Union

West Division

Frogs Tops La Claire
The Fairfax Frogs whipped La Claire 5-2 and created a logjam at the top of the TBU West Division. It was their third win in a row over the Lynx and put Fairfax a half game ahead of them. Manager Harry Buckley got excellent work from Robby Meredith, who stopped La Claire on six hits and one run over seven innings and struck out six. It was Meredith's (3-0) third win of the season, although he needed help from Takahide Takahashi, who finished up for him. Third baseman Stan Cobb (.367) paced the Frogs 10-hit attack with three singles and two RBIs. Nickie Baumgartner (2-4) suffered the lost as Fairfax ripped him for five runs and nine hits in seven innings.

The Frogs improved to 15-11 on the year and are in third place in the standings, a half game off the pace and a few percentage points behind runner-up Bayview (16-12). The first place Lynx dipped to 16-11.

Viks 6-Game Streak Snapped 5-2
The Arlon Champions put a stop to Bayview's winning streak at six games with a 5-2 win at Downtown Plaza Stadium. Ace Howe (3-2) threw a masterful game, restricting the Vikings to just two runs on eight hits. Heading the Champs at bat was left fielder Matt Merrill (.280) with 3-for-4, including his 5th roundtripper, two runs scored and an RBI. First baseman George Lyons (.245) drove in a pair of runs with his 4th homer. For Bayview right fielder Gerry Mason (.222) had two RBIs. Charley Andrews (3-2) was the loser and lasted only five innings and yielded all five runs and seven hits.

It was a costly loss for the Vikings (16-12) as it dropped them to second place, but only a half-game behind the first place La Claire Lynx (16-11). Bayview could have taken over the top spot with a win. Arlon (13-14) stands fourth in the TBU West.

Sox Slip By BSC 5-3
A three-run rally in the last of the sixth put Blue Lake over the top in the 5-3 decision over Bay St. Clair. First baseman Fred Taranto (.330) tied it up 3-3 with a sacrifice fly, then catcher Curly Harris (.200) sent them ahead with an RBI single. The Blue Sox got an additional run off closer Ken Kazak in the eighth on two singles and two wild pitches. Blue Lake cracked a dozen hits and were led by right fielder Fred Collins (.244) with a home run, and Harris, who had a pair of hits. Bennie West (4-3) survived a three-run second inning by the Bucs for his fourth win. He hurled eight innings, allowed eight hits, fanned four batters and walked no one. Russ Courtney tossed a perfect ninth for his 3rd save. Southpaw Gary Robinson (2-4) was the losing pitcher. He started and gave up four runs and nine hits over six frames.

The Blue Sox (13-14) win busted up a three-game skid. They are still deadlocked with the Arlon Champions for the fourth spot in the TBU West. Bay St. Clair (8-19) is way back in last place in the division, eight games out of first place.

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times

Thursday, May 17, 2001

Volusia Vigilantes

Owner: Tierra Wools Consolidated

President/GM: Juan-Carlos de la Hoya

Manager: Alfonso Feliz

Volusia is a town of 99,000 on the banks of the Silver River in the rugged foothills of the Silver Mountains in west central Ruthlandia. In the early years Volusia was a gold and silver mining community. It was first settled by Spanish and English emigres, who after the gold ran out, became sheepherders and farmers. Now the area is known for fine woolen clothing and textiles. Timber and paper products are also produced.

The Spanish settlers were some of the earliest baseball enthusiasts in Ruthlandia and they organized the third amateur team in the country. Marston was the first, followed by La Grange. Because of the cultural tradition of "siestas", the Spanish played their games during this time of day, usually from 3 pm to 7 pm. Commerce and business would shut down. This custom and practice soon spread to the rest of the Ruthlandian townships and eventually to Tycobbia. The "siesta" in the Islands has come to mean quality time with family and baseball fits this perfectly.

Most Volusians are bilingual, speaking Spanish and English. Volusia is a member of the IPA's Ruthlandian Baseball Union and play in the North Division. It is the home of the Vigilantes, so named for the citizen-lawmen, who brought law and order to the lawless wild, wild west in the Gold Rush days. Officially the Vigilantes play at Silver River Stadium, overlooking the beautiful Silver River, but it is often referred to as "The Jailhouse" by the locals. Part of the old terracotta-colored jail can be seen in right field. The inmates get a good view of the V's games and "cheap" season tickets, too. The team is affectionately called "The Jailhouse Gang".

The lovely old ballpark, constructed in 1919, is located right across the street from the police station, which wraps around the stadium on one side. The massive live oak trees that still dominate the city park landscape were used many times in Volusia's early history for vigilante frontier justice. Over the beautiful brick arches and center field wall, the fans get a great view of the Silver River and the downtown area, just across the river from the stadium.

A wonderful Tex-Mex band provides great music during the games. The V's fans bring their sombreros and during the seventh inning stretch, they do a Mexican hat dance. Concessions are unique, too. Tantalizing tacos and fried ice cream are among the culinary delicacies at Silver River Stadium. Frozen daiquiries and margaritas are house specialities. Hot dogs, cokes and beer are available, too.

The Volusia Vigilantes are owned by Tierra Wools, a farm cooperative for sheep owners, weavers and spinners to market their products. Juan-Carlos de la Hoya is the president and general manager of the club with Alfonso Feliz as the field manager. A very fine hitting outfielder, Feliz played many years for the Tierra Wools company team in the local industrial leagues. He also managed them and came with them when the team went professional.

Silver River Stadium (1919)

Capacity: 10,250

Dimensions:
LF Line 325
LF 375
LCF 410
CF 400
RCF 410
RF 375
RF Line 325

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Thursday, May 17, 2001

Ruthlandian Baseball Union

North Division

Redhawks Edge Blasters 4-3
The Far Mountain Redhawks were victorious over the Colfax Blasters 4-3 and deprived them of sole possession of the RBU North's top spot. The winning score coming in the seventh, when first baseman Royce Benson (.308) drilled a triple to score center fielder Hawk Gallagher (.280) from first base. That pinned the defeat on Alex Castille (4-2) and made John Luzzatti (2-2) the winner. Luzzatti pitched into the seventh inning and surrendered three runs on eight hits with five strikeouts and two bases on balls. Castille permitted nine hits and four runs in seven innings or work. Mike McCabe chalked up his first save with two inning of scoreless relief. McCabe had three Ks in his short stint. Gallagher also laced a two-run homer in the third inning for the winners, while catcher Howie Peterson got one for Far Mountain. The Redhawks outhit the Blasters 10 to 9.

Clem Rogers' Colfax (16-12) crew are in first place, tied with Valmara (16-12) for the lead. Far Mountain upped its record to 12-15 this season and trail by 3.5 games.

Vipers Fail To Take Division Lead
Volusia beat one of the top pitchers in the IPA and kept Valmara from taking over the division lead in the RBU North. The Vigilantes battered Zarek Zalewski (5-1) for eleven hits and four runs in the 4-2 win over the Vipers. It was his first loss of the season and the first time he didn't pitch a complete game. Zalewski departed after seven innings for a pinchhitter. Catcher Jojo Nunez (.301) energized the V's with three hits, while center fielder Alex Luna (.244), left fielder Jesus Arroyo (.270) and pitcher Lenny Collins (1.000) collected two hits each. The Vipers only runs came on solo home runs by left fielder Louis Sharp (.358) and first sacker Tony Goudeau (.200). Collins (2-1) got credit for the victory as he limited Valmara to two runs and four hits. He was relieved in the sixth with two outs and a 3-2 score. Volusia's closer Ricky Moreno got his 4th save with three scoreless innings.

The Vipers (16-11) are in a first place tie with the Colfax Blasters (16-11). The Vigilantes (11-17) are last in the division.

Elnora Ekes by A's 3-2
Elnora only got two hits, but it was enough to edge Glasco 3-2. Three walks and a wild pitch gave the All-Stars the eventual winning run in the fourth frame. Sean Sykes (5-1) hurled a strong game to garner his fifth win of the season. The Elnora lefty checked the A's on two runs and seven hits, struck out six and walked none. Loser Ernie McCain (2-2) had control lapses with six walks, but otherwise he was quite tough on the All-Stars. They could only get two hits and three runs, only one earned, off of him in seven innings. He fanned five batters.

The win put Elnora into the fourth spot in the RBU North with a 12-14 mark, 3.5 games out of first. Glasco is third with a 13-12 record.

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Thursday, May 17, 2001

Ruthlandian Baseball Union

South Division

Benson Beats Waleska 2-1
Ron Benson had to throw a lot of pitches in Sugar Valley's tight 2-1 triumph over Waleska, but he was strong at the end and went the route. Benson (4-2) was touched for seven hits in all, fanned six and walked four. Rusty Kraft (2-3) went down to defeat, but pitched a solid game, limiting the Rattlers to just three hits and two runs in seven innings. Right fielder Karl Dietz (.275) supplied the game-winner, a two-run blast in the fourth. Shortstop Kip Sanders (.226) tripled in the Westerners only run in the fifth.

Sugar Valley (15-11) is still in first in the RBU South, percentage points ahead of second place Marston (16-12). Waleska fell to 14-14 and trail by two games. The Westerners are in a three-way tie for third place with Forest City (14-14) and Belair Beach (14-14).

Marston Clips Claxton
Manager Johnny Walters of the Marston Nine may have found another starter. Fresh from the bullpen Paul Azard has made two starts and won them both. His latest victim was the Claxton Diamonds 3-1. Azard (2-0) tired late, but got the win with help from Vinnie Gardner. Azard was relieved in the eighth after giving up only one run on eight hits. Gardner finished off the Diamonds by retiring all five batters he faced. Dennis Scott (1-3) allowed three runs and six hits in six innings and was the loser. Shortstop Lenny Torricelli (.290) slugged a two-run homer in the first inning to pace the Nine.

Marston (16-12) has the second-best record in the RBU South and is just percentage points behind Sugar Valley (15-11), while Claxton (10-18) is struggling and last in the division.

Sunbirds Over 'Jacks in 10
Belair Beach won 4-3 in extra innings today at Riverside Stadium in Forest City. Dom Corbelli's (.226) two-out single in the tenth scored Matty McDermott (.321) from third with the winning run. Ken Frey (1-0) notched the victory for the Sunbirds. He permitted three runs and eight hits in nine innings. Lou Zanelli pitched the tenth and saved it for Frey, although with difficulty. Two hits put the game in jeopardy, but Zanelli got out of it with runners on the corners. Belair Beach had twelve hits and were led by Corbelli's two doubles and a single and McDermott with three singles. Danny Church (.282) and Nickie Gulino (.190) added two hits apiece. Forest City smacked ten hits with Chuck Hill (.343) having a double and a homer with two RBIs.
Closer Timmy Brooks (1-2) took the loss as he was tagged for one run and three hits in two innings of relief. 'Jacks starter Gene Stuart did well as he went eight innings and allowed three runs on nine hits with 4 Ks.

The Sunbirds (14-14) are tied for fourth in the RBU South with Forest City (14-14) and Waleska (14-14). The three clubs are two games behind first place Sugar Valley (15-11).

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Thursday, May 17, 2001

Tycobbiian Baseball Union

East Division

Bradley's Blast Whips Stallions
All the South Fork Stallions needed was three outs from the bottom of the batting order -- they didn't get them. Ozarka battled back with a dramatic ninth-inning two-run homer by pinchhitter Roger Bradley (.212) to win the game 3-2. It was the Nats third win in a row. Stallion closer Glenn Turnbull (3-1) came on with a 2-1 lead and promptly lost it on a walk-off homer. Nats reliever Alec DiMaggio (3-0) got the victory. He worked the last three innings and gave up one run on two hits. The two starters both had good performances. Booger Burchfield limited Ozarka to one run and four hits for the first seven innings, while Ted Didriksen stopped South Fork on one run and six hits with six strikeouts in his six innings. Center fielder Teddy Braun (.343) also had a home run for the winners. First baseman Alex Kesler (.216) went 4-for-4 for the Stallions.

The Naturals (17-10) are in first place in the TBU East Division and South Fork (10-18) is in last place.

Z's Blitz Ninjas 4-0
The Luxora Zorros have won seven straight games. Johnny Montel (3-3) fired a brilliant two-hit shutout and knocked off Ginza 4-0 today at Ninja Stadium. Ginza has dropped their last three ballgames. The Luxora lefty struck out five and walked no one to capture his third victory of the year. Both hits came back-to-back in the fifth, when Ronnie Graf (.265) doubled and Troy Connolly (.240) singled with no one out. A shallow fly out and a double play ended the inning. In the fifth Shotgun Boggs (.148) drove the first run in with a groundout to second. In the three-run sixth Roberto Vina (.274) had an RBI-single and Paco Benitez (.250) hit a two-run double.

Montel spoke to reporters after the game and said, "After the first few innings, I felt like my mechanics were getting better. I was able to make some adjustments and get a little more comfortable out there."

Montel's record in 2001 is 3-3 in 7 starts and he has a 3.64 ERA.

The Ninja skipper Huroko Uchiyama said, "We had some opportunities, but weren't able to execute. We just didn't swing the bats very well today."

Second place Luxora (15-11) kept pace with the first place Ozarka Naturals (17-10) in the TBU East. Ginza (12-15) is in the fourth spot in the standings, and tied with Hartdale (12-15).

'Canes Creep by Hellcats 3-1
Third place Cape Coral rode the right arm of Gary Fountain to beat the Hartsdale Hellcats 3-1 at Seaside Stadium. Fountain (4-1) stymied the Hellcats on seven hits and had eight Ks and three walks. Whiz Weaver's (.286) homer in the fourth was the only run he allowed. The losing pitcher was Jim Sears (2-3), who was tagged for ten hits by the Hurricanes. Center fielder Eric Smith (.302) tagged him for the game-winning two-run homer in the eighth.

Cape Coral (15-12) stayed close to the top club in the division, the Ozarka Naturals (17-10), and trail them by two games. Hartsdale (12-15) is tied for fourth with the Ginza Ninjas (12-15).

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Thursday, May 17, 2001

Tycobbiian Baseball Union

West Division

Lynx Stops Frogs Win Streak
La Claire put a stop to Fairfax's three-game win streak with a 3-2 squeaker. Trailing 2-1, the Lynx rallied with runs in the eighth and ninth to win it. Left fielder Rich Hart (.275) hit a sacrifice fly off of losing pitcher Gerry Fisher for the game-winner. Fisher relieved starter Jimmy Dalton, who worked the first eight frames and departed with the score tied 2-2. Dalton allowed ten hits, fanned six and walked two. Closer Mosoto Kishata (1-0) gained his first win of the season with a runless ninth. Starter Pat Daniels gave manager Rip Calkin a good outing as he hurled seven innings and held the Frogs to two runs and five hits. Frank Lamoreaux worked a scoreless eighth for La Claire. Center fielder Lucky Collins (.291) led the Lynx with four hits, second baseman Darrell Boyce (.275) had a home run and right fielder Manny Paulauskas (.235) had an RBI-double. Third sacker Stan Cobb (.382) paced Fairfax with 3-for-4. He had a double, RBI and scored a run.

First place La Claire (17-11) had lost three in a row to the third place Frogs. Fairfax is now 15-12 for the year and falls 1.5 games off the pace.

Viks Carvajal Beats Arlon
Bayview took care of business and whipped the Arlon Champions 5-3 today and remained a half-game out of first place in the TBU West. Jesus Carvajal (3-1) struck out eight batters, walked nobody and pitched a 7-hitter. The Vikings tagged the loss on Sean Dudek (0-2), who surrendered four runs and six hits in seven innings. Bayview collected nine hits in the game and were sparked by shortstop Shorty Richards (.267) with a homer and second baseman Alan Hansen (.404), who went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored. Left fielder Glenn Burns (.295) and center fielder Phil Kanaan (.327) both drove in a run. Left fielder Matt Merrill (.297) topped Arlon with 3-for-4 and three RBIs, including his 6th roundtripper.

The Vikings improved to 17-12 on the year, while Arlon is now 13-15.

Bucs Bump Off Blue Sox
Bay St. Clair righthander Ben Crowley put on an impressive show for the fans at Harbor Stadium in Blue Lake as he downed their Blue Sox 3-2. Crowley (2-2) shackled the Blue Sox on five hits and only allowed one earned run. The Bucs jumped on Donnie Bullock for three runs in the first inning, highlighted by first baseman Maury Smith's (.343) RBI-single and third baseman Bubba Tate's (.318) two-run blast. After that Bullock settled down and shut them out. He gave up ten hits in seven innings, struck out four and walked just one.

Bay St. Clair (9-19) is in the TBU West basement and Blue Lake (13-15) is tied with Arlon (13-15) for the fourth spot.

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Friday, May 18, 2001

Ruthlandian Baseball Union

North Division

Redhawks-Blasters Battle 14 Innings
Colfax outlasted Far Mountain 6-5 in a 14-inning marathon and captured the top spot in the RBU North Division. Third baseman Russ Ferrell's (.268) deep sacrifice fly with the bases-loaded easily scored the winning run. Walt Sellers (1-0) continued his outstanding relief work. He held the Redhawks hitless for three innings and struck out four for the win. Robby Kelly (0-1) labored and lost it, although he gave up only one run in three innings. Kelly was tapped for four hits and walked three in his brief stint. The Blasters racked up 13 hits to 11 for Far Mountain. Colfax second baseman Tucker Hill (.328) had two hits and two RBIs and Pat Lott (.253) went 3-for-5. Top batters for the Redhawks were left fielder Gerald Davis (.291), who cracked two out of the park, scored three times and drove in two runs. Davis was 3-for-6. Right fielder Tommy Sonnier (.277) was 3-for-7 with a homer and two RBIs.

Colfax ran their season mark to 17-11, good enough for first place in the RBU North Division, while Far Mountain is fifth with a 12-16 record.

V's Victorious Over Vipers
Last place Volusia poured it on Valmara at War Memorial Stadium today, pounding out 16 hits in the 9-3 runaway. The defeat dropped the Vipers to second place in the division. Third baseman Bennie Anderson (.262) drove in four with a grand slam, catcher Jojo Nunez (.307) had two hits and three RBIs and center fielder Alex Luna (.277) went 4-for-5. The Vigilantes got several good performances on the mound. Hank Massey started and pitched shutout ball for the first four innings, then the rains came and he had to be taken out. Carl Schmitz (2-0) got the win, despite giving up two runs in his only inning. Carlos Romero came in and saved it with four very nice innings. He allowed one run and three hits in four innings with four strikeouts. Catcher Yoshi Motsuzuki (.278) had a homer and two RBIs to pace the Vipers.

Last place Volusia is now 11-17 this year, while Valmara is 16-12.

All-Stars Bash A's 9-5
Just about everybody in the Elnora line-up got a hit today in the 9-5 rout of the Glasco Athletics at State Fair Park. Pitcher Troy Hudson (3-1) was the only one without a hit, but he did his job on the hill. He went the route and scattered eight hits and finished up with four strikeouts and only two walks. Sparking the All-Star attack was third baseman Richie Franklin (.265) with 2-4 and a grand slam homer. Elnora collected a dozen hits in all, with left fielder Quincy Peterson (.252), first baseman Will Jackson (.245) and shortstop Johnny Zumwalt (.371) each stroking two hits. Center fielder Harry Wright clubbed his 5th roundtripper this season. Leading Glasco at bat were second baseman Barry McCord (.245) and first sacker Caleb Kavanaugh (.176). Both of them hit home runs. Jesse Balfour (2-3) got the loss as he was hit hard for four runs and five hits in the opening frame.

The fifth place All-Stars are edging closer to the .500 mark with a 13-14 mark, while Glasco (13-13) continued their downward spiral and fell three games behind the top team in the RBU North, the Colfax Blasters (17-11).

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Friday, May 18, 2001

Ruthlandian Baseball Union

South Division

Redhawks-Blasters Battle 14 Innings
Colfax outlasted Far Mountain 6-5 in a 14-inning marathon and took over the top spot in the RBU North. Third baseman Russ Ferrell's (.268) deep sacrifice fly with the bases-loaded easily scored the winning run. Walt Sellers (1-0) continued his outstanding relief work. He held the Redhawks hitless for three innings and struck out four for the win. Robby Kelly (0-1) labored and lost it, although he gave up only one run in three innings. Kelly was tapped for four hits and walked three in his brief stint. The Blasters racked up 13 hits to 11 for Far Mountain. Colfax second baseman Tucker Hill (.328) had two hits and two RBIs and Pat Lott (.253) went 3-for-5. Top batters for the Redhawks were left fielder Gerald Davis (.291), who cracked two out of the park, scored three times and drove in two runs. Davis was 3-for-6. Right fielder Tommy Sonnier (.277) was 3-for-7 with a homer and two RBIs.

Colfax ran their season mark to 17-11, good enough for first place in the RBU North Division, while Far Mountain is fifth with a 13-16 record.

Diamonds Power Past Marston 5-4
Claxton turned on the power to top Marston 5-4 at Legends Field. The Diamonds unloaded three solo home runs to beat Ed Vogler. Center fielder Wayne Wilson (.273), right fielder Dixie Baker (.310) and third sacker Keith Olsen (.318) all connected. Baker also doubled in another run. Vogler (2-2) tossed eight innings, gave up ten hits, fanned five and walked three. The win went to Tetsunori Nakashima (6-2), who got his sixth victory of the season and leads the IPA in that category. Nagashima needed help for the last two outs. He allowed nine hits and four runs with eight Ks and four walks. Earl Weber picked up his second save.

Marston (16-13) is in the runner-up spot in the RBU South standings, just a few percentage points behind first place Sugar Valley (15-12). Claxton (11-18) is in the division cellar.

BB's Thompson Fires 4-Hit Shutout
Lefthander Carl Thompson of the Belair Beach Sunbirds did a number on Forest City and fired a four-hit shutout. Thompson (5-2) chalked up 8 Ks and walked only two in the 5-0 victory. It was his second shutout and fourth complete game. The Sunbirds racked up a dozen hits and were led by right fielder Nicky Swift (.320) and second baseman Rick Sullivan (.292), who both had three hits in the game. Swift homered twice and drove in two runs. He now has 12 for the year, tops in the RBU.

Thompson told the press in the clubhouse, "I could throw any pitch on any count."
The Forest City skipper, Rob Jackson, called his game a jewel, saying, "The way he was pitching, it would have been tough for anyone to beat him."

In 2001, Thompson has a 5-2 mark in 8 starts with a 1.65 ERA. He has given up 45 hits in 60 innings, struck out 53 and issued 19 walks. Opposing clubs have compiled a .205 batting average against him.

Belair Beach (15-14) is tied for third with Waleska (15-14), while Forest City (14-15) is in the fifth spot.

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Friday, May 18, 2001

Tycobbian Baseball Union

East Division

Nats Torch SF 10-3
First place Ozarka tore up the last place South Fork Stallions 10-3 with a sizzling 12-hit barrage and some solid pitching by big 6'7" Donnie Young (1-2), who limited them to seven hits, fanned eight and walked three. The Nats had the bats, too. First baseman Fred Snow (.258) drove in four runs with a home run and a single and third baseman Doug Cunningham (.260) went 2-for-4 with two RBIs. South Fork had roundtrippers from pinchhitter Eddie Isaksen (.178) and Paul Giles, but little else. Snow now has 5 homers this year, while Giles has hit 9. Jamie Kelly (1-3) suffered the loss and was trashed for seven runs and six hits in 1+ innings.

Ozarka (18-10) is 2.5 games ahead of second place Luxora (15-12) in the TBU East Division standings. South Fork (10-19) is in last place.

Hellcats Hang One on Hurricanes
Hartsdale's second baseman Francisco Abreu (.243) clinched the win with a two-run homer in the ninth to upend Cape Coral 3-1. Starters Phil Reed for the Hellcats and Owen Pruitt of the Hurricanes went toe-to-toe in a tight pitchers' duel before exiting for closers. Reed worked seven innings and allowed only five hits and a run, while Pruitt lasted eight innings, permitted five hits, one run and fanned eight. Gene Young (1-0) was the winner as he held the Hurricanes scoreless in the eight and ninth. Getting the loss was Katsuyuki Nagashima (0-3), who was smoked in the ninth for two hits and two runs.
Third baseman Steve Ward also smacked a homer for Hartsdale, a solo shot in the sixth. Cape Coral got their only run in the fifth, when Pruitt singled, moved to second on a walk and advanced to third on a deep flyout. He then scored on Billy Abbott's (.250) RBI-groundout.

Cape Coral (15-13) is now in third place, three games off the pace of the first place Ozarka Naturals. Hartsdale (13-15) is tied with Ginza for fourth.

Ninjas Hold Off Z's 6-5
Ginza was coasting along with a 6-2 lead heading into the ninth and then had to sweat it out before they subdued the Luxora Zorros 6-5 at Ninja Stadium. Kojiro Matsumoto (5-0) needed help in the ninth, but got credit for the victory, his fifth of the season. He is unbeaten so far. Matsumoto (.222) gave up five hits and four runs and struck out five. He also drove in three runs with a double and a sac fly. Ken Watkins picked up his third save, but struggled to finish it out, allowing one run, two hits and a walk. The tying run was on third when Watkins finally got the Z's out.

The Ginza Ninjas (13-15) are fourth in the TBU East, tied with the Hartsdale Hellcats (13-15), while Luxora (15-12) is in the second spot.