ISLANDIAN PRO ALLIANCE (RUTHLANDIA and TYCOBBIA BASEBALL UNIONS)

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times

Friday, May 11, 2001

Colfax Blasters

Owner: Enim Dlog (Precious Metals Corporation)

GM/Manager: Clem Rogers

Colfax is found in west central Ruthlandia, population 89,000. It is a "City of Gold" situated on the scenic Silver River, which flows out of the Silver Mountains northwest of Volusia, past Colfax and then westward to the nation's capital, Forest City. It then merges with the Green River, which winds its way through the southern half of the country and ends at Belair Beach and empties into beautiful Belair Bay.

The town was settled during the Gold Rush of the 1850's and is still quite profitable. It is also an important coal mining center.

It is also the home of the Colfax Blasters of the Islandian Pro Alliance, who play in the Ruthlandian Baseball Union in the North Division. The team is nicknamed for the dynamite blasters, so important in mining the gold, silver, copper and coal...and also the longball hitters, therefore giving Blasters a double meaning.

Due to its great financial wealth and success, Colfaxians have a town of stunning beauty and charm. Built by the coal barons and the gold mine owners, it is filled with grand buildings and mansions, intermingled with the smokestacks that loom over the landscape. To lessen the environmental impact, quiet canals and man-made waterways flow through the town. Visitors can glide by boat along the tranquil Silver River or walk the fabled cobblestoned streets and discover a town that time has almost forgotten. You can hear its famous landmark, "The Belfry", a carillon or bells that toll every hour and has continuously for over 150 years. Colfax also boasts an opera house, concert hall, theater and a ballet company.

Colfax's Mountain View Stadium is known for its gorgeous view of the town, the Silver Mountain backdrop beyond the outfield fence and for its "Pot of Gold". It is an actual pot, five feet in diameter, located in the center field section of the ballpark, 410 feet away. Whenever a Blaster player hits a ball that ends up in the "Pot of Gold", the player and a fan each receive $5,000. The fan is chosen in a "lucky scorecard number" drawing.

At the ballpark you have hardworking and hard living miners and the white collar and managerial set...the beer set and the champagne set. Both are attended to at Mountain View Stadium. You can get anything from hot dogs to caviar at the concession stands.

The Blasters' owner is Enim Dlog, whose ancestors are from somewhere in the Baltics. It was his great-great-granddaddy, who first discovered gold in the 1850's. In fact, the Mountain View Stadium was built on the same site as the first gold mine.

The GM and Manager of the Colfax Blasters is Clem Rogers, one of the top righthanded pitchers of alltime in the industrial leagues. He is number two on the all-time strikeout list, just a few hundred behind the the strikeout king, Ryan Noland.

Mountain View Stadium (1971)

Capacity: 10,850

Dimensions:
LF Line 315
LF 345
LCF 375
CF 405
RCF 375
RF 360
RF Line 345

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Friday, May 10, 2001

Ruthlandian Baseball Union

RBU North Division

V's Edge Vipers 1-0
It was a classic pitching duel between two super southpaws -- Volusia's Raul Sandoval and Valmara's Gerry Bart. Neither of them gave up an earned run. The only run in the game scored on an error. V's shortstop Scooter Perez led off the first inning with a triple and then scored when Bart botched an easy grounder hit by left fielder Luis Arroyo. Sandoval (3-2) held Valmara to just three hits in the 1-0 decision. He fanned six Vipers and walked two. Bart (1-1) went seven innings and surrendered just four hits, struck out five and issued one walk in a very tough loss. Reliever Danny Blauser pitched the eighth and retired Volusia in order.

The Vigilantes (8-14) snapped Valmara's three-game win streak. In spite of the loss, the Vipers (13-8) remained in first place in the RBU North race, a half-game in front of runner-up Glasco (12-8).

Colfax Scores Early, Beats A's 5-4
In a tight tussle Colfax shot ahead 5-0 after two innings and managed to hold on for a 5-4 victory over the Glasco Athletics. Loser Arnie McFalls (2-2) was knocked out of the box in the four-run second. The Blasters rocked him for five runs and six hits. Center fielder Tatsuya Sasaki, left fielder Blinky Brandon and right fielder Pat Lott all led the way with a pair of hits each. Harry Manning (3-1) was hit hard and often, but picked up the win. He allowed 11 hits and four runs before he departed in the eighth. The bullpen saved the day for him as Walt Sellers and Pat Langlais retired the last five batters in order. It was Langlais' 3rd save this season.

The Colfax Blasters (12-9) are in third place in the RBU North Division, while the Glasco A's (12-8) are in second place, a half-game behind Valmara (13-8).

Wright's Walk-off HR Wins 15-Inning Battle
It was nip-and-tuck for fifteen innings and it was finally decided by center fielder Harry Wright as he crashed a walk-off homer that gave Elnora a 2-1 triumph over the Far Mountain Redhawks. Outstanding pitching prevailed for both sides. All-Star starter Tyrone Gray and Redhawk starter Vic Vaux both went nine innings. Gray was superb as he fanned 12, walked only one and gave up only one run and five hits. Vaux was equally impressive -- five hits and one unearned run. Even the bullpen was brilliant. Wally Tidwell tossed five innings, whiffed four and held Far Mountain hitless. Mike McCabe also hurled five innings, gave up no runs and was touched for three hits. Stevie Howard (1-1) took the win with a scoreless fifteenth and Doc Rutledge (1-1) sustained the loss by serving up the game-winning homer. Elnora outhit the Redhawks nine to six.
This tied the IPA mark for longest game. On May 5th Hartsdale edged Luxora 1-0 in a game played at the Hellcats home park.

Elnora has now won their last three games and Far Mountain has dropped four in a row. The two clubs are tied for fourth in the RBU North with 9-12 records and are four games out of first place.

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Friday, May 10, 2001

Ruthlandian Baseball Union

RBU South Division

Thompson Wins 4th Game
He was not at his best, but Belair Beach's crafty lefty Carl Thompson still had enough to whip the Marston Nine 7-3. Thompson (4-2) permitted nine hits, struck out nine and walked just two as he tossed his third complete game of the year. Shortstop Danny Church and left fielder Nicky Swift pace the Sunbirds attack. Church had a homer and three RBIs, while Swift doubled in a pair of runs. Cody Hill (2-2) surrendered all of the runs and all of the hits. He gave up seven hits in four innings, but only three of the runs were earned.

Marston and Belair Beach are both 11-10 in the closely-bunched RBU South and are tied for third place, a half-game out of first.

Nakashima Shines in 6-2 Win
Claxton's Tetsunori Nakashima became the IPA's biggest winner when he defeated Forest City 6-2 on an eight-hitter to stop their losing streak at three games. Nakashima fanned four and didn't issue a walk in his fifth victory this season. Last place Claxton has won only 8 games total. Third baseman Keith Olsen led the Diamonds at bat with 3-for-5 and 4 RBIs. He slammed double and a homer. Nakashima outpitched the Lumberjacks ace, Buddy Hutchinson (2-3), who was knocked around for nine hits and four runs in six innings. It was his worst outing this year.

Claxton is now 8-13 for the season and in the division cellar. Forest City (10-11) fell 1.5 games behind the RBU South leader, the Sugar Valley Rattlers. The Lumberjacks are in fifth place in the tight divisional race.

Division-leading Sugar Valley (11-9) and second place Waleska (12-10) had the day off today.

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Friday, May 10, 2001

Tycobbian Baseball Union

TBU East Division

Z's Pierce Stops Hurricanes 8-1
Luxora put it all together today and walloped first place Cape Coral 8-1 behind the solid pitching of young Chris Pierce. The 22-year-old righthander limited the Hurricanes to six hits, while the Zorros lashed out a dozen hits against Kaz Hayakawa (3-1) and two relievers. Shortstop Kris Baker and left fielder Claudio Ordonez rapped in two runs each, while right fielder Tom Fortunato delivered 3 hits in 4 tries for Luxora. Fortunato and Ordonez both had solo roundtrippers.

The Hurricanes (13-8) hold the top position in the TBU East. The Zorros (9-11) are in the fourth spot in the standings and trail by 3.5 games.

SF Blanks Nats Behind Olsen
In a standout performance Ken Olsen, a big 6'5" fireballer for the South Fork Stallions, powered his way past Ozarka 3-0 at Jock Ewing Stadium. Olsen fanned nine Naturals and blanked them on six hits. He only walked two batters in the contest. Bob Jones, the Stallions second baseman, had a perfect 4-for-4 day at the plate and scored twice. Center fielder Gene Woodruff was 3-4 with a pair of RBIs. The losing pitcher was starter Yasuyuki Nakagawa (3-1), who worked six excellent innings and allowed only one run and five hits.

The loss cost Ozarka (12-9) a chance to move into a first place tie with Cape Coral (13-8), while South Fork (9-13) is slowly working its way out of the TBU East basement.

Ninjas Whitewash Hellcats
Ginza's little 5'6" Kazuhiro Nakayama stood mighty tall on the mound today when he shut out Hartsdale 2-0 at Ninja Stadlum. He restricted the Hellcats to seven hits, only fanned one batter and walked three. Nakayama (2-3) outdueled Danny Griffin (2-4), who pitched well, too. Griffin gave up no earned runs and three hits in six innings and then departed for a pinchhitter. The Ninjas got the only runs in the game in the second inning. An error by shortstop Mike Burke allowed the first run in and a sacrifice fly by second baseman Toshiro Nomura plated the second one. Ginza got only four hits in the game, but it was enough.

The Ninjas (10-11) and Hellcats are now tied for third place in the TBU East Division, three games out of first.

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Friday, May 10, 2001

Tycobbian Baseball Union

TBU West Division

Frogs-Lynx Open Series at Frog Pond
Fairfax clipped La Claire 1-0 in the opening game of the series between the top two clubs in the TBU West. It is the first series between the best clubs in the early part of the inaugural IPA season. Righthander Robby Meredith (2-0) threw a sensational five-hit shutout against the first place La Claire Lynx. He had six strikeouts and no walks in the contest. His mound counterpart, Jerry Smith, was almost as formidable. He yielded only one run and five hits in seven innings with four Ks and a walk. Catcher Joey Jarvis batted in the only run of the game in the second inning with a triple.

La Claire (14-8) is still 1.5 games ahead of the second place Frogs (12-9).

4-Hit Shutout for Sox Henry
Pat Henry of the Blue Lake Blue Sox, poised beyond his 23 years of age, fashioned a masterful four-hit shutout and toppled the Arlon Champions 3-0. Henry (2-3) went the distance and completed the game with seven strikeouts and two bases on balls. That made it four straight victories for Blue Lake and the fourth loss in a row for the Champs. The loss went to Ray Hart (3-2), who acquitted himself well, giving up only six hits and two runs in seven innings. In the fourth Ken Bennett sent the first run in with an RBI groundout, in the sixth a run scored on double play and Donnie Frazier smacked a solo homer in the eighth frame, his 5th of the season.

The Blue Sox (11-10) have third place all to themselves in the TBU West. while Arlon (9-12) slipped to the fifth spot in the division standings. Blue Lake trails the top team La Claire (14-8) by 2.5 games.

Bayview Edges Bucs 5-4
Skipper Walter Johannsen got some good bullpen help as his Vikings held off visiting Bay St. Clair 5-4 at Downtown Plaza Stadium in Bayview. Jesus Carvajal and Buzzy Lewis came to the rescue of Frank Wells (4-0) and saved his fourth victory of the season. Wells was treated rudely by the Bucs as they battered him for nine hits and four runs, when he exited in the seventh. They held the Buccaneers scoreless after they had narrowed the gap to one run in the seventh. Lewis got his IPA-leading fifth save. Shortstop Shorty Richards led the Viking hit parade with three RBIs and a home run and left fielder Glenn Burns knocked in a pair of scores. Second baseman Chuck Hankins paced Bay St. Clair with two hits and a three-run roundtripper. Loser Ted Jorgerson (0-4) melted down in the fourth and left the building after permitting five runs and five hits.

Bayview (11-11) now sits in the fourth spot in the TBU West race and Bay St. Clair (7-14) is sitting in the basement. The Vikings are trailing first place La Claire (14-8) by three games.

[edog23]

I hope I don't jinx this, but this is great news that the Blue Sox went over the .500 mark. In third and making a move upwards...sweet.

Erik

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Saturday, May 11, 2001

Ruthlandian Baseball Union

RBU North Division

Guidry Sets New K Mark
Flash Guidry was really electrifying at Mountain View Stadium as he set a new mark for strikeouts in the IPA. He struck out 14 Glasco A's in the 8-1 shellacking by the Colfax Blasters. Guidry (3-3) surrendered six hits and walked three in a superlative effort. Third baseman Rick Farrell gave him more than enough runs with a grand slammer in the sixth inning. Charles Darby (2-2) was the losing pitcher and went to the shower trailing 6-1.

The old strikeout record was 13, held by Bennie West of Blue Lake and Luther Hatch of Ozarka. Guidry is the IPA strikeout king with 53 in 53 innings. He lowered his ERA to a brilliant 1.89. Guidry has made six starts and finished them all.

Colfax (13-9) is making it a rough series for the Athletics (12-9) with their third consecutive win. The Blasters are still one game behind first place Valmara (14-8), while Glasco is in the third spot in the RBU North, 1.5 games back.

Zalewski Wins 5th Game
He wasn't as sharp as he has been in his other starts this season, but Zarek Zalewski still did his job well and got his 5th victory for the first place Valmara Vipers. They came back in the middle innings and rallied to beat Volusia 5-3. A two-run sixth turned the tide for Valmara. Left fielder Louis Sharp doubled in the winning run and right fielder Jet Kazmarek added an insurance run with a single. Both of them had three hits in the game. Pee Wee Cruz (1-4) had another tough outing and took the loss. He was raked for five runs and eight hits in six innings.

The Vipers are atop the RBU North Division with a 14-8 mark, while the Vigilantes are last at 8-16.

Redhawks Edge All-Stars 4-3
Far Mountain's Sonny Elliott had his best performance this season with a close 4-3 decision over the Elnora All-Stars as he halted their losing streak at four. Elliot (3-2) checked them on five hits. He walked five and also fanned five. Losing pitcher Carl Costas (1-4) departed after the seventh and yielded four runs and eight hits, striking out nine batters. Right Fielder Joe Leroux drilled a two-run homer to spark the Redhawks and three players had a pair of hits each -- first baseman Royce Benson, catcher Dave Davis and left fielder Gerald Davis. The All-Stars had won three in a row.

Far Mountain (10-12) is fourth in the RBU North and stands four games out of the top spot. Elnora is fifth and five games behind.

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Saturday, May 11, 2001

Ruthlandian Baseball Union

RBU South Division

Rattlers Stop Westerners Win Streak
The top club in the RBU South, the Sugar Valley Rattlers put a stop to Waleska's winning streak at three with a 6-5 victory. Manager Gibson Bobkins called on his fine closer Gregg Neal and he got them out of hole again with his 4th save. He relieved in the ninth and ended the Westerners threat. They had the tying run on, but couldn't get it in. Neal retired all three men he faced. Tony Michelet (2-2) was the winner, but he gave up four runs and seven hits and had to be taken out in the seventh with the score 6-4. The Waleska loser was Marv Chancellor (1-4), who was pounded for six runs and nine hits before he was relieved in the sixth inning. Third baseman Jorge Vargas and first baseman Ken Arnold had homers for Sugar Valley. Right fielder Karl Dietz led them with two hits and three RBIs. For the Westerners Big Hoss Burkhalter rapped his 5th roundtripper and drove in two runs.

The Rattlers (12-9) are in first place in the RBU South, a game in front of third place Waleska (12-11). Sugar Valley is just a half-game ahead of second place Marston (12-10). Forest City (11-11) and Belair Beach (11-11) are tied for fourth, 1.5 games out.

Nine Shoots Down Sunbirds 8-4
Powerball was the name of the game at Bayside Park in Belair Beach -- but it was the visiting Marston Nine that played it. First baseman Johnny Berthold and right fielder Chris Deangelo both powered three-run homers to pave the way for Marston 8-4 triumph over the hometown Sunbirds. Surprise starter Ed Vogler (2-1) gained the victory as he lasted into the ninth and allowed four runs and 13 hits. Jorge Bonilla relieved him and got his second save this season. Dirk Garrett (1-5) was hit hard and took the loss. He was belted for six runs and 7 hits before he left in the fifth. Belair Beach outhit the Nine 13 to 12, but wasted many of them.

Marston (12-10) is in the second spot in the RBU South Division, just a half-game behind Sugar Valley (12-9), while Belair Beach (11-11) is in a fourth place tie with Forest City and trails by 1.5 games.

FC Slides by Diamonds 5-4
The Forest City Lumberjacks scored late to take a close 5-4 win from the Claxton Diamonds. Third baseman Ricky Mitchell tied it 3-all in the sixth with his 5th roundtripper and pinchhitter Benny Davis sent them ahead 4-3 in the seventh with his 5th home run. Center fielder Ryan Morse doubled and was driven in by shortstop Pops Keller to make it 5-3. Claxton got their offense from Mike McCluskey's solo shot and third baseman Keith Olsen's two-run triple. Righthander Glenn Moore (1-0) turned in a journeyman's job, holding the Diamonds to four runs on eight hits, but he had to get help for the last out in the ninth from Timmy Brooks. It was Brooks' first save of the year. Bill Wallace (0-2) lost it for Claxton as he was tagged for nine hits and five runs. He pitched into the seventh.

The Lumberjacks (11-11) snapped a two-game losing streak and are in a fourth place tie with Belair Beach (11-11), only 1.5 games out of first. Claxton (8-14) is at the bottom of the RBU South Division.

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Saturday, May 11, 2001

Tycobbian Baseball Union

TBU East Division

Ozarka Zaps South Fork, Tied CC for First
Ozarka busted out in the last two innings with seven runs to zap the South Fork Stallions 9-3 at Jock Ewing Stadium. Up until then, the Nats were trailing 3-2. They shelled starter Flint Battle for four in the eighth and got three more off Glenn Turnbull in the ninth. In all Ozarka slapped out 13 hits, led by second baseman Duane Starr with 4-for-5 and 2 RBIs and third sacker Doug Cunningham with 2-for-4, including a three-run homer. The Stallions only managed six hits off Luther Hatch and Alex DiMaggio. Hatch hurled six innings, allowed six hits and three runs. DiMaggio (1-0) worked three scoreless innings and got credit for the victory. He stopped South Ford cold and held them hitless. Battle (3-3) suffered the loss as he was hit around for six runs and eight hits and departed in the eighth, down 6-3.

The Naturals climbed up into a first place tie in the TBU East Division with the Cape Coral Hurricanes. Both clubs have 13-9 records. The Stallions are last with a 9-14 mark.

Z's Squeeze by CC 2-1
Luxora's youthful righthander Keith Callahan outhurled Cape Coral's wily old lefty Wally Robinson 2-1. The 20-year-old Callahan (2-2) scattered eight hits, struck out eight and beat the 37-year-old Robinson. 1B Rick Castle accounted for the only run off of Callahan with a solo shot in the ninth. Robinson (4-2) fanned eleven batters and walked nobody in a strong outing. He yielded nine hits and only one earned run. Third baseman Rico Vina drove in both runs for the Zorros with a fifth-inning single.

Luxora improved to 10-11 on the year and is in the fourth spot in the TBU East. First place Cape Coral dipped to 13-9 and into a first place tie with Ozarka.

Ginza Outhomers Hellcats 3-2
Four home runs accounted for all of the runs in the game with both teams hitting two apiece, but Ginza got the win 3-2 over Hartsdale. It was the Ninjas third victory in a row. Center fielder Takashi Fujimoto hit a two-run roundtripper in the third inning for the Ninjas and right fielder Charlie Campbell hit the game-winner in the fifth. Third baseman Whiz Weaver and second baseman Francisco Abreu hit solo shots for the Hellcats. Righthander Vic Rousakis (2-3) pitched a whale of game and limited Hartsdale to just four hits. He fanned eight and walked only two. The defeat went to Hellcat starter Glenn Mann (2-3), who left after six frames and gave up three runs on seven hits.

Ginza (11-11) now has sole possession of third place in the TBU East, two games behind the co-leaders, Cape Coral and Ozarka. It was a tough loss for Hartsdale (10-12). The Hellcats are now in fifth place, but only three games back.

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Saturday, May 11, 2001

Tycobbian Baseball Union

TBU West Division

Lynx Hold Off Frogs
With some nifty relief work from Frank Lamoreaux, the TBU West's top club held off Fairfax at the Frog Pond 5-4. La Claire's Lamoreaux chilled down the Frogs over the last three innings on two hits and no runs. It was the fine middle reliever's first save this season. He protected the win for starter Nickie Baumgartner (2-3), who lasted six innings and permitted four runs and five hits. Jimmy Dalton (2-2) went down to defeat as he was rocked for five runs and nine hits and had to hit the shower in the sixth, when the Lynx got the final two scores. Third baseman Kenny Hall homered and collected three hits in four at-bats to pace La Claire and shortstop Dirk Lindahl has two RBIs. First baseman Ernie Hutchinson tripled in two runs for Fairfax in the sixth.

Manager Rip Calkin's Lynx (15-8) increased the division lead to 2.5 games over second place Fairfax (12-10), skippered by Harry Buckley.

Viks Rally, Top Bucs 8-6
Bayview came back from an early 6-3 deficit to whip the Bay St. Clair Buccaneers 8-6 and give them their third consecutive defeat. Second baseman Alan Hansen clubbed a two-run clout to tie it 6-6 in the sixth and third baseman Karl Benson decided it with a two-run smash in the last of the eighth. Fred Snow (2-0) recorded the victory with three excellent innings out of the bullpen. He and Manny Tettelbach kept the Bucs runless from the third inning on. The loser was Ken Kazak (0-1), who gave up the ill-fated tie-breaking blast. Hansen paced the Viking 12-hit attack with a perfect 4-for-4 with three runs scored and two driven in. Bay St. Clair countered with 13 hits and were led by catcher Jake Singleton, who went 3-5 with an RBI. Bubba Tate and Charlie Moon sparked the Bucs with two-run roundtrippers.

The Bayview Vikings (12-11) moved up to third place in the TBU West race, while the Bucs (7-15) sunk deeper in the basement. Bayview is three games in back of first place La Claire (15-8) and Bay St. Clair is 7.5 games off the pace.

Champs End Sox's 4-Game Steak
"Ace" Howe of the Arlon Champions lived up to his first name today at Derby Downs as shut down Blue Lake on five hits and beat them 4-1. That wiped out the Champs four-game losing streak and also was the Blue Sox first taste of defeat in four games. Howe (2-2) finished up with four strikeouts and two walks and outpitched one of the IPA's best, Bennie West (3-3). Blue Lake's top twirler went seven innings, struck out five, yielded three runs and four hits. It was all over in the opening frame, when left fielder Matt Merrill hammered a three-run homer. Center fielder Jerry Keller drove in the other run in the eighth.

Arlon (10-12) is in the fifth spot in the TBU West, while Blue Lake (11-11) is fourth and trail first place La Claire by 3.5 games.

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Sunday, May 12, 2001

Ruthlandian Baseball Union

RBU North Division

Last Place V's Top Vipers 3-2
Volusia's Leo Flores and Ricky Moreno teamed up to beat the first place Valmara Vipers 3-2 in the opener of a doubleheader. The Vigilantes are in the RBU North cellar, but they didn't play like it today. In the last of the ninth, center fielder Alex Luna singled off closer Andre Trepanier, stole second and came in with the winning run, when first baseman Alejandro Salazar singled him in. Flores started and hurled eight solid innings, yielding only two runs and five hits with five strikeout and two walks. Moreno (2-0) notched the win with a scoreless ninth. Todd Turner tossed the first eight for the Vipers and allowed two runs on eleven hits. He fanned six and walked two. Trepanier (1-2) was tagged with loss. Hitting stars for Volusia were Salazar with 2-3 and two RBIs and left fielder Jesus Arroyo 3-5 with one run batted in.

Vipers Split with Vigilantes
Valmara and Volusia split a pair today at Silver River Stadium. The Vipers took game two 3-2 with a three-run rally in the top of the eighth. Shortstop Mike Ellefsen tied it up with a solo homer. The winning run scored on a single by third baseman Rickey O'Reilley. Chuck Kowalcyzk and Danny Blauser combined to hold the Vigilantes to six hits. Kowalcyzk started and went six innings, giving up only one run and five hits. Blauser (3-0) came in in the seventh and allowed one run and one hit to win it. Hank Massey (2-4) started and was the loser. He gave a good effort, permitting five hits and two runs in seven innings, only one earned. O'Reilley paced Valmara at bat with 3-for-4. Shortstop Scooter Perez and Jorge Rosado each had two hits for the V's.

Valmara is 15-9 on the year and Volusia is 9-17. The Vipers are on top of the RBU North and the Vigilantes are in last place.

Castille Fires 3-Hit Shutout
Alex Castille blanked Glasco 4-0 to lead the Colfax Blasters to their fourth successive victory. Castille (4-1) was clicking on all cylinders and fired a very impressive three-hitter with four strikeouts and no walk. He had quite a battle on his hands as he and Ernie McCain matched zero for zero on the scoreboard until the bottom of the eighth, when the Blasters broke through for four runs, highlighted by shortstop Wayne O'Reilly's lead-off homer and first baseman Dennis Cole's three-run clout. In all, McCain (2-1) allowed seven hits, fanned five and issued three bases on balls.

"The first two pitches I'm looking for an out, a ground ball or a fly ball," Castille said. "I'm trying to get quick outs. I've never been a big believer in trying to strike a guy out from the very first pitch. It's too easy to end up behind in the count doing that."

This year Castille has a 4-1 record with a 3.25 ERA in 6 starts.

Colfax's win streak improved their season record to 14-9, while Glasco is 12-10 after losing a fourth straight contest to the Blasters. Colfax is just a half-game in back of first place Valmara (15-9) in the RBU North Division. The third place Athletics are two games out.

All-Stars Shine, Top Redhawks 7-4
The All-Stars pounded out 14 hits to waylay the Far Mountain Redhawks 7-4 in the first game of a twinbill at State Fair Park in Elnora. Leftfielder Quincy Peterson led the hit brigade with 4-for-5 and two RBIs, while catcher Todd Simons and third baseman Richie Franklin also chipped two RBIs each. Southpaw Sean Sykes (4-1) went the distance for the win. He gave up four runs and nine hits, fanned six and issued two walks. Losing pitcher Denny Arthur (1-4) had a tough start and departed after six innings. He was touched for 12 hits and seven runs. Elnora rapped him for four runs in the seventh to bust the game wide open. Far Mountain's Johnny Stickland hit his 8th roundtripper of the year and Tommy Sonnier belted his third. Both came with the bases empty.

Redhawks Gain Split, Edge Elnora in 13th
A double by shortstop Joey Cannizzaro got Far Mountain a split in the twinbill with the Elnora All-Stars. The Redhawks won it in the thirteenth 5-4. Manager Alex Groveland called on closer Doc Rutledge (2-1) to work overtime and he picked up the victory, allowing only one run in four innings with four strikeouts and no bases on balls. Elnora skipper Zoggy White did the same -- his bullpen ace, Wally Tidwell, went five innings, giving up three runs and eight hits and taking the loss. Tidwell also had four Ks with no walks. The Redhawks outhit the All-Stars 13 to 7 with right fielder Tommy Sonnier going 4-for-6 and first baseman Royce Benson and second baseman Shirai Kobayashi getting three hits each. Benson had two-run homer and a triple. Cannizzaro had two hits and two RBIs. Right fielder Art Atkins paced Elnora with 2-for-6, including a home run and two RBIs.

Starters for both clubs stood out. John Lizzatti worked seven innings for the Redhawks and limited the All-Stars to just two hits and two runs, while Troy Hudson hurled eight innings for Einora and gave up only two runs and five hits.

At the end of the day Far Mountain and Elnora have identical 10-13 records and are tied for fourth place in the RBU North, 4.5 games behind the division leader, Valmara (15-9).

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Sunday, May 12, 2001

Ruthlandian Baseball Union

RBU South Division

Marston Drubs Sunbirds in Opener
Center fielder Ronnie Lee and left fielder Ronnie Horn lit up Belair Beach pitching and propelled the Marston Nine to an 8-4 drubbing of the Sunbirds. Lee had a perfect 4-for-4 day, including three RBIs, while Horn went 4-for-5, scored twice and drove in one. Horn drilled a homer and a triple. Overall the Nine banged out 14 hits. Nick Pace (5-2) staggered at times, but got stronger as the game went on. He gave up four runs in the first five frames, but then shut down the Sunbirds. Pace permitted 7 hits, fanned five and walked one on the way to his fifth victory, tied for the most wins in the IPA. Todd Wilson (2-2) took the defeat as Marston lashed him for nine hits and five runs in six innings.

Marston Nine Sweeps Sunbirds
Marston powered their way to a 8-0 thrashing of Belair Beach and swept both ends of the twinbill. The Nine rapped 12 hits and three home runs, sparked by catcher Mo Chappell, who singled, doubled and homered to drive in three runs and right fielder Ronnie Lee with a homer and two singles, three runs scored and two RBIs. Second baseman Ken Green hit the other roundtripper. The victory went to Paul Azard (1-0). He shut out the Sunbirds on three hits for the first six innings and was taken out by his manager, Johnny Walters. It was Azard's first start this season and Walters had him on a strict pitch count. Ed Vogler pitched the last three innings and finished out the shutout. He allowed no hits, fanned five and walked one in a superb relief stint. Belair Beach's Terry Christian (0-1) was the loser. The NIne routed him after four runs and six hits in four innings.

The two victories move Marston (14-10) into the top spot in the RBU South, a half-game ahead of the Sugar Valley Rattlers (13-10). Belair Beach fell below .500 with an 11-13 record. The Sunbirds are in fifth place.

Kraft Crafts Shutout
Rusty Kraft of Waleska had his best stuff working today as he spun a 6-hit shutout over the first place Sugar Valley Rattlers and beat them 2-0. Kraft (2-2) struckout five and walked two to claim the victory. He had a tough competitor in Ron Benson, who lost a tough one. Benson (3-2) shackled the Westerners on just two hits in seven innings with 8 Ks, but one of them was Big Hoss Burkhalter's 6th homer of the year. Trailing 1-0 on the seventh, manager Gibby Bobkins was forced to pinch hit for Benson in the seventh. Fred Shelton's sac fly accounted for the other run. It came off closer Gregg Neal in the ninth. Waleska only got five hits in the game.

Rattlers Win Nightcap from Westerners 7-5
The Waleska Westerners had their hitting shoes on in the second game with Sugar Valley and gained a split in the doubleheader. The Westerners cracked 11 hits in the 7-5 triumph. Left fielder Cy Bartz paced the club with three hits and catcher Hal Stevenson and pitcher Phil Howard had two hits apiece. Howard hit two doubles and scored twice. Howard (2-1) got credit for the win, but needed ninth-inning help from Gregg Neal. It was Neal's 5th save the season. Howard surrendered five runs and six hits, three of them home runs. Smokey Joe Carter (3-4) suffered the setback after allowing six runs and nine hits in seven innings, but only three were earned. Waleska committed two errors. Center fielder Rick Vaughn, first sacker Freddie Shelton and left fielder Big Hoss Burkhalter all hit roundtrippers for the Westerners. Burkhalter has hit 7 this season.

The split gives Sugar Valley a 13-10 mark in the RBU South and Waleska a 13-12 record. The Rattlers are in second place, a half-game out of first. The Westerners are in third, 1.5 games out.

'Jacks Easy Winner in First Game
Gene Stuart pitched well and the Forest City Lumberjacks hit well to easily defeat Claxton 7-3 in the first game of the doubleheader at Riverside Stadium. Stuart (3-1) twirled a complete game, stopping the Diamonds on six hits, striking out five and walking only one. The 'Jacks backed him up with a solid offense, led by second baseman Jesse Wolf. He belted out three hits in five at-bats, drove in four runs and scored twice. Wolf doubled and homered. The losing pitcher was Pat Castellani (2-2), who departed in the sixth after giving up six runs and six hits. Castellani fanned six batters and walked four in a rocky outing.

Diamonds Win, Divide D'Header
Claxton came back from a 3-0 deficit to edge Forest City 4-3 in eleven innings in the nightcap and divide the doubleheader. The Diamonds got a strong start from 19-year old Dennis Scott (1-2). He went the entire eleven innings and permitted nine hits, struck out six and issued just two bases on balls. Late inning home runs by left fielder Winky Rush and right fielder Dixie Baker got Claxton back in the game against Vince Edelman. The Lumberjacks starter had blanked them through seven. Three singles and a throwing error by right fielder Ryan Morse cost closer Timmy Brooks (1-1) the ballgame. Third baseman Keith Olsen delivered the game-winning hit. Second baseman Jesse Wolf again top the 'Jacks hitters with two hits and three RBIs. Wolf hit his 8th roundtripper this year in the third inning.

Forest City (12-12) holds the fourth spot in the RBU South Division, while the Claxton Diamonds (9-15) continue to struggle in last place. The Lumberjacks are only two games behind first place Marston. Claxton trails by five.

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Sunday, May 12, 2001

Tycobbian Baseball Union

TBU East Division

Nats Whip Stallions in Opener
Manager Joe Mac Carney was smiling from ear-to-ear. His Ozarka Naturals had just belted the South Fork Stallions 8-1 and took over first place in the TBU East Division. "I know it's early in the season and we have a long way to go, but it is always nice to be in first place."
The Nats teed off on South Fork pitching for 12 hits with everybody but the pitcher getting a hit. Third baseman Doug Cunningham had a big day as he slammed two homers and drove in three runs. He has hit 11 out of the park this season. Carney also was smiling about his pitcher, too. Ted Didriksen (4-1) stood out with a four-hitter for his fourth win in a row. He struck out six, but was wild at times with five walks. Booger Burchfield (1-3) labored and was knocked out in the fourth after surrendering five runs and seven hits.

In the only single game in the TBU today, Cape Coral dropped a 3-2 decision to Luxora and slipped to second place,

SF Upends Nats 3-2 for Split
The last place South Fork Stallions salvaged game two of the doubleheader by edging first place Ozarka 3-2. Jamie Kelly and Billy Joe Gordon combined to stop the Naturals. Kelly worked six innings and held them to just two runs despite being tagged for ten hits. He was tagged for two solo homers - one each by first baseman Fred Snow and center fielder Teddy Braun. Kelly (1-2) got the win with super relief from Billy Joe Gordon, who retired all nine batters he face for his second save this season. Big 6'7" Donnie Young (0-2) went the route in defeat, giving up seven hits. Paul Giles hit for the circuit in the opening inning to give the Stallions a 1-0 lead. Ozarka regained the lead 2-1 in the top of the fifth, only to lose it in the bottom half of the inning. when center fielder Mike Yastrzemski tripled to tie it up, then scored the winning run on second baseman Bob Jones' sacrifice fly.

In spite of the loss, Ozarka (14-10) is still a half-game in front of second place Cape Coral (13-10). The Stallions (10-15) are pulling up the rear in the TBU East, 4.5 game behind.

Z's Sneak by 'Canes 3-2
Manager Rodrigo Alejandro got a stout performance out of portsider Johnny Montel in the 3-2 Luxora victory over first place Cape Coral. Montel (2-3) went the distance and checked the Hurricanes on seven hits with seven strikeouts and just one walk. He outpitched Gary Fountain (3-1), who tasted defeat for the first time this season. Fountain struck out ten in just seven innings and allowed only four hits. Left fielder Pedro Vizquel nailed him for a two-run homer in the opening frame and pinchhitter Tommy Gonsalves snapped a 2-all tie with a sacrifice fly in the seventh. Cape Coral's first baseman Rodger Wooten accounted for their runs in the first with a two-run shot into the stands. The Hurricanes outhit the Zorros seven to four.

This was the only single game on the TBU schedule today, the rest were Sunday doubleheaders. It was Luxora's (11-11) third straight win over Cape Coral (13-10) and bumped the Hurricanes down to second place, a half-game behind Ozarka. The Z's are in third place, two games off the pace.

Sears Shuts Out Ninjas in Game 1
All the damage was done in the second inning. Hartsdale ripped Buddy Hart (1-3) for four runs and five hits to sink Ginza 4-0 in the first game of the twinbill, while the Ninjas had no success against Jim Sears (2-2). The Hellcat righthander blanked them on eight hits, fanned three and walked two. Second baseman Francisco Abreu homered to lead off the inning. Third baseman Whiz Weaver doubled and scored on catcher Nickie Griffin's single, then shortstop Mike Burke cracked a two-run roundtripper.

The Hartsdale victory put an end to Ginza's three-game winning skein.

Ninjas Nip 'Cats in Nightcap
Bullpen ace Ken Watkins saved the day for Ginza as the Ninjas nipped Hartsdale 5-4 to split the doubleheader. He came to the aid of Alec Sasek, who was roughed up in the ninth by the Hellcats. They mounted a rally that had cut the lead to just one run. Watkins struck out two of the three batters he faced to close it out and save it for starter Kojiro Matsumoto. The little 5'7" righthander won his fourth straight decision and gave Phil Reed (4-1) his first loss. Third baseman Kaz Ojima led the Ninjas with a single, triple and three RBIs and first baseman Kenshin Yamamoto knocked in the other two with two singles. Hartsdale hammered Ginza pitching for 12 hits with shortstop Mike Burke (3-5), third baseman Whiz Weaver (3-4) and left fielder Jay Luna (3-5) leading the way with three hits apiece. Matsumoto (4-0) allowed nine hits, but only two runs in eight innings. He whiffed four and walked three.

Ginza (12-12) is now tied for third in the TBU East with the Luxora Zorros (11-11) and trail the Ozarka Naturals by two games. Hartsdale (11-13) is in the fifth spot, three games behind.

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Sunday, May 12, 2001

Tycobbian Baseball Union

TBU West Division

Lynx Lick Frogs in Opener 4-1
In the opening game of a doubleheader at the Frog Pond the top club in the TBU West knocks off the second place team. La Claire whipped the Fairfax Frogs 4-1 behind the pitching of Pat Daniels and Tony Nygaard. It was a rainy and cool day at the Frog Pond as Daniels (3-2) blanked the home team on three hits over the first five frames with five strikeouts and no walks. A long rain delay caused his departure, but he got credit for the win. Nygaard came in from the bullpen and didn't miss a lick. He stopped Fairfax on one run and four hits the rest of the way to pick up his first save this season. Mel Murray (2-3) was the loser. He allowed four hits and two runs and left in the sixth. Offensively the Lynx had only seven base hits, while Fairfax had six. La Claire shortstop Dirk Lindahl drove in two with a double. Center fielder Lucky Collins and catcher Dennis Weiss had the other two RBIs. Frog third baseman Stan Cobb pushed across their only run with a double.

Schuessler Slings 1-Hitter
It must have been Senior Citizens Day at the Frog Pond in Fairfax. 40-year-old Johnny Schuessler set a new IPA record for the fewest hits allowed. He fired a one-hitter at the La Claire Lynx. Left fielder Rich Hart spoiled the party for him with a seventh-inning double. Schuessler (1-3) fanned four and walked three in the 5-0 victory. Hitting stars for the Frogs were right fielder Gregg Vincent with 3-4, including a two-run double, and catcher Joey Jarvis with a two-run homer.
The losing pitcher was Nick Pilsner (1-2), who was victimized by a five-run fifth.
Schuessler told reporters he had tossed several no-hitters in his career. "But it sure would have been special to throw the first one in the IPA."
"Johnny is not a hard thrower, but he had good movement today," said his manager Harry Buckley. "And he stayed ahead in the count, too".
The old mark of two was held by Bennie West of Blue Lake against Arlon and Gary Fountain of Cape Coral against South Fork.

Even though the Lynx (16-9) dropped the nightcap, they still maintained a 2.5 game edge over Fairfax (13-11). Due to the Bayview (14-11)sweep of Bay St.Clair, the Vikings are now in second place in the TBU West, two games off the pace of La Claire.

Vikings Take Opener from Bucs
Bayview got only four hits in the first game of a doubleheader with Bay St. Clair, but it was enough to take a 3-2 victory. The Vikings have won the last three games, while the Bucs have dropped four straight. Left fielder Glenn Burns slammed a first-inning home run, catcher Tommy Harrell had a sacrifice fly in the second and pitcher Charley Andrews and second baseman Alan Hansen teamed up for the winning run in the ninth. Andrews tripled and came in on Hansen's sac fly. A sixth-inning homer by first baseman Maury Smith put the Buccaneers on the scoreboard.
Andrews (3-1) got the win as he worked eight innings, surrenedered seven hits and two runs. Buddy Lewis got his IPA-leading sixth save with a scary, but runless ninth. Bay St. Clair had runners on first and second against Lewis with one out, but failed to get them in. Lefthander Gary Robinson tossed a good game. He went the distance and held the Vikings to just four hits, fanned two and walked four.

Viks Sweep Pair from Bucs
Manager Walter Johanssen's Bayview Vikings are on a roll. They swept Sunday's twinbill from the last place Bay St. Clair Buccaneers and now have won four consecutive games to move up into the number two spot in the TBU West. In the nightcap southpaw Jesus Carvajal (2-1) skunked the Bucs on a four-hit shutout 1-0. Carvajal walked none and struck out five in a standout performance. Bay St. Clair's Ben Crowley (1-2) suffered the defeat as he gave up only three hits in seven innings. Second baseman Alan Hansen was the difference in the game. In the sixth he doubled, stole third and then came in to score, when left fielder Glenn Burns grounded out to second base. Hansen was 3-for-4 in the game and improved his batting average to .424.

Bayview (14-11) is only two games behind the division-leading La Claire Lynx (16-9). It was the cellar-dwelling Buccaneers (7-17) fifth loss in a row.

Bullock Wins Opener for Blue Sox
In the first game of the doubleheader Blue Lake got a route-going job from lefty Donnie Bullock today at Harbor Stadium. Bullock (3-2) junked his way past the Arlon Champions 5-2. He gave up eight hits and only two runs, finishing up with four strikeouts and two walks. Left fielder Greg Boone led the Blue Sox 10-hit attack with 3 hits in 4 tries and a two-run homer. Center fielder Donnie Frazier also drove in two runs, with the other RBI going to first baseman Fred Taranto. The Sox pinned the loss on Sean Dudek (0-1), who allowed three runs and six hits before departing in the sixth.

The second game of the doubleheader took 12 innings, when Arlon finally blew the lid off with a 7-run explosion and routed Blue Lake 13-6. The Champions battered Russ Courtney (0-1) for a total of eight runs in four innings to take the nightcap. Jeff Nieman (3-0) captured his third win of the season with five fine innings of relief work. He held Blue Lake scoreless on four hits with two Ks and no walks.
Arlon bashed out 18 hits in the game, while the Blue Sox had 15. This is the most hits ever in an extra-inning game. Second baseman Karl Detwiler, first baseman George Lyons and right fielder Steve Barnett each swatted three hits. Detwiler led in RBIs with four, Lyons had 3, and Barnett and center fielder Jerry Keller had two apiece. Offensive leaders for the Blue Sox were left fielder Greg Boone with 4-for-5 and center fielder Donnie Frazier 3-for-6. Boone and second sacker Ken Bennett hit solo home runs.

Sox-Champs Split Two

The second game of the doubleheader took 12 innings, when Arlon finally blew the lid off with a 7-run explosion and routed Blue Lake 13-6. The Champions battered Russ Courtney (0-1) for a total of eight runs in four innings to take the nightcap. Jeff Nieman (3-0) captured his third win of the season with five fine innings of relief work. He held Blue Lake scoreless on four hits with two Ks and no walks.
Arlon bashed out 18 hits in the game, while the Blue Sox had 15. This is the most hits ever in an extra-inning game. Second baseman Karl Detwiler, first baseman George Lyons and right fielder Steve Barnett each swatted three hits. Detwiler led in RBIs with four, Lyons had 3, and Barnett and center fielder Jerry Keller had two apiece. Offensive leaders for the Blue Sox were left fielder Greg Boone with 4-for-5 and center fielder Donnie Frazier 3-for-6. Boone and second sacker Ken Bennett hit solo home runs.

The old record for most hits by two teams in an extra inning game was established by Luxora (18) and Hartsdale (12) on May 5th. They totaled 30 between them. The clubs played 15 innings.

The teams also set an IPA mark for most doubles in a game with ten, six by Arlon and four by Blue Lake. The old mark of nine belonged to Volusia (6) and Elnora (3) set on May 8th. Hartsdale holds the record for the most by one team. The Hellcats hit seven against Cape Coral on April 25th.

Blue Lake and Arlon divided the twinbill. The Blue Sox (12-12) are in fourth place in the TBU West, 3.5 games out of first, while the Champions (11-13) are fifth, 4.5 games behind.

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times

Monday, May 13, 2001

Elnora All-Stars

Owner/GM: George Costanza

Manager: Zoggy White

Elnora, population 101,000, is a port city at the edge of the Great Plains on the east coast of Ruthlandia near the Valerian Ocean. It is one of the earliest settlements in the Islands. Elnora is the site of grain processing plants, vast wheat fields and shipping docks.

It was the home of the first amateur teams formed by companies and commercial enterprises in the 1920s. Players were given jobs by the companies and then given ample time off to practice their skills and to play games to publicize the companies' wares, services and products to the baseball fans of Ruthlandia.

The Elnora All-Stars are owned by an eccentric by the name of George Costanza. He jumped at the chance to get a franchise in the Islandian Pro Alliance and immediately began signing up all of the amateur all-stars and named his team the All-Stars. But IPA commissioner, John Banson, refused to approve the contracts. Costanza had to go through the league draft to get his players.

Elnora plays in the Ruthlandian Baseball Alliance and is in the North Division.

The Elnora All-Stars play at State Fair Park, which is the site of the Ruthlandian State Fair each year. It is the largest midway and carnival in the Islands. State Fair Park is famous for serving great soups, made by the famous Elaine Benes Soup Company. Costanza imported a renowned and sometimes difficult chef from Argentina to manage his concessions. In addition to traditional baseball foods, wonderful soups like mulligatawny, lima bean, turkey chili, crab bisque, cold cucumber, corn and crab chowder are served up at the ballpark. A word of warning, don't ask for bread or it is "no soup for you". The Chef demands that all customers in his restaurant follow his meticulous (and seemingly arbitrary) soup-ordering instructions to the letter, lest they be refused service by his insistent avowal, "No soup for you!"

Costanza did go out and get a great manager for the All-Stars. He hired the most successful industrial league manager in Ruthlandian baseball history, Zoggy White. He was only a semi-mediocre outfielder, but really made his mark as a manager. In reference to his success as a player versus his success as a manager, White once said, "Baseball has been good to me since I quit trying to play it." His style of play, which was nicknamed "Whiteyball," concentrates on pitching, speed, and defense to win games rather than home runs. White's baseball philosophy also includes a preference for patient hitters with high on-base percentages.

State Fair Park (1971)

Capacity: 12,500

Dimensions:
LF Line 335
LF 370
LCF 399
CF 415
RCF 399
RF 370
RF Line 335

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times

Sunday, May 12, 2001

Ruthlandian Baseball Union

North and South Division Standings

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times

Sunday, May 12, 2001

Tycobbian Baseball Union

East and West Division Standings

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Monday, May 13, 2001

Ruthlandian Baseball Union

RBU North Division

Blasters Outlast A's in 18 Innings
It was the longest game in IPA history -- breaking the old mark by three innings. Colfax and Glasco battled long and hard for 18 innings and when the dust finally settled the Blasters finally won 4-3 on Wayne O'Reilly's groundball single off Charles Darby with the bases loaded. Darby came on in relief of Arnie McFalls with one out and runners on first and second. He got the second out on a deep fly to right, the runner on second tagged and went to third. Darby walked the dangerous clean-up hitter Dennis Cole (.306) intentionally and then gave up the game-winner to O'Reilly (.205). McFalls (2-3) was credited with the loss, while Robbie Smith (1-1) picked up the win with three spotless innings.

The previous mark was set when Hartsdale whipped Luxora 7-6 in 15 innings on May 5th.

It was the Blasters (15-9) fifth consecutive victory and the Athletics (12-11) fifth straight loss. Colfax has bumped Valmara (15-10) out of the top spot in the RBU North Division. Glasco is in third place.

Volusia Whips Valmara
Last place Volusia scored early and held on to top Valmara 7-5. Vigilantes left fielder Jesus Arroyo and center fielder Alex Luna belted two-run homers to lead the attack. Manager Alfonso Feliz needed a rested pitcher and gave reliever Carl Schmitz (1-0) a surprise start and he did well, checking the Vipers on four hits and three runs over the first six frames. Schmitz left with a 7-3 lead. Valmara threatened in the ninth and closer Ricky Moreno put an end to it and picked up his third save. With the tying runs on first and second, Moreno induced Floyd Vinson (.253) to hit into a game-ending double play. Gerry Bart ((1-2) sustained the loss, giving up five runs, three hits and four walks in less than two inning of work. Center fielder Jan Szymanski (.274) paced the Viper hitters with 3-for-3, including two homers and four RBIs. He also tied an IPA mark for the most runs in a game with four. Dennis Cole of Colfax and Arlon's Jerry Keller have also done it. Cole did it April 25th and Keller on May 6th.

Valmara's (15-10) defeat dropped them to second place in the RBU North, a half-game in back of the Colfax Blasters(15-9). Volusia (10-16) is in last place.

Tinker Tops FM Redhawks 3-1
John Tinker of Elnora is in a groove. He had another impressive outing in the 3-1 triumph over the Far Mountain Redhawks. The All-Star lefty stopped them on four hits, struck out four and issued no walks. Tinker outpitched Vic Vaux (2-1), who tossed seven innings, allowed seven hits, all three runs, fanned four and walked four. Gil Foster (.427), Quincy Peterson (.250) and Todd Simons (.284) drove in the runs. Simons got his on his first homer of the season.

With the win the All-Stars (11-13) moved a game ahead of the Redhawks (10-14) in the RBU North race. Elnora is in fourth place, while Far Mountain rests in fifth.

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Monday, May 13, 2001

Ruthlandian Baseball Union

RBU South Division

Sunbirds Sneak by Marston
Belair Beach trailed 5-2 after seven innings, but rallied late to beat the first place Marston Nine 6-5 in ten innings at Legends Field. In the eighth right fielder Nicky Swift (.311) evened the score at 5-5 with his second homer of the game, a two-run shot. Then in the tenth, center fielder Matty McDermott (.327) belted the game-winner off losing pitcher Vinnie Gardner (0-1). Lou Zanelli (3-0) earned his third win of the season with three scoreless innings. Swift was 3-for-4 with four RBIs. Shortstop Don Nichols (.200) had a bases-loaded triple for the Nine.

Marston (14-11) had its three-game win streak against the Sunbirds (12-13) snapped. The Nine are on top of the RBU South, a half-game in front of second place Sugar Valley (13-11) and third place Waleska Westerners (14-12). Belair Beach (12-13) is fifth, trailing by two games.

Westerners Prevail Over Rattlers
The close RBU South Division just got a little closer as third place Waleska tripped up the Sugar Valley Rattlers 4-1 and bumped them down to the second spot in the standings. Gary Hill (3-0) notched his third victory this year by scattering eight hits over eight innings. Hill had six strikeouts and three walks in a good outing. Joe Harrell got him out of trouble in the ninth and picked up his first save. Harvey Hines (3-2) was tagged with the defeat, yielding four runs and seven hits in six innings. The Westerners outhit Sugar Valley nine to eight.

Waleska (14-12) is number three in the RBU South race and trail the top team Marston (14-11) by a half-game and are just percentage points out of second. Sugar Valley (13-11) holds the runner-up position in the division.

FC Nips Diamonds
Skipper Rob Jackson saw his safe lead dwindling in the ninth, so he summoned Herm Bahr in from the bullpen and he brought the game to a happy ending for the Forest City Lumberjacks. Bahr stopped the Claxton Diamonds and preserved a 6-5 win for Ernie Hill (2-1). It was Bahr's first save of the season. Hill worked the first six innings, allowed three runs on six hits, struck out eight and walked five. Tetsunori Nakashima (5-1) suffered his first loss. He was touched for four runs and five hits in just three innings.
'Jacks third baseman Ricky Mitchell (.246) sparked the offense with a three-run homer in the second and center fielder Ryan Morse (.418) added a two-run shot in the fifth to put Forest City up 6-2. Claxton second baseman Donny McCoy (.412) unloaded a two-run salvo in the fifth frame. McCoy and third baseman Keith Olsen (.323) each had three hits.

The Lumberjacks (13-12) are in the fourth spot in the RBU South, but only one game off the pace. Claxton is last with a 9-16 record.

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Monday, May 13, 2001

Tycobbian Baseball Union

TBU East Division

Nats over SF in 13
The top club in the TBU East, the Ozarka Naturals, used the longball to derail the South Fork Stallions 3-2 in 13 innings. Shortstop Kelly Eldridge (.316) socked one out off loser Ken Conner (0-1) to bring home the victory. It was a magnificent pitching duel for eleven innings between the Nats Yasayuki Nakagawa and the Stallions Ken Olson. Nakagawa gave up only five hits with one run, fanned five and walked five. Olson was even better with eleven Ks, two walks, one run and six hits. Alec DiMaggio (2-0) garnered the win in spite of blowing a save in the twelfth. He couldn't close it out after first baseman Floyd Snow's (.241) roundtripper gave Ozarka a 2-1 lead. But he zipped through South Fork 1-2-3 in the bottom of the thirteenth after a lead-off single by left fielder Gene Woodruff (.298).

The Nats ran their season record to 15-10, while the last place Stallions dipped to 10-16.

Fourth place Ginza (12-12) and fifth place Hartsdale (11-13) both had the day off. They were not scheduled. The Ninjas trail Ozarka by 2.5 games, while the Hellcats are 3.5 games back.

Z's Win Fourth in a Row
The Luxora Zorros have been deadly toward the Cape Coral Hurricanes. The Z's have beaten them four in a row, winning 4-2 today at Seaside Stadium. They may rename it Seasick Stadium after Luxora leaves town. A big, lanky lefthander blew the 'Canes away on a six-hitter as Francisco Fernandes (2-1) weaved his junkball magic. The 6'7" hurler beat them to death with a powder puff, striking out only two batters, but not letting them get a good piece of the ball. The Zorros, meanwhile, rocketed three out of the ballpark against loser Owen Pruitt (2-1), who only permitted five hits in eight innings and fanned nine. First baseman Paul Hallenbeck (.301) and third baseman Rico Vina (.262) hammered back-to-back homers in the second inning and shortstop Jimmy Eichelberger (.095) put the game out of reach with a two-run shot in the fifth. Catcher Rick Clark (.294) gave Cape Coral their only runs with a two-run roundtripper in the bottom of the fifth. That was it for the scoring for the day.

The Luxora Zorros are now 12-11 for the year with Cape Coral falling to 13-11. The 'Canes are in second place in the TBU East, two games behind Ozarka (15-10). Luxora is in the third spot in the division.