ISLANDIAN PRO ALLIANCE (RUTHLANDIA and TYCOBBIA BASEBALL UNIONS)

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Monday, October 6, 2031

2031 IPA Pro Cup Final 4 Series

Ruthlandian Union

Valmara In Driver's Seat, Whips Elnora 8-6
A 7-run explosion in the sixth inning put the Valmara Vipers in the driver's seat in the Ruthlandian Final 4 Series... the Vipers captured game four 8-6 on the road in Elnora and now has a commanding 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series... Benny Hooper's 3-run homer put the Vipers ahead 8-2 and they held on as the All-Stars mounted a late-inng rally, but fell short.

Leading the Vipers 12-hit attack was LF Hooper (.262) with 2-for-5, 3 RBIs and 2 runs scored... SS Teddy Rudek (.355) also collected 2 hits and drove in a pair of runs... Elnora also racked up 12 hits with 2B Matt Boyd (.341) and CF Travis Glass (.364) leading the way... Boyd has a solo homer in the game... LF Clint Thomas (.244) also chipped in a pair of doubles, scored twice and batted in a run... starter Teddy Lem got credit for the win, despite being tagged for 5 runs and 9 hits in 7-plus innings... Chris Phillips was roughed up in the ninth for a run on 3 hits, but got a shaky save... Elnora starter Lucien Vashon (2-2/3.77) was torched for 8 runs and 10 hits in 6 innings and was charged with the loss.

Tycobbian Union

Reds Romp 8-1 Over Ninjas, Up 3-1 In Series
Solid pitching by Errol Gaudet, backed up by 11 hits, gave Rolling Hills an easy 8-1 win over Ginza in game four of the Tycobbian Final 4... one more victory by the Reds and they will advance to the Pro Cup Finals... Gaudet (2-1/1.93) stymied the Ninjas on 5 hits and went the distance, striking out 2 and walking nobody... his only slip-up was a solo homer by CF Cotton Cornwall in the seventh... the Reds top bats were LF Scotty Yiska (.229), RF Terry Wade (.353), 3B Billy Jones (.500) and 2B Buffy Kowalczyk (.286), all with 2 hits each... Jones was the RBI leader with 2... loser Harlan Wilson (2-2/4.35) didn't fare well for Ginza... he was belted for 6 runs and 8 hits in his 6 innings.

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Tuesday, October 7, 2031

2031 IPA Pro Cup Final 4 Series

Ruthlandian Union

All-Stars Alive, Pfeffer Blanks Vipers 2-0
The Elnora All-Stars are alive and kicking in the Ruthlandian Final 4... Freddy Pfeffer made sure of that when he hurled a 4-hit shutout to whip Valmara 2-0 in game 5 at State Fair Park and stave off elimination... however the Vipers still have a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series and the homefield advantage... Pfeffer (3-2/1.40) came through again in the clutch with his third consecutive crucial win... he fanned 8 and walked 3 en route to a complete-game victory... Valmara's Garry Gronek (2-3/2.75) was sharp, too... Gronek also went the distance, fanned 4, walked none, and allowed just 2 runs on 6 hits.

The All-Stars got a run in the opening frame on a triple by RF Pettis Pentleton (.296) and a balk by Gronek... the last run came in the fourth when 1B Mel Long (.239) doubled, moved over to third on a wild pitch, and scored on 3B Mike Houston's (.342) groundout to second... the Vipers only got 4 singles and rarely threatened... they only got a runner in scoring position one time in the game... that's was in the sixth when they had runners on first and third with two away.

The series will now go back to Valmara for game six, and if necessary, game seven... the Vipers need just one win in two games at War Memorial Stadium to clinch a spot in the Pro Cup Finals for the second straight year... Valmara was 51-26 at home during the regular season. Elnora plays well on the road, finishing with a 43-34 mark.

Tycobbian Union

Ginza Stuns Reds 7-6 In Game 5 On Swanson's HR
It was beginning to look like Ginza was gonna be long gone from the playoffs in game 5 at Ninja Stadium... Ginza trailed Rolling Hills 6-2 after 5 innings, but then caught fire with 2 in the sixth, one in the seventh and pinchhitter Benny Swanson's 3-run walk-off smash in the last of the ninth to stun the Reds 7-6 and cut their lead in the Tycobbian Final 4 to three games to two... the series will return to Rolling Hills and the Midtown Base Ball Grounds for the rest of the series... the Reds were 47-30 at home during the year and the Ninjas were only 41-36 at opposition ballparks.

Game five was a battle of home runs with each team going deep 3 times... in addition to Swanson's big blast, 1B Johnny O'Rorke (.234) and C Larry Gilbert also homered for the Ninjas, while RF Scotty Yiska (.237), SS Tony Ptacek (.100) and C Tony Brinkerhoff (.270) all had roundtrippers for the Reds... Rolling Hills outhit Ginza 9 to 8... Frank Beard (2-1/1.04) was the winner in relief... he blanked the Reds in the last two innings... closer Maury Cantrell (1-1/3.38) suffered the defeat as he was victimized by Swanson's blow in the ninth.

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Wednesday, October 8, 2031

2031 IPA Pro Cup Final 4 Series

Ruthlandian Union

Elnora Forces 7th Game, Nips Vips 2-1
At War Memorial Stadium in Valmara, Jeremy Sellers sizzled on the mound and Travis Glass delivered two crucial hits to spark the Elnora All-Stars to a tense 2-1 triumph over the Vipers in game six of the Ruthlandian Union Final 4 Series and force a seventh and deciding game... Sellers (2-2/5.74) yielded only 4 hits and one unearned run in 8 innings to even the series at three games each... Sellers was wild with 7 walks, but was tough in the clutch, stranding 10 baserunners... reliever Paul Martina (0-0/1.23) got save number two with a 1-2-3 ninth... losing pitcher Carroll Cain (2-1/3.00) had a fine outing and went all the way for the Vipers, surrendering 2 runs on 10 hits with 4 Ks and no walks.

Glass (.353) cracked an RBI double in the sixth to snap a scoreless tie... Valmara SS Teddy Ruzek (.351) promptly smacked a run-scoring two-bagger to even it up in the bottom half of the frame... then Glass delivered a game-winning single in the eighth inning... Glass leads the playoffs with 11 runs batted in... SS Jarod Martin (.333) had 3 hits and scored both runs to lead the All-Star attack... Elnora outhit Valmara 10 to 4.

Tycobbian Union

Ginza Zaps 4 HRs, Trounces Reds 12-7
On the road in Rolling Hills, the visiting Ginza Ninjas unleased 4 homers to zap the Reds 12-7 in game six of the Tycobbian Union Final 4 to even the series at three games apiece... game seven will be tomorrow afternoon again at the Midtown Baseball Grounds... the Ninjas ran up a 12-2 lead in the eighth and then withstood a Rolling Hills rally.

The big bats for Ginza were C Larry Gilbert (.273) with a 3-run homer, 1B Roger Lanier (.240) with 3 hits and a 2-run blast, pinchhitter Pat Hall (.500) with a 2-run clout and SS Taro Mori (.235) with a solo shot... CF Cotton Cornwall (.271) drove 2 runs and had 2 hits and 2 runs... Mori scored 3 times... the Reds got 9 hits and were paced by RF Scotty Yiska (.238) with 2 runs batted in... Yiska is now tied with Travis Glass of Elnora with 11 RBIs each in the Pro Cup playoffs.

Ginza starter Ryuji Kaneko (2-1/3.14) did a credible job for the win, going 7-plus innings, permitted 4 runs - 2 earned - on 5 hits... Kaneko exited with a 12-4 lead... Buck Myers (2-1/5.85) took the loss and was hit hard for 7 runs and 6 hits in 4 innings.

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Thursday, October 9, 2031

2031 IPA Pro Cup Final 4 Series

Ruthlandian Union

Valmara RU Champ, Outslugs Elnora In Game 7
Pro Cup favorite Valmara escaped elimination with a wild and wooly 14-11 slugfest victory over third-seeded Elnora in game seven of the Ruthlandian Union Final 4 Series... the Vipers prevailed on their home field, War Memorial Stadium, and will now advance to the IPA Pro Cup championship for the second year in a row... last year Valmara fell to Blue Lake in seven games.

It all came down to who had the best relievers and best pinchhitters...Ivan Guzek and Chris Phillips stopped the All-Stars on just 1 run and 3 hits over the final 5 and a third innings to solidify the win... and pinchhitters Belton Braddock (.400) and Roland Hogan (.250) came through with clutch hits... Braddock got a 2-run single in the third and Hogan belted a 2-run double in the sixth.

The game went back-and-forth... Elnora started off with a bang scoring 5 runs in the top of the first... the Vipers retaliated with 6 in the bottom half of the inning... Valmara added 2 more in the third to go ahead 8-5... lost the lead 10-8 in the fourth when Elnora tallied 5 times... the Vipers cut it to 10-9 in the last of the fourth... then busted it open 14-10 with a big 5-run sixth.

The Valmara 14-hit attack was led by CF Russ Gilmore (.167) with a homer and 4 RBIs, LF Benny Hooper (.259) with a double and a triple and 2 RBIs, 3B Amos Gallagher (.278) and RF Gerry Kazmarek (.135) each scored 3 runs, and 1B Jerry Rembert (.212) and SS Teddy Ruzek (.366) had 2 hits and scored 2 runs apiece.

Elnora slammed 3 homers and collected 12 hits... leading the way was RF Pettis Pentleton (.274) with a grand slam homer, 1B Mel Long (.296) clouted a 3-run shot and SS Jarod Martin (.360) hit a solo salvo... it was Long's fourth roundtripper in the postseason and Pentleton's second...Long and Martin paced the All-Stars with 3 hits each.

Both clubs used 5 pitchers each in the game... Valmara's Ivan Guzek (1-1/3.24) copped the win... Guzek came on in the fourth inning and retired all 7 batters he face... Guzek was followed by Chris Phillips, who got his second save in the playoffs with a 3-inning stint in the seventh through the ninth... Phillips allowed 3 hits, but only one run and struck out 3 batters... only Elnora's last pitcher Cliff Jackson was effective with 2 scoreless frames... the defeat went to Jesus Robles (0-1/6.75), who was blasted for 6 runs in 2-plus innings... Robles came on in the top of the fourth and blew the All-Stars 10-8 lead.

Tycobbian Union

RH Reds Heads To Pro Cup, Gaudet Stops Ginza 4-1
The fifth-seeded Rolling Hills Reds rolled over the 8th-seeded Ginza Ninjas 4-1 in the seventh game of the Tycobbian Final 4 to advance to the IPA Pro Cup championship series against the Ruthlandian champion, the Valmara Vipers.

Errol Gaudet put on a masterful performance against gallant Ginza, who gave the favored Reds fits in the series... Gaudet (3-1/1.73) scattered 8 hits and allowed just one run in a complete game, walked none and fanned 2... it ran his postseason record to a brilliant 14-1 over the past 4 seasons... career-wise Gaudet is 16-8 in 27 starts... Gaudet has a very impressive 2.07 ERA in 208 innings spread over 7 playoffs.

A 4-run first off Harlan Wilson gave Rolling Hills more than enough runs... 2B Buffy Kowalczyk (.273) singled in the first run and LF Scotty Yiska (.261) poled a 3-run roundtripper that sealed the fate of the Ninjas... the Reds racked up 15 hits, but wasted many of them... they left 12 runners on base... 1B Billy Christianson (.396) and CF Terry Thorsen (.357) topped the team with 3 hits each... it was Yiska's third playoff homer and ran his RBI total to 14, tops this year in the postseason... LF Sadaharu Uchiyama (.340) cracked 3 base hits in defeat for the Ninjas, 2 of them doubles.

Ginza starter Harlan Wilson allowed a lot of hits, but settled down after a bad first frame and didn't give up another run... Wilson (2-3/4.50) was tagged for 13 hits overall and surrendered all 4 scores.

This year's Pro Cup Finals will begin this Sunday afternoon at War Memorial Stadium in Valmara... both Rolling Hills and Valmara are recent Pro Cup champions with the Reds winning in 2029 and the Vipers taking the crown in 2026... Valmara will have the homefield advantage in the best-of-seven series.

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Friday, October 10, 2031

Pro Cup Preview, Vipers-Reds Toss-up
We are two days away from the IPA Pro Cup Finals between the champions of the Ruthlandian and Tycobbian Unions. The top 8 teams in the Islands have been pared down to just two - the Pro Cup favorite Valmara Vipers and the 5th-seed, the Rolling Hills Reds.

For the first time in several years there are no longshots involved. Both Valmara and Rolling Hills are very talented teams and very evenly matched. The Vipers are better on the mound, while the Reds may have the better offense. Baseball experts are split fairly evenly on the two squads. The oddsmakers have made it a "pick 'em" series with no clear favorite.

Both clubs had to survive tough series in both rounds. Valmara whipped two fine teams to get to the Finals. The Vipers defeated San Dimas in six games and were forced to go seven games against the Elnora All-Stars. The Reds took four of five from East Point in a very intense series where no game was decided by more than 2 runs. It was tough sledding against the Ginza Ninjas, too. Rolling Hills prevailed in a seven-game series. Valmara is 8-5 overall in the postseason, 4-3 at home at War Memorial Stadium and 4-2 on the road, while Rolling Hills is 8-4 in the playoffs with a 3-3 mark at the Midtown Base Ball Grounds and 5-1 out of town.

Valmara is expected to make another serious run for the Pro Cup crown... this is their fourth trip to the Finals... they won it in 2026 and were finalists last year and in 2023... the defending Pro Cup champion Blue Lake Blue Sox failed to make the playoff this season... for the sixth year in succession Jet Kazmarek's club is the RU North winner... Valmara (99-55) coupled great pitching and solid hitting to lead all comers in the IPA with 99 victories... the Vipers batted .275 as a team, ranked fourth in scoring and paced the IPA with a superior 2.85 team ERA... top performers were Garry Gromek (21-17/2.76), Teddy Lem (17-9/2.74), Carroll Cain (17-13/3.22), Ivan Guzek (10-3/2.06/22 saves), LF Benny Hooper (.325/25/115/92), CF Reno DiBenedetto (.285/16/100/101), RF Gerry Kazmarek (.313/10/64/105), C Floyd Randolph (.295/20/97/64) and 1B Jerry Rembert (.264/25/72/77)... Valmara is just average on defense with a .972 FA.

Valmara suffered a big setback when their best hitter Reno DiBenedetto hurt his back in game three of the Elnora series and will likely miss the Pro Cup Finals... DiBenedetto was batting .429 in the postseason with 3 homers, 6 RBIs and 7 runs scored... however, the Vipers really got a lift when Richie Raeburn returned after 7 weeks on the DL... Raeburn gives Valmara another top-notch starter, if he is fully recovered from his oblique strain... Raeburn was 10-4 in the regular season and posted a terrific 2.01 ERA, which led the entire IPA.

The Vipers are batting .256 as a team in the playoffs with 8 homers and 62 runs in 13 games... on the hill they have compiled a 3.44 ERA... in 5 starts Teddy Lem was 3-0 with a 3.86 ERA, Garry Gronek was 2-3 in 5 starts with a 2.75 ERA and Carroll Cain chalked up a 2-1 mark with a 3.00 ERA... in the bullpen Ivan Guzek had a 1-1 record with 1 save and a 3.24 ERA and Chris Phillips was 0-0 with 2 saves and a 4.50 ERA... Kazmarek's best hitters have been SS Teddy Ruzek (.366/1/11/7), LF Benny Hooper (.259/1/11/7), C Floyd Randolph (.286/1/6/6) and 3B Amos Gallagher (.278/0/6/8)... RF Gerry Kazmarek (.135/0/5/7) and 1B Jerry Rembert (.212/1/1/5) have struggled so far in the postseason.

This will be the second time Rolling Hills has qualified for the Pro Cup Finals... The Reds won it in 2029... For the 7th time in 13 years Rolling Hills has taken the Tycobbian West division crown and they did it by a comfortable 7 games over runner-up Bay St. Clair.

Matty Christianson's Reds (91-63) led the IPA with a .290 team batting average and 785 runs... they were also one of the best defensive teams with a .978 FA... however the Reds were just average in pitching with a 3.57 ERA... Christianson has an abundance of fine bats led by his son 1B Billy Christianson (.336/16/75/133), who easily topped the IPA in runs with 133... RF Scotty Yiska (.306/27/105/89) and CF Terry Wade (.319/6/71/64) also batted .300... C Tony Brinkerhoff drove in 113 runs with 13 roundtrippers and a .262 BA... 2B Derek Kristensen (.297/5/49/76), 3B Jeff Booker (.289/1/64/63) and SS Tony Ptacek (.272/6/37/33) were productive bats, too... part-time regulars 3B Buffy Kowalczyk (.330/6/46/31), LF Lonnie Chadwick (.323/10/42/52), RF Bobby McConnell (.352/2/20/24) and Billy Jones (.301/1/15/19) hit over .300 as well.

On the mound Errol Gaudet (21-8/2.75) and Tom Pierson (21-7/2.54) had super seasons... the other two starters Kenny Leonard (10-6/3.79) and Buck Myers (15-12/3.80) had quality seasons, too... closer Maury Cantrell (8-2/2.43/16 saves) was effective in the bullpen... with its high-octane attack and two solid starters the Reds will put up quite a fight.

In the postseason the Reds have prospered at the plate with a .271 BA, 9 homers and 61 runs in 2 games running up an 8-4 record... top hitters are 1B Billy Christianson (.396/0/2/8), CF Terry Wade (.333/1/8/8), C Tony Brinkerhoff (.289/2/10/8), RF Scotty Yiska (.261/3/14/13) and LF Lonnie Chadwick (.297/2/8/4).

On the mound the hurlers have put up a decent 3.64 ERA... Errol Gaudet (3-1/1.73) has been outstanding in the playoffs, but Tom Pierson (0-1/5.40) and Buck Myers (2-1/5.85) have had trouble... they will both have to do better against Valmara for the Reds to have a chance at the Pro Cup... closer Maury Cantrell has 3 saves with a 1-1 mark and a 3.38 ERA in 7 relief appearances.

Pro Cup Forecast:
If good pitching beats good hitting, then Valmara will triumph in 7 games over Rolling Hills.

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Sunday, October 12, 2031

2031 IPA Pro Cup Final Series - Game 1 at War Memorial Stadium in Valmara

Vipers Bop Reds In Pro Cup Opener 5-1, Lem Winner
Valmara's vaunted pitching staff came through for them in the opening game of the IPA Pro Cup Finals at War Memorial Stadium... Teddy Lem fired a 5-hitter to whip Rolling Hills ace Errol Gaudet 5-1... Lem (4-0/3.24) racked up his fourth postseason victory, striking out 4 and walking only one in a complete game... Gaudet (3-2/2.22) was not on top of his game as he yielded 4 runs on 8 hits in his 7 innings... Gaudet walked one and fanned 3 in defeat.

LF Benny Hooper (.259) and C Floyd Randolph (.283) got the Vipers off on the right foot with RBI singles in the opening frame... in the second 2B Alec Leclerc (.246) rapped a 2-run homer to put Valmara ahead 4-0... Lem held the Reds bats in check for most of the game and they never really challenged the Vipers... SS Billy Jones (.421) doubled in the Reds only run in the fifth, while Valmara got its last run in the eighth on Hooper's groundout... RF Gerry Kazmarek (.179) paced the winners with 3 singles in 4 at-bats.

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Monday, October 13, 2031

2031 IPA Pro Cup Final Series - Game 2 at War Memorial Stadium in Valmara

Reds Romp Over Vipers 7-3 In Game 2
Rolling Hills put it all together in game two of the IPA Pro Cup championship series at War Memorial Stadium in Valmara and came away with a 7-3 win in 10 innings to even up at a game each... the Vipers took game one 5-1... the Reds snapped a 3-3 tie with 4 runs in the tenth frame... the primary hit came on a 2-run double by C Tony Brinkerhoff (.278)... a couple of insurance runs were added on 3B Jeff Booker's (.275) fielder's choice and 2B Derek Kristensen's (.262) single.

Rolling Hills got quality pitching and 12 hits, including 7 doubles and a homer... Tom Pierson hurled the first 6 frames and gave up only one unearned run and one hit... the Reds led 3-1 when he left the game for a pinchhitter... Pierson struck out 5 and walked 2... Buck Myers (3-1/5.87) blew the save in the ninth, but got credit for the victory, working 3 innings, giving up 3 hits and 2 runs... Myers couldn't hold a 3-1 lead, going into Valmara's final at-bat... Maury Cantrell (1-1/3.09) held the Vipers scoreless in the tenth to close out the game... Brinkerhoff (.278) sparked the Reds with a homer, double and 3 runs batted in... 3B Jeff Booker (.275) had 2 RBIs... Valmara starter Garry Gronek (2-3/2.80) was effective... he held the Reds to 3 runs and 8 hits in 9 innings with 7 Ks and no walks... the loss went to closer Ivan Guzek (1-2/7.00), who was laced for 4 hits and 4 runs in the tenth.

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Tuesday, October 14, 2031

2031 IPA Pro Cup Finals - Game 3 at the Midtown Base Ball Grounds in Rolling Hills

RH Noses Out Valmara 3-2, Takes Pro Cup Lead
Matty Christianson made a change in his rotation and it paid off handsomely... Kenny Leonard in his first postseason start this season gave the Rolling Hills Reds a 2-1 lead in the Pro Cup Finals with a masterful 3-2 decision over Valmara in game three at the Reds' homefield, the Midtown Base Ball Grounds... Leonard got the call instead of Buck Myers (3-1/5.87) and held the Vipers to 2 runs and 6 hits in 8 and two-thirds innings... closer Maury Cantrell (1-1/3.00) was called in to get the final out with the tying run on first base... the Vipers manager Jet Kazmarek also made a change in his starting rotation and got a well-pitched game from Richie Raeburn... in his first start in seven weeks Raeburn (0-1/3.38) went the distance, gave up 3 runs on 8 hits in defeat... Raeburn replaced Carroll Cain (2-1/3.00) in Valmara's Pro Cup rotation... Raeburn led the IPA with a 2.01 ERA this season, while compiling a 10-4 record in 15 starts.

Reds RF Scotty Yiska (.241) smashed his 4th roundtripper in the playoffs to break a 1-1 tie in the bottom of the third, which proved to be the winning runs... Yiska now has 16 RBIs in the postseason, the best total of any player... LF Benny Hooper (.246) put Valmara in front in the first frame with a double that scored 1B Jerry Rembert (.209)... it was Hooper's 14th run batted in... 3B Jeff Booker (.278) grounded out in the second and scored C Tony Brinkerhoff from third to even up the score... in the eighth CF Russ Gilmore (.214) went deep to narrow the Reds' lead to 3-2, but that was all the Vipers got... Rolling Hills outhit Valmara 8 to 6.

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Wednesday, October 15, 2031

2031 IPA Pro Cup Finals - Game 4 at the Midtown Ball Grounds in Rolling Hills

Reds Edge Vipers 9-8, Take 3-1 Lead
This Pro Cup Finals supposedly pitted a good-hitting team against a good-pitching team and as the old adage goes, "good pitching beats good hitting". It may not be true this year. Hot-hitting Rolling Hills has rolled to a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven Pro Cup Finals and need only one more victory to wrap up the trophy against the pitching-heavy Valmara Vipers... the Reds edged Valmara 9-8 in 10 innings in game four and is now a top-heavy favorite to win the Islands pro baseball title.

The Reds had to rally from 4-0, 6-4 and 8-6 deficits to pull out the win... it was Terry Wade's two-out single and Scotty Yiska's RBI double in the last of the tenth that decided the contest... it was a 27-hit slugfest with both ace starters gone by the third frame... it was not a good day for the Reds Errol Gaudet and the Vipers Teddy Lem... Rolling Hills used 5 pitchers and Valmara used 3... the Reds banged out 17 hits to the Vipers 10... Rolling Hills RF Scotty Yiska (.270) went 3-5 and batted in 3 runs, C Tony Brinkerhoff (.286) was 2-5 with a 2-run homer and 3B Jeff Booker (.310) was 3-4 with 2 runs scored... Yiska now has 19 RBIs in the playoffs and Brinkerhoff has 4 homers and 15 RBIs... the Vipers best bats were RF Gerry Kazmarek (.191) and LF Benny Hooper (.243), each with 2 RBIs.

Little-used reliever Dave Gronkowski (2-0/0.00) got the last out in the top of the tenth and got the victory... Valmara closer Ivan Guzek (1-3/6.17) blew the save in the eighth when the Reds tied it 8-8 and sent it to extra innings, then lost it in the tenth... Rolling Hills will host game five tomorrow afternoon and could send Valmara home for the season.

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Thursday, October 16, 2031

2031 IPA Pro Cup Finals - Game 5 at the Midtown Ball Grounds in Rolling Hills

Vips Survive, Hooper HR Wins It 6-3
Game five was a "must win" for Valmara and they got it - Benny Hooper slugged a 2-run homer in the top of the seventh to give the Vipers a 5-3 lead over Rolling Hills at the Midtown Base Ball Grounds en route to a 6-3 victory to remain alive in the Pro Cup Finals... the series stands at 3-2 in favor of Rolling Hills... Garry Gronek hurled a solid game, halting the Reds on 3 runs and 6 hits... Gronek (3-3/2.83) fanned 6 and walked 4, while going the distance... Dave Gronkowski (2-1/3.38) was the losing pitcher... Gronkowski gave up Hooper's decisive homer.

Valmara had 14 hits and were led by Benny Hooper (.267) with 3 hits and 4 RBIs... Hooper now has 2 home runs in the playoffs and 20 runs batted in... RF Gerry Kazmarek (.219) chipped in 3 hits and scored twice for the Vipers.

The Pro Cup Finals will continue tomorrow afternoon with game six at War Memorial Stadium in Valmara... the Vipers will send Richie Raeburn (10-4/2.01) to the mound and Kenny Leonard (10-6/3.79) will get the starting assignment for the Reds... Raeburn is 0-1 with a 3.38 ERA in one start in the playoffs, while Leonard is 1-0 with a 4.40 ERA in 2 starts and 3 relief appearances... should it be necessary, game seven will also be in Valmara.

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Friday, October 17, 2031

2031 IPA Pro Cup Finals - Game 6 at War Memorial Stadium in Valmara

RH Reds Are IPA Champ Again!
For the second time in three seasons the Rolling Hills Reds are again the premier team in the IPA... the Reds knocked off slightly-favored Valmara in the Pro Cup Finals this year in six games, taking game six 5-2 on the road in Valmara... Kenny Leonard and two relievers finished off the Vipers... Leonard (2-0/3.86) notched the win as he worked into the seventh, yielded 2 runs and 7 hits... the Reds were up 5-2 when he went to the showers and Buck Myers and Maury Cantrell protected the win for him with 2 and a third scoreless innings... it was Cantrell's 5th save in the playoffs... Valmara starter Richie Raeburn (0-2/5.54) struggled in defeat by allowing 5 runs and 6 hits in 5 innings.

The Rolling Hills offense was sparked by LF Lonnie Chadwick's (.271) 2-run homer in the second, which put them ahead 2-1 and by Leonard's (.286) 2-run triple in the fifth that made it 4-1... it was Chadwick's 3rd roundtripper of the postseason... Valmara outhit the Reds 8 to 6... LF Benny Hooper (.269) and C Floyd Randolph (.301) drove in runs for the Vipers... Hooper got his with his 3rd postseason home run.

Manager Matty Christianson told the press after the game, "We won in six games, but it wasn't easy... we beat a very, very good team, an excellent team... the key was our hitting... Yiska and Brinkerhoff were the big guns, but everybody in the line-up contributed... on the mound it was Gaudet and Cantrell." Rolling Hills also won in 2029, sweeping the Stoner Stars in four games.

Losing skipper Jet Kazmarek, who lost in the Pro Cup Finals for the second straight season, said, "Losing is never fun... but we gave it another good shot and came up short again... I really thought this was going to be our year... but the Reds are just too good with the bats... that was the difference."

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Saturday, October 18, 2031

Pro Cup MVP Goes To Reds Cantrell
The IPA Pro Cup Most Valuable Player trophy went to Rolling Hills closer Maury Cantrell in a close poll with right fielder Scotty Yiska. The two Reds teammates led the team to their second Pro Cup crown in the last three seasons. This year Cantrell was named the best player in the Pro Cup Finals by a 57-53 vote conducted by The Islandian Times. No other players received any votes in the balloting. This was the first time in IPA history that a reliever won the coveted award.

Cantrell appeared in 11 of the Reds postseason games, saved 5 of the them, while posting a 2.25 ERA and a 1-1 record. In 16 innings Cantrell allowed 7 hits, struck out 21 and walked 7. During the regular season Cantrell posted an 8-2 mark with 16 saves and a 2.43 ERA. In 18 games Yiska led the playoffs with 21 RBIs and tallied 17 runs, but only hit .257. He cracked 3 doubles and 4 homers in postseason action. In the regular campaign he batted .301 with 27 homers, drove in 105 runs and scored 89 times.

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Sunday, October 19, 2031

3rd RU Golden Bat For Waleska's Dillinger
For the third time in the last four seasons Waleska's hard-hitting superstar Loco Dillinger has claimed the Ruthlandian Golden Bat Award. The Westerner star also won it in 2028 and 2029. This year Dillinger outpaced Pettis Pentleton of Elnora and Benny Hooper of Valmara in the balloting conducted by The Islandian Times.

The 31-year-old Dillinger led the RU with 43 homers, finished second with 114 RBIs, second in hits with 209 and third in scoring with 114 runs. He came in fourth in the batting race with a .333 batting average. In spite of Dillinger's fine season, Waleska slumped to fifth place this year in the RU South.

Following closely in Dillinger's footsteps was Elnora's Pettis Pentleton, who topped the RU with a .353 batting average and 217 hits and sparked the All-Stars to the RU East division title. Overall Pentleton played in 149 games, stole 35 bases, hit 15 homers, drove in 98 runs and scored 111 times.

Valmara's steady left fielder Benny Hooper was third in the Golden Bat poll. Hooper led the Vipers to their sixth straight RU North pennant with a .325 batting average, 25 home runs and paced the IPA with 115 RBIs.

Southport's Evans Cops 3rd TU Golden Bat
Southport's sensational slugger Lorne Evans continued to terrorize Tycobbian pitchers and copped his third Golden Bat Award in the last four years. Evans led his club to a second-place finish in the TU South this season. The 26-year-old Sun Sox right fielder had the most roundtrippers in the IPA this year with 49. Evans also ranked high in the TU with 109 RBIs (4th) and 119 runs (1st), while hitting .307 for the year. Evans also won Golden Bats in 2028 and 2030.

In a fairly close vote, Evans outdistanced Bayview's young Roy Ricks and Chicopee's Charlie Jensen for the honor. Ricks batted .329 with 42 roundtrippers, 111 runs batted in and 107 runs, while playing in 143 games. 8-year veteran Jensen hit .298 at the plate with 43 homers, 113 RBIs and 109 runs scored.

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Monday, October 20, 2031

Libertini Edges Whitaker and Janssen For RU Golden Arm
In his fourth season in the IPA Aron Libertini stepped up to a new level and came away with the Ruthlandian Union Golden Arm Award, symbolic of the best pitcher in the league. The Sugar Valley 24-year-old star hurler led all comers in the IPA with 25 victories. In all Libertini was 25-10 with a 2.67 ERA, 6 shutouts and 24 complete games. The Rattlers wound up fourth in the RU East. Lifetime in four seasons Libertini is 82-49 with a 3.24 ERA.

Dave Whitaker of the Kilkenny Cats was second in The Islandian Times poll. Whitaker posted a magnificent year with a 22-13 mark for the fourth-place Cats, who were only 76-78 on the year. Whitaker posted a 2.38 ERA with 26 complete games and 5 shutouts.

The third-highest votegetter was 5-year veteran Ryan Janssen of the LaGrange Sports. Janssen rolled up a 20-12 mark with a strong 2.41 ERA and easily led the IPA with 311 strikeouts in 325 innings. The Sports came in second to Valmara in the RU North Division.

HM Cowboys Kaltenborn Named TU Golden Arm
The High Mesa Cowboys didn't have much of a season, winding up in seventh place in the TU East, but they had one of the best pitchers in the IPA. Emil Kaltenborn recovered from two consecutive sub-par seasons with a great year and won the Tycobbian Union Golden Arm Award. The seven-year veteran chalked up an 18-10 mark with a poor team and compiled a brilliant 2.25 ERA, considering Queen Ranch Stadium is one of the smallest parks in the IPA and is nothing but a "home-run haven". Kaltenborn paced the TU in ERA and was number two in the IPA. The 26-year-old right-hander fired 5 shutouts, struck out 225 batters and had 25 complete games. Career-wise Kaltenborn is remarkable 98-66 with a fine 2.70 ERA. The Cowboys have not had a winning record since 2026 and have been buried in the second division for the last five years.

Luxora's ace Benny DeVito was second in the poll with a 22-14 mark and a 2.29 ERA. The 6-year man sparked the Zorros to the pennant in the TU North and to the second-best record in the IPA with 96 wins. Only Valmara of the RU was better with 99 victories. DeVito fired 5 shutouts, fanned 221 in 334 innings and notched 25 complete games.

Number three in the voting in the TU Golden Arm competition was Dixie Brooks of the East Point Panthers. The Panthers won the TU East Division and Brooks played a primary role with a 21-15 record and a 2.53 ERA. The 5-year vet had 266 Ks in 313 innings, 21 complete games and 5 shutouts.

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Tuesday, October 21, 2031

Sunbirds Gregg Top RU Rookie
There were pretty sparse pickings in the class of 2031 in the IPA. Very few rookies made an impact throughout the Ruthlandian and Tycobbian Unions. The RU Rookie of the Year honor went to Belair Beach's 22-year-old right-hander Joel Gregg, followed at a distance by shortstop Johnny Church of the Marston Nine and outfielder Clint Thomas of the Elnora All-Stars.

Gregg put up a 15-9 record with a solid 3.22 ERA in 38 starts. Church played in 143 games for sixth-place Marston and batted a respectable .283, scored 85 times and drove in 62 runs, while performing well in the field and stealing 22 bases. The Sunbirds came in fourth in the RU South. Thomas helped Elnora to the RU East pennant with a .283 BA, 4 homers, 57 RBIs, 85 runs and stole 35 bases.

Kenwood CF Venacio Best Rook In TU
Not much in the freshman class in the Tycobbian Union either. 25-year-old center fielder Alonzo Venacio hauled in the TU Rookie of the Year trophy with a .302 batting average, 11 homers, 77 runs scored and 59 runs batted in. Venacio was outstanding with a .993 fielding average. Kenwood finished third in the TU West behind Pro Cup champ Rolling Hills.

Two starters were in the runner-up and third spots in The Islandian Times annual poll. Frankie Lambert made 31 starts for the basement-dwelling Arlon Champions and posted a 10-10 mark with a good 3.08 ERA, while Brent Silverstone notched an 11-15 record and a 3.16 ERA for the last place White River Rascals.

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Wednesday, October 22, 2031

Elnora's Pentleton Prevails In RU MVP Race
In a surprise the RU batting champ prevailed over two strong challengers in the Ruthlandian Union Most Valuable Player poll. Outfielder Pettis Pentleton of the Elnora All-Stars took the prestigious trophy in a close vote over Sugar Valley's Aron Libertini and Waleska's Loco Dillinger. Libertini won this year's Golden Arm Award and Dillinger claimed the Golden Bat honor.

Pentleton, a 25-year-old right fielder, compiled a .353 batting average to lead the RU and spark the All-Stars the RU East Division crown. Pentleton came in second in the Golden Bat competition, losing out to Waleska's Loco Dillinger. This year's MVP smacked 15 roundtrippers, scored 111 runs, batted in 98 and garnered his second Golden Glove award. Elnora's lofty place in the standings apparently swayed many of the voters in the selection process. Libertini and Dillinger both had very impressive seasons, but their clubs wound up far off the pace in the pennant races.

Sugar Valley ace Aron Libertini had a marvelous season and paced the Rattlers to a fourth-place finish in the RU East, won by Elnora. Libertini was the top winner in the IPA with a 25-10 record and 2.67 ERA.

Third in The Islandian Times balloting was Loco Dillinger of the fifth-place Waleska Westerners, a 6-time All-Star and 3-time Golden Bat winner. The 31-year-old slugger topped the RU with 43 home runs, came in second with 114 RBIs and third with 114 runs, while finishing fourth with a .333 BA.

Zorros DeVito TU Top Player
Benny DeVito didn't win the Golden Arm, but the Luxora southpaw hauled in the Tycobbian Union Most Valuable Player Award. DeVito led the Zorros to 96 wins this season, the most in the TU and second-best in the IPA. DeVito rang up a 22-14 mark with a superb 2.29 ERA to win out over Golden Arm winner Emil Kaltenborn of High Mesa and Golden Bat victor Lorne Evans of the Southpost Sun Sox in The Islandian Times poll.

Kaltenborn had a standout season for the seventh-place Cowboys, but ended up number two in the MVP voting after taking the top pitcher award. Kaltenborn chalked up an 18-10 record with an amazing 2.25 ERA, while playing half his games in the hitter-friendly Queen Ranch Stadium. The 26-year-old righty tossed 25 complete games and 5 shutouts with 225 Ks in 334 innings.

It wasn't a good year for the power-hitters in the IPA as the Golden Bat winner Lorne Evans came in third in the MVP balloting, just like Loco Dillinger of the Ruthlandian Union. Evans, who plays right field for the Southport Sun Sox, a 3-time Batter of the Year and 4-time All-Star, had 49 homers to lead the IPA, the third time he has done that in his career. The 26-year-old Evans was tied for second in the IPA with 119 runs and fourth in the TU with 109 RBIs. Evans played in 148 games and batted .307 for the year. His Sun Sox were beaten out for the TU South pennant by just one game by the Ginza Ninjas.

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Thursday, October 23, 2031

RU, TU Awards Golden Gloves
"Hit 'em where they ain't" is a great hitting philosophy, but it doesn't always work when a fielder can seemingly appear out of nowhere to make a play. These magicians are often taken for granted as the season grinds along, but today they take center stage. The Ruthlandian Union and Tycobbian Union announced the Golden Glove Awards for 2031 at a press conference.

The RU Golden Glovers were led by Kyle Hunt, who has been named 5 times in his career, Josh George picked for the third time and Pettis Pentleton for his second time.

The TU had four multiple Golden Glover winners: Freddy Franks, who has been awarded 3 Golden Gloves, and Rob Santorio, Billy Christianson and Babe Hankins have each been selected twice. No rookies made the teams this year.

Ruthlandian Union Golden Glove Team:
Pitcher: Walt Wright (Forest City) (.986 FA/11-22/3.90)
Catcher: Kyle Hunt (Ranford) (.994 FA/3 PB/40.7% RTO) (130 G/.317/9/71/74)
First Baseman: Josh George (Crystal Lake) (.991 FA/154 G/.270/21/90/98)
Second Baseman: Byron Johannsen (St. John) (.981 FA/148 G/.327/10/86/91)
Third Baseman: Patrick Cullen (Kilkenny) (.956 FA/141 G/.220/11/44/35)
Shortstop: Teddy Rudek (Valmara) (.959 FA/148 G/.233/4/49/49)
Left Fielder: Raphael Cartier (LaGrange) (.991 FA/145 G/.261/13/50/81)
Center Fielder: Reno DiBenedetto (Valmara) (.998 FA/147 G/.285/16/100/101)
Right Fielder: Pettis Pentleton (Elnora) (.991 FA/149 G/.353/15/98/111)

Tycobbian Union Golden Glove Team:
Pitcher: Pat Kovacs (La Claire) (.984 FA/19-11/2.26)
Catcher: Rob Santorio (Red Bluff) (.995 FA/3 PB/38.6% RTO) (130 G/.232/15/52/54)
First Baseman: Billy Christianson (Rolling Hills) (.994 FA/154 G/.336/16/75/133)
Second Baseman: Fran Dixon (Ozarka) (.984 FA/144 G/.255/9/62/51)
Third Baseman: Freddy Franks (High Mesa) (.976 FA/146 G/.262/19/67/79)
Shortstop: Dandy Meredith (Hillsboro) (.973 FA/148 G/.268/8/35/86)
Left Fielder: Boom-Boom Baker (Blue Lake) (.984 FA/144 G/.275/21/77/83)
Center Fielder: Antonio Vasquez (Summerland) (.995 FA/.244/2/51/72)
Right Fielder: Babe Hankins (Kenwood) (.992 FA/133 G/.287/18/82/86)

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Friday, October 24, 2031

Elnora's Carter Acclaimed Best RU Skipper
It was just a two-man race for the Ruthlandian Union Manager of the Year Award. Leon Carter of the Elnora All-Stars took the honor in a fairly close vote over Valmara's Jet Kazmarek in The Islandian Times annual poll.

Carter did a superb job guiding the All-Stars to it first pennant in nine years in the RU East Division. Elnora improved from 70-84 to 95-55 this year, rising up from last place to first place. The All-Stars had the second-best record in the RU and third-best in the IPA. Only Valmara and Luxora won more games than Elnora.

Runner-up Jet Kazmarek continued his remarkable run as skipper of the Valmara Vipers. His club has totally dominated the RU North Division with 8 flags in the last 9 years, 6 of them in a row. This year the Vipers won more games than anyone in the IPA with a 99-55 mark, 12 games better than the previousn season.

Z's Tompkins TU Manager of the Year
It was a tight battle in the Tycobbian Union for the skipper of the year between two pennant-winning managers, Lacey Tompkins of the Luxora Zorros and Matty Christianson of the Rolling Hills Reds.

Tompkins was named the TU Manager of the Year as he led his Zorros from second place to first place in the TU North standings. Luxora went from 83-71 to a much-improved 96-58 this season, which was the second-best mark in the IPA and best in the TU. It's been 10 years since Luxora last won a pennant.

Christianson moved his Rolling Hills Reds up from third place to first place in the TU West. The Reds posted the second-best record in the TU and the fifth best overall in the IPA with 91 wins and 63 losses. It was the seventh time in his career Christianson has won the division flag and the fifth time in the last seven years.

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Saturday, October 25, 2031

IPA Icons Elliott, Hobbs Retire
Two of the greatest players in Islandian Pro Alliance history have hung up the spikes, their playing days are over. Jack Elliott of the Cape Coral Hurricanes and Roy Hobbs of the Waleska Westerners.

At age 38, Elliott (2013-2031) called it quits after 19 seasons, 18 of them spent with the High Mesa Cowboys. The standout first baseman made the All-Star team 13 times, won 12 Golden Bats, 5 Golden Gloves and 3 MVPs (2013, 2021, 2022). Elliott holds the IPA marks for career homers with 848, over 100 more than the next best player, Phil Gravelli. He also holds the season record for homers with 65 in 2021. Elliott also walloped 61 in 2013, his rookie season. The gifted player led the league 9 times in homers, runs 8 times and in batting average 7 times. Elliott played in 2758 games, hit .332 lifetime (3rd) with 3467 hits (10th), 2120 RBIs (2nd) and 2192 runs (3rd).

Elliott told the press, "I had a wonderful time... baseball has been great to me... I only have two regrets... I never got to play in the Pro Cup playoffs... and that I stayed too long... I should have retired after the 2028 season... I hung on 3 years too many... others saw it, but I didn't."

Roy Hobbs decided this year at age 38 to retire from the game after seeing his playing time diminished for the first time in his career. "I only played in 85 games this year. I can still hit pretty good... .305 ain't bad for an oldtimer... but my defense suffered... my speed is down... and the old body just can't play 154 games a year any longer. If I played next year, I would embarass myself. I didn't want people feeling sorry for me."

Hobbs spent 19 years in the Waleska outfield from 2013 to 2031, made the All-Star team 15 times, won 7 Golden Bats, 4 batting crowns, 2 Golden Gloves and 2 Most Valuable Player Awards (2026, 2030). In his career Hobbs hit .345 (2nd), collected 3783 hits (2nd), 2037 RBIs (3rd) and scored 2026 times (8th). He also hit well in the postseason with a .324 BA in 27 games with 5 home runs, 24 RBIs and 19 runs.

[Eugene Church]

I'm working on Hall of Fame inductees and also preparing rosters for 2032.