The Islandian Times
Monday, September 21, 2020

2020 Tycobbian South Final Recap

Suns Shine In TU South, Dethrone Turon
Cyclone Cobb has turned Arroyo Grande into a fine franchise. The Suns broke a 19-year drought and finally made the Pro Cup playoffs, knocking off the powerful Turon Typhoons in the process. The Typhoons had won the Tycobbian South for four years in succession. It was a tough race for Arroyo Grande. Runner-up Ginza fought long and hard the entire year, but finally lost out by 4 games. Third place Turon waited too late to make its move and came up 6 games short. Southport came in fourth in the standings and 8 games behind in the pennant chase.

Arroyo Grande has a well-rounded ball club and should go far in the playoffs... they led the TU with the most wins, compiling a 95-59 record... the Suns batted .270 (4th), walloped 189 homers (4th), were second-best in scoring and had a good 3.62 team ERA (8th)... numbers that should serve them well in the Pro Cup playoffs... Cobb possess three solid starters and a very capable closer... Earl O'Reilly (23-11 2.44) was outstanding this season... Ernie Matthews (25-11 3.91) was another 20-game winner... and Sixto Zamora (18-10 3.28) had a fine year... relief ace Jason Patrick (5-3) saved 29 games with a very inpressive 1.43 ERA... Arroyo Grande is deep in the batting order, too... LF Eduardo Villanueva (.318/24/101/111), SS Andy Pearson (.297/22/103/107), C Gary Troxell (.333/35/122/85), 3B Randy Warren (.328/7/51/96) and RF Buddy Bechtel are a very formidable line-up... Look for an Arroyo Grande-Ozarka Final 4, which should be a dynamite series.

The Ginza Ninjas finished second for the second consecutive season under the leadership of Horoko Uchiyama... the Ninjas' strengths are the best defense in the IPA (.980 FA) and their firepower, led by superstar C Crash Davis (.299/34/87/95), CF Augie Vitanza (.265/36/91/115), 3B Ralph Hart (.249/24/85/66), RF Jack Vorland (.270/19/70/86) and SS Johnny O'Rorke (.280/17/70/65)... Ginza doesn't hit much for average, but they can go deep... the Ninjas blasted 186 homers (6th)... Davis suffered a severe back injury in early September in a collision and will miss 11 months... a terrible loss for the Ninjas... Uchiyama's pitching is only adequate and old, paced by 12-year vet and 37-year-old Joji Azuma (21-12 2.94), who has posted a 215-174 mark in his career with a very fine 2.90 ERA... Neil Howell (19-9 3.94) is 39... Julian Gilchrist (19-13 3.97) is 41 and Alec Sasek (20-11 4.39) is 40.

After playing at such a high plane with 11 TU South pennants and 4 Pro Cup titles, the Turon Typhoons finally came down-to-earth this season and wound up third... Whitey Richburn's hitting dropped off drastically and the pitching dipped some, too... All of the Typhoons fell off offensively, even legendary 1B Clyde Kingsford (.310/43/123/113) was down a bit with a slow first half... RF Dominick DiCaprio (.268/17/91/76) and CF Mac McCurnan (.265/25/77/80) didn't post the stats they have in past seasons... on the hill Turon was still good with Nicky Engstrom (21-10 2.47), Shane Farmer (17-17 3.20) and Ted Farentino (18-13 3.68) as the top three starters... 20-year-old rookie Bobby Byrd (12-9 3.73) made a good debut in the number four slot... closer Merle Studebaker (3-6 2.58) was solid with 37 saves in 56 appearances.

The Southport Sun Sox moved up into fourth place and the first division, winding up 8 games off the pace, depending mainly on pitching... Bob Montgomery (17-15 2.25) and Al Laclair (18-15 2.83) gave manager Charley Oscar a very strong 1-2 punch, but they suffered from poor run support... number three Tippy Ridgeway (11-5 4.12) had a good season, too... Oscar had some problems in his bullpen... he couldn't find a competent closer... the Sun Sox didn't have too much offense either... their leaders were LF Walt Muller with a .321 BA, 20 homers and 81 RBIs... and 2B Skippy Jones, who hammered 33 roundtrippers and batted in 95 runs, but only had a .249 BA.

The fifth-place Summerland Sunsets had a winning season, but ended up 16 games behind in the race... offense was the name of the game for skipper Will Hackett... the Sunsets hit .271 (3rd) with 150 homers (9th-tied) and were 8th in scoring runs... top hitters were the reliable LF Vann Kelder (.318/33/109/108), 1B John Reynaud (.288/20/68/95), rookie 2B Stefan De Graaf (.319/12/61/92) and rookie 3B George Devoe (.317/18/78/64)... Summerland lacked pitching, but had 40-year-old Denny Coulon cross the 300-victory threshold with an 18-13 record and a super 2.40 ERA... Coulon is now 313-289 in his 20-year-career... lifetime he has a very impressive 2.89 ERA... closer Leon Mullin (6-5) did his job well, too... Mullin chalked up 24 saves with a solid 2.50 ERA.

Coming sixth in the TU South this year were the Colchester Elites of Uncle Robbie Wilbertson... they trailed the champion Suns by 19 games... The Elites only have average pitching and hitting, but with good power... Tommy Tuckman (18-13 3.89) is the best starter and veteran Don Richard (3-6) is a quality closer with 33 saves and an excellent 2.08 ERA... the Elites ripped 146 homers (11th), sparked by 2B George Alford with 39... the 34-year-old Alford was a huge gift in a trade with the Eastshore Elegants... Alford hit .289, drove in 109 runs and scored 103... not bad for a supposedly "over-the-hill" and aging star... 1B James McCall also chipped in with 21 home runs, 91 RBIs, scored 87 times and batted at a .311 clip.

Huggy Miller in Cape Coral is not accustomed to second-division finishes, however his Hurricanes have now been there for a third successive season... the 'Canes were 7th for the second year in a row and were 25 games behind... Miller is used to giving Turon its biggest tussles, but not in recent years... Cape Coral has poor hitting (30th) and less-than-average pitching (19th)... Miller's best performers on the hill are legendary Cody Burg (17-15 3.61), Santiago Castillo (18-16 3.28), both starters, and closer Bobby Maas (3-6) with 27 saves and a fine 2.52 ERA... Burg is now 350-249 with a 2.74 career ERA over his 20 years in the IPA, the all-time IPA leader in victories... Burg's age is showing at 38, but he's still a solid pitcher... offensively Miller has little beyond his standout CF Derek Ryckman, who cover the outfield like a gazelle and topped the team with 26 homers, 86 RBIs and 108 runs, while batting .274.

The hapless San Alejo Montaneros again found themselves in last place, the seventh consecutive year of embarrassment... Skipper Marcellino Zuniga just doesn't have the enough talent to compete, but there is some hope for the future with young sluggers LF Warren Love (.297/46/114/96) and 1B Lou Browning (.300/31/108/76)... Love is 24 and in his second year, while Browning is only 20 and a rookie... Zuniga doesn't have any budding stars in his pitching corps... 37-year-old Chad Gilmore (12-11 4.00) and 22-year-old Trini Corona (13-20 3.96) are his most effective pitchers.

[QUOTE=edog23;3085647]I'm glad they finally pulled it out, too.

The Islandian Times
Monday, September 21, 2020

2020 Tycobbian East Final Recap

Ozarka TU East Champs, Spurts To 6th Straight Flag
Halfway through the 2020 season it wasn't going very well for defending Ruthlandian East champion Ozarka. The Naturals were fifth in the standings and trailed leader Hillsboro by 7 games at the All-Star Game, but they didn't give up. Ozarka put on a second-half surge and won its sixth straight pennant with a spurt at the end, scooting by second-place Midway by a game and third-place Hillsboro by 2. The Red Bluff Red Sox came in fourth in the hectic race, just 4 games off the pace... The Nats had to win 9 of the last 10 to capture the division crown. Midway dropped out of the lead with a 6-4 mark and Hillsboro played very well with a 7-3 record, but still lost out to Ozarka.

Ozarka proved itself in the toughest division in the IPA, where they are seven quality clubs ... five of them finished .500 or better... Joe Mac Carney has strong batting and strong pitching, ranking first with a .294 team batting average, fifth in scoring and ninth with 150 roundtrippers... ranking first with a 3.23 team ERA... and coming in tied for third in the IPA with a sterling .977 FA, second in the TU... That's quite a ball team heading into the Pro Cup playoffs... the Naturals feature six .300 hitters in the batting order, led by RF Ken Mayberry (.328/5/49/102), 1B Kenny Rousseau (.318/40/97/100), platooners at 2B Todd Chadwick (.330/8/53/52) and Teddy Tate (.317/4/38/25), 3B Andre Dumas (.310/36/117/99), CF Ryoma Nakayama (.306/7/54/85) and SS James Couch (.305/15/82/90)... on the mound a revitalized Eddie Roberts (18-3 2.44) led the way, adding another strong arm to the already potent rotation of Benny Osterman (21-11 2.38), Yuka Nawajuk (23-9 3.30) and Howard Hutch (14-13 3.96)... Ozarka has lost in its three Pro Cup Final appearances, but is ready again to make a serious challenge... last season Rocky Rapids swept them in the championship round.

The runner-up Midway Wolves played their hearts out for manager Cochise Chandler and came within a cat's whisker of toppling Ozarka... Chandler relies on good starting pitching (7th), a solid closer and a good dose of firepower... Sherm Jarvis (22-11 3.89), Warren Pollard (18-11 3.52) and Motega Wolf (17-16 3.49) led the pitching rotation... Dom Vilaggio (4-7) is the bullpen specialist with 30 saves and a 2.75 ERA... sparking the offense are LF Chitto Chandler (.308/33/106/93), 3B Rob Gigler (.317/24/87/83), 2B Gerry Jordan (.272/23/85/68), CF Johnny Lee (.267/21/93/78) and C Sammy Murphy (.291/15/62/89)... the Wolves were third in scoring and tied for first with 199 home runs, though they batted only .254 (23rd).

The third-place Hillsboro Blazers tried valiantly to garner its first division pennant and postseason spot in its 19-year history, but close was just not good enough... Rawhide Marshall has a fine pitching staff with a 3.40 team ERA (3rd), good punch with 191 homers (3rd) and good scoring (6th), but falls short with a .259 team BA (12th)... The Blazers are good top to bottom in its rotation... Marshall has two excellent starters in Tom Edgar (19-9 2.52) and Chris Dean (20-8 2.93) and two capable starters in Pat Buettner (16-10 4.22) and Yank Yoland (13-14 3.73)... Hank Hellman (6-8) had a tremendous season in the closing role with 37 saves and a standout 2.13 ERA... veteran 1B Andy Jefferson (.308/47/124/84) had a career year... 2B Matt Lalonde (.315/20/88/91), C Gil Giroux (.278/16/77/78) and CF Bob Graham (.268/13/63/96) also lent a hand offensively.

Bucky Frizzell also had a potent team in Red Bluff, where the Red Sox came in a close fourth, only 4 games off the pace... next to champ Ozarka, Frizzell had the second-best offense in the league with a .273 BA (2nd), 844 runs (1st) and 184 homers (5th), but he had only average pitching (12th) with a .373 team ERA... 2B James Mack had a marvelous year with the most homers in the IPA with 52 and the most RBIs with 142, while hitting .315 and scoring 118 times... 35-year-old star 3B Jose Aguilar chalked up his best year ever with a .327 BA, 16 homers, 85 RBIs and 115 runs scored.. 1B Scotty Zasloff batted .271 with 24 home runs, 89 RBIs and 90 runs, RF Ron van Riebe also had 24 homers with 85 RBIs and hit .263 and LF Orlando Macias added 24 more roundtrippers, 90 runs and 69 runs batted in... Grady Daggs (18-11 3.27) was the Red Sox ace with some help from Eddie Lance (19-12 4.06) and Toby Clark (17-10 4.94)... closer Rod Westfall (4-8) nailed down 24 saves and posted a terrific 1.68 ERA in 51 games... the Red Bluff relievers were the best in the TU with a splendid 2.40 ERA... Frizzell is not far from a pennant... all he needs is one more good starter.

Manager Duroche "Lips" Leon has a very capable ball club in South Fork with good pitching and hitting... the Stallions more than held their own with all of the TU East contenders and finished in the fifth spot in the standings, 6 games above .500, but 13 games behind... Leon has a quality staff with starters Blackie Terranova (20-12 3.18), Stan Fullerton (19-14 3.69), Jason Graham (13-12 3.76) and Sean Swensen (16-17 4.21)... 38-year-old Terranova won 20 games for the fifth time in his 11-year career and passed the 200-win milestone... overall Terranova is 212-132 with a strong lifetime 3.22 ERA... long-time star 1B Joe Peters (.317/31/108/101), LF Patrick Giles (.268/23/89/96) and rock-solid CF Robby Michael (.315/13/76/81) led the Stallions offense.

Usually the Tuckanarra Blue Jays are right up there with the big boys in the TU East flag chase, but there were just too many quality teams in the division this year... still Carlton "Lefty" Stevens had a fairly decent team that wound up sixth and 18 games behind, just a few games below the .500 mark... the Blue Jays just don't have the pitching they used to have in the contending seasons... Only ace Titus Bristow (22-14 3.02) and fantastic closer Archie Desmond (7-3) with 27 saves and a sensational 1.29 ERA stand out on the Stevens' staff... the rest range from mediocre to bad... only RF Danny Redd and 3B Nathan Farrell excelled at the plate... Although Redd missed a month of the season, he led the IPA and the TU with a .371 BA... Redd had 19 homers, 81 RBIs and scored 89 runs, while Farrell slammed 27 homers, drove in 88 runs and scored 85 times.

The High Mesa Cowboys were in the hunt at mid-season, only 6 games back, but stumbled badly in the second half and tumbled down to seventh place and 19 games behind Ozarka... skipper Frisky Franks had high-octane power as usual and topped the TU with 199 homers, but as usual, staggered on the hill with a 4.23 team ERA... the IPA's finest hitter 1B Jack Elliott had his string of 5 straight batting titles snapped, but still put up superb numbers with a .333 BA, 47 homers, 135 RBIs and an TU-leading 127 runs... that's the sixth time Elliott has led in runs... SS Stephen Andrews (.274/19/112/70) and 2B Kenny Rivers (.296/12/71/91) also contributed to the offense... all three of them made the TU All-Star team, along with closer Ed Galliano (3-2), who posted a super-low 1.11 ERA and saved 25 games for the Cowpokes... two starters Ronald Ward (17-14 2.97) and Scotty Snyder (14-21 3.88) kept High Mesa in most games... Snyder had 20 complete games.

For the ninth time in 11 years, the East Point Panthers languished in the TU East cellar, 31 games off the pace... except for Bingo Long (11-17 3.78) manager Rex Sobolov has absolutely atrocious pitching... the Panthers are the worst in the IPA with a 4.86 team ERA... East Point's best performers offensively were two veterans, 1B Bill McCann (.289/31/116/76) and CF Sozi Akiyama, who hit 31 homers, batted in 91 runs and scored 117, but hit only .252.

The Islandian Times
Monday, September 21, 2020

2020 Tycobbian West Final Recap

Champs Are Champs In TU West
Top to bottom, the closest divisional race in the IPA this season was in the Tycobbian West. Only 12 games separated first place from last place. The TU West was also the weakest division in the IPA with only one team having a winning record and just barely. The Arlon Champions won the crown with a 79-75 mark, edging out Chicopee by 2 games. The Braves broke even this year with a 77-77 record. Chicopee had a 3-game edge at the All-Star break, but couldn't hold off the Champs. The Bay St. Clair Buccaneers were just 4 games back and in the third spot and rounding out the first division were last year's flag winner Rolling Hills, 7 games off the pace.

Gary Louis won the his third pennant 19 seasons in Arlon, but he really didn't have much to shout about talent-wise this year... the Champions are just an average ball club, playing in a very weak division... Arlon's top hurlers were Armando Cruz (13-11 3.76) and Terry Nuxhall (12-11 3.76)... the top hitters were superstar Rocco Belasari (.335/34/98/122), reliable CF Chucky Gilton (.289/22/108/77), RF Scott Connor (.290/23/66/99) and 3B Sandy Coburn (.265/2/54/103)... it's not likely Arlon will get very far in the Pro Cup playoffs... the first round opponent is powerhouse Ozarka, one of the strongest teams in the postseason this year and a Pro Cup finalist last year.

Last year Chicopee finished dead last in the TU West. This season Harry Fleetfoot's Braves had a break-even season and wound up in second place... they were led by Ed Burkett on the hill with a 16-11 record and a 3.49 ERA, by number two in the pitching rotation Mackie Smith (15-16 3.22) and by late-season closer Rob Bennett (3-3), who posted a super-strong 1.05 ERA and had 9 saves in 26 appearances after taking over the role in August... 1B Jose Duran had the best average at .305 with 12 home runs, 72 RBIs and 77 runs... SS Austin Hardy batted .264 and led the club with 77 runs batted in and 86 runs, while going deep 18 times... LF Ben Chandler hit .302 with 74 RBIs and was tops on the team with 19 roundtrippers... Chicopee didn't have much offense past these three.

The Bay St. Clair Buccaneers were third in the race, but had a losing record, 4 games under .500... however Guy Rondre saw his club rise up in the standings from seventh place... the Bucs have some quality hitters that compiled a fine .269 BA (5th), scored well (4th) and had good power with 151 home runs (8th)... but only so-so pitching that produced a 4.10 team ERA (21st), not good enough to compete for the pennant... rookie sensation 1B Jerry Todd (.363/36/126/86) sparked the Buccaneers at bat with lots of help from RF Justin Kucks (.320/27/86/66), LF Florent Schoonmaker (.297/20/86/77), 2B Bud Walker (.310/7/51/106) and CF Bill Howell (.300/3/77/97)... Rondre's best pitchers were Marty Elenbaas (18-17 3.56) and Chris Van Arden (17-16 3.86).

The Rolling Hills Reds won the division last season, but found themselves wallowing in last place this year at mid-season... Matty Christianson finally got them going in the other direction as the Reds wound up in fourth place in the TU West, 7 games back of Arlon... Rolling Hills went from a strong team to just a below average team in a short time... its hitting fell off by 20 points and its team ERA ballooned almost half a point... Sal Jordan (22-17 3.39) and Errol Gaudet (15-9 2.51) were solid starters, but didn't get much help... closer Barney Kearns was not as effective as last year, but still had 30 saves with a 2.72 ERA, yet a 2-7 record... bat leaders were 3B Clay Hoffman (.288/25/74/55) and LF Donnie Lewis (.307/3/62/90)... overall the team hit only .249 (29th) with 102 home runs (32nd) and were ranked 29th in scoring... in 2019 the Reds put up a solid .268 BA, third-best in the league... the team ERA was 3.67 (10th), last year it was a great 3.05, which tied with Turon for the best in the TU.

The LaClaire Lynx were fifth and 8 games out in the pennant race... home-run power kept Rip Calkin's club out of cellar... the Lynx cracked 171 out of the park (7th)... otherwise they didn't have much... offensively 3B Flash Devlin (.316/29/85/109), LF Zeppy Deshotel (.307/25/91/90) and SS Walt Cumby (.311/25/107/66) led the way... only closer Dana Price (8-6) had a good season among the mound staff... Price saved 25 games and chalked up a terrific 2.01 ERA.

Aaron Hankins brought his Kenwood Wildcats in sixth this season and trailed Arlon by 9 games... Hankins' crew is good pitch, no hit... the Wildcat mound corps registered a 3.61 team ERA and ranked 7th in the league, but the bats were far down the list at .246 (28th) and even worse in scoring (30th) and home runs (29th)... vets Connie Gavagan (16-15 3.98) and Sammy Shaw (14-15 3.36) were Kenwood's best starters... closer Scott Bohn (6-6) had a fine year with 24 saves and a standout 1.79 ERA... 1B Pat Farris led the batters with a .308 mark, but hit only 9 homers and only drove in 57 runs.

The Bayview Vikings, a contender for the past five seasons, suddenly plunged down to the bottom of the TU West to seventh place, 10 games back... Walter Johanssen was hampered by a lack of scoring (26th) and a lack of pitching (24th)... Harald Turi (15-15 2.96) is still a very fine pitcher, but he can't win without runs on the scoreboard... the Viks best bats were 1B Stan Haddix (.295/22/99/72), LF Davey Krueger (.280/27/73/79) and SS Tommy Shore (.298/13/76/82).

The Denton City Redbirds wound up last for the fourth time in the last five seasons... Ford Whiteman's club was 12 games out of first... C Pete Gibbs (.288/27/99/68) and CF Todd Bryant (.270/19/65/92) top the team at the plate and rookie Wally Gordon was the best pitcher with a 14-20 record and a fine 3.16 ERA... the 24-year-old lefty had 19 complete games and seems to have a good future ahead of him... Redbird all-time great Mila Mohoski (15-18 4.74) is just hanging on at age 41... overall the 19-year vet is now 339-255 with a career 3.15 ERA... but Mohoski's best years are far behind him.

The Islandian Times
Monday, September 21, 2020

Scribes Select Ozarka 2020 Pro Cup Champs

1. Ozarka Naturals (93-61)

Ozarka TU East Champs, Spurts To 6th Straight Flag
Halfway through the 2020 season it wasn't going very well for defending Ruthlandian East champion Ozarka. The Naturals were fifth in the standings and trailed leader Hillsboro by 7 games at the All-Star Game, but they didn't give up. Ozarka put on a second-half surge and won its sixth straight pennant with a spurt at the end, scooting by second-place Midway by a game and third-place Hillsboro by 2. The Red Bluff Red Sox came in fourth in the hectic race, just 4 games off the pace... The Nats had to win 9 of the last 10 to capture the division crown. Midway dropped out of the lead with a 6-4 mark and Hillsboro played very well with a 7-3 record, but still lost out to Ozarka.

Ozarka proved itself in the toughest division in the IPA, where they are seven quality clubs ... five of them finished .500 or better... Joe Mac Carney has strong batting and strong pitching, ranking first with a .294 team batting average, fifth in scoring and ninth with 150 roundtrippers... ranking first with a 3.23 team ERA... and coming in tied for third in the IPA with a sterling .977 FA, second in the TU... That's quite a ball team heading into the Pro Cup playoffs... the Naturals feature six .300 hitters in the batting order, led by RF Ken Mayberry (.328/5/49/102), 1B Kenny Rousseau (.318/40/97/100), platooners at 2B Todd Chadwick (.330/8/53/52) and Teddy Tate (.317/4/38/25), 3B Andre Dumas (.310/36/117/99), CF Ryoma Nakayama (.306/7/54/85) and SS James Couch (.305/15/82/90)... on the mound a revitalized Eddie Roberts (18-3 2.44) led the way, adding another strong arm to the already potent rotation of Benny Osterman (21-11 2.38), Yuka Nawajuk (23-9 3.30) and Howard Hutch (14-13 3.96)... Ozarka has lost in its three Pro Cup Final appearances, but is ready again to make a serious challenge... last season Rocky Rapids swept them in the championship round... this year, however, is another year... the Nats are better this year and will be the 2020 Pro Cup champion.

2. Ancona Red Elephants (92-62)

Ancona Back On Top In RU North
After a year absence the Ancona Red Elephants have returned atop the Ruthlandian North, replacing the Taranto Tars, who fell down sixth this year. Ancona fought Valmara, Ranford and Far Mountain most of the year, finally beating the Vipers by 4 games, the resurging Bulls by 6 games and the Redhawks by 9.

Ancona manager Manny Mickens got improved pitching and solid batting, led on the hill by ace Clete Dukas (22-10 2.69), rookie standout Spiros Zodiates (17-12 3.82) and closer Lynwood Marshall (4-3 2.61 30 saves) and at the plate by 3B Todd Nasso (.317/33/112/125), LF Kenny Willard (.287/26/110/106), CF Ken Rutledge (.320/14/94/81), RF Louis DiMucci (.306/20/66/105) and 1B Alekos Kotas (.289/28/85/106)... the Red Elephants went to the Pro Cup finals two years ago... they are ready to compete again... no big surprise if the Red Elephants roar up and win it all.

3. Arroyo Grande Suns (95-59)

Suns Shine In TU South, Dethrone Turon
Cyclone Cobb has turned Arroyo Grande into a fine franchise. The Suns broke a 19-year drought and finally made the Pro Cup playoffs, knocking off the powerful Turon Typhoons in the process. The Typhoons had won the Tycobbian South for four years in succession. It was a tough race for Arroyo Grande. Runner-up Ginza fought long and hard the entire year, but finally lost out by 4 games. Third place Turon waited too late to make its move and came up 6 games short. Southport came in fourth in the standings and 8 games behind in the pennant chase.

Arroyo Grande has a well-rounded ball club and should go far in the playoffs... they led the TU with the most wins, compiling a 95-59 record... the Suns batted .270 (4th), walloped 189 homers (4th), were second-best in scoring and had a good 3.62 team ERA (8th)... numbers that should serve them well in the Pro Cup playoffs... Cobb possess three solid starters and a very capable closer... Earl O'Reilly (23-11 2.44) was outstanding this season... Ernie Matthews (25-11 3.91) was another 20-game winner... and Sixto Zamora (18-10 3.28) had a fine year... relief ace Jason Patrick (5-3) saved 29 games with a very inpressive 1.43 ERA... Arroyo Grande is deep in the batting order, too... LF Eduardo Villanueva (.318/24/101/111), SS Andy Pearson (.297/22/103/107), C Gary Troxell (.333/35/122/85), 3B Randy Warren (.328/7/51/96) and RF Buddy Bechtel are a very formidable line-up... Look for an Arroyo Grande-Ozarka Final 4, which should be a dynamite series.

4. Beechwood Bobcats (88-66)

Bobcats Upset Elegants In RU East
Beechwood ended 19 long frustrating years of failure and finally captured its first Ruthlandian East flag, but it didn't come easy. To do it the Bobcats had to beat out of of the best teams in the IPA, the powerful Eastshore Elegants, who had ruled the division with an iron fist with 4 consecutive titles. Beechwood always played second fiddle to the Elegants, at least in the last 4 seasons, when the Bobcats finished second or third. Beechwood took a close race by 2 games over Eastshore. The Bobcats also had to fight off the revitalized Wynnamac Sundowners, who closed out the season playing their best ball and came up 3 games short in third place, after trailing by 7 games at mid-year. The Sugar Valley Rattlers were fourth and wound up 9 games back.

Beechwood relied on strong pitching (6th) to subdue the Elegants, led by two standout starters in Billy Ray (19-13 2.96) and rookie Marty Panko (17-10 2.96)... Bret George's number three was no slouch either... Stephen Ladd was 18-10 with a fine 3.37 ERA... number four starter Kevin Timms did well at times with a 12-8 mark and a decent 4.06 ERA... closer Jeff Lyons (3-5) was outstanding with 34 saves and a 2.59 ERA in 51 appearances... offense was adequate with a .265 BA (6th)... the Bobcats bats were 11th with 148 homers, but did not score well (19th)... star CF Vic Valenti again led the club with a .342 BA, 39 home runs, 122 RBIs and 118 runs... LF Ryan Ray (.292/34/93/78) and RF Freddie Baxter (.287/10/84/79) chipped in some power and run production... If strong pitching can win the Pro Cup, the Bobcats have a shot... Bret George really might need a little more firepower to get past the current Pro Cup holder, the Rocky Rapids Snappers... the Snappers possess a balanced attack, but are not as strong as they have been over the past four years when the won the division crown... if Beechwood can get by Rocky Rapids, they will likely encounter another club with good pitching and good bats, the talented Ancona Red Elephants... Ancona is favored to whip Crystal Lake in the RU Elite 8... Beechwood and Rocky Rapids is mighty close... the Bobcats pitching gives them a very slight edge over the Snappers... Ancona gets the nod in the RU Final 4 over Beechwood because of a better offense.

5. Rocky Rapids Snappers (88-66)

Snappers Win 4th Straight RU West
The reigning Pro Cup champion Rocky Rapids racked up its fourth Ruthlandian West crown in a row, but didn't do it in a snap this year. The Volusia Vigilantes almost stole it with a late-season rush that fell 2 games short. The Sligo Rovers hung close most of the season and came in third in the race, just 5 games back of the Snappers. The Stoner Stars surged in the second half and finished fourth, trailing by 11 games.

Ryan Noland's Rocky Rapids Snappers head into the postseason with excellent power and scoring, good hitting and adequate pitching - a pretty good combination for winning another Pro Cup... the Snappers slugged 184 homers (3rd), ranked 4th in scoring, 9th in batting and 12th in pitching... Noland's top bats are 2B Paul Shelton (.286/40/138/94), who led the RU for the fourth straight year with 138 RBIs, CF Carl Johnson (.296/27/69/92), 1B Don Timmons (.272/25/73/66) and LF Rob Barton (.335/14/84/102)... on the hill the Snappers were paced by Don Chaney (20-12 2.62)... Joe Anderson (14-16 3.78) and Junior Noland (17-16 4.07), who usually ring up 20 wins, had lackluster years... Milt Baker (4-6) did a nice job again as closer with a strong 2.52 ERA and 22 saves... pitching may be Rocky Rapids Achilles' heel this season... All the other RU division champs appear to be stronger in that department than the Snappers... Noland is hoping he can hold his own on the mound and win with offense.

6. Crystal Lake Crushers (87-67)

2-Team Battle In RU South, Crushers Nip Cybercats
After three straight heart-rendering second-place finishes in the Ruthlandian South, the Crystal Lake Crushers finally pulled in a pennant with a 2-game victory over the Grand City Cybercats. The first-half leader, the Valka Blackhawks, folded badly in the second half and wound up in third place 11 games off the pace. The San Dimas Rancheros also peaked at mid-season and dropped back. The Rancheros were fourth, just 4 games behind at the All-Star break, but ended up 12 games out. The Claxton Diamonds, who won the RU South the previous two seasons, took a sudden turn for the worst and fell into oblivion and into sixth place,trailing by 15 games.

Skipper Herman "Baby" George gives most of the credit to Crystal Lake's starting threesome and strong defense (.977 FA-2nd) for ending 19 years of frustration... this was the Crushers first RU flag in history... George featured two 20-game winners in his rotation led by Duncan Welch (24-12 2.00) and Ralph McCullough (23-11 3.16)... his number three Vic Bauer (18-13 3.45) was also solid... barring injury they should be around quite a while... Bauer is only 22 and Welch and McCullough are just 26... it was a tough win for Crystal Lake because of its pathetic .248 BA (30th)... all-time great 1B Phil Gravelli (.345/22/94/91) is just about the only offensive force... 36-year-old Gravelli, a .320 lifetime batter, is the IPA career home-run hitter with 652 and also tops with 2173 RBIs, 3619 hits and 2987 games... It will be difficult for the Crushers in the postseason facing clubs that have both pitching and hitting.

7. Luxora Zorros (93-61)

Z's Zip To 4th TU North In A Row
The Luxora Zorros logged their fourth Tycobbian North title in a row by nipping the Hartsdale Hellcats by 3 games. But it was a little close for comfort. Going into the last two weeks the Hellcats had a slight edge. Luxora really had no other challengers. Luxora and Hartsdale were the only two teams in the division to have winning records. Third place Blue Lake wound up 20 games behind and fourth place Fairfax was 23 games off the pace.

Luxora won again because of two talented pitchers... starter Tiago Torres (25-10 2.06) and closer Jay Brewer (12-5) pretty much carried the load... Torres led the TU with a 2.06 ERA and the IPA with 8 shutouts and 23 complete games... Torres tied with two other pitchers for the most victories in the IPA... Brewer saved 21 games with a 2.67 ERA... manager Cristo Viamonte didn't have much offense... 3B Pablo Santa Cruz (.283/6/61/102), C Jim Thorpe Chandler (.277/23/87/84) and RF Jon Stafford (.264/24/86/97) put up most of the team's modest offense... it will be tough for Luxora to get very far in the postseason... the Z's just don't have the talent of other playoff teams... the only reason they get into the playoffs is because they play in one of the weakest divisions in the IPA.

8. Arlon Champions - RU West (79-75)

Champs Are Champs In TU West
Top to bottom, the closest divisional race in the IPA this season was in the Tycobbian West. Only 12 games separated first place from last place. The TU West was also the weakest division in the IPA with only one team having a winning record and that was just barely. The Arlon Champions won the crown with a 79-75 mark, edging out Chicopee by 2 games. The Braves broke even this year with a 77-77 record. Chicopee had a 3-game edge at the All-Star break, but couldn't hold off the Champs. The Bay St. Clair Buccaneers were just 4 games back and in the third spot and rounding out the first division were last year's flag winner Rolling Hills, 7 games off the pace.

Gary Louis won the his third pennant in 19 seasons in Arlon, but he really didn't have much to shout about talent-wise this year... the Champions are just an average ball club, playing in a very weak division... Arlon's top hurlers were Armando Cruz (13-11 3.76) and Terry Nuxhall (12-11 3.76), only average at best... the top hitters were superstar Rocco Belasari (.335/34/98/122), reliable CF Chucky Gilton (.289/22/108/77), RF Scott Connor (.290/23/66/99) and 3B Sandy Coburn (.265/2/54/103)... it's not likely Arlon will get very far in the Pro Cup playoffs... the first round opponent is powerhouse Ozarka, one of the strongest teams in the postseason this year and a Pro Cup finalist last year.

Sorry, folks.

I got shut down by another virus. The second in the last 3 months.
It's called "Anti-Virus.Net".

I should have my computer fixed in a day or so.

I will begin the playoff coverage then.

The Islandian Times
Tuesday, September 22, 2020

2020 IPA Elite 8 Series
(best-of-seven)

Ruthlandian Union

Bobcats Beat Snappers In Opener 3-0 On Ray's 4-Hitter
Playing at home in City Park Stadium, the Beechwood Bobcats beat Rocky Rapids 3-0 in game one of the Ruthlandian Elite 8 Series... 27-year-old right-hander Billy Ray (1-0) hurled a fine 4-hitter and outpitched the Snappers Don Chaney... SS Ace Parker, RF Freddie Baxter and CF Vic Valenti led the way with 2 hits each... Baxter doubled in runs in the third and fifth innings, while Valenti singled a run in the fifth... Chaney (0-1) went the distance in defeat, allowing 3 runs on 8 hits.

Ancona Nips CL On Hoover's Homer
At drizzly Jay Loman Park in Ancona, the Red Elephants nipped Crystal Lake 4-3 on Dave Hoover's 2-run shot in the fifth inning... that gave Clete Dukas (1-0) the victory over Duncan Welch in a battle of 20-game winners... Dukas worked 8 innings for the win, permitting 3 runs on 5 hits, while Welch left after 6 innings and gave up 4 runs and 4 hits... closer Lynwood Marshall nailed down his first postseason save with a perfect ninth frame... the Crushers drew first blood with 3 runs in the top of the fourth, but Ancona came back with two in the bottom of the inning and wrapped up the game in the decisive fifth on Hoover's homer... each club got only 5 hits apiece.

Tycobbian Union

Torres Tames Suns, Z's Zap 'em 6-0 In Game 1
On an almost perfect day at Capet Stadium in Arroyo Grande, Luxora Zorro southpaw Tiago Torres tamed the tough hometown Suns 6-0 on 5 hits to take game 1 of the Tycobbian Elite 8 Series... Torres, who was 25-10 during the regular season for Luxora, had perfect control and walked none, while striking out 4... Earl O'Reilly (0-1) worked 8 innings in defeat, yielding 6 runs and 9 hits... SS Joaquin Malagon paced the winners with 2 runs batted in and LF Carmine Mancuso, 2B Jake Chatelain and 1B Jim Gurney each drilled 2 base hits.

Ozarka Overwhelms Arlon 13-3 In Opener
The Ozarka bats were booming today at Ellie Ewing Stadium as the Naturals bombed Arlon 13-3 in the first game of the Tycobbian Elite 8... Ozarka pounded out 14 hits, sparked by 3 RBIs apiece by SS James Couch, LF Jose Ordonez and C Frank Kiffin... they all had homers and a pair of hits, solidly backing up Eddie Roberts on the mound... the Nats got off to a great start with 4 runs in each of the first two frames... Roberts cruised to the win by scattering 10 hits with 6 strikeouts and 2 walks... Armando Cruz (0-1) took the loss, allowing 7 runs in less than 2 innings.

The Islandian Times
Wednesday, September 23, 2020

2020 IPA Elite 8 Series
(best-of-seven)

Ruthlandian Union

Beechwood Wins Game 2, Panko Whips Snappers 3-1
Beechwood manager Bret George got exceptional pitching for the second day in a row in the Ruthlandian Elite 8 Series... 22-year-old rookie left-hander Marty Panko held Rocky Rapids to 5 hits in the 3-1 triumph, giving the Bobcats a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series... Panko (1-0) and Joe Anderson (0-1) were locked in a 1-1 draw until 2B Darrell Woods busted it up with a 2-run smash in the last of the eighth... Panko went 8 innings, fanning 5 and walking none in a fine outing... closer Jeff Lyons nailed down the win with a 1-2-3 ninth... Anderson, last year's Pro Cup MVP, went all the way, giving up 8 hits and 3 runs.

Crushers Rally, 12-7 Win Evens Series
The Crystal Lake Crushers were down 7-0 after two innings, but made a great late-inning comeback to even its Elite 8 Series with Ancona at a game each with a dramatic 12-7 victory... Crystal Lake cracked 14 hits and were paced by 2B Greg Murphy with 3 hits and 3 RBIs, 1B Phil Gravelli with 3 hits and 2 RBIs and C Eddie Robertson with 4 hits, 2 RBIs and 4 runs scored... Robertson had the game's only roundtripper, a 2-run salvo in the fourth... rookie SS Larry Morris led Ancona's 8-hit attack with 2 hits and 4 runs batted in... Crystal Lake got fantastic relief work from Roger Bishop, Vincent Schmidt and Jeff Jernigan, who blanked the Snappers the final 7 innings on just 2 hits... Bishop (1-0) got the win with 4 scoreless frames and Jernigan chalked up the save with 2 scoreless innings... Spiros Zodiates (0-1) started and lost it for Rocky Rapids... the 21-year-old rookie was ripped for 8 runs in 6+ innings.

Tycobbian Union

Suns Power Past Z's 8-5, Series Tied
It took 5 home runs for Arroyo Grande to power past Luxora 8-5 and tie up the TU Elite 8 Series at a game each... C Gary Troxell walloped two of them and batted in 3 runs, 1B Sherm Miles had a 2-run clout and 3B Randy Warren and LF Eduardo Villanueva had solo blasts... Luxora kept the game close by outhitting the Suns 12 to 10... 3B Pablo Santa Cruz and C Jim Thorpe Chandler sparked them with 3 hits apiece... Sun starter Sixto Zamora (1-0) got the win, but was bashed for 12 hits and 5 runs in 8 innings... Jason Patrick closed out the win with a scoreless ninth... losing pitcher Steve Aaron (0-1) went out early, surrendering 4 runs and 4 hits in 3 innings... Aaron left trailing 4-1.

Nats Nip Champs 1-0, Osterman Strikes Out 16
Ozarka got a brilliant outing by ace Benny Osterman, who fanned 16 Arlon Champions in a 1-0 victory... Osterman walked 3 and gave up 7 hits in outdueling rookie right-hander Terry Nuxhall... in the bottom of the ninth catcher T. C. Baranski singled in pinchrunner Tony Genassi from third for the game's only run... Nuxhall was outstanding and didn't allow a run in his 8 innings, striking out 9 and allowing no walks and 7 hits... Chuck Combs (0-1) relieved him in the ninth and was the loser, giving up the game-winner on two hits and two walks... Ozarka had 9 hits to 7 for Arlon... the Nats were led by 2B Teddy Tate with 3-3 and 3B Andre Dumas with 2-4... 1B Rod MacCormack had 2 hits to top the Champs.

The Islandian Times
Thursday, September 24, 2020

2020 IPA Elite 8 Series
(best-of-seven)

Ruthlandian Union

Bobcats Headed For Sweep, Edge Snappers 4-3 in 12
The Beechwood Bobcats continued to roll past the Rocky Rapid Snappers, beating them on their own home diamond 4-3 in 12 innings on Freddie Baxter's solo homer... the Bobcats have won all three games so far in the Ruthlandian Elite 8 and could send Rocky Rapids home for the season with a win tomorrow afternoon... starters Stephen Ladd for Beechwood and Junior Noland for Rocky Rapids battled to a 3-3 draw... Ladd went 8 innings and surrendered 8 hits, while Noland worked 10 innings and allowed 11 hits... Kevin Timms (1-0) was the winning pitcher... Timms blanked the Snappers in the 11th and 12th... Earl Pitts (0-1) got the loss when he was tagged for the game-winning homer by Baxter (.333)... the Bobcats collected 15 hits and were led by CF Vic Valenti (.357), SS Ace Parker (.538) and 1B Ray Slater (.417), each with 3 hits... C Hank Bethel (.286) paced the Snappers with 2 doubles.

Lakers Skim By Red Elephants 3-2 in 10, Up 2-1 In Series
The Crystal Lake Crushers made the hometown fans happy with a 3-2 ten-inning win at Lakefront Stadium to got up two games to one in the Elite 8 Series... RF Jed Franks led off the 10th with a single, went to second on a sacrifice and scored the winning run when SS Phil Alston threw the game away with a bad throw to first base... closer Jeff Jernigan (1-0) picked up the win despite blowing the save in the ninth and allowing the Red Elephants to send it to extra innings... Jernigan was tagged for 5 hits in 2 innings... Lynwood Marshall (0-1) worked the ninth and tenth and was the loser... Ancona outhit the Crushers 10-7... SS Jimmy Bell (.231) and Franks (.556) led the winners with a pair of hits each... Alekos Kotas (.231), LF Kenny Willard (.182) and SS Alston (.286) socked 2 hits apiece for the Red Elephants... the starting pitchers did their jobs... Crystal Lake's Vic Bauer tossed 8 strong innings, limiting Ancona to 5 hits and a run... Bud Garner left trailing 2-0 after 6 frames, giving up 5 hits.

Tycobbian Union

Luxora Wins In 10, Slips By Suns 5-4
The Luxora Zorros knocked off Arroyo Grande 5-4 in 10 innings in the friendly confines of De la Vega Stadium to cop game three in the Tycobbian Elite 8 Series and take a two games to one edge... with two away in the decisive inning RF Jon Stafford slapped a double off reliever Jason Patrick... a dropped foul ball by catcher Gary Troxell gave new life to C Jim Thorpe Chandler and he promptly slammed a line drive single to center to end the contest... Patrick (0-1) took the loss and Z's closer Jay Brewer (1-0) notched the victory with a runless 10th... starters Julio Higuera for Luxora and Ernie Matthews for the Suns pitched decently and departed with a 4-4 tie... Higuera worked 9 innings, while Matthews lasted into the 10th.... Arroyo Grande has 13 hits to 12 for the Zorros... RF Stafford (.357) sparked Luxora with 2-for-5 and 2 RBIs, including a solo homer that tied it up at 4-all in the eighth... LF Carmine Mancuso (.583) smacked 4 hits for the winners... Chandler (.500) also had 2 hits... Troxell (.500) led Arroyo Grande with 3 hits, while RF Buddy Bechtel (.308) and pitcher Matthews (.500) chipped in with 2 hits each.

Nats Win 3rd Straight, Nawajuk Stops Champs 4-2
23-game winner Yuka Nawajuk stopped Arlon 4-2 to send Ozarka to a commanding 3-0 lead in the TU Elite 8 Series... on the road at Derby Downs Nawajuk (1-0) tossed a strong 4-hitter with 5 Ks and 2 bases on balls to whip Kurt DeHaan (0-1), who pitched the entire game, allowing 4 runs and 9 hits... Ozarka was led at the plate by homers by 1B Benny Rousseau (.333) and SS James Couch (.364), who got his 2nd roundtripper in the series...Couch's clout in the seventh put the Nats ahead 3-2... a triple by RF Ken Mayberry (.250) and a single by CF Ryoma Nakayama (.231) made it 4-2 in the eighth... LF Jose Ordonez (.455) also slapped 3 hits for the Naturals... 2B Ed Richter (.364) collected 3 of the 4 hits for Arlon.

The Islandian Times
Friday, September 25, 2020

2020 IPA Elite 8 Series
(best-of-seven)

Ruthlandian Union

RR Snaps Back, Beats Bobcats 7-6 in 14
Trailing 4-0 after 6 innings in game four of the RU Elite 8 Series, the defending Pro Cup champion Rocky Rapids Snappers could have rolled over and played dead against Beechwood ace Billy Ray, but they didn't... Rocky Rapids snapped out of its 3-game slump and avoided a sweep by the Bobcats with a 7-6 triumph in 14 innings, winning on back-to-back two-baggers by winning pitcher Milt Baker and Rob Barton... Beechwood had another chance to finish them off with 2 runs in the top of the 12th, but the Snappers came right back in the last half of the inning and knotted it up again... Baker (1-0 1.80) worked 4 innings for the win, permitting 2 runs and 3 hits with 4 strikeouts and no walks... Claudio Campos (0-1 7.36) suffered the defeat as he was tagged for 3 runs and 5 hits in 3 and two-thirds innings...starters Billy Ray and Don Chaney departed after 8 innings tied up at 4-all... Rocky Rapids collected 12 hits and were led by LF Barton (.294) with 2 hits, 2 RBIs and 2 runs... CF Carl Johnson (.353) and 1B Don Timmons (.222) had 2 hits and an RBI apiece... Beechwood bashed 14 hits with LF Ryan Ray (.200) leading the way with 3 hits, an RBI and a run scored... CF Vic Valenti (.333) cracked 2 hits, scored twice and batted in two runs in defeat.

Crushers One Win Away From Final 4
Everybody knew Crystal Lake had good pitching, but doubted it had the hitting to get past the powerful Ancona Red Elephants in the RU Elite 8... the Crushers are now just one win away from disposing of Ancona... Crystal Lake nosed out the Red Elephants 3-2 to gain a three games to one advantage in the best-of-seven series... Duncan Welch (1-1 3.60) put them away on 6 hits and 2 runs, while fanning 7 and walking 4, gaining revenge for a 4-3 loss in the opening game of the series... Clete Dukas started for Ancona and hurled a fine game, giving up only 2 runs in 8 innings... Dukas scattered 9 hits, struck out 5 and issued 2 free passes and exited with the score tied... closer Lynwood Marshall (0-2 2.70) was the losing pitcher... Marshall walked the bases loaded and then yielded a two-out single to 1B Phil Granelli (.400)... Crystal Lake had the edge in hits 10 to 6... the Crushers jumped ahead 1-0 in the second frame, then added another one in the fifth... the Red Elephants rallied with runs in the seventh and eighth.

Tycobbian Union

Suns O'Reilly Shines In Shutout, Series Split
The favored Arroyo Grande Suns had really dug themselves into a deep hole... they trailed Luxora two games to one in the series going into game four and they found themselves having to face one of the best pitchers in the IPA... another loss could have been fatal... but a knight in shining armor came riding to the rescue... Earl O'Reilly (1-1 2.25) fashioned a 5-hit shutout and whipped Tiago Torres and his Luxora Zorros 2-0... pinchhitter Joe Uhrich (.250) snapped a scoreless tie in the seventh with a 2-run single that sent Torres (1-1 1.00) down to defeat... Torres struck out 9, walked only one and was touched for 9 hits... he had whipped the Suns 6-0 in game one... closer Jason Patrick got his second save of the series by retiring the Z's in order in the ninth.

Champs Nudge Nats 4-3, Down But Not Out
On the verge of elimination, the Arlon Champions broke a three-game losing string and nudged the Ozarka Naturals 4-3 in game four of the TU Elite 8... 37-year-old Armando Cruz (1-1 7.71) kept them alive with a fine performance, holding the big Nat bats to just 2 runs on 8 hits... Ozarka had battered him 13-3 in game one... Chuck Combs closed out the victory, but only after being rapped for a run and 3 hits... the Nats made him sweat for that save... RF Scott Connor (.286) gave Arlon an early lead with a 2-run blast in the first frame... CF Chucky Gilton (.200) slugged a solo shot in the sixth to make it 3-0... Ozarka SS James Couch (.400) went deep in the top of the seventh for the third time in the series, cutting it to 3-1 and Champ PH Tommy Daigle made it 4-2 in the eighth with an RBI single... Nats C Frank Kiffin (.385) accounted for the final run with a ninth-inning base hit... Eddie Roberts (1-1 3.18) went the distance in defeat, surrendering 11 hits and 4 runs with 5 Ks and a walk... Ozarka also banged out 11 hits.

The Islandian Times
Saturday, September 26, 2020

2020 IPA Elite 8 Series
(best-of-seven)

Ruthlandian Union

Bobcats KO Snappers In 5 Games
It's all for over the reigning Pro Cup champion Rocky Rapids...Beechwood easily disposed of the Snappers in five games in the Ruthlandian Elite 8 with a 7-5 victory at Snapper Stadium... the Bobcats KO'd them with a 3-run outburst in the top of the ninth... RF Freddie Baxter (.333) tied the score at 5-5 with a single, CF Vic Valenti (.308) put them in front with a triple and PH Leo Mariano (.250) singled in an insurance run... closer Jeff Lyons put the finishing touch on the win with a perfect ninth for his second save in the series... Mike Chaney (0-1) was the losing pitcher... he blew the 5-4 lead and the game by giving up 3 runs and 4 hits in the ninth... Beechwood pelted Snapper pitching for 13 hits and with Baxter and 3B Maury Charles (.350) lacing 3 hits apiece... 1B Ray Slater (.455) added in a pair of hits... CF Carl Johnson (.400) and 1B Don Timmons (.250) sparked the Snappers with 2 RBIs each... Johnson got his on a two-run homer... 2B Paul Shelton (.150) scored 3 times and had 2 hits for Rocky Rapids... Beechwood will now take on the Crystal Lake-Ancona winner in the RU Final 4... the surprising Crushers are up three games to two in that series.

DiMucci's HR Keeps Ancona Alive, CL Falls 4-3
The favored Ancona Red Elephants just barely stayed alive in the RU Elite 8 Series with underdog Crystal Lake... they were nearing extinction, trailing 3-2 going into the last inning, when RF Louie DiMucci swatted a 2-run homer to give Ancona the lead and keep them in the series... the Crushers came very close to knocking them out of the playoffs... Crystal Lake still had a chance in the last of the ninth, but Lynwood Marshall retired them in order for his second save in the series... Spiros Zodiates (1-1 6.75) got the win, holding the Crushers to 3 runs and 8 hits in 8 innings... reliever Vincent Schmidt couldn't wrap up the game after Ralph McCullough and two relievers had given them a 3-2 lead... Schmidt (0-1) was the losing pitching... Ancona had to overcome a 2-0 lead after 5 frames, 3-1 after 6 and 3-2 after 8... rookie CF Terry Thorsen (.500) had 4 hits for Ancona... the Red Elephants had a 10-8 hit advantage... 3B Herb Buck (.227) had a solo homer to lead the Crushers... 2B Greg Murphy (.263) went 2-3 and scored twice for the losers.

Tycobbian Union

Z's Sink Suns 8-6, Lead Series 3-2
In an error-filled game at De la Vega Stadium in Luxora, the Zorros sunk the Arroyo Grande Suns 8-6 to move ahead in the Tycobbian Elite 8 Series three games to two... one more victory and the Z's will upset one of the Pro Cup favorites... the Suns and Ozarka are both Tycobbian powerhouses and were expected to meet in the TU Final 4... it could still happen, but first, the Suns have to whip Luxora twice to advance in the playoffs... the Zorros ran up a 7-1 lead after 6 frames and then had to hold off the Arroyo Grande rally in the late innings... C Jim Thorpe Chandler (.429) led the Z's 11-hit parade with 5 RBIs and LF Francisco Ortega (.174) had 3 hits and scored three times... 2B Dan Burger (.200) homered in defeat for the Suns and LF Eduardo Villanueva (.211) drove in a pair of runs... Steve Aaron (1-1 6.00) had a rocky outing but went all the way... Aaron allowed 11 hits, fanned 6 and walked one for the win... 2 of the runs were unearned as the Zorros committed 4 errors behind him... the Suns had 3 costly miscues and gave up 6 unearned runs... loser Sixto Zamora (1-1 3.95) suffered the most as he permitted 7 runs in 5+ innings, but only one was earned.

Champs Nuxhall Nips Nats Osterman 1-0
The heavily-favored Ozarka Naturals were on the brink of eliminating the over-matched Arlon Champions, but they were shot down by a marvelous pitching performance by the unheralded Terry Nuxhall, who fired a 4-hit shutout in game five to nip the Nats and their ace Benny Osterman 1-0, cutting Ozarka's lead to 3-2 in the TU Elite 8 Series... just three days earlier Nuxhall had pitched his heart out and lost to Osterman 1-0... Nuxhall (1-0 0.00) was only 12-11 this season with a 3.76 ERA, but he was the king of the mound today with 7 strikeouts and one walk... Nuxhall hasn't allowed a run in his two postseason starts, covering 17 innings... Osterman (1-1 0.53) was outstanding, too... he only allowed one run and 5 hits with 6 Ks and 4 walks... it was Osterman's control that did him in... in the bottom of the sixth, LF Rocco Belasario (.143) singled to led off the inning and stole second... Osterman intentionally walked the dangerous CF Chucky Gilton (.222)... then gave up a walk to Rod MacCormack (.235) to load the bases... C Louis Boyd (.353) hit into a double play, but still got the run in.

The Islandian Times
Sunday, September 27, 2020

2020 IPA Elite 8 Series
(best-of-seven)

Ruthlandian Union

Garner Evens Series, Ancona Over CL 5-1
It was good to be back home at Jay Loman Park in Ancona, where Bud Garner evened up the Ruthlandian Elite 8 with a 5-1 decision over the Crystal Lake Crushers... that set the stage for a seventh-game finale tomorrow afternoon... Garner (1-0 1.80) powder-puffed his way past the Crushers with an assortment of off-speed junk... the 37-year-old right-hander held them to one run on 6 hits... Garner got the best of loser Vic Bauer (0-1 3.86), who was tagged for 10 hits and 5 runs in 6 innings... it was the bottom end of the batting order that paved the way... 1B Phil Alston (.400) scored 3 runs and drove in one, SS Larry Morris (.308) batted in 2 runs, C Teddy Dietrich (.263) went 3-3 with an RBI and pitcher Garner (.250) drove in a run... the Red Elephants collected 12 hits... both clubs will have their aces going tomorrow with Duncan Welch (24-12 2.00) on the mound for Crystal Lake and Clete Dukas (22-10 2.69) getting the call for Ancona.

Tycobbian Union

Z's Upset Suns In 6 Games, Higuera Winner 7-3
A group of unsung ballplayers proved their mettle with an upset victory in the Tycobbian Elite 8 Series... underdog Luxora whipped favored Arroyo Grande in six games to advance to the TU Final 4... Julio Higuera (2-0 2.12) earned his second win in the series with a 7-3 triumph as he held the strong Suns to 3 runs and 6 hits in 8 innings... reliever Spooky Da Nova came in in the ninth and closed out the win... Ernie Matthews (0-1 5.28) suffered the loss, allowing 5 hits and 8 runs in his 6 innings... SS Joaquin Malagon (.421) led Luxora with 3 hits and 3 RBIs and LF Jon Stafford added 2 hits, 3 runs and an RBI... 3B Ray Warren led the losing Suns with 3 hits, while LF Eduardo Villanueva (.273) had 2 hits and an RBI and C Gary Troxell (.292) chipped in 2 RBIs.

Arlon Ties Series, Trims Ozarka 5-3 In 10
Playing on the road in hostile territory, the Arlon Champs tied the TU Elite 8 Series with a 5-3 ten-inning decision over powerful Ozarka and forced a seventh game... 12-year vet Kurt DeHaan finally got his first postseason win... DeHaan worked a solid 9 innings, permitting only 3 runs on 8 hits to subdue the Naturals in game six... Chuck Combs came on in the tenth and notched his second save in the series with a scoreless inning... the winning run came in on an error by 3B Andre Dumas, who lost the handle on a routine grounder with one out and the bases loaded... Yuka Nawajuk turned in a good outing for the Nats... he tossed 9 innings, fanned 7 and walked 3, while giving up 6 hits... Josh Carpenter (0-1) was the losing pitcher... he pitched the tenth... the Champions were outhit 9 to 7... game seven will be tomorrow, again at Ellie Ewing Stadium in Ozarka... it will be Armando Cruz (13-11 3.76) on the hill for Arlon and Eddie Roberts (18-3 2.44) for Ozarka.

The Islandian Times
Monday, September 28, 2020

2020 IPA Elite 8 Series
(best-of-seven)

Ruthlandian Union

CL Crushes Hopes Of Ancona In Game 7
The pitching duel between two 20-game winners never materialized at Jay Loman Park in Ancona... Crystal Lake racked up 14 hits and crushed the Pro Cup hopes of Ancona with a 9-5 shellacking in game seven of the Ruthlandian Elite 8 Series... A 5-run second and 4-run seventh put the Crushers into the RU Final 4 against the Beechwood Bobcats... Duncan Welch didn't have a good day, but it was good enough to win... Welch (2-1 4.13) weathered 12 hits and 5 runs, while striking out 7 and walking 2... Clete Dukas (1-1 4.74) took the tough loss, permitting 5 runs and 9 hits in just 3 innings... the Red Elephants rebounded and narrowed the score to 5-4 after five innings, but were put away when Crystal Lake erupted for 4 more in the top of the seventh, highlighted by SS Jimmy Bell (.231) 3-run homer... CF Andy McGee (.269) also drove in 3 runs for the winners with a pair of doubles.

Tycobbian Union

Ozarka Slams Arlon 10-6, Wins Elite 8
The Ozarka Naturals made it clear right away they were going to the Tycobbian Final 4 with a barrage of runs and hits in game seven of the Elite 8 Series with the Arlon Champions... the Naturals blasted out 14 hits in the 10-6 romp, scoring all of the them in the first four frames... LF Jose Ordonez (.385) belted 3 hits and drove in 3 runs for the victors with 1B Benny Rousseau (.393) adding 3 hits and 2 RBIs... CF Ryoma Nakayama (.222) and C Frank Kiffin (.304) both batted in a pair of runs... Nakayama and Ordonez had homers... Eddie Roberts (2-1 4.01) garnered the victory by going into the 8th, allowing 6 runs and 6 hits with 6 Ks and 2 walks... reliever Wayne Gates got the save... Gates got the final 4 outs and fanned 3 of them... Ozarka will play the Luxora Zorros in next round of the Pro Cup playoffs... The Nats will be without center fielder Ryoma Nakayama for most of the Final 4... Nakayama hit the wall making a catch and suffered a concussion... Doctors say he will miss about a week.