The Islandian Times

Sunday, October 3, 2010

2010 Ruthlandian Union Final 4 Series

Colfax Ties Series, Nips Waleska 3-2 in 15 Innings
Colfax gained a split in the RU Final 4 Series with a 3-2 triumph in 15 innings over Waleska... The Blasters salvaged the game when backup catcher Bob Harrison threw wildly to third trying to get Tino Leonetti stealing third... Leonetti got up and rambled home with the winning run... It was a brilliant day for the pitchers... Colfax starter Jimmy Joe Cartner worked a masterful 10 innings, giving up only six hits and two unearned runs... Waleska starter Lenny Milazzo tossed nine innings and permitted only two runs and six hits... The Blasters took the lead in the first inning on a two-run shot by CF Ryan Raines (.320)... that held up until the fourth frame when the Westerners knotted it a 2-2 on a two-run double by Ed Chase (.417)... it remained that way for the next 10 innings... Cas Majewski (1-0 0.00) notched the victory with a scoreless 15th and Ernie Harrell (1-1 0.00) took the loss... Harrell allowed one unearned run on five hits in three and one-third innings of relief... Raines and Ilya Ivanchuk (.400) led Colfax with two hits each, while Chase topped Waleska with three hits... The Blasters had a tough time handling the ball, they committed five errors in the game.

2010 Tycobbian Union Final 4 Series

DC Evens Series, Take Tense 2-1 Duel With Turon
The pitchers were firing on all cylinders in Denton City, too... The Redbirds edged Turon 2-1 to even up the TU Final 4 Series at one game apiece... Mila Mohoski (3-1 1.91) fired a strong eight innings, yielding only five hits and one run for the victory... Closer Tom Duroncelay rang up his fourth save of the postseason with a scoreless, but scary ninth inning... the Redbirds had the lead 2-1 when a single and a walk put runners on one and second with two outs, but Duroncelay struck out PH Bobo Dyess to end the game... Denton City got the game-winner in the bottom of the eighth, when SS Trevor Tomlinson (.265) singled to lead off the inning, was sacrificed to second and driven in by CF Rod MacCormack's (.378) double... Both clubs could only manage six hits each... MacCormack and Tomlinson led the Redbirds with two hits apiece... MacCormack homered in the sixth for Denton City's other run... He drove in both runs and now has 12 RBIs and three homers in the postseason... Anthony Nardone (1-1 2.84) pitched well in defeat, surrendering two runs and six hits, while pitching the entire game... Turon CF Mac McCuran (.237) tied the game at 1-1 in the top of the eighth with a sacrifice fly.

The Islandian Times

Monday, October 4, 2010

2010 Ruthlandian Union Final 4 Series

Waleska Blasts Colfax 8-0, Goes Up 2-1 In Series
On a rainy day in Waleska four hurlers combined to shut out the mighty Colfax Blasters 8-0 in game three of the best-of-seven RU Final 4 Series to go up 2-1 in games... Ken Vakros (2-0 0.42) blanked Colfax over the first 4 and one-third innings, but went out because of a long rain delay... Sammy Grimaldi (1-0 0.00) claimed the win by holding them scoreless in the fifth, sixth and seventh on two hits... Toshiya Tamura and Von Pearce worked a scoreless eighth and ninth to finish off the Blasters... The Westerners ripped 15 hits in all and were led by C Mac Wilkins (.323) and CF Harold Setser (.200), who both homered... 3B Grant Betzer (.200) cracked three hits and drove in two runs, while Setser also had a pair of hits with two RBIs... 2B DePaul Labat (.324) went 3-for-5 for the Westerners and scored twice with an RBI... Colfax only mustered seven hits in all... starter Jasper LaForge (1-1 3.60) was charged with the loss... He gave up four runs on seven hits in six innings.

2010 Tycobbian Union Final 4 Series

Turon Takes Series Lead, Lemaire Blanks DC 3-0
Turon got a marvelous outing from Jacques Lemaire to take the series lead two games to one in the best-of-seven TU Final 4... Lemaire (2-2 0.75) stymied Denton City 3-0 on a three-hitter, struck out five and walked four... The Typhoons got all their runs in the second frame... 2B Alan Hansen (.231) came through with a two-run triple and scored on a single by LF Andy Porter (.333)... Roger Ramsey (0-2 3.18) also hurled a complete game... He was touched for six hits with six walks and three Ks.

The Islandian Times

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

2010 Ruthlandian Union Final 4 Series

Szabo Evens Series, Colfax Blasts Waleska 8-1
Leave it to Colfax's ace Ilya Szabo to get them back the RU Final 4 Series... Szabo (3-1) shackled Waleska on just four hits in the 8-1 triumph in game four of the best-of-seven series... The 31-year-old right-hander got some revenge for the opening game loss with an outstanding performance to even up the series at two games each... Szabo walked only one and fanned three batters in eight innings... Reliever Troy Wilson worked a scoreless ninth to complete the game... LF Paul Coniglio (.216) got the Blasters going in the first frame with a solo homer... The scored remained that way until the seventh when Colfax's busted up a tight game between Szabo and Wilson Whitmore with two more runs... SS Kevin Warren (.167) tripled in a run and then scored on a ground-out by Szabo (.111)... In the ninth the Blasters really went to work on Whitmore with a five-run uprising, highlighted by C Tino Leonetti's (.265) bases-loaded triple... Whitmore (2-1 2.10) was the loser, allowing eight runs on eight hits in eight-plus innings... He struck out six, walked three and gave up five earned runs.

2010 Tycobbian Union Final 4 Series

Typhoons Hang On 7-6, Up Lead To 3-1 Over Favored DC
The feisty Turon Typhoons did it again... they held off Denton City 7-6 in game four of the TU Final 4 to take a surprising three-to-one lead in the series... Despite being outgunned 14 to 8, Turon still pulled off a win... The Redbirds bolted ahead 3-0 in the top of the second on an RBI single by 2B Pat Batistella (.389) and a two-run base hit by pitcher Kimo Orlando (.111), only to have the Typhoons regain the lead 4-3 in the bottom of the inning on a solo homer by 1B Johnny Carducci (.200), a two-run triple by C Pete Kilgour (.263) and a wild pitch permitted Kilgour to score... In the third DC knotted the score at 4-all when C Tibby Charbert (.274) drilled an RBI single... RF Jack Brown's (.250) 400-foot clout gave Turon the lead again 5-4... PH Jimmy Tremayne (.385) increased it to 7-4 with a two-run double in the seventh... RF Lavon Gooch (.348) narrowed the gap to 7-6 with a 2-run blast in the top of the eighth, but that was as close as Denton City could get... Relievers Merle Studebaker and Jeb Pickett shut the door on them for the final five outs... starter Freddi Spiegel (2-1 5.17) bagged the win, but labored severely... Spiegel was battered for six runs and 13 hits in all, fanned seven and walked four... He departed after seven and two-thirds innings... Pickett got his second save of the postseason... Loser Orlando (2-1 4.15) permitted five runs on six hits in just three innings... Gooch and LF Danny Nash (.421) led the Redbird hitters with three hits apiece in defeat.

The Islandian Times

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

2010 Ruthlandian Union Final 4 Series

Waleska Pounds Colfax 8-2, Now Leads Series 3-2
It's a surprising turn of events in the Ruthlandian Final 4 - the Waleska Westerners have proven to be a formidable foe for the heavily-favored Colfax Blasters... Waleska pounded them 8-2 in game five and now are within one game of knocking Colfax out of the postseason... The Westerners got to 27-game winner Jimmy Joe Cartner (2-1 3.10) for two homers and six runs in the first three innings... It was Cartner's first loss this season in the playoffs... In spite of wildness and six bases on balls, Lenny Milazzo (1-1 2.30) was tough with men on base and held the Blasters to five hits in seven innings and two runs... Relievers Sammy Grimaldi and Ernie Harrell worked the final two innings and kept Colfax off the scoreboard... The Blasters left 12 runners on base... CF Harold Setser (.186) and 1B Nat Mayakovsky (.255) both hit two-run homers to spark the Westerners... SS Ed Chase (.394) had two hits and three RBIs for the winners... Chase has driven in 10 runs in the playoffs.

2010 Tycobbian Union Final 4 Series

Typhoons Blow Away Redbirds 8-5, Seeks 4th Pro Cup
100-game winner Denton City was no match for Turon, which only won 80 games in the regular season... The Typhoons blew away the favored Redbirds in five games in the TU Final 4, eliminating them 8-5 today before the home folks at Typhoon Stadium... Now Whitey Richburn will be seeking an unprecented fourth Pro Cup crown and their second in a row... It wasn't a thing of beauty, but winning pitcher Anthony Nardone (2-1 3.15) went the distance and weathered several Redbird rallies... Nardone surrendered five runs on seven hits, but managed to keep Denton City at bay in crucial siturations... what is also surprising is he beat 26-game winner Mila Mohoski, who holds the all-time IPA postseason wins mark with 15 victories... Turon pounced on Mohoski (3-2 3.11) for six runs and six hits in just four-plus frames... CF Mac McCurnan (.224) and C Pete Kilgour (.286) each delivered two key hits and paced the Typhoons with three RBIs apiece... RF Jimmy Tremayne (.444) chipped in with two doubles and a single, scored three times and batted in one run for the victors... DC 2B Pat Battistella (.409) led the losers with two hits, including a three-run homer... Turon leaped to a 3-0 lead in the first inning, the Redbirds cut it to 3-1 in the top of the fifth, only to have the Typhoons put three more on the scoreboard in the bottom half... Trailing 6-1 in the sixth, Denton City mounted a rally with three runs and narrowed it to 6-4... Turons put them away with two more in the seventh to seal the verdict... the Redbirds ended the scoring for the day with a single run in the top of the ninth.

The Islandian Times

Thursday, October 7, 2010

2010 Ruthlandian Union Final 4 Series

Colfax Outlasts Waleska 4-3 In 13, Forces 7th Game
Waleska just couldn't put away the Colfax Blasters despite jumping off to a 3-0 lead in the opening frame of game six of the RU Final 4... All the Westerners needed was one more victory and they could be on their way to the Pro Cup Finals... Colfax rallied and forced a seventh and final game with a 4-3 triumph in 13 innings... SS Bob Klostermann (.269) was the game's hero by driving in Karl Heidelberg (.565) with a double in the last of the 13th... Heidelberg led off the inning with a single... Blaster starter Jasper LaForge righted himself after putting his team in the hole in the first when he allowed a single by 2B DePaul Labat (.283), an RBI double by 3B Grant Betzer (.226) and a two-run roundtripper by RF Kippy Doyle (.261)... It was Doyle's 4th postseason homer... After that LaForge shut Waleska down for the nine innings... In all, he worked 10 innings, yielded eight hits, fanned five and issued no walks... LaForge exited with the score even at 3-3... Westerner starting pitcher Ken Vakros equalled LaForge with nine strong innings... He gave up only six hits and three runs with four Ks and two walks... Waleska had the hit advantage 10-9... Colfax fought back with a run in the second on an RBI single by Tino Leonetti (.250) and tied it up in the seventh on a two-run single by LaForge (.286)... Reliever Vito Incardona (1-0 0.00) got credit for the win with a scoreless 13th... the loss went to Ernie Harrell (1-2 1.50), who got no one out in the decisive frame.

The Islandian Times

Friday, October 8, 2010

2010 Ruthlandian Union Final 4 Series

Colfax Wins RU, Szabo Stops Waleska 4-1 In Game 7
The mark of a champion is to win when you have to... Colfax is the champion of the Ruthlandian Union by virtue of a 4-1 victory in game seven of the Final 4 Series... The Blasters had to win the last two games to advance to the IPA Pro Cup Series against three-time winner Turon... Manager Clem Rogers had his ace Ilya Szabo on the hill and the 31-year-old righty did the job... Szabo scattered eight hits, whiffed six, walked three and did not allow an earned run in a fine complete-game performance... Szabo has been brilliant in the postseason so far with a 4-1 record and a superb 1.35 ERA... The Westerners had their ace on the mound, too... But Wilson Whitmore (2-2 2.68) just couldn't get it done today... Whitmore was touched for four runs on eight hits in his six innings, while striking out five and walking three... In the opening inning Waleska took the lead when an infield error and a single to put runners on first and third... 1B Nat Mayakovsky (.250) got the run across on an infield hit... Colfax came back and went ahead 2-1 in the third on a sac fly by 3B Mike Janocko (.317) and an RBI single by SS Kevin Warren (.136)... the Blasters took charge in the fifth with two more scores... LF Paul Coniglio (.229) homered to lead off the inning... A walk, a sacrifice bunt and LF Lakota Sanders' (.333) single accounted for the last run... Coniglio paced all hitters with 3-for-4 and scored twice... the Blasters outhit the Westerners 9-8.

McGraw Johnson, skipper of the Westerners, lamented the loss after being up 3 games to 2... "We had our chance in yesterday's 13-inning defeat... We shouldn't have given them another chance in game seven... But what the heck, kudos go to Colfax and Clem Rogers... they won 107 games this year and came back and whipped us... you don't need for me to tell you what a great team they are... I just hope they can bring the Pro Cup back to Ruthlandia."

Commenting on the comeback series win, Rogers stated, "McGraw should be very proud of his team... they were the underdogs, not given much of chance to beat us, but pushed my team to the limit. It could easily be Waleska playing for the Pro Cup."

In what should be quite a series, Colfax will now tangle with the Turon Typhoons in the Pro Cup Finals... The first game of the Islands pro championship series is slated to begin day after tomorrow in Colfax at Mountain View Stadium.

The Islandian Times
Saturday, October 9, 2010

2010 Pro Cup Begins Tomorrow, Favored Colfax Hosts Turon
Three weeks ago the Islandian Pro Alliance playoffs started with the eight best teams in the Islands. That number has now dwindled down to just two. The Colfax Blasters will represent the Ruthlandian Union and the Turon Typhoons will be the Tycobbian Union standard bearer.

The Blasters with Clem Rogers at the helm won a record-setting 107 games during the regular season and will be a solid favorite to take this year's Pro Cup, but will have to beat a team that has won more Pro Cups than anyone. Turon is the defending IPA champions and has won three titles in all. Whitey Richburn's Typhoons also won in 2003 and 2006. Turon has made five appearances in the postseason in its nine-year history. They were eliminated in the opening round in 2002 and 2008. This is the Blasters fourth time in the playoffs. They were knocked out in first round action in 2003 and 2008. Last year they reached the Final 4, but lost to Far Mountain.

Colfax wound up 107-47 this year and broke the old IPA record of 102 victories set by San Alejo of the Tycobbian South in 2002. Turon was only 80-74 this year, but eliminated Blue Lake (92-62) and powerful Denton City (100-54) to get to the final round. The Typhoons suffered a major loss when rookie 20-game winner Nicky Engstrom was lost for the season in September due to an arm injury. His 20-7 record will be sorely missed by Richburn... In a poll by The Islandian Times, Denton City and Colfax were picked 1-2 to win the Pro Cup. Turon came in fourth in the survey, mainly because they have won it so many times.

Rogers has a super starting rotation, headed up by two 27-game winners. Ilya Szabo was 27-4 with a brilliant 1.79 ERA and Jimmy Joe Cartner matched it at 27-4 with a fine 2.86 ERA. Number three in the starters is no slouch, either. Jasper LaForge chalked up a strong 19-10 mark with a fine 3.35 ERA. Turon's starters can't equal those regular season numbers. Richburn's best was Freddi Spiegel with a 21-10 record and a 3.36 ERA, followed by Anthony Nardone (14-20 3.77) and Jacques Lemaire, who was only 10-9 with an atronomical 4.57 ERA.

However in the postseason the comparison is not as bad. Szabo (4-1 1.35) has been even better in the playoffs, while Cartner (1-1 3.10) and LaForge (1-1 3.24) have delivered quality starts. Both Nardone (2-1 3.15) and Lemaire (2-2 0.75) have stepped it up a bit, while Spiegel (2-1 5.17) has struggled at times. Give Colfax a decided edge in starting pitching. In the Blaster bullpen the veteran Dallas Somerville (7-8 2.01) had 26 saves during the year and has two saves in the postseason. Somerville hasn't allowed run in five games. Colfax rookie reliever Merle Studebaker (0-3 2.36) racked up 24 saves in the regular season. Studebaker has one save and a 3.18 ERA in the playoffs. Advantage to Colfax.

Based on regular season stats Colfax is a much better hitting team with a .276 batting average with 144 home runs, while Turon countered with a .254 BA and 122 roundtrippers. Pretty much the same in the postseason. The Blasters have hit at a .280 clip with the Typhoons sporting a .238 average. Power is about even with Turon having a slight 8-6 edge in roundtrippers.

CF Ryan Raines (.293/28/122/108) and LF Paul Coniglio (.290/30/104/99) are the prime movers in the Colfax line-up. At the plate the Typhoons depend on CF Mac McCurnan (.279/23/85/87), 1B Johnny Carlucci (.274/27/89/71) and 2B Alan Hansen (.295/0/28/103). The offensive edge goes to Colfax by a wide margin.

Defensively Colfax is vastly superior with a .976 fielding average to only .971 for Turon.

The vast majority of the Island baseball prognosticators are predicting a Colfax victory in the 2010 IPA Pro Cup finals. It looks like the Blasters will be victorious in six games. Too much pitching for the weak-hitting Typhoons to handle.

The Islandian Times

Sunday, October 10, 2010

2010 IPA Pro Cup Finals: Game One at Mountain View Stadium in Colfax

Colfax Nips Turon 2-1 in 10, Coniglio Homers Twice
What a game LF Paul Coniglio had in the opening game of the 2010 Pro Cup finals at Colfax's Mountain View Stadium... Coniglio (.250) homered in the seventh to tie the score at 1-1 and then sent the hometown fans home happy with a game-winning smash in the 10th... Colfax closer Dallas Somerville (1-0 0.00) got the victory with one scoreless inning, while his counterpart Merle Studebaker (0-1 4.77) only made one pitch in the game and Coniglio sent it soaring to hang the loss on Studebaker... Coniglio has hit five out of the park in the playoffs this year... The teams matched goose eggs on the scoreboard until the top of the sixth... Back-to-back errors put runners on first and third for the Typhoons... after an intentional walk to load the bases, 3B John Cottrell (.268) delivered a sacrifice fly to break up the scoreless game between Jim Joe Cartner of the Blasters and Jacques Lemaire of Turon... Both of them went nine innings with Cartner (1-1 2.15) holding the Typhoons to just two hits and no earned runs with five Ks... Lemaire (2-2 0.82) was on the mark, too, with five strikeouts, no walks and only three hits... there were only seven hits in the extremely well-pitched contest with Colfax getting four of the them... Turon played errorless ball, while Colfax committed two.

The Islandian Times

Monday, October 11, 2010

2010 IPA Pro Cup Finals: Game Two at Mountain View Stadium in Colfax

Colfax Wins Squeaker 4-3, Up 2-0 in Pro Cup
The Colfax Blasters won another squeaker 4-3 over Turon to take a two games to none lead in the IPA Pro Cup Finals... it was another low-scoring affair with the hurlers having their way with the hitters... The winner Jasper LaForge fired eight strong innings and limited the Typhoons to just one run on four hits with five strikeouts and only two bases on ball... LaForge left the mound with 4-1 lead, but then closer Dallas Somerville (1-0 2.45) almost blew as he was tagged for two runs in the top of the ninth and finally escaped with his third postseason save... Colfax only got four hits of loser Freddi Spiegel (2-2 5.03), while Turon collected just six hits... The Typhoons broke on top 1-0 in the top of the third on CF Mac McCurnan's (.228) RBI single, only to have the Blasters regain it on RF Karl Heidelberg's (.560) two-run homer in the bottom half of the inning... Colfax tacked on a run in the fourth when LF Paul Coniglio (.268) doubled, moved over to third on a ground-out and rode home on 3B Mike Janocko's (.283) fly ball... The Blasters got their final run in the eighth on a fielder's choice by SS Bob Klostermann (.226)... Turon made it very close in the top of the ninth when Somerville loaded the bases on a single and two walks... The Typhoons got two runs on back-to-back sac flies by pitchhitters Jimmy Tremayne (.421) and PH Bobo Dyess (.100)... The losing pitcher Freddi Spiegel went the route, fanned four and walked four in a lackluster outing.

The Islandian Times
Tuesday, October 12, 2010

2010 IPA Pro Cup Finals: Game Three at Typhoon Stadium in Turon

Turon Tops Szabo and Blasters 4-3, Now Trail By 1
In an almost do-or-die situation at home at Typhoon Stadium, Turon got back in the Pro Cup battle with a 4-3 triumph over the Colfax Blasters to cut their lead to two games to one in the best-of-seven series... To do it they had to beat one of the best pitchers in the IPA, Ilya Szabo... The Typhoons lit into the Colfax ace for three runs in the opening frame on an RBI double by CF Mac McCurnan (.246) and a two-run two-bagger by 3B John Cottrell (.271)... Colfax SS Bob Klostermann (.265) made it 3-1 with an RBI single in the top of the third... Szabo allowed another run in the Turon fourth when he misplayed a grounder for an error... LF Paul Coniglio (.267) narrowed the score to 4-2 in the fifth when he doubled in RF Karl Heidelberg (.500)... In the eighth CF Ryan Raines' (.231) solo homer chopped it to 4-3, but that was as close as Colfax could get... Closer Merle Studebaker pitched a 1-2-3 ninth to seal the decision for starter Anthony Nardone (3-1 3.19)... Nardone has been Whitey Richburn's most reliable starter in the postseason... his only loss was 2-1 to the Denton City Redbirds... Nardone worked eight innings, scattered eight hits and gave up three runs, but was shaky at times with six bases on balls... Turon pelted Szabo for 11 hits and were paced by Cottrell with two doubles, three hits by SS Mickey O'Malley (.328) and McCurnan with a pair of hits... Klostermann led the Blasters with two hits in three at-bats... In defeat, Szabo (4-2 1.69) struck out eight batters and issued three walks, while pitching a complete game.

The Islandian Times

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

2010 IPA Pro Cup Finals: Game Four at Typhoon Stadium in Turon

Turon Ties Pro Cup Up, Takes Colfax 5-3
The Turon Typhoons dropped the first two games of the IPA Pro Cup Series on the road, but have rebounded at home with two wins of their own to tie it at two games apiece... Jacques Lamaire (3-2 1.10) led the way at Typhoon Stadium with a standout eight-inning performance to trim Colfax 5-3 in game four of the best-of-seven series... Lemaire struck out 8, walked one and limited the Blasters to six hits, then gave way to closer Merle Studebaker with a 5-2 lead... Studebaker (0-1 4.70) staggered to his third playoff save when he was touched for a run before putting Colfax away... The Typhoons got the lead in the second inning on C Pete Kilgour's RBI double... Doubles by Colfax 2B Ilya Ivanchuk (.259) and RF Paul Coniglio (.266) evened it up at 1-1 in the third frame and 3B Mike Janocko (.302) put them ahead 2-1 with a homer in the fourth... Turon tied it in the 6th on RF Jack Brown's (.229) RBI single... An infield error and 2B Alan Hansen's (.207) two-bagger gave the Typhoons a 3-2 margin in the seventh... Turon increased it to 5-2 in the eighth on another infield error by the Blasters and Brown's RBI double and pinchhitter Raphael Semmes (.211) RBI single... Colfax wrapped up the scoring for the day with a run in the ninth on 1B Josh Jackson's (.185) sacrifice fly... Jimmy Joe Cartner (1-2 2.41) went the distance in defeat, allowed three earned runs on eight hits, fanned five and issued four free passes... Colfax was hampered by three errors... Hits were all even with each team collecting eight... Brown topped Turon with two hits and two runs batted in... SS Kevin Warren (.207) had three hits for Colfax and Janocko added two more.

The Islandian Times

Thursday, October 14, 2010

2010 IPA Pro Cup Finals: Game Five at Typhoon Stadium in Turon

Turon Bombs Colfax 9-2, Leads Pro Cup 3-2
Turon playing in the friendly confines of Typhoon Stadium bombed Colfax 9-2 and now has the upper hand in the Pro Cup Finals with a three games to two lead... It was the Typhoons third consecutive home victory... Not only did Freddi Spiegel come up with his best postseason effort, but manager Whitey Richburn's bats were booming, too... The Typhoons lashed out 13 hits and Spiegel held Colfax to just four in an easy win... 1B Johnny Carducci (.238) homered with three hits, scored three times and drove in four runs... Rookie RF Jack Brown (.245) cracked a pair of hits and batted in two runs... and Spiegel (3-2 4.47) hurled a complete game and finished up with 8 Ks and four walks... Jasper LaForge (2-2 4.29) took the brunt of the battering as he allowed seven runs in two-plus innings... Turon broke a 1-1 tie in the third with a six-run uprising... The Pro Cup Series will now return to Colfax and Mountain View Stadium for the rest of the series... Turon needs one win in two games, while Colfax has to win them all... manager Clem Rogers has his 27-game winners Ilya Szabo (27-4) and Jimmy Joe Cartner (27-4) ready to go in the last two games... Turon's skipper Ashton "Whitey" Richburn will counter with Anthony Nardone (14-20) and Jacques Lemaire (10-9)... Should Turon pull off the upset of favored Colfax, it will the Typhoons fourth Pro Cup championship... Should the Blasters rally and win, it will be their first IPA title... Colfax is 7-1 at home in the postseason, while Turon is 4-4 in away games.

The Islandian Times

Friday, October 15, 2010

2010 IPA Pro Cup Finals: Game Six at Mountain View Stadium in Colfax

Szabo Zaps Turon 5-0, Pro Cup Goes To 7th Game
Colfax was on the brink of elimination in the Pro Cup Series and needed a win in the worst way and got it, compliments of its ace right-hander Ilya Szabo... The 31-year-old Szabo zapped the Turon Typhoons 5-0 to force a seventh and deciding game tomorrow afternoon in Colfax... Szabo (5-2 1.42) was almost flawless as he permitted only five singles, struck out six and gave up not one single base on balls in a masterful performance... Turon was not so fortunate as losing pitcher Anthony Nardone (3-2 3.65) continued to be plagued by wildness with eight walks... Nardone worked seven innings, gave up only four hits, but allowed all five scores... The game was scoreless for three frames when the Blasters erupted for four runs... Nardone walked four in the inning and forced in the first run of the game when he walked 2B Ilya Ivanchuk (.250) with two outs... then C Tino Leonetti (.225) emptied the bases with a three-run double... Colfax got its final run in the seventh when Leonetti got his second double of the game, went to third on a sac bunt and scored on a wild pitch... Tomorrow's Pro Cup finale will have 27-winner Jimmy Joe Cartner going for the Blasters and Jacques Lemaire (10-9) for the Typhoons... However in the postseason Lemaire has excelled with a 3-2 mark and a very strong 1.10 ERA... Lemaire has started four games and relieved three times... Cartner has made five starts with a 2.41 ERA and a 1-2 record.

The Islandian Times

Saturday, October 16, 2010

2010 IPA Pro Cup Finals: Game Seven at Mountain View Stadium in Colfax

Colfax Trounces Turon 10-2, Wins Pro Cup
The Colfax Blasters rallied to win the last two games of the Pro Cup Series to defeat the tough Turon Typhoons in seven games... Colfax trounced the Typhoons 10-2 in the 2010 championship finale, sparked by a 13-hit barrage and some fine pitching by Jimmy Joe Cartner... The Blasters power erupted with three roundtrippers... RF Paul Coniglio (.260) slammed a three-run homer in the opening inning, Cartner (.308) even hit a two-run shot in the fourth frame and LF Karl Heidelberg (.436) belted a two-run homer in the fifth... Coniglio paced all hitters with three hits and four RBIs... Heidelberg smacked a pair of hits and scored three times... Cartner (2-2 2.33) gave up 10 hits, but held Turon at bay with men on base... The Typhoons stranded 11 runners... Cartner walked three and whiffed seven, while going the distance... Jacques Lemaire (3-3 2.62) had a dismal day on the hill and caught the loss... Lemaire was ripped for eight runs in three-plus innings... He went to the showers trailing 8-0... This was Colfax's first IPA Pro Cup championship... Turon failed to get its fourth crown.

Colfax manager Clem Rogers was elated with the Pro Cup and gave high praise to his team's comeback after trailing 3 games to 2, "Szabo and Cartner really came through for us in the final two games... plus our bats finally came alive." Later on Rogers complimented the Turon Typhoons, "Whitey's team gave us fits... We had to play our best ball of the season to beat them... Thank goodness, we had the homefield advantage in the series... we needed it."

Richburn said he was proud of his club, "They are a tremendous bunch of guys who never quit no matter what... this one really hurts though... it would have been our fourth Pro Cup... we just got beat by a very fine team... Colfax deserved it... they gave us no chance in game six and game seven."

The Islandian Times

Sunday, October 17, 2010

Colfax's Szabo Hauls in Pro Cup MVP Trophy
Every time the Pro Cup champion Colfax Blasters needed a critical victory in the IPA Pro Cup playoffs, Ilya Szabo stood tall on the hill and came through for them. Szabo is this year's winner of the Pro Cup Most Valuable Player Award. He racked up a 5-2 record in 7 starts with a superlative 1.42 ERA. Szabo fired two shutouts in the postseason, including a 1-hitter. The 31-year-old right-hander beat Turon in game six of the finals to tie the series at 3-3, won games four and seven in the Final 4 against Waleska and notched victories in game one and game four over Sugar Valley in first round games. Szabo was 27-4 during the regular season and led the entire IPA with a sensational 1.79 ERA.

Teammates Paul Coniglio and Karl Heidelberg were second and third in the BNN balloting. Left fielder Coniglio was a vital bat in the Colfax arsenal with 6 homers and 13 runs batted in. Coniglio scored 12 times and hit .260 in the playoffs and delivered several game-breaking hits. Heidelberg played in right field and led all comers with a .436 mark. He belted 3 roundtrippers, drove in 10 runs and scored 11 times. Coniglio hit .290 during the season with 30 homers and 104 RBIs, while Heidelberg batted .311 with 10 home runs, 90 runs scored and 50 RBIs.

The Islandian Times

Monday, October 18, 2010

RU Gives Out Golden Bat Award, Rovers Collins Gets Prize
Sligo's outstanding Fred Collins has been honored for a great year with the bat. For his standout run through the 2010 season, Collins is taking home the Golden Bat Award in the Ruthlandian Union. The 31-year-old Sligo left fielder put up a batting average of .326 with 26 doubles, 5 triples, 32 home runs, 111 RBIs and scored 117 times. Collins also stole 35 bases and led the league with 20 assists. This was his best season ever. Collins is a lifetime .301 hitter in his 10 years in the IPA.

His main competitors for the award were Duane Parsons, a sensational second sacker for the Far Mountain Redhawks and Rocky Rapids excellent left fielder Scott Camden. Parsons collected 38 roundtrippers, 133 RBIs, scored 105 runs and notched a .312 batting average. Gold Glover Camden hit .309 with 38 home runs, 118 runs batted in and scored 110 runs. Parsons is 28 and a 7-year vet, while Camden is 31 and has played 9 years in the league.

The Islandian Times

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Fairfax's Wesner Wins TU Golden Bat Award
It was a magnificent year for Triple Crown Winner Dane Wesner, Fairfax's outstanding left fielder, who also took home the Tycobbian Union Golden Bat Award for 2010. Wesner led the league in hitting, home runs and RBIs, only the second time it has been done in the IPA's 10-year history. This season he put up some strong stats, including a .383 batting average and a .445 on-base percentage. In 150 games he piled up 218 hits, 30 doubles, 2 triples, 46 home runs, 146 RBIs and scored 107 times. East Point's Karol Zodoca accomplished it in 2002 with 54 homers, 146 RBIs and a .351 average. Wesner, age 25, has played for five seasons and has compiled a .339 batting average.

Ranking second and third in the BNN poll were Hartsdale's 9-year veteran second baseman Jud Turchin and Red Bluff's fine third baseman Tommy Klegg. The 30-year-old Turchin registered a .327 average with 35 home runs, drove in 119 runs and scored 109. He is a career .315 hitter. Klegg has played 6 years in the IPA with a lifetime .269 batting average. However, this year the 31-year-old Klegg slammed 44 homers, batted in 123 runs and scored 97 times. Klegg hit at a .306 pace this season.

The Islandian Times

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Best Pitcher Honor Goes to Szabo of Colfax
Ilya Szabo was overpowering this season for the Colfax Blasters and earned the 2010 Ruthlandian Union Golden Arm Award for his efforts. In a standout year he went 27-4 in 39 starts with 237 strikeouts in 322 innings and a 1.79 ERA. The 31-year-old right-hander has forged a 143-68 record in his 8-year career. Szabo led the Blasters to an IPA record with 107 victories in the RU West. He also was an important cog in Colfax's first Pro Cup title with a 5-2 postseason mark and was named the playoffs Most Valuable Player.

His Colfax pitching cohort Jimmy Joe Cartner was number two in the balloting for the best pitcher. In his third IPA season Cartner charted a phenomenal 27-4 record with a 2.86 ERA. Lifetime Cartner is 56-27.

Third in the voting was Beechwood's 34-year-old right-hander Dek Jumonville, who rang up a 23-14 mark with a microscopic 2.14 ERA. Overall in his 8 years in the IPA Jumonville has notched a 146-112 record.

The Islandian Times

Thursday, October 21, 2010

TU's Top Pitcher is Mohoski
Mila Mohoski walked away with the top pitching honors in the Tycobbian Union this year. The Denton City Redbirds starter was named the Golden Arm Award winner for 2010 earlier today. This outstanding 31-year-old hurler fashioned a fine 26-11 won-lost record in 38 starts. He threw 294 innings, giving up 263 hits and 67 walks and holding opponents to a .239 average. Mohoski struck out 156 and posted a 2.54 ERA. In 9 seasons he has compiled a 172-108 record and is 15-8 in the postseason. Mohoski led Denton City to the TU West title this season. They were eliminated by Turon in the Final 4 in 7 games.

In the number two spot in the BNN poll, Hartsdale right-hander Nico Carnera put up a splendid 24-6 record with a 2.73 ERA as he paced the Hellcats to a third-place finish in the Tycobbian North this year. It was his best season by far. His 10-year mark is 86-70.

Arlon's masterful closer Johnny Rabelais placed third in the voting. The superb southpaw is only 22 years old, but saved 31 games in 47 appearances with a sparkling 1.78 ERA. Rabelais was 8-3 on the year and has played only one and a half years in the IPA. The Champions wound up a distant second to Denton City in the TU West race.

The Islandian Times

Friday, October 22, 2010

RU Rookie of the Year Award Handed Out
Vinnie Rastelli's age didn't show very often in his first year. He performed more like a veteran on the hill for the Sligo Rovers and today he captured the 2010 Ruthlandian Union Rookie of the Year Award presented by BNN. The 18-year-old starter registered a 17-12 record this season in 38 starts. Over 301 innings he gave up 288 hits, struck out 199 and issued 66 walks as he held the opposition to a .253 batting average and fashioned a 2.72 ERA. Sligo ended up fourth in the RU West standings.

Valka's neophyte closer Vinko Markovic came in second in the vote. The 24-year-old righty was 6-2 for the Blackhawks with 33 saves and a 2.43 ERA. Coming in third was another Sligo Rover, center fielder Clell Renshaw. He is 18 years of age and quite a hitter. Renshaw hit at .311 clip with 23 roundtrippers, 88 runs batted in, stole 14 bases and scored 108 times.