[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times

Friday, September 16, 2005

Ruthlandian Union North Division

2 Games to Go, Bulls Top Redhawks and Tars by 1
Nobody could buy a win in the RU North pennant chase today. First place Ranford had a chance to clinch a tie for the pennant, but lost to Sugar Valley 7-5. second place Far Mountain and Taranto both had a shot at first place, but fizzled. Crystal Lake outslugged the Redhawks 12-11 and Sligo tripped the Tars 5-4 in 15 innings.

Ranford fell to Sugar Valley despite blasting four homers. They slammed winning pitcher Jay Washington (19-11 3.10) for a dozen hits, too, but came out on the short end of a 7-5 score. Washington labored, but pitched the entire game, striking out five and issuing no bases on balls. The Rattlers ran up an early 6-2 lead and held on for the victory. Leland Shaddock (15-11 3.19) was the loser. Sugar Valley battered him for five runs in two-plus frames.

The Crystal Lake Crushers unloaded four roundtrippers in the first five innings to take a 12-5 lead over Far Mountain, then had to hold on for dear life as the Redhawks rallied, only to fall one run short 12-11. 2B Mickey Ishihara (.250) rapped two homers and drove in four runs and 3B Nelson Tolliver (.271) slugged a three-run shot to pace the Crushers. Far Mountain was led by CF Hawk Gallagher (.323) who went 4-5 and has four RBIs and 2B Duane Parsons (.290) with three hits and three runs scored. Reliever Phil Varnado (3-2 3.72) notched the win with the defeat going to Dave Johnston (16-10 3.74), who was tagged for three homers and seven runs in just two innings.

The Sligo Rovers had to rally with two runs in the bottom of the 15th inning to subdue the Taranto Tars 5-4. LF Waylon Moses (.253) singled to tie it up and CF Dylan Donovan (.235) finished off the Tars with a game-winning single.

Ruthlandian Union South Division

Valka Cuts San Dimas Lead to 1-Game
The third place Valka Blackhawks (80-72) have not given up - they are still in the hunt for the Pro Cup playoffs. They chopped second place San Dimas' (81-71) lead to one game with two to go by crushing Fort Benton 9-1, while the Rancheros were being trounced by the Middlefield Rooster 7-2. The division-winning Belair Beach Sunbirds (95-57) lost in 10 innings to the Marston Nine 6-5.

Southpaw Bobby Karu (15-16 2.62) sparkled on the hill for Valka as he almost totally shut down Fort Benton on just four hits in the 9-1 triumph. Most of the year Karu has not gotten good bat support from the Blackhawks, but he did today as they pounded out 14 hits, including three homers. SS Bobby Stroud (.297), LF Kyell Ibbotson (.295) and 1B Wayne Snider (.269) all went deep. Valka wrapped up the game with 7-run second inning.

Middlefied jumped all over San Dimas starter Bill Sharp (11-13 3.79) for six runs in the first three innings and never were challenged. Julian Gilchrist (6-3 2.30) was outstanding, stumping the Rancheros on seven hits in a route-going performance.

Ruthlandian Union East Division

Marston 2nd, Cold Creek 3rd, Eastshore 4th in RU East
Weeks ago Sugar Valley (97-55) claimed the top spot in the RU East and the guaranteed playoff spot the goes with it, but it looks like it may go down to the last day of the season to decide the other playoff slot. Marston (83-69) edged Belair Beach 6-5 in 10 innings and maintained its sparse one-game lead over third place Cold Creek (82-70). The Catamounts kept pace with a 7-2 victory over Claxton. However, the third ball club in the hunt, the fourth place Eastshore Elegants (81-71), fell to the Waleska Westerners 8-7 and greatly dimmed their postseason aspirations. Eastshore is now two games back of Marston with only two games left in the regular season.

The Marston Nine blew a 5-2 lead in the ninth, but rebounded in the tenth on LF Helmut Graczyk's (.277) game-winning single to nose out the Belair Beach Sunbirds 6-5.

Cold Creek got a masterful job from Payton Saunders (15-5 2.30) and a grand slam home run from LF Fernando Baldera (.325) to top the Claxton Diamonds 7-2.

Eastshore battled back from a 7-4 deficit after six innings to tie it up at 7-7 in the seventh, but Waleska got an RBI single in the top of the ninth from 2B DePaul Labat (.296) to go down to a crushing 8-7 defeat, which probably kills the Elegants chance at the playoffs. The best they can do is tie for second, but a lot has to transpire in their favor for that to happen.

Ruthlandian Union West Division

Middlefield Climbs Past Colfax in RU West
Only one more postseason spot is available in the RU West and it will go to the Middlefield Roosters (83-69) or the Colfax Blasters (82-70). The Roosters took over the second spot in the standings with a 7-2 victory over the San Dimas Rancheros. The Blasters couldn't keep up with them as they were beaten by the LaGrange Sports 8-1. Second place Middlefield has a one-game margin over third place Colfax heading into the final two days of the season.

Middlefield got a splendid outing from Julian Gilchrist (6-3 2.30), who handcuffed the strong San Dimas Rancheros 7-2 on a seven-hitter. Gilcrease didn't permit an earned run. 1B Allie Ludlow (.265) and rookie 3B Charlie Gamble led the Roosters 11-hit attack. Ludlow got his 25th homer and Gamble drilled a double and two singles and scored twice. Bill Sharp (11-13 3.79) was pinned with the loss. He lasted only three innings and exited trailing 6-0.

The LaGrange Sports buried Colfax 8-1 behind left-hander Tony Amick (17-12 3.65), who only allowed five hits and fanned eight batters, while walking none. CF Karl Perret and 1B Jan Dantzler (.295) sparked the Sports with three hits apiece. Colfax starter Tommy Fuller (14-9 3.54) had an awful outing. He was raked for six runs in seven innings.

Tycobbian Union North Division

Hellcats Close to Playoffs, 2-Game Edge Over Blue Sox
The second place Hartsdale Hellcats (81-71) took a giant step toward the postseason with a tense 5-4 win over the Red Bluff Red Sox. The Hellcats have now won their last five games. Hartsdale improved its lead over third place Blue Lake (79-73) to two games with only two games remaining on the schedule. The Blue Sox were clobbered by Colchester 9-3 and now will have a very difficult time making the playoffs. The TU North's top team, the Luxora Zorros (90-62), were beaten 7-6 by Turon. The Z's by virtue of it division crown have already gained a playoff spot.

Hellcat RF Wayne Crow (.253) got the decisive hit to beat Red Bluff with a two-run single in the eighth inning. Reliever Nico Carnera (10-6 3.52) picked up the win, while starting pitcher Frank Beaudoin (17-11 3.82) suffered the defeat for the Red Sox.

Colchester RF Tony Barella (.277) almost singlehandedly whipped Blue Lake 9-3. Barella drove in six runs and hit a home run, his 19th of the year. Hootie Boatner (8-13 3.82) tossed eight steady frames for the win with the loss going to Bennie West (1-1 4.37). West allowed seven runs in five-plus innings.

Turon CF Mac McCurnan (.280) blasted a pair of two-run homers to help the Typhoons tame first place Luxora 7-6. McCurnan's ninth-inning clout won the game. Scotty Boswell (15-11 3.26) got credit for the win and Marco Braceros (16-17 3.64) caught the loss.

Tycobbian Union South Division

TU South Pennant Still Up for Grabs, Hurricanes Lead Sunsets by 1
No one is giving in in the TU South. First place Cape Coral (92-60) and second place Summerland (91-61) continue to win. The Hurricanes have won three in a row and the Sunsets have taken their last four. Only one game separates them with just two left on the schedule.

Cape Coral eked out a 5-4 victory over Southport with a pair of eighth-inning homers. Trailing 3-2 CF Bobby Jocker (.243) smacked a go-ahead two-run home run and SS Spook Estes (.227) added an insurance run with a solo salvo to make it 5-3. Hurricane relievers managed to close out the game but not without some trepidation. Starter Doug Lyons (19-10 3.23) got credit for the win, yielding three runs on seven hits in seven innings with five Ks. Reliever Danny Rigdon (1-7 4.70) was the victim of the homers and it cost him the game.

Summerland won 8-4 over Fairfax, but it wasn't easy. They needed a seven-run outburst in the eighth inning to come back and win the game. After seven innings Frog starter Roman Reynosa (1-3 3.87) had a 4-1 lead, but he couldn't hold it. Scott Oeltjen (10-5 3.57) picked up the victory in relief as he blanked Fairfax in his one inning, the seventh. 2B Tucker Hill (.345) and 1B Karl Van Kooten (.287) sparked the Hurricanes with two hits each.

Tycobbian Union East

Playoff-Bound Red Bluff and Ozarka Both Lose in TU East
In the TU East the division champs, the Red Bluff Red Sox (94-58), and runner-up Ozarka (79-73), both are playoff-bound and both went down to defeat today. Hartsdale really needed the victory and they got it 5-4 on the Red Sox. The Hellcats are battling for the final playoff spot in the TU North. The win gave them a two-game edge over the Blue Lake Blue Sox.

The Ozarka Naturals blew a 3-0 lead in the ninth and lost to the Ginza Ninjas. Kojiro Motsumoto (16-17 3.78) hurled eight solid innings for the win, allowing only two earned runs. Archie Lemon (5-3 2.56) folded in the ninth, but didn't get the loss. It went to Dayle Claypoole (8-9 4.76).

Tycobbian Union West

Redbirds and Bucs on Losing Streaks in TU West
Denton City and Bay St. Clair are both headed to the postseason playoffs, but not with momentum. The first place Redbirds (95-57) have gone down to defeat in their last three games, while the Buccaneers (85-67) have fallen in their last four.

High Mesa's Donnie Rinaldi (10-11 3.48) and two relievers stymied Denton City 5-3, aided by solo homers by Adam Zitek (.303) and 1B Jay Fessler (.325). It was Zitek's 51st of the year, tops in the IPA. Tom Duroncelay (9-9 3.54) suffered the loss as he allowed four runs in six innings. 3B Jay Petit (.296) got his 31st homer and his 100th RBI for the Redbirds, who now have three players with 100 or more RBIs. CF Paul Coniglio (.301) has 116 and RF Lavon Gooch (.332) has 110.

Pinchhitter Skinny Skah (.221) delivered the decisive blow with an RBI single in the top of the ninth to send the Midway Wolves to a 3-2 triumph over Bay St. Clair. C. J. Carper (13-11 3.95) logged the victory by stopping the Buccaneers on two runs and six hits in eight innings, while Lloyd Weber (14-5 3.36) went the distance and lost it.