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The Islandian Times
Friday, September 25, 2026
Ruthlandian Elite 8 Series
Break Out The Brooms, Bobcats Win Again
Beechwood is still blazing hot as the Bobcats knocked off Middlefield at Middlefield Park 5-3 in 10 innings, giving them a 3-0 lead in the Ruthlandian Elite 8 Series... one more win in the best-of-seven series will send Beechwood to the RU Final 4, just one step away from the IPA Pro Cup Finals... the Bobcats blew a 3-0 lead in the ninth, but came roaring back and won it in the next inning on RF Freddie Baxter's RBI double and a sac fly by 1B Eric Townsend (.429)... rookie starter Bill Curtis was sensational blanking the Roosters on 4 hits through the first 8 frames... Curtis struck out 9 and issued 3 walks... reliever Roy Pitts was ripped for 3 runs in the ninth to send it to extra innings... Alex Truex (1-0) got the win with one and two-thirds scoreless innings... Glenn Tackett went 8 innings, gave up only 4 hits and 3 runs, but walked 5 and had 5 Ks... Middlefield bullpen ace Waylon Hillman (0-2) lost for the second time in the series as he was ripped for the winning runs in the 10th.
The Bobcats managed only 6 hits in the game and were led by 3B Skipper Smith (.357) and Jojo Davis (.500) with 2 hits each... SS Artie Morton (.143) had a 2-run shot in the fourth... the Roosters only picked up 7 hits... in the ninth 1B Allan Stewart (.364) slammed a solo homer and PH Paul Smiley (.667) slugged a 2-run clout to tie the score at 3-3.
Valmara Sinks St. John Again, Might Sweep
James McCall and Teddy Lem thrilled the home crowd at War Memorial Stadium in Valmara by dealing the St. John Crusaders a third consecutive defeat in the Ruthlandian Elite 8... McCall (364) hammered 2 homers and batted in 5 runs, while rookie Lem (1-0) fired 8 solid innings for the win, fanning 7, walking 2 and allowing only 2 runs and 6 hits... Lem started badly as he was tagged for a 2-run homer by RF Robby Michael (.333) and a solo blast by LF Joey Daigrepont (.429) in the first inning... but Lem settled down and blanked the Crusaders on 4 hits the rest of the game... Chris Phillips came on and closed it out for him in the ninth... losing pitcher Jeremy Vincent started for St. John and carried a 3-1 lead into the last of the eighth, but he faltered badly and was rocked for 5 runs... until that fatal frame Vincent has held the Vipers to just 4 hits.
Tycobbian Elite 8 Series
Ginza Grabs Series Lead, Nips Mahaska 3-2
In a tight 3-2 pitching duel at Heartland Stadium in Mahaska, the visiting Ginza Ninjas got a sterling outing from Harlan Taylor to go up two games to one in the TU Elite 8... Taylor (1-0) held the Haymakers to 2 runs and 7 hits in his 8 innings... Taylor walked just 1 and fanned 5... closer Ken Kichida pitched a perfect 1-2-3 ninth for the save... Troy King (0-1) had a fine game, too... he went the distance in defeat, giving up 7 hits and 3 runs, while striking out 9 and allowing 2 walks.
Mahaska took the lead 1-0 in the third on SS Lyndon Washington's (.182) double... King blanked the Ninjas until the sixth when Ginza took a 2-1 lead on C Crash Davis' (.500) RBI single and a sacrifice fly by SS Russ Van Kleek (.375)... in the bottom of the eighth Haymaker PH Bucky O'Brian (.500) knotted the score at 2-2 with a run-scoring double... the Ninjas won it in the top of the ninth when Van Kleek led off the inning with a walk... pinchrunner Hideo Kojima stole second and came across on 2B Howard Winston's (.300) game-winning double.
Leonard Puts Reds Back In Series, Whips Tucks 6-4
At Midtown Base Ball Grounds in Rolling Hills, Kenny Leonard went the route in a gritty 6-4 decison over Tuckanarra to cut the Blue Jays lead to two games to one in the TU Elite 8... Leonard (1-0) checked them on just 3 hits and 2 earned runs... the Reds 10-hit attack was sparked by homers by 1B Billy Christianson and Pat Webb... and SS Tom Ptacek (.500) doubled twice... Rolling Hills plastered losing pitcher Kenny Cox (0-1) for 8 hits and 5 runs in just 5 innings... it was 5-1 when he exited the game.
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