[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Tuesday, October 6, 2048

2048 IPA LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES - Game 6

Ruthlandian Union

CLAXTON FORCES 7TH GAME WITH 8-4 WIN
It was clutch time for the Claxton Diamonds and their superstar Jojo DeLucca and they proved their mettle with an 8-4 triumph over favored Sugar Valley in game six of the Ruthlandian League Championship Series at the Rattlers' home field, Farmers Memorial Park... DeLucca pounded two out of the park and drove in five runs and the Diamonds forced a seventh-game showdown with Sugar Valley... the victor will get a spot opposite the Rolling Hills Reds of the Tycobbian Union in the IPA Pro Cup Finals.

Claxton starter Steven Ellison (1-0/5.06) turned in a decent performance, allowing four runs on six hits, striking out seven and walking two in his eight innings... one of the runs was not earned... Cliff Yarbrough (1-0/4.50) closed out the game with a scoreless ninth... Sugar Valley starter Joe Snow (2-2/3.52) wasn't very effective... he gave up six runs and eight hits in his eight innings and caught the loss.

LF Jeff Harvey (.419) gave the Rattlers an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second with an RBI single... the Diamonds came right back in the same inning with three runs on an RBI single by LF Whit Miley (.438) and a two-run blast by 1B Jojo DeLucca (.372)... the score remained 3-1 until the Rattlers' fifth when SS Pete McCormick (.195) cut it to 3-2 by stealing third and coming in on a throwing error by catcher Ryne Akins... DeLucca's solo shot in the sixth gave Claxton a 4-2 margin... the Rattlers tied it up 4-4 their half of the sixth on 1B Smokey Nix's (.250) two-run homer... C Ryne Akins (.261) redeemed himself for the error and came through in the seventh with an RBI single, putting the Diamonds in front 5-4... Claxton wrapped up the game with three more scores in the ninth... SS Stevie Wynn (.316) got one run in with a deep fly sacrifice and DeLucca cracked a two-run single.

DeLucca (.372) sparked the Diamonds' 11-hit attack with three hits, two runs and five RBIs... DeLucca now has 18 RBIs in the playoffs this year and is within 5 of the record held by Southport's Barney Lewis, set in 2044... CF Darryl Daniels (.341) scored two runs... LF Whit Miley (.438) and C Ryne Akins (.261) each had two hits, scored a run and drove one in... rookie Miley now has 13 ribbies in the postseason... LF Jeff Harvey (.419) had three of the six hits for the Rattlers... and Nix (.250) drove in two runs with his fourth postseason smash.

Both clubs will have their number one starters on the hill in the series finale... Abe Schiffman (21-13/2.80) goes for Claxton and Antonio Cedeno (22-15/2.31) will be on the mound for Sugar Valley... they have faced each other twice in the series and split... Schiffman took the opener 12-3 in Sugar Valley, while Cedeno won game four 5-4 in Claxton. Game seven will be played at Farmers Memorial Park in Sugar Valley. In the postseason Schiffman is 1-1 in 2 starts with a 3.71 ERA and Cedeno is 2-2 in 4 starts with a 4.60 ERA.