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THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Tuesday, October 4, 2050
2050 IPA LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES - Game 6
Tycobbian Union
REAVES' RAMPAGE SENDS RASCALS TO PRO CUP FINALS
Ruben Reaves clubbed a three-run homer in the third frame and tagged a two-run triple in the last of the eighth to eliminate Bay St. Clair 6-3 in the Tycobbian title game and send the White River Rascals back again to the Pro Cup Finals against defending IPA champion Valmara of the Ruthlandian Union... the Rascals captured the Tycobbian crown four games to two.
Manager Mick Cronyn revised his starting rotation, replacing Keil Trickett with Clem Warren in game six and Warren rewarded him with a solid outing... he held the Buccaneers to two runs on seven hits in seven innings... Warren (3-0/1.42/1 save) departed with a 3-2 lead... Todd Cole (1-2/4.32/2 saves) wasn't effective, but he salvaged his second postseason save, but gave up three hits and a run... fortunately for him the Rascals put three insurance runs on the scoreboard in the eighth to expand their lead to four runs... losing pitcher Jerry MacIntyre (2-2/3.94) didn't fare as well as he did in game three... he was pounded for six runs and eight hits, but went the distance... MacIntyre hurled a one-hitter in the 12-0 game-three triumph.
1B Ruben Reaves (.275) got two hits, a homer and a triple, and batted in five runs to top White River at the plate... it was his fifth clout and 12th RBI of the playoffs... LF Billy Joe Hickman drove in the other run... the Bucs' top bat was RF Butch Thornhill (.269) with two hits and two RBIs... Thornhill got his seventh roundtripper of the postseason.
Cronyn told reporters, "I sitll have faith in Keil, but Clem seemed to be a better fit against the Buccaneers... I made the right call today... Clem gave us a fine game."
Bay St. Clair skipper Cotton Cornwall had the same position, "Warren handled us the whole series in his three appearances... we only got to him for two runs in nine innings... I was hoping to get to a seventh game and put our hopes in Scotty Hedwall... he definitely had good success against the Rascals in this series."
White River manager Cronyn said, "Our pitching was the key to our success in this series, but it will be the bats that have to come through against Valmara."
Cornwall chimed in, "We just didn't hit like we ordinarily do in this series... and give the Rascal staff credit for that... they held us to seven runs in the four losses... we scored 24 in the final three games against East Point.... if we had done half that against White River, we might be going to the Pro Cup Finals."
White River will clash again with powerful Valmara for the 2050 Pro Cup trophy... with standout pitching the Vipers have swept two straight series in the playoffs this year... the Rascals overcame tough Southport in a seven-game series in the first round... they are 8-5 in the postseason this year... oddsmakers are favoring Valmara in the Finals.
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