|
THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Tuesday, September 29, 2054
Ruthlandian Union Division Championship Series - Game 6
MACS SMACK ROOSTERS, ADVANCE TO TU FINALS
For the previous two years the Wynnamac Sundowners couldn't get past the powerful Middlefield Roosters in the first round of the Pro Cup playoffs... the third time around the Macs upset the Roosters in six games, taking the Ruthlandian Division Championship Series 4 games to 2 to advance to the RU Finals against the Taranto-Valka victor... Wynnamac smacked Middlefield 4-1 on the road in game six at Middlefield Park, riding the solid pitching of James Duncan, Duncan Heathershaw and George Medworth... Duncan (1-0/2.25) logged the win, tossing six impressive innings, stopping the Roosters on four hits and one run... Heathershaw followed him with two scoreless frames and Medworth got the save with a runless ninth... Middlefield got a good start from loser Scott Cole (0-1/2.08), who worked seven innings, yielding just two runs and four hits... C Jethro Bibbs (.379/8 RBI) put the Sundowners ahead with a solo homer in the second inning...and Rooster LF Trip Agarn (.240/3 RBI) matched it in fourth frame... two critical errors in the seventh gave the Macs the decisive run... Trip Agarn (.989 FA) muffed a flyball in left field and Bubby Cranston (.983 FA) dropped a throw at first base, allowing the go-ahead run.
Middlefield was favored in the series... the Roosters were ranked second in the Pro Cup poll, expected to battle top-rated Midway for the IPA crown... but fourth-ranked Wynnamac had other ideas this year... according to manager Jerry Meeks, "We had better hitting this year... that was the key element... we outhomered Middlefield, outscored them and we outpitched them."
The Sundowners hit .290 in the six games with seven homers and 28 runs... on the mound the Macs posted a 3.25 ERA... while the Roosters only batted .249 with five homers and 27 runs... the Middlefield mound staff had a 3.59 ERA.
Middlefield manager told the press at the conclusion of the series, "Wynnamac always has good pitching... we got to them in the first two games, but only got a split... after that we just didn't hit well and they beat us, banging us around pretty good."
TARS FORCE 7TH GAME WITH BLACKHAWKS
Heavily-favored Taranto did what they do best to remain alive in the RU Division Championship Series... they hit three homers and got solid performances on the hill and came away with a 6-3 triumph over the underdog Valka Blackhawks to force a seventh and deciding game... the two clubs have split the first six games of the best-of-seven affair... CF Renzo Caruso (.231/6 RBI) homered twice and batted in three runs to pace the Tars... it was Caruso's fourth roundtripper in the series... RF Lenny Buisson (.458/4 RBI) also went deep, his third of the postseason... Freddy De Angelis (1-0/2.25) came through with a fine effort, holding Valka to two runs and five hits in six innings... De Angelis struck out three Blackhawks and walked one... closer Louie Toscano (0-0/1.00) wrapped up the game, stopping Valka on one run over the last three frames... LF Marek Matlik (.54/4 RBI) homered and drove in two runs for the Blackhawks... Arvi Tamm (1-1/5.40) was the losing hurler, going seven innings and allowing five runs on six hits... he fanned eight Tars and walked just one.
The series finale will also be played at the Palazzo di Sport in Taranto, scheduled for this afternoon... it will be aces high for both clubs... Phil Castle (13-9/2.98) will get the call for the Tars, while it will be Eerik Jogi (18-16/3.45) for the Blackhawks... they are both 1-1 in the postseason... Castle prevailed 6-2 in game one, but Jogi hurled a 1-0 shutout in the game four rematch.
|