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THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Wednesday, August 1, 2057
SINK OR SWIM IN THE IPA STRETCH
Who will thrive and stay alive in the hot August sun and who will wilt and dive?... that is the big question in the IPA for a bunch of clubs in the stretch drive... heading into the final six weeks of the season every one of the league elites is being tested under fire... current IPA champion Middlefield is in a fight for its life in the RU West... the runner-up Roosters are trailing the Fort Benton Defenders by two games and tied with the Sligo Rovers... and to make matters even worse, the Stoner Stars, Volusia Vigilantes and Forest City Firebirds are close enough to make a run at the division title, too... it's quite a tango in the Ruthlandian West.
Favored Wynnamac has a battle on its hands, too, in the RU East... the Elnora All-Stars are smack dab even with the Macs... and last year's division winner Eastshore in right in the mix, too, just three games back... even fourth place Marston has a shot, trailing by six games.
The other two divisions don't have a lot of breathing room either... Valmara is up by only four games over the Glasco Athletics in the Ruthlandian North, but the rest have faded into the sunset for another season... and over in the Ruthlandian South the St. John Crusaders are in front of preseason favorite Crystal Lake by four games with last year's champ Waleska six games behind, along with the Claxton Diamonds.
Times are chaotic, too, in the Tycobbian Union... potent powers like Midway, Turon and Denton City are all struggling to keep the leads... the Wolves have very stiff challenges from high-powered High Mesa and robust Red Bluff... the Mustangs are deadlocked with them for the top spot with Red Sox sticking like glue only one scant game back in the third spot in the Tycobbian East.
The Luxora Zorros also have a ruckus to deal with in the TU North... the Z's are just three games up on last season's division winner White River and preseason pick Oxford... to say nothing of the fourth place North Hills Hawks only four games off the pace... followed by Mahaska in sixth and just five games behind.
Even super powers Denton City and Turon have been put on trial... in the Tycobbian West the Redbirds are still being pressured by the Rolling Hills Reds, who are five games back in the race... the Typhoons are also ahead by five games over the Southport Sun Sox in the TU South.
The baseball fans in the Islands are having a ball, y'all... nobody has cinched a spot in the IPA Pro Cup playoffs yet... most of the pennant races just might go down to the final days of the season.
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