Friday, October 17, 2064
64TH PRO CUP SERIES BEGINS SATURDAY
For the 64th time in Islandian Pro Alliance baseball history, the Ruthlandian Union champion will face off with the Tycobbian Union champion... the Tycobbians have been victorious 35 times, while the Ruthlandians have claimed it on 28 occasions... lately it has been all Tycobbian Union... the TU has captured it for the last five years.
This year's combatants are the high-powered Rolling Hills Racers, quite prolific in scoring runs and the Claxton Diamonds, with a penchant for limiting the runs on its scoreboard... does the age-old adage apply this year?... does good pitching really beat good hitting?... we'll have the answer in a week.
The best-of-seven Pro Cup Series opens up in Claxton at beautiful Avalon Stadium Saturday afternoon for game one... visiting Rolling Hills will be gunning for its 6th Pro Cup trophy, while Claxton is seeking its very first... the Racers have won it twice in the past four seasons in 2060 and 2062... ironically, the Diamonds only time to make the Pro Cups Finals, they fell to Rolling Hills in 2048 in five games... Claxton was 97-57 during the regular season and will have the homefield advantage over Rolling Hills... the Racers were 95-59 this season.
To get to the IPA Finals, Claxton whipped the Valmara Vipers in seven games in round one and then swept the Sligo Rovers for the RU title... Rolling Hills defeated the Tuckanarra Tiger Cats in six games in the opening round and rolled past the San Alejo Montaneros in a four-game sweep... the Racers were picked to take this year's Pro Cup title with the Diamonds being the second choice in The Islandian Times Pro Cup poll.
For Rolling Hills to prevail it will have to get solid pitching... the Racers are not likely to dominate at the plate like they did in the first two rounds... Claxton's pitching has been out of this world... they handled hard-hitting Valmara in the first round and then totally shut down the Sligo Rovers in the RU title series... both Pro Cup finalists are really rolling and playing great baseball.
Rolling Hills' key to success with be it maligned mound staff... starters Van Dillaway (14-4, 3.25 ERA), Rob Gates (9-10, 3.19 ERA), Clyde Akins (15-6, 3.53 ERA) and Jordy Wales (14-5, 3.69 ERA) will have to have good series to beat the Diamonds... for Claxton to succeed starters Mark Meisner (14-8, 2.08 ERA), Don Downing (16-7,2.70 ERA), Russell Krohn (19-6, 2.86 ERA) and Eric Baum (5-1, 2.54 ERA) will have to cool off the redhot Racer bats, sparked by a bunch of fine hitters that batted .292 this season.
2064 IPA Pro Cup Outlook: This should be a great series... going six or seven games... look for the Claxton staff to continue to shine... they are good enough to hold down the Racers at the plate... and the Diamonds should be able to score runs against the Rolling Hills starting rotation... Claxton should win its first-ever Pro Cup trophy... methinks, good pitching will do the job this year.