#2 Fort Hagen Silver Shroud (69-39) vs #3 Starlight Lady Killers (62-46)
Season Series: Fort Hagen 7, Starlight 5
May 19-21 @FtH: FtH 6-3, Star 5-3, FtH 7-5
Une 9-11 @Star: FtH 7-4, FtH 4-2, Star 11-9
July 7-9 @FtH: Star 5-3, FtH 9-7, Star 1-0
August 11-13 @Star: FtH 5-3, FtH 9-4, Star 3-1
Fort Hagen Home Page
Starlight Home Page
Game 1 Matchup
Analysis
While they lead in neither top runs scored (3rd at 574) nor runs allowed (3rd at 427), the Shroud have been a team that gives some teams nightmares. After finishing in 6th place in 2296, Fort Hagen has now made the playoffs for the third straight season, clinching their first Institute League title this year. They also were in the Association Finals last season after upsetting the Nordhagen Beach Party Boys in the first round. The Shroud fell short to Easy Town in the Association Finals, but they entered 2299 hungry.
Like Nordhagen Beach, Fort Hagen has a trio of home run hitters, though Manager Mark Andersen approaches that power in a different way than the typical manager. Leafinh home run hitter, LF Andrew Nuka (.329/26/101) bats second in the lineup, followed by 1B Jim Tiller (.374/24/88), the batting average champion in the NCA. The third power guy, RF David Drfitwood (.234/25/57), will often bat seventh in the order because of his poor hitting average compared to other hitters. SS Well Done Dungan (.357/1/53), CF Ben Pawlak (.295/9/61), and 2B Mark Miller (.372/2/52) all keep the wheels turning.
The Silver Shroud do sport the NCA's best starting rotation (3.39), which should be even better without a great 4th starter in Matt Hope (12-6, 4.00). That's because the first three starters are superior: Mike Cartrette (15-4, 2.51, 212 K), Derek Green (15-5, 3.25), and Brent Hooker (14-6, 3.80). While the bullpen is only 8th in the NCA in ERA (4.60), the team only needs their starters to do what they do. Curtis Thriceshot (32 SV, 3.12) is the closer, and Radscorpion Johnson (2-2, 3.83) offers some protection in late games.
Starlight enters the playoffs for the first time since the initial season when the Lady Killers earned the Institute League wildcard. In 2297, they had an epic collapse that dropped them from a potential #1 seed to missing the playoffs altogether. This season, the Killers showed a killer instinct and made moves to ensure they were in the running for the playoffs.
The offense has been one of the better ones in the NCA, finishing 4th in runs scored (571). The four guys at the top of the lineup are the reason: CF Glenn Higinbotham (.315/18/66), 2B Alec Bullets (.326/9/62), 1B Zeldolph Violet (.353/24/84), and RF David Seaweed (.314/16/79). Violet is one of the top contenders for the NCA's Nuka-Hitter Award.
On the mound, the Killers were not as productive, finishing 6th in runs allowed (487). The pitching rotation is talented but does not always pitch its best game, something it will need in the playoffs in every game. City Moore (13-11, 4.15), Chris Schneier (9-9, 4.85), and Steve Rocky (14-3, 3.87) will need to pitch every game well to win it all, much less this series. In the bullpen, Larry Undertaker is considered to be one of the best in the business, but he struggled, earning 31 saves but allowing an ERA of 4.84.
Prediction
Fort Hagen has the talent and the experience of winning a series last season. We lean towards a sweep but will make the safe play of a 3 games to 1 victory over the Lady Killers.