Wednesday, October 11, 2073
IPA UNION TITLE ROUNDS: VALKA-VALMARA IN RUTHLANDIAN, SOUTH FORK-WHITE RIVER IN TYCOBBIAN
Four fine ballclubs are still going strong in the Islandian Pro Alliance Pro Cup playoffs... It will be the Valka Blackhawks and the Valmara Vipers vying for the Ruthlandian Union Title Series and the South Fork Stallions and the White River Rascals taking on one another in the Tycobbian Union Title Series... all postseason matchups are best-of-five... the second round of playoff action get started this Friday afternoon at War Memorial Stadium in Valmara and at White River Stadium in White River... Valka and White River have never won a Pro Cup... Valmara will be going for their 5th Pro Cup Trophy and South Fork will be seeking its third in the team's history.
This year's Pro Cup pick, the White River Rascals, impressed with a 3-game sweep of the Kenwood Wildcats, the 5th-ranked team in
THE ISLANDIAN TIMES Pro Cup Poll... the Rascals do everything well: offense, pitching and defense... they lost two fine regulars for the playoffs... All-Star third baseman Lynn Elkins (.334 BA/24 HR/104 RBI), injured in late September, and solid center fielder Mack Hamlen (.284 BA/8 HR/49 RBI), injured in July... however, it was the South Fork Stallions that played better than anybody in the first round... the 6th-ranked Ponies dethroned last year's Pro Cup winner, the Turon Typhoons, taking 3 of 5 in the hotly-contested series... Turon was a most-worthy foe and rated the second-best team in the postseason... the Tycobbian Title Series will really be something - a match made in Heaven - on paper, you have to go with White River... one thing for sure, the Rascals will have their hands full with the Stallions... South Fork will not quietly trot off into the sunset.
The Ruthlandian Union also has two solid, evenly-matched ballclubs... the 8th-rated high-flying Valka Blackhawks upended the #3 pick, the potent Eastshore Cotton Kings to reach the RU Title Series... the Blackhawks whipped the Kings 3 games to one, displaying a high-octane arsenal... the 4th-rated Valmara Vipers whipped the #7 choice Volusia 3 games to one, too... some good Valmara pitching paved the way to victory... this one is too close to call... the difference may be in the Vipers' home-run power... Valka suffered a big loss in the first round... pitching ace Priit Laur (13-9/3.39 ERA) hurt his knee in his 7-2 victory in game two over Eastshore... in May the Blackhawks lost their #1 starter Carlos Santa Ana (3-2/2.17 ERA)... both of those hurlers will be sorely missed.
