Wednesday, October 4, 2079
HAYMAKERS AND RED SOX FINALIZE IPA POSTSEASON PARTICIPANTS
Mahaska and Red Bluff nabbed the last two postseason spots in spirited last-week action in the Islandian Pro Alliance... the Haymakers had to go an extra game to beat
the Rascals... the Red Sox won on the final day of the regular season... poor Ozarka lost on the last day and fell one game short of the division flag.
IPA PENNANT WINNERS
And away we go!
Valmara was victorious in the Ruthlandian North... Crystal Lake captured the RU South... Elnora was the elite team in the RU East and Fort Benton was the best in the RU
West... reviewing the Tycobbian Union, White River won the TU North... IPA Pro Cup champion Turon tore up the TU South... Red Bluff won a 5-team barnburner in the TU
East... and Rolling Hills rolled over everybody in the tight TU West chase.
Ruthlandian Union Recap
VIPERS VICTOR IN RU NORTH
The Valmara Vipers are making their 31st appearance in the IPA postseason... the Vipers will be seeking their 5th Pro Cup... Valmara took command of the Ruthlandian North
at midseason and held off Kilkenny in September... the Cats were Pro Cup Finalists last year... the LaGrange Gators finished 6 games back in second place... Kilkenny came
in third, 7 GB... and the Ranford Bulls wound up in fourth place, 9 GB.
SKIPPERS SAILING HIGH IN RU SOUTH
Crystal Lake was never really challenged in the Ruthlandian South... most of the season they enjoyed a comfortable lead... the Skippers took charge of the race at midyear,
but they had to fend off a determined effort by the runner-up Belair Beach Sunbirds in August and September... none of the other teams offered much resisistance... Waleska
was 15 games behind in the third spot... and Grand City ended in fourth place, 17 GB.
CLIPPERS HOLD OFF LATE-CLOSING RACCOONS IN RU EAST
Most of the time the Elnora Clippers had a big lead in the RU East, several times over 10 games... they ultimately won the flag by 3 games... second place Cold Creek came
on strong in the second half of the season and made it close for the Clippers... the Marston Nine lagged way back most of the year, but got hot in August to put some mild
pressure on Elnora, but they faded in September and lost out by 8 games... preseason favorite Wynnamac struggled most of the season, got within 6 games in September,
but then swooned and slipped back in the race, winding up fourth and 11 games off the pace.
CANNONS OVERTAKE FIREBIRDS IN TU WEST IN SECOND-HALF SURGE
The Fort Benton Cannons stayed in range of the leaders most of the season, then bolted in August and won going away in September... they whipped runner-up Forest City
by 7 games and last year's champion and preseason choice Sligo by 8 games... the Rovers languished near the bottom of the standings until they started playing well in
August... but that was too late... Colfax came in fourth, trailing by 9 games... the Black Sox never really contended... Forest City had the lead in July, but could not hold on
to it... the Cannons took over first place by September and prevailed.
Tycobbian Union Recap
HAYMAKERS JUST BARELY SKIM PAST RASCALS IN SUDDEN DEATH FOR TU NORTH TITLE
'Twas a 6-team fight in the Tycobbian North for most of the season between champion Mahaska, runner-up White River (1 GB), third place Luxora (6 and a half games behind),
fourth place Blue Lake (7 and a half games behind), fifth place Oxford (8 and a half games behind) and sixth place Hartsdale (10 and a half games behind)... Luxora was
favored to win the flag in the preseason poll... Hartsdale had won it the last two years... the Luxora Zorros topped the RU North most of the first half, holding the top spot
until mid-June, then they stumbled badly and fell out of the race... the Mahaska Haymakers and White River Rascals jostled all season, battling down the last game of the year...
the Haymakerls won the sudden-death game and won the division crown.
TURON WINS 103 GAMES AND EASILY TRIUMPHS IN TU SOUTH
There was no race in the Tycobbian South... nope, none at all... defending Pro Cup champ and defending division champ Turon was on top every month in the season...
it was close until June, then the Typhoons blew everybody away and romped to the title by a colossal 15 games over second place Cape Coral, 21 better than third place
Summerland and 23 games ahead of fourth place Arroyo Grande... Turon won 103 games... the Typhoons have a decent shot at repeat Pro Cup trophies... they very well
could win their 7th Pro Cup... the Rolling Hills Racers lead the IPA with 8 Pro Cups.
RED BLUFF WIN SEASON-LONG 5-TEAM DUEL IN TU EAST... RED SOX WIN ON LAST DAY OF THE SEASON
What a race in the Tycobbian East... April, May and June saw only 4 games difference between first place and last place... it settled down to a 5-team tussle in July between
Ozarka, Red Bluff, Tuckanarra, defending division winner and preseason pick South Fork and Midway... the other three clubs dropped out of contention... and what a stretch
drive it was... with two games remaining on the schedule Ozarka and Red Bluff were tied for the top spot with South Fork and High Mesa just one game behind... the Red Sox
won two 1-run games from the High Mesa Buckaroos, while the Naturals split two with last place East Point... the Stallions lost both games to tough Midway... Red Bluff earned
its first pennant since 2072.
ROLLING HILLS OUTRACES 4 TEAMS TO TAKE TU WEST CROWN
In the Tycobbian West the defending champion was the Kenwood Wildcats and the preseason choice was the Bayview Vikings... by September it settled down into a 5-team
scrum between Rolling Hills, Bayview, Kenwood, Chicopee and Denton City... the Racers finished the season with a rock-solid September and outraced all the challengers,
beating second place Kenwood by 3 games, third place Bayview by 5, fourth place Denton City by 6 games and fifth place Chicopee by 9 games... Rolling Hills never got to
the top spot until August 29... the Racers went 18-9 in the September stretch drive and won the pennant... Kenwood battled hard until the end, going 17-10... Bayview only
managed 13-14, Denton City went 16-11 and Chicopee finished 14-14... with 8 IPA Pro Cup titles, the Racers would really like to make it 9 in 2079.
2079 Ruthlandian Union Final Standings
