Thursday, October 10, 2080
UNDERDOG SUNS AND MACS STUN FAVORED WILDCATS AND BULLS IN IPA FIRST ROUND; HISTORIC COMEBACKS FOR ARROYO GRANDE AND WHITE RIVER
#2 Kenwood and #4 Ranford both bit the dust and were eliminated unexpectedly in the first round of the Islandian Pro Alliance postseason playoffs... two clubs also made historic recoveries... the White River Rascals came back and won four in a row to win their series with East Point and Arroyo Grande stayed alive in the postseason by winning the final three games over the Kenwood Wildcats.
In the Ruthlandian Union First Round #6-rated Wynnamac upended #2-ranked Ranford four games to three... the Bulls won the opener 7-1, but lost the next three, 7-5, 3-2 and 6-2... Ranford stayed alive with an 11-0 rout in game five and a 2-1 squeaker in game six, but then the Bulls perished from the playoffs when the Macs won a thrilling 8-7 victory in 11 innings in game seven.
The Pro Cup favorite Crystal Lake Skippers toppled #5 Sligo in six games... the Skippers were victorious in the first two contests, 10-9 and 4-2... the Rovers won game three by the score of 7-5... Crystal Lake went up three games to one with a 7-3 triumph in game four... they fell 9-5 in game five... then finished off Sligo 7-2 in game six to take the series... right fielder Jake Osborne, the 2080 Ruthlandian Union top hitter with a league-leading .371 BA, had a fine series, driving in 9 runs for Crystal Lake.
The Ruthlandian Union Title Series will start tomorrow in Crystal Lake... the Skippers will host the Wynnamac Sundowners... it should be a super series... Crystal Lake is the choice to take the series in another stirring 7-game affair.
Over in the Tycobbian Union First Round there were two historic series... both of them went the full seven games... underdog and #8 Arroyo Grande, the worst-rated team in the playoffs, stunned #2 Kenwood and put the Wildcats out of the playoffs by winning the series four games to three... the Suns smacked the Cats 8-3 in the opening game, then lost three in a row, 5-0, 4-2 and 4-1... only five times previously in IPA playoff history has a team come back from a 3-1 deficit... yep, the Suns did it... with some super pitching they eliminated Kenwood with three straight victories, 6-3, 5-1 and 2-1.
Even more impressive were the #3-ranked White River Rascals... 7th-rated East Point with superb pitching nabbed the first three games, 3-2, 4-0 and 5-0... yeah, buddy, the series is over... NOPE... for just the fourth time in IPA playoff history, the Rascals won four straight games, 5-0, 5-2, 4-3 and 5-4, and won the series.
The Tycobbian Union Title Series will also begin tomorrow... White River will be at home, entertaining the upstart and lightly-regarded Arroyo Grande Suns... the Rascals should win in a six-game set.
