Saturday, October 19, 2080
WHITE RIVER AND WYNNAMAC VIE IN PRO CUP FINALS
The White River Rascals will represent the Tycobbian Union in this year's IPA Pro Cup Series... they will be opposed by the Ruthlandian Union champion, the Wynnamac Sundowners... the best-of-seven series will begin this Sunday afternoon at White River Stadium... the Rascals will have the home field advantage... White River will be going for their first-ever Pro Cup Trophy... the Macs have hauled in the esteemed prize on four occasions... most recently in 2076 and 2070... the Rascals have made the Pro Cup Finals four times in 2021, 2049, 2050 and 2055 and lost them all.
#6-ranked Wynnamac disposed of this year's Pro Cup favorite, the Crystal Lake Skippers, in the Ruthlandian Union Title Series... the Sundowners defeated the Sailors four games to two... White River, rated #3 in the Pro Cup Poll, swept past unheralded and #8-ranked Arroyo Grande in six games for the Tycobbian Union crown.
Tycobbian Union Title Series Recap
WHITE RIVER OUTSHINES THE SUNS IN TU TITLE ROUND
When it was needed, the White River pitching corps rose to the occasion and finished off the upstart Arroyo Grande Suns four games to two in the Tycobbian Union Title Series.
Arroyo Grande started off in grand style with a 9-1 thrashing of the favored Rascals in the series opener... the Suns hammered them for 14 hits and 3 home runs... Nicky Carrick walloped a pair and Vern Garvin got the other roundtripper... unbeater hurler Dean Colburn (3-0/2.42 ERA) chalked up his 3rd victory this postseason, holding White River to 6 hits... Shorty Meaux (1-2/4.00 ERA) lost it, shelled for 7 runs in his 6 innings.
In game two White River evened the series at one game apiece, edging the Suns 5-4 in 10 innings... it was a pretty good pitching duel between Fuzzy Swearingen (1-0/2.00 ERA) and Desmond Croft (0-1/3.38 ERA)... neither figured in the decision... Babe Coleman cracked a solo homer in the bottom of the 9th to claim the game.
The scrappy Suns rebounded in game three at home to go up two games to one... trailing 7-6 in the last of the 9th, Denny Bradburn belted a 2-run roundtripper to sink the Rascals 8-7... Bradburn sparked Arroyo Grande with 4 runs batted in... Babe Coleman went deep for White River and drove in 3 runs.
White River nipped Arroyo Grande in game four 5-4 to tie the best-of-seven series at two games each... the Rascals had to rally again in the late innings... the Suns were ahead 3-1 when White River erupted for 4 runs to take the game 5-4... J. R. North's 3-run smash in the top of the 8th frame was the big blow in the game... the winning hurler was Bubby Dancer (2-1/4.50 ERA)... the lost went to Enrique Esteban (1-2/3.33 ERA)... Esteban had it his way until North unloaded on him.
The Rascals continued to roll in game five... Shorty Meaux (2-2/3.82 ERA) stood out on the mound, went the distance and stopped the Suns 5-2 on just 4 hits, putting White River on top in the series three games to two... the Rascals gave the Suns' ace Dean Colburn (3-1/2.83 ERA) his first postseason loss this season, tagging him for 5 runs and 8 hits... Colburn also tossed a complete game... Jake Bourland homered and drove in 2 runs for the Rascals... Babe Coleman plated a pair of runs, too... Nicky Carrick sent one out of the park for the Suns and batted in both of their runs.
In game six of the TU Title Series White River and Fuzzy Swearingen finished off this year's postseason darling, the Arroyo Grande Suns, 6-3 to cop the series four games to two and advance to the Pro Cup Series... the Rascals took charge of the game in the middle innings, went ahead 6-2 and never faltered ... in a solid performance Swearingen (2-0/2.33 ERA) went all the way to wrap up the series and a spot in the revered Pro Cup Series... the Suns only runs came on solo swats by Miggy Montalvo, Tony Langhome and Nicky Carrick... the Rascals racked up 11 hits, led by Viggo Frandsen, J. T. North, Denny Schlesinger and Jake Bourland... James Lundin went deep for them... Frandsen topped the Tycobbian Union with a .357 BA.
Ruthlandian Union Title Series Recap
MACS WHACK FAVORED SKIPPERS IN RU FINALS
For the second straight round the Wynnamac Sundowners sneaked up and knocked off a favored opponent... and this time, it was a big one - the #1 choice to win the IPA Pro Cup - the Crystal Lake Skippers... the Macs smacked the Sailors four games to two, in spite of losing two of the first three encounters, finally wrapping it up with three straight victories.
Game one went to Crystal Lake 6-5... it was tied 4-4 heading into the 9th frame... the Macs nabbed the lead in the top of the 9th 5-4 on Ethan Youngman's double and an RBI base hit by Max Crossman... however, Crystal Lake's Gino Lorenzetti decided it with a 2-run single in the last of the 9th... both hurlers worked complete games... Lloyd Mason (1-1/10.02 ERA) copped the win with the defeat given to Lando Vargas (1-1/2.65 ERA)... Wynnamac's Julius Goodson cracked the game's only roundtripper, a 2-run shot... the Skippers had the edge in hits 13 to 11.
The Macs won a slugfest in the second game, tying the series at one game each with a 10-7 triumph... the Sundowners socked 16 hits, while the Skippers collected 13... Wynnamac pounded three homers, one each for Max Crossman, Jamie Blevins and Chris Blake... Crossman and Alex Durham drove in 3 runs apiece... reliever Otto Sikis (1-0/0.00 ERA) saved the day and picked up the win for the Sundowners with 4 scoreless innings in the middle of the game... Crystal Lake starter Lew McGrane absorbed the loss, slammed for 7 runs in 6 innings... Culver Jensen paced the Skippers with 3 runs batted in, while Gino Lorenzetti and Jimmy Ransom chimed in with 2 each.
On the road in Wynnamac, Crystal Lake got a standout performance from 20-game winner Angelo Marinello in game three... he stymied the Macs on 6 hits and went the route in the 4-2 victory and put the Skippers up two games to one in the series... Culver Jensen led them at the plate with 3 hits, including a home run... Wynnamac only runs off Marinello came via roundtrippers... solo shots by Ethan Youngman and Jurgen Rainer... Clifton Branch (1-1/3.96 ERA) also fired complete game, but he was touched for 4 runs and 9 hits with 7 Ks and 2 walks.
The Wynnamac attack again woke up and clobbered the Skippers 11-0 at home in the fourth game, thus deadlocking the series at two games apiece... Noel Arboneaux (2-0/1.73 ERA) was also brilliant on the hill, shutting down the Skippers on just 2 hits... Alex Durham paced the hit parade with 5 runs batted in... Ethan Youngman added 3 more scores and Jurgen Rainer pitched in with 2 RBIs... the Macs got 14 hits in the game... everybody in the batting order got at least one base knock.
The Sundowners' strong pitching continued in game five giving them a 3-2 edge in the best-of-seven series... 34-year-old veteran Lando Vargas outpitched Lloyd Mason 3-1... Vargas is 2-1 in the postseason with a strong 2.08 ERA... during the season he went 14-10 with a 3.49 ERA... it was Mason's second defeat... he is now 1-2 with an 8.16 ERA... Mason was much better in the regular season at 14-11 with a fine 2.99 ERA... both clubs got 10 hits apiece... Max Crossman sparked the Macs with a homer and 2 ribbies... Julius Goodson batted in their other run... Gino Lorenzetti plated the only score for the Skippers.
Wynnamac won their third game in a row to sink the Pro Cup-favored Crystal Lake Skippers in the Ruthlandian Union Title Series... the Macs won the series four games to two and will now advance to the IPA Pro Cup Series against the Tycobbian Union champion, the White River Rascals.
Game six at Crystal Lake was again dominated by pitching... Wynnamac's Shotgun Clayburn (1-2/7.77 ERA) went 7 innings and held the Skippers to one run and 5 hits en route to 5-2 victory... he was 9-9 with a 4.02 ERA this season... Lew McGrane (0-3/5.70 ERA) went the distance in defeat, dropping his 3rd playoff game... the Sundowners only managed 5 hits, but 2 of them went out of the park... Mike Mantle homered and drove in 4 runs... Jurgen Rainer has a solo roundtripper.
