SATURDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2082
RU CHAMPION CL SKIPPERS CLIP ELNORA CLIPPERS IN 6 GAMES
TU TITLE TO KENWOOD AS HARTSDALE FALLS IN 7TH-GAME THRILLER
Crystal Lake and surprising Kenwood will meet for the coveted IPA Pro Cup Trophy.
Pro Cup favorite Crystal Lake won as predicted in the Ruthlandian Union Title Series. The Skippers thumped the Elnora Clippers in 6 games, winning four games to two, while the Kenwood
Wildcats sprung a huge upset and captured the Tycobbian Union title, defeating the favored Hartsdale Hellcats in a dramatic 7-game affair decided in the 12th inning by a dramatic home run.
The 2082 Islandian Pro Alliance Pro Cup Series begins this Sunday in Crystal Lake at Lakefront Park. The Skippers will welcome the unsung Kenwood Wildcats in a best-of-seven game series.
The Skippers will be seeking their 5th Pro Cup. They last won it in 2074. The Wildcats are going for their second Pro Cup. Kenwood won it previously way, way back in 2014.
Crystal Lake was sparked to the Ruthlandian championship by second baseman Cookie Garland at the plate and by the mound work of ace Lloyd Mason.
Manager Pat Dillon, a 20-year veteran, said, "We just have a good blend of batting, power, pitching and defense. We didn't score a lot of runs against Elnora, but we got 'em when we needed.
Garland had a good series. Mason and Noland gave us 3 good starts and Hurst gave us a key start in game four. That was critical."
Losing skipper Enos Conrad, who is retiring this year after 14 years at the helm. He will turn the club over to pitcher Hamilton Burger. Conrad told the press that "it would have been great to
go out with a Pro Cup trophy. That the way I would have written the script. I've got a good bunch of ballplayers, but the Skippers are just better. They are one solid ballclub. I'm hoping they will
win the Ruthlandian Union another Pro Cup".
Not many people gave the lightly-regarded Kenwood Wildcats much of a chance against powerhouse Hartsdale. Manager Rusty Bradford, speaking to reporters, told them, "Our bats got hot
just at the right time against the right team. I can't believe we outscored them 32 to 21. We got a big win in game four. Billy Batton did a marvelous job on the hill. Then he came back in relief
in the 7th game with 3 shutout innings to close out the game. Thank goodness Cloyce Farmer hit that homer. I only had one more pitcher left."
At the press conference Mark Markis, the Hartsdale head man, commented, "Give the Wildcats some credit. They really got some great pitching in the series. And they can swing the bats pretty
darn good, too. Getting down 3-1 is just too deep a hole to get out of. But we almost did it. I thought we were going to come back and win after winning games five and six and tying it up and
forcing the 7th game. In the 9th inning of the last game Colson got a leadoff double and we couldn't bring him around to win it. All we needed was one measly bloop single and we would be
playing for the Pro Cup. We got the tying run on second in the bottom of the 12th and didn't do it again. If we could have tied it, they were out of pitchers and we still had 3 rested relievers."
Game 1
Game 2
Game 3
Game 4
