Sunday, October 8, 2084
SUNBIRDS, RACERS MOVE ON - NATS, GATORS GONE
Pro Cup favorite Belair Beach and third-ranked Rolling Hills moved up to the second round of the Islandian Pro Alliance playoffs. The Sunbirds and the Racers made quick work of #7 LaGrange and #2 Ozarka, eliminating them in four-game sweeps. Belair Beach will meet the winner of #6 Fort Benton and #8 Belle Plaine for the Ruthlandian Union title, while Rolling Hills awaits the victor of the #4 Hartsdale Hellcats and #5 Turon Typhoons for the Tycobbian Union crown and advancement to the Pro Cup Series.
The other first-round matches are both tied at 2 wins apiece with game five this afternoon.
SUNBIRDS SOCK IT TO GATORS, SWEEP ALL 4 GAMES
Belair Beach knocked off LaGrange with excellent pitching in the first three games. Then the Sunbirds won a runfest in the fourth game. Standing out on the hill were starters Gardiner Palmquist, Delmer Keel and Seth Calamaris. Heading up the batsmen were Dirk MacIntyre, Lucky Hayden and Dutch Van Donk. MacIntyre was the MVP with a .438 BA, 3 HR and 4 RBIs. Hayden cracked 2 out of the park, drove in 4 runs and hit .462. Troy Swinnerton starred for the Gators in defeat with a .500 BA (8 for 16), 3 homers and 7 RBIs.
RACERS HURLERS TOO MUCH IN 4-GAME SWEEP OVER OZARKA
Rolling Hills took care of highly-regarded Ozarka in the opening round of the Tycobbian Union playoffs. And they did it in a convincing way with strong starting pitching and a rock-solid attack. Dain Holman, Skeets Kazlauskas, Dominic Bard and Ivan Malek shut down the Nats bats in all four games. Series MVP Emmett Spangler and Coby Clancy provided the offensive support in the series. Spangler batted .444 with 8 for 18 and 5 RBIs, while Clancy had 2 roundtrippers, went 6 for 17 for a .353 BA and drove in 6 runs.
BELLE PLAINE BATS EVEN SERIES WITH FAVORED FORT BENTON
Still battling in the RU First Round, tied at two wins apiece, are the Fort Benton Cannons and the unsung Belle Plaine Musketeers. The Cannons won the first two games of the best-of-seven series 5-2 and 4-3 behind the good pitching of starter Noah Fairclough and reliever Slim Gamble. The Musketeers awoke in the next two games and pounded the Cannons 10-3 and 9-3, making it a brand-spanking new series. Jean-Paul Lacombe, Gip McAvoy and Callum Hayford led the Muskies at the plate.
PITCHING WILL DECIDE THE HARTSDALE-TURON SERIES IN TU FIRST ROUND
Games five and six will be crucial to both teams. How Hartsdale hurlers Wayne Wolfe and Barry Boyett and how Turon twirlers Clete Engstrom and Matt Simon fare will go a long way in deciding the outcome of the series.
Turon took the opener 4-3 in Hartsdale as Engstrom and closer Pete Reiser combined for the victory. The Hellcats prevailed in game two 6-5, another one-run thriller. The series switched to Turon for game three where Hartsdale won handily 9-2 behind their big bats of Eli Kulacz, Calvin Mannon and Bryan Tiller. Harmon Ford and reliever Albert Springer were both strong on the hill. The Typhoons got some offense in game four in a 6-4 triumph to tie up the series. Tracy Bramlett batted in 4 runs and Arnie Hershberger knocked in a pair.
