FIRST ROUND OVER IN TU AS SUMMERLAND AND OZARKA SWEEP POWERHOUSES LA CLAIRE AND HARTSDALE
IPA champion La Claire and highly-regarded Hartsdale had their Pro Cup hopes shattered as unsung and unheralded Summerland and Ozarka did a broom job on them and eliminated them in the very first round of the Tycobbian Union playoffs. The Sunsets and Naturals will now square off against one another in the TU Title Series.
And it looks like the Ruthlandian Union First Round may go just about as quickly. Forest City and Belle Plaine have nabbed three of the first four games of the best-of-seven series and could soon knock out the Belair Beach Sunbirds and the La Grange Gators from the postseason.
Tycobbian Union First Round
SUNSETS KAYOED LYNX IN STUNNING 4-GAME SWEEP
In a stunning surprise the lowly Summerland Sunsets shocked the current Pro Cup champion and this year's favorite La Claire by sweeping all four first-round games in the Tycobbian Union. Paul Pegram (2-0/1.00 ERA) was double trouble for the Lynx. After whipping them 2-1 in the series opener, Pegram finished them off with a strong 4-1 complete-game victory, stopping them on 6 hits with 3 walks and 3 strikeout. He outpitched 22-game winner Doug Bartels twice and dealt him 2 defeats. Bartels was tagged for 4 runs and 8 hits in his 7 innings. Light-hitting Summerland was sparked by Kent Montford (.417 BA) with a solo home run and got RBIs from Norris Chance (.353 BA) and Bok de Korver (.154 BA).
NATS KNOCK OUT AND SWEEP FAVORED HELLCATS
The upstart Ozarka Naturals totally dominated the highly-heralded Hartsdale Hellcats in first-round play in the Tycobbian Union. The Nats sweep four straight games and only allowed 5 runs. Pitchers Miles Chaucer (2-0/1.00 ERA), Mordecai Partridge (1-0/1.00 ERA) and Ron Passman (1-0/2.00 ERA) tossed four complete games to knock the Hartsdale out of the playoffs. Ozarka wrapped up the series with a 3-1 win behind Chaucer, who again went the distance in game four and held the heavy-hitting Hellcats to just 4 hits, while striking out 7 and walking only one batter. Mickey Houlihan (.500 BA) snapped a scoreless duel with Sid Humphrey (0-2/6.28 ERA) by tripling and scoring on a wild pitch in the 4th frame. In the 7th Banger Barnhill (.375 BA) added to the lead with a 2-run two-bagger, making it 3-0. Hartsdale got its only score in the top of the 9th on a home run by Jorah Hladki (.312 BA). It was his 3rd solo shot in four games. Humphrey went all the way, permitted 3 runs on 9 hits, fanning 4 and walking 3. Neither Ozarka, nor Summerland has ever won a Pro Cup. The Naturals have been to the Pro Cup Finals 5 times and lost each time. The Sunsets have made it 3 times and lost them all.
Ruthlandian Union First Round Series
FC FIREBIRDS NICK BB SUNBIRDS IN GAME 4, NOW UP 3-1
At Bayside Park in Belair Beach, Forest City prevailed in a tense pitching duel to take game four of its RU first-round series 3-2 in 10 innings. The Firebirds had to rally in the late innings. In the 8th frame Jim Raver (.412 BA) tied it up 2-2 with an RBI double that scored Willie Collingham (.385 BA) and Fuzz Smiley (.308 BA) nailed it down when he doubled in the 10th and drove in Collingham again with the winning run. This put the Firebirds in front three games to one and on the verge of going into the RU Title Series. 20-game winner Matty O'Mara (2-0/1.50 ERA) won his second game of the series. He went the route, shackled the Sunbirds on 7 hits, while firing strikes past 8 batters and issuing just one base on balls. Belair Beach starter Georgie Adams had the upper hand with a 2-1 lead through 6 frames. Adams was wild with 6 walks, but he restricted the Firebirds to just 3 hits. His bullpen couldn't hold the lead for him. The defeat went to closer Orval Columbus (0-1/3.38 ERA), who worked the fatal 10th inning. Belair Beach jumped off to a 2-0 lead in the opening frame on Dirk MacIntyre's (.188 BA) RBI double and Dion Gallimore's (.188 BA) run-scoring base hit. Both clubs had 7 hits each. Forest City was paced by Collingham and Raver with 2 hits apiece. Jermaine La Rocque (.500 BA) cracked 2 hits in 4 at bats for Belair Beach. The 5th game is also slated for Bayside Park in Belair Beach.
MUSKETEERS POWER PAST GATORS WITH 4 HOMERS IN GAME 4, TAKE 3-1 LEAD IN RU SERIES
At Musketeer Field in Belle Plaine, the hometown team socked 4 out of the park and got solid pitching from Anton Petit in a 6-2 drubbing of the LaGrange Gators. Jean-Paul Lacombe (.417 BA) slammed 2 of the roundtrippers and drove in 3 runs, Callum Hayford (.231 BA) belted a 2-run job and Jace De Grom (.143 BA) hit a solo swat. Petit (1-0/3.24 RA) had a fine outing and went the distance, holding the potent Gators to 7 hits with 6 Ks and 4 walks. Orin Wessex (1-1/4.02 ERA) was torched for the 4 homers and took the defeat. After shutting the Muskies out for the first 5 frames, he was scorched for 6 runs and 8 hits in 6 and two-thirds innings. Lacombe led Belle Plaine with 3 hits. The fifth game of the best-of-seven affair is also at Musketeer Field.
