Sunday, October 24, 2088
BP MUSKIES BOMB FC FOR 2-1 LEAD IN RU TITLE SERIES; OZARKA NATS CLIP SUMMERLAND IN 12 INNINGS, STILL TRAIL SUNSETS 2-1 IN TU TITLE SERIES
In the Ruthlandian Union Title Series the Belle Plaine Musketeers showed no mercy to the Forest City Firebirds in the third game of the series at home at Musketeer Field. Belle Plaine bombed the Firebirds for 20 hits and 3 roundtrippers and soundly defeated them 13-2, upping their lead in the best-of-seven series to two games to one. Over in the TU Title Series Ozarka finally got a little offense and edged the Summerland Sunsets 5-3 in 12 innings at Sunset Stadium. Banger Barnhill blasted a 2-run homer for the game winner.
BELLE PLAINE BLASTS FOREST CITY IN GAME 3 FOR RU TITLE SERIES LEAD
Belle Plaine had it all their way. Claude Mayeux (.353/2 HR/8 RBI), Jean-Paul Lacombe (.440/5 HR/11 RBI) and Callum Hayford (.308/4 HR/11 RBI) all swatted roundtrippers in the 13-2 rout. Mayeux and Lacombe drove in 4 runs each. Luc Barbier (.233) smacked 4 hits, scored 3 times and batted in one run. Olav Frandsen (.207/2 RBI) contributed 3 hits, 2 runs and an RBI. 6 Musketeers socked 2 hits apiece. In addition, Marcel Giroud (2-0/1.88 ERA) and Archie MacNamara added to the Firebirds' misery with solid pitching. Giroud won it with 6 and two-thirds innings. He held them to 3 hits and 2 runs, while MacNamara fanned 3 in his short stint and didn't give up a run on one hit. They tossed a 4-hitter between them. Thomas Tate (0-2/8.71 ERA) was torched for 5 runs in 4 innings for the loss. The Muskies hammered all of the Firebirds bullpen staffers.
NATS MUSTER UP SOME OFFENSE; TRIMS SUNSETS IN 12TH ON BARNHILL BASH
The Ozarka Naturals finally mustered up some offense and outlasted the Summerland Sunsets 5-3 in 12 innings. Banger Barnhill bashed a two-run game-winning clout to cut the series lead to two games to one in favor of Summerland. Ron Passman combined with his bullpen to topple the Sunsets for the first time in the Tycobbian Union Title Series. He didn't get the win, but Passman restricted the Sunsets to 2 runs and 6 hits in his 9 innings. Summerland starter Cees De Groot performed well, holding the Naturals to 2 runs and 7 hits in 7 and two-thirds innings. Summerland reliever Arlo Carrow (0-1) suffered the loss when Ozarka tagged him for 3 runs and 4 hits in his 2 innings.
It was a tense back-and-forth affair. Summerland scored first in the bottom of the 3rd when De Groot (.000) walked and was tripled in by Danny Dafoe (.263). Guus Lutjens (.259) made it 2-0 in the 4th on a solo shot. Ozarka finally dented the scoreboard in the 5th on throwing error to cut the margin to 2-1. Tommy Kingston (.185/2 HR) forced extra innings when he knocked one out of the park to tie the score at 2-all in the top of the 8th. Both teams put runs on the scoreboard in the 11th. Pinch hitter Tinos Diamandis (.667) doubled in Frankie Doane (.103) from second base to give the Nats a short-lived 3-2 margin. The Sunsets came right back and evened the score 3-3 when Bruce Quarterman (.111) doubled and scampered in on Guus Lutjens' base hit. Lutjens (.259) tried to win the game by scoring from second base on Ken Montford's (.458) single, but he was thrown out at home by right fielder Tommy Kingston.
Belle Plaine and Summerland will host games four and five on their homefields.
