Sunday, October 8, 2090
FIREBIRDS, VIPERS, LYNX, SUNSETS POST OPENING WINS IN IPA FIRST ROUND, ALL AT HOME
Pro Cup favorite Forest City, Valmara, La Claire and Summerland all posted first-round victories in the opening games of the IPA playoffs. In the Ruthlandian Union the Firebirds trimmed Belair Beach 4-2 and the Vipers rallied past Belle Plaine 3-2. In the Tycobbian Union La Claire held off the South Fork Stallions 5-3 and Summerland outscored White River 8-6.
Ruthlandian Union First-Round Game 1 Recaps
Center fielder Clete Ward sparked Forest City past Belair Beach with 3 hits and 3 RBIs. 2 of his hits were two-baggers. His second double broke up a 2-2 tie and pave the way to the 4-2 victory. The Firebirds got solid pitching from starter Matty O'Mara, who held the Sunbirds to one run on 4 hits in his 5 innings. Thomas Tate picked up the win, but he gave up one run in 2 frames. Curt Leininger notched the save with 2 scoreless innings. Reliever Lacy Thome lost it. He was slapped for 2 runs and 5 hits in 3 innings.
Valmara saved the best for last and got a 9th-inning game-winning pinch-hit single from Grisha Ivanoff to skim by the Belle Plaine Musketeers 3-2. Starter Shura Azarin stood out with 5 runless innings. He allowed only 3 hits. Closer Paolo Portocarrera gained the win, tossing 4 innings and giving up 2 unearned scores. Al Doak was pinned with the loss. Tavio Ortega homered for the winners, while Nate Goldsberry went 3 for 5 and drove in a pair of runs in defeat.
Tycobbian Union First-Round Game 1 Recaps
La Claire got the best of South Fork 5-3 at home. The Lynx gained a 5-1 edge at the end of 5 innings and then held off the Stallions. David Glascock, Dennis Culpepper and Rick Wall led the way. Glascock was 1 for 3 and doubled in a pair of scores, Culpepper had 3 hits, including a double and a triple and one RBI and Wall cracked 2 doubles and drove in a run. Will Wilford led South Fork wtih 2 hits and 2 runs batted in. Don Bartels chalked up the victory, working into the 8th frame and allowing 3 runs on 6 hits. Paul Unruh closed it out for him and did not give up a run in his one and two-thirds innings. South Fork starter Owen Frank labored in defeat. He was banged around for 5 runs and 7 hits in 6 innings.
Pitching powers Summerland and White River, not known for a lot of offense, locked up in a scoring fest of sorts with the Sunsets pulling it out 8-6 with 3 runs in the last of the sixth. Pinch hitter Dutch Verlander bashed a 2-run double to put Summerland ahead to stay. In relief Duke Snijder blanked White River the final 3 frames for the save. Neither starter, Paul Pegram for Summerland and Satchell Pike for White River were effective. Pegram got credit for the win, despite giving up 5 runs in 6 innings. Pacing the Sunsets at the plate were Gerrit Maas with 3 hits and 2 RBIs and Marty Getchell with a 2-run two-bagger. Maas homered for Summerland, while Jeff Heimlich went deep for White River. Stallion Roger D'Abboville collected 2 hits and drove in 2 runs and Andre Arcenault added 2 hits and batted in one score.
