2090 IPA PRO CUP SERIES - GAME FOUR
Wednesday, November 8, 2090
ARENADO STYMIES VIPERS IN CRUCIAL GAME FOUR; LA CLAIRE ON THE VERGE OF SECOND PRO CUP TITLE
Game four is a must win for the team trailing in the Pro Cup Series. La Claire captured the pivotal game from Valmara 8-3 on the road at War Memorial Stadium and took a commanding three games to one lead in the best-of-seven series. Roger Arenado (1-1/6.35 ERA) fired a complete game, struck out 10 Vipers and stopped them on 7 hits. Judah Pickens (.323 BA/1 HR/8 RBI) provided the firepower with a 3-run roundtripper. Pasha Minorsky (0-2/7.16 ERA) only lasted 5 frames. He was rocked for 6 runs on 6 hits and he walked 4. Valmara has a dire task. They must win four in a row to claim the Pro Cup Trophy. That is not likely to happen. In 90 years of postseason play only two teams have accomplished it. Far Mountain did it in 2011 and Kenwood in 2014.
The balanced Lynx attack was paced offensively by Judah Pickens (.323 BA/1 HR/8 RBI) with 3 runs batted in. Bill Gallagher (.300 BA/2 HR/11 RBI), Nicky Bajka (.222 BA/1 RBI), Dennis Culpepper (.313 BA/7 RBI) and Howie Ellenberger (.160 BA/4 HR/10 RBI) also drove in a run each in the crucial victory. Keith Tobin (.333 BA/7 HR/17 RBI) provided all of Valmara's scoring with 2 homers and 3 RBIs. Tobin leads the playoffs with 7 home runs and 17 RBIs.
La Claire skipper Jonny Bacon will try and clinched the Pro Cup crown with his ace Don Bartels (19-7/2.70 ERA). Valmara manager Primo Sirak will try to stay alive with his #1 starter Arjan Huntsman (17-4/3.07 ERA). Bartels bested Huntsman in the series opener 4-2. The site of game five will also be War Memorial Stadium in Valmara.
