Week 17: September 9-20
Had OOTP crash while simming week 18, having already posted week 17 without a save. So, this is a redux. 30 games to go, and as previously mentioned, the title fight is pretty much over but the relegation battle is more interesting than usual.
A followup from the end of last week's series finales - in Cheshek's 3-2 loss to close their series against Keleri,
SP Tsysi Fatsi suffered a season ending elbow injury that will cost him most of next season as well. Even at just 19 years old, Fatsi is considered the team's captain, so everyone in the Cheshek camp wishes him well.
Round 33:
.....Kepmem 2-3 Kupore - 0-3, 9-5, 1-3, 10-4, 4-8
....Fampalo 2-3 Nokelto - 0-1, 3-0, 5-8, 6-3, 1-2
.....Keleri 1-4 Mighty Oaks - 0-3, 3-4, 2-5, 5-2, 4-11
...Mithazni 2-3 Amnanache - 6-0, 4-1, 5-8, 1-3, 2-4
.....Tsapna 1-4 National - 1-6, 5-6(10), 1-7, 4-2, 4-7(12)
...Westline 2-3 Akashemo - 3-7, 6-4, 3-4(10), 4-8, 3-2
.....Hokrof 1-4 Sitache - 1-6, 3-4, 2-4, 0-10, 8-3
...Pasataki 1-4 Lutrul - 1-3, 1-3, 9-2, 1-2, 4-6
..A.Spirits 3-2 Cheshek - 1-4, 4-2, 3-1, 1-6, 8-5
Otahel City 1-4 Sh.Eagles - 6-5, 3-4, 0-2, 6-7(10), 0-13
Shunna Eagles 4, Otahel City 3: In this game also quite important in the relegation battle,
Eagles 1B Teriwoma Etoso hit his 400th Elite League home run. Etoso, now 37, has spent 10 full years of his career
outside of the EL, so this is a far cry from his professional total of 727. He hails from the Ransu area, and debuted for one of his local clubs, Amnanache, in 2002 as a 17-year-old. Subsequent stops have taken him to Akashemo United, the Alilia Waves, and Meka, before landing in the capital in 2020.
Tsapna 4, National 2:
National SP Wicharu Chishatopi is what you would call a "walking IL stint". He missed the first two months of this season after a torn labrum last October. In his return against Akashemo United in late April, he faced six batters, allowed 4 to score, and left with a hamstring tear. He finally made it back at the start of August, and had pitched pretty well... until tearing the same labrum in this start. Looks like he'll be back... right around late April next year.
Lutrul 2, Pasataki Galaxy 1:
Galaxy RF Timleni Chanesha was hit in the face by a pitch from Lutrul's Rani Chamloha in the top of the 3rd inning, causing a facial fracture. It looks as though he'll be OK, but the recovery probably ends Chanesha's season. The league's best offense loses its leadoff hitter, a bummer.
Round 34:
..Sh.Eagles 3-2 Westline - 4-3, 2-8, 2-1, 4-1, 2-4
....Cheshek 2-3 Otahel City - 5-6(11), 0-2, 3-8, 7-3, 12-5
Mighty Oaks 2-3 Tsapna - 3-1, 0-6, 6-4, 2-5, 2-8
.....Kupore 3-2 Fampalo - 1-3, 1-0, 9-5, 1-10, 8-6
.....Lutrul 3-2 Mithazni - 11-4, 2-1, 3-6, 2-5, 3-0
..Amnanache 4-1 Hokrof - 5-1, 0-17, 4-3, 5-0, 5-4
....Nokelto 0-5 Keleri - 0-5, 0-10, 5-6, 3-7, 4-8
...Akashemo 2-3 A.Spirits - 1-5, 2-1, 0-10, 10-6(12), 0-8
...National 3-2 Kepmem - 6-0, 3-0, 4-2, 3-4, 1-5
....Sitache 1-4 Pasataki - 3-16, 5-7, 3-1, 0-12, 1-14
Pasataki Galaxy 16, Sitache 3:
Galaxy C Repimi Cholomu has 4 extra-base hits and 6 RBI in this blowout win. Interestingly, despite only playing half the season, Cholomu is by far the EL's leader in stolen bases for a catcher, with 16 in 87 games. Only one other catcher has swiped more than 5 bags (Lutrul's Otsiku Kiwarshi, 8)
Hokrof 17, Amnanache 0: Not much to say here, I just think it's really funny that a team can get outscored 25-19 for a series and still win 4 of the 5 games. It's also nice to see the normally stellar Amnanache pitching staff get blown up once in a while - this was the most runs they've allowed all season, and the first time they had allowed so many as 10 runs in a game since June 10!
Standings.......W..L
-- 
Mighty Oaks.119 51
-- 
...National.110 60
-- 
...Pasataki.100 70
+1 
.....Keleri..98 72
-1 
.....Tsapna..98 72
-- 
....Cheshek..95 75
-- 
.....Kepmem..95 75
-- 
..A.Spirits..93 77
+1 
.....Kupore..86 84
-1 
....Fampalo..85 85
+1 
..Amnanache..84 86
+1 
.....Lutrul..84 86
-2 
...Akashemo..83 87
-- 
...Westline..74 96
+3 
..Sh.Eagles..70 100
-1 
....Sitache..70 100
-- 
Otahel City..68 102
-----------------------------
-2 
....Nokelto..68 102
-- 
.....Hokrof..64 106
-- 
...Mithazni..56 114
Remaining schedules for the five teams that look like they could get relegated:
Shunna Eagles: vs. Fampalo, @ Keleri, vs. National, @ Tsapna
Sitache: vs. Mithazni, @ Westline, vs. Keleri, @ Kupore
Otahel City: @ Amnanache, vs. Hokrof, @ Pasataki Galaxy, vs. Aroketsil Spirits
Nokelto Scouts: vs. Westline, @ National, vs. Mithazni, @ Mighty Oaks
Hokrof: vs. Mighty Oaks, @ Otahel City, vs. Kepmem, @ Keleri
Of those, the most favorable schedule probably belongs to Sitache, while the Eagles certainly have it hardest. It's unfortunate that there is only one series left between these teams directly, Hokrof/Otahel next weekend.
We will also be on clinch-watch for Mighty Oaks BC - with a 9-game lead and 20 games to play, there's a chance that they could wrap up the EL crown at home against Akashemo on the weekend.
Here's the full Week 18 schedule:
Round 35:
Tsapna vs. Akashemo
Mithazni vs. Sitache
Mighty Oaks vs. Hokrof
Keleri vs. Aroketsil Spirits
Kepmem vs. Lutrul
Kupore vs. Pasataki Galaxy
Fampalo vs. Shunna Eagles
Westline vs. Nokelto Scouts
National vs. Cheshek
Otahel City vs. Amnanache
Round 36:
Pasataki Galaxy vs. Mithazni
Aroketsil Spirits vs. Kepmem
Sitache vs. Westline
Hokrof vs. Otahel City
Akashemo vs. Mighty Oaks
Cheshek vs. Kupore
Amnanache vs. Fampalo
Shunna Eagles vs. Keleri
Nokelto Scouts vs. National
Lutrul vs. Tsapna