Week 9-9.5: June 5-23, 2023
We're rocketing ahead to the halfway point of the season. Entering the week, it was starting to look like a three-horse race, but a fourth horse is about to enter the arena.
Featured Game: Meka BC (42-51) @ National BC (61-32), June 21
5 - 3 
(11 innings)
Meka: 2B Tsewayo, 3B Otsu, LF Shipeyo, 1B Popa, RF Posheni, SS Paweshono, C Kotsypoti, CF Hifla, P Shininufu
National: LF Rorale, SS Mikesash, CF Sipet, RF Kakosuta, 3B Yelishike, 1B Rehefeo, 2B Apylsho, C Seshate, P Rinuka
A dramatic finish - Tacha Rinuka and two relievers had combined to stymie the Meka offense through 8 innings, and led 3-0 going to the ninth. In that frame, Soralone Popa led off with a hit, and advanced on a wild pitch ahead of Chorusho Paweshono's walk. With two out, OF Tiu Apylsho pinch-hit with a single to load the bases, and backup catcher Autsu Rehefeo came off the bench to tie the game with a bases-clearing double.
National had two men reach in the bottom of the ninth, but to extras they went, where Paweshono's two-run single gave Meka a 5-3 lead and the middle of the National order went... in order.
Why am I spotlighting this game in particular? Well, you'll see. This is what it took to actually beat National in this stretch of games!
Round 17:
...Westline 4-1 Cheshek - 3-0, 7-6(11), 3-2, 3-2, 1-3
....Fampalo 3-2 Akashemo - 3-2, 2-0, 0-2, 4-5(11), 9-4
..Sh.Eagles 2-3 Lutrul - 3-4, 6-5, 0-5, 21-8, 7-8(10)
...National 5-0 Tsapna - 5-4(11), 7-6, 3-1, 15-1, 8-3
....Sitache 2-3 Keleri - 3-4, 4-2, 2-7, 4-5, 6-4
...Pasataki 2-3 Kupore - 2-4, 8-9(10), 6-3(10), 6-2, 6-8
..A.Spirits 3-2 Amnanache - 6-2, 1-2, 6-7, 6-1, 11-5(10)
..BK Kepmem 2-3 Otahel City - 6-1, 6-1, 0-1, 5-8, 2-4
Mighty Oaks 3-2 Muni - 4-2, 6-3, 5-7, 5-7, 5-2
.....Semyof 4-1 Meka - 10-4, 3-4(11), 4-2, 1-0, 4-2
Keleri 7, Sitache 2: Keleri's
Shatso Raseke had 3 home runs in this win, on just 4 at bats. Raseke has been the regular shortstop since Atsi Keana's injury, and has pretty evenly split time between short, second and right this season overall.
National 3, Tsapna 1: Despite the win, National ace
Lohy Awia was lost for the season to a torn UCL. 50/50 shot that he's ready for the start of the 2024 season.
Round 18:
.....Semyof 1-4 Sh.Eagles - 6-7, 1-5, 2-5, 5-6(10), 1-0
Mighty Oaks 3-2 Sitache - 8-2, 9-5, 9-8, 0-3, 5-9
...Pasataki 2-3 Westline - 5-2, 1-8, 9-4, 4-5, 4-7
...Akashemo 1-4 Cheshek - 3-8, 4-5, 6-13, 2-8, 17-7
.....Keleri 3-2 Otahel City - 5-4(10), 3-1, 0-4, 5-4, 2-5
.....Kupore 1-4 Tsapna - 2-4, 1-7, 7-6(10), 2-9, 4-6
...National 5-0 A.Spirits - 5-4, 11-1, 9-6, 12-2, 8-3
..Amnanache 2-3 Meka - 1-3, 6-5, 3-1(10), 0-7, 4-7
..BK Kepmem 3-2 Fampalo - 3-2(11), 3-1(10), 6-5, 3-4(10), 6-7(10)
.......Muni 2-3 Lutrul - 9-0, 3-6, 0-2, 3-5, 10-8
Shunna Municipal 9, Lutrul 0: A shutout for Muni's
Toitu Sofiulo, with 5 hits allowed and 1 walk. Sofiulo has had much better outcomes than when Muni were last here - in 2021, he went 4-19. He also threw a no-hitter last year in the Second League, right around this time of year.
Shunna Eagles 7, Semyof 6: The week after losing another starting pitcher to injury (Imatsa), the Eagles lose
SP Okishira Shiyetsorisu to a shoulder injury. Down two of their top 3 starters and struggling to stay comfortably above the relegation line, the Eagles desperately await the return of Toe Kachefe, who is ahead of schedule and will be back in a couple weeks.
National 9, Aroketsil Spirits 6: A 3-homer game for National's
Kashuma Rehefeo, the last of which broke a 6-6 tie in the ninth inning, one pitch after Pelik Yelishike had tied it with a homer of his own.
Sitache 9, Mighty Oaks 5: Oaks RF
Peyaka Sefenera was hit on the foot by an errant pitch in this game, breaking that foot and putting him out for 3-4 weeks. The Mighty Oaks had been pretty healthy up until recently, but the injury bug is starting to bite here at the season's midpoint.
Tsapna 6, Kupore 4: Another game with 3 home runs, this time for Tsapna 3B
Pomi Mawotsi. Coincidentally, all three homers broke a tie and gave Tsapna the lead, including in the bottom of the 9th for a two-run walkoff. Kupore's Koraralu Fatsi had tied the game in the top of the 9th with a 2-out double.
Round 19:
.......Meka 1-4 National - 6-11, 4-6, 3-4(10), 5-3(10), 6-8
....Sitache 0-5 BK Kepmem - 4-7, 4-5, 1-6, 2-3, 5-6
..Sh.Eagles 2-3 Pasataki - 4-9, 1-6, 7-5(10), 0-6, 5-2
...Westline 1-4 Keleri - 0-8, 2-11, 3-8, 3-5, 10-1
....Fampalo 3-2 Mighty Oaks - 9-6, 4-9, 6-4(10), 7-2, 2-10
.....Tsapna 3-2 Muni - 2-1, 6-3, 4-0(10), 1-4, 1-4
.....Lutrul 3-2 Amnanache - 9-2, 0-8, 6-2, 13-3, 1-3
....Cheshek 2-3 Semyof - 7-8, 2-1, 5-6, 5-6(10), 11-5
Otahel City 1-4 Kupore - 4-3(10), 1-4, 3-4, 2-8, 1-3
..A.Spirits 1-4 Akashemo - 14-11, 9-12, 3-6, 2-6, 2-5
National 11, Meka 6: Yet another three-home-run game, the fourth in this period. This time it was accomplished by National LF
Kiowu Rorale. Not as dramatic as Mawotsi's feat from a few days earlier, or his teammate Rehefeo's from a few days before that. National led big and early, with late spurts by Meka making the score look closer.
Standings.............W..L
+3 ....National.. 62 33
-1 
....Westline.. 62 33
-1 
....P.Galaxy.. 61 34
-1 
.Mighty Oaks.. 60 35
-- 
......Kepmem.. 55 40
-- 
......Keleri.. 55 40
-- 
.....Cheshek.. 50 45
-- 
......Tsapna.. 49 45
-- 
...Amnanache.. 48 47
-- 
......Lutrul.. 47 48
-- ........Meka.. 43 52
+1 
......Kupore.. 43 52
-1 
........Muni.. 43 52
+1 
......Semyof.. 42 53
+2 
...Sh.Eagles.. 42 53
-- 
.Otahel City.. 40 55
+1 
.....Fampalo.. 40 55
-----------------------------
-4 
...A.Spirits.. 38 56
-- 
.....Sitache.. 36 59
-- 
Akashemo Utd.. 33 62
A 14-1 stretch, while the top 3 were all 8-7 or 7-8, gives National what feels like an improbable lead at the halfway point.
Next post will be a halfway point update for the stats races and the lower leagues, then we'll begin the second half of the EL season with these matchups:
Round 20:
Westline vs. Shunna Municipal
Shunna Eagles vs. BK Kepmem
Tsapna vs. Amnanache
Lutrul vs. Akashemo United
Cheshek vs. Pasataki Galaxy
Otahel City vs. National
Meka vs. Kupore
Aroketsil Spirits vs. Mighty Oaks
Sitache vs. Semyof
Fampalo vs. Keleri
Round 21:
BK Kepmem vs. Meka
Amnanache vs. Otahel City
National vs. Shunna Eagles
Mighty Oaks vs. Westline
Kupore vs. Lutrul
Semyof vs. Aroketsil Spirits
Akashemo United vs. Sitache
Pasataki Galaxy vs. Tsapna
Keleri vs. Cheshek
Shunna Municipal vs. Fampalo
Round 22:
National vs. Fampalo
Mighty Oaks vs. Shunna Eagles
Shunna Municipal vs. Otahel City
BK Kepmem vs. Westline
Amnanache vs. Cheshek
Akashemo United vs. Tsapna
Pasataki Galaxy vs. Aroketsil Spirits
Kupore vs. Sitache
Keleri vs. Meka
Semyof vs. Lutrul