ISLANDIAN PRO ALLIANCE (RUTHLANDIA and TYCOBBIA BASEBALL UNIONS)

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Tuesday, September 18, 2029

2029 Tycobbian West Final Recap

RH Reds Survive In Tough TU West
Three teams, Rolling Hills, Arlon and La Claire stayed closely-bunched throughout the season in the the hotly-contested Tycobbian West this year... and Chicopee made it interesting with a second-half splurge... the Rolling Hills Reds finally emerged the winner by 2 games over defending champion La Claire, Arlon and Chicopee... Arlon and Denton City slightly led at the midpoint of the season, but the Redbirds faded to a fifth-place tie in the end.

It was the fourth flag in five years for manager Matty Christianson's Rolling Hills Reds (83-71)... The Reds hit well with a .277 BA (3rd), scored well with 706 runs (5th) and were solid on the hill with a 3.34 team ERA (7th)... LF Pat Webb (.311/21/104), 1B Billy Chrisianson (.300/15/94) and LF Skip Greene (.284/11/61) supplied most of the offense, while All-Star Errol Gaudet (21-13/3.38) and Johnny Brown (17-10/2.86) led the starting pitchers... and Bobby Morris (6-3/2.45/14 saves), Buck Myers (4-4/2.75) and Alfonso Gonzales (2-0/2.29) paced the strong bullpen.

Last year's TU West division winner, the La Claire Lynx (81-73) with new Hall-of-Famer Zeppy Deshotel at the helm, came close to a second straight pennant, but fell 2 games shy... Deshotel's Lynx were pretty good at the plate with a .268 BA (9th), 691 runs (6th) and 136 home runs (7th)... and just fair in the pitching department with a 3.77 team ERA (20th)... superstar 3B Flash Devlin reached the 3000-mark in hits this season and registered another All-Star season for the 13th time with a .298 BA, 26 HR and 89 RBI... other contributors were LF Carroll Candy (.288/19/84), 1B Jess Swain (.291/17/79), SS Jarred O'Neal (.284/15/60) and 2B Norman Petitjean (.276/14/80)... Deshotel's top pitchers were Pat Kovacs (18-14/2.88), along with Jules Delhomme (17-12/3.68), Jeff Buttram (15-12/3.81) and Alvar Vickers (17-14/3.88).

The Arlon Champions (81-73) were lodged in a three-way draw for second place with Chicopee and La Claire... Rocco Belasario's Champs just hit so-so with a .255 average (21th), scored OK with 645 runs (17th) and didn't have a whole lot of pop with 106 homers (19th)... pitching-wise they chalked up a respectable 3.57 team ERA (13th)... Raydon Burks (18-9/3.54) topped the twirlers... the top bats were RF Carlos Quintana (.233/23/85) and 1B Artie Anderson (.249/20/79), although neither hit for much average.

After a year in the second division, the Chicopee Braves (81-73) rebounded back near the top under new manager Ivan Burkholder... the Braves had power this year with 150 roundtrippers (2nd), hit .264 (12th) and ranked 4th with 727 runs... however, Burkholder's mound staff was subpar with a mediocre 4.00 ERA (28th)... All-Star LF Sakima Shaman (.325/31/116), 1B Big Sam Takota (.306/25/106) and RF Charlie Jensen (.269/20/86) sparked the potent offense, while Wahkan Kwahu (17-12/3.540 was the ace of the pitching corps with some help from closer Matt Reeves (5-5/3.39/21 saves)... Reeves tied with Middlefield's Chip Smith for the most saves in the IPA.

The Kenwood Wildcats (76-78) tied for fifth with the Denton City Redbirds, both trailed by 7 games... Aaron Hankins' Wildcats led the Tycobbian Union with a .283 team batting average (1st), but they had little power with only 83 homers (29th) and wound up with 696 runs (9th)... Kenwood didn't have a lot on the rubber and compiled a 4.06 team ERA... Hankins had three .300 batters: SS Jeff Lang (.335/9/91), CF Matthew Hankins (.333/8/61) and C Gary Thompson (.305/8/54)... power was supplied by 3B Eric Hollister (.287/15/77), RF Babe Hankins (.284/14/81) and 3B Freddie Herbert (.295/11/62)... Claude Watson (20-10/3.16) was the biggest winner on the hill.

The Denton City Redbirds (76-78) were flying high for a while in Trevor Tomlinson's first year as manager... He had them in a first-place tie with Arlon at the All-Star break, but it didn't last... last year the Redbirds were a dismal eighth in the standings with a poor .235 BA and a terrible 5.02 ERA... this year they inproved up to .255 (20th) in the batter's box and down to 3.77 on the hill (21st)... Dan Antonioni (17-13/3.38) and Glenn Hamilton (19-18/3.55) led the pitchers, while RF Don Smithers (.249/14/61) and SS Keith Ingram (.275/12/75) were the top run producers.

After two good second-place finishes in 2026 and 2027, the Bay St. Claire Buccaneers (75-79) have dipped to seventh the last two seasons... new IPA Hall-of-Famer Denny Coulon brought the club in next-to-last, but only 8 games off the pace... the most talented performers for the Bucs were pitcher Ray McClendon (18-15/3.36), closer Marv Thomas (7-2/2.35/12 saves), 2B Terry Adams (.290/20/82), 1B Jerry Todd (.272/23/76) and CF Chris Blanton (.249/29/76 ).

For the seven successive seasons the Bayview Vikings (68-86) have been humbled and made their home in the second division... this year they tumbled way down to last place, 15 games behind the pennant winner... manager Chancey Quibedeaux had decent pitching with All-Star Tommy Wynn (15-12/3.35), Vern Harstad (19-18/3.39) and Daniel Shields (16-15/3.52)... overall the staff ERA was 3.74 (19th)... at the plate the Viks put up a .252 BA (24th) and scored 607 runs (23rd-tied), but hit with some authority with 140 homers (8th)... Bayview's best bats were LF Roy Ricks (.297/17/61), RF Wayne Kenney (.257/23/84) and OF Manny Suarez (.275/17/54).

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Wednesday, September 19, 2029

Taylor of Crystal Lake Earns RU Batting Crown
The 2029 Ruthlandian Union batting title went to Herm Taylor. A key contributor for Crystal Lake this year, he hit .356. His 212 hits included 44 doubles, 12 triples and 8 home runs. The Crushers center fielder also scored 102 runs and knocked in 81 while playing in 133 games. Taylor was one of the prime factors in the Crushers winning the RU South this season and whipping the defending Pro Cup champion Waleska Westerners. Taylor also won the bat title in 2024 with a .355 mark. The 7-year veteran is a lifetime .327 hitter.

Runner-up in the batting race was Waleska's super slugger Loco Dillinger, who almost won the Triple Crown. Dillinger paced the IPA with 41 homers and 141 RBIs, while hitting .344. Belair Beach catcher Deman Kooken came in third with a .339 BA in 122 games.

Guillaume Is TU Swing King
Ronnie Guillaume will look back at the 2029 season and smile proudly. The North Hills Hawks center fielder rapped out 179 hits and put up a .342 average. That was good enough to take this year's batting honors in the Tycobbian Union. The 24-year-old Guillaume ended the regular season with 59 doubles, 5 triples, 8 home runs, while scoring 84 times and driving in 76 runs. He led the IPA in doubles, breaking Bruno DiPirro's mark set in 2002, when he hit 58 for the Sugar Valley Rattlers. Guillaume has played in the IPA for four years and compiled a .297 average.

Number two in the batting race was Ginza's fine center fielder Cotton Cornwall, who batted .337 with 25 home runs and 107 RBIs in 145 games. Tied for the third spot were Tuckanarra first baseman Lynn Starr and Kenwood shortstop Jeff Lang, who both hit .335 for average. Starr had 27 roundtrippers, 126 RBIs, scored 110 runs and played in 154 games. Lang collected 9 homers and 91 runs batted in, while playing in 145 contests.

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Wednesday, September 19, 2029

2029 Islandian Pro Alliance Final Standings

[Eugene Church]

2029 Ruthlandian Union Final Batting Statistics

[Eugene Church]

2029 Ruthlandian Union Pitching Final Statistics

[Eugene Church]

2029 Tycobbian Union Final Batting Statistics

[Eugene Church]

2029 Tycobbian Union Final Pitching Statistics

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Wednesday, September 19, 2029

Pro Cup Elite 8 Begins Tomorrow, Crystal Lake and Ginza Favored
The 29th edition of the Pro Cup playoffs commences tomorrow afternoon at four cities around the Islands. In the Ruthlandian Elite 8 the favored Crystal Lake Crushers will play host to the Valmara Vipers at Lakefront Park, while the Stoner Stars will travel to Sugar Valley to engage the Rattlers at Farmers Memorial Stadium. To the west in Tycobbia it will be the Ginza Ninjas going up against the Hartsdale Hellcats at Ninja Stadium. In Tuckanarra, the hometown Blue Jays will tangle with the Rolling Hills Reds at Central Park Stadium. The Ninjas are the TU favorite to take on Crystal Lake in the Pro Cup Finals. Prognosticators are forecasting a Crusher victory.

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES Pro Cup Poll:
1. Crystal Lake Crushers - RU (93-61) - strong bats and starters, questionable bullpen and defense
2. Ginza Ninjas - TU (91-63) - rock solid team, great bullpen, good starters, hits very well, fields very well
3. Tuckanarra Blue Jays - TU (90-64) - no real weakness except defense, fine starters and relievers, can score runs
4. Valmara Vipers - RU (89-65) - very good starters, excellent bullpen and defense, lackluster offense
5. Rolling Hills Reds - TU (83-71) - hits and scores well, very strong pen, excellent defense, question mark is starters
6. Hartsdale Hellcats - TU (85-70) - standout starters and defense, average bullpen, not much offense at all
7. Sugar Valley Rattlers - RU (88-66) - outstanding defense, very good power, good starters and pen, only average scoring, anemic hitting
8. Stoner Stars - RU (85-69) - hits and scores well, very good defense, but mediocre pitching

Best Team BA:
1. Crystal Lake - RU (.287)
2. Ginza - TU (.281)
3. Rolling Hills - RU (.277)
4. Stoner - RU (.272)

Most Team HR:
1. Sugar Valley - RU (166)
2. Ginza - TU (133)
3. Valmara - RU (113)
4. Stoner - RU (100)

Most Team Runs:
1. Crystal Lake - RU (776)
2. Ginza - TU (749)
3. Tuckanarra - TU (732)
4. Stoner - RU (722)

Best Team OBP:
1. Crystal Lake - RU (.343)
2. Ginza - TU (.338)
3. Rolling Hills - TU (.333)
4. Tuckanarra - TU (.331)

Best Team ERA:
1. Valmara - RU (3.05)
2. Hartsdale - TU (3.07)
3. Tuckanarra - TU (3.10)
4. Ginza - TU (3.19)

Best Team Starter ERA:
1. Hartsdale - TU (2.99)
2. Tuckanarra - TU (3.09)
3. Valmara - RU (3.12)
4. Crystal Lake - RU (3.27)
4. Sugar Valley - RU (3.27)

Best Team Bullpen ERA:
1. Ginza - TU (2.59)
2. Rolling Hills - TU (2.61)
3. Valmara - RU (2.64)
4. Tuckanarra - TU (3.16)

Best Team Fielding Average:
1. Sugar Valley - RU (.983)
1. Ginza - TU (.983)
3. Hartsdale - TU (.982)
3. Rolling Hills - TU (.982)
3. Valmara - RU (.982)

[Eugene Church]

Map of the Islands

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Thursday, September 20, 2029

2029 Islandian Pro Alliance Elite 8 Series

Ruthlandian Union

Rattlers Outhomers Stars 8-7 In RU Elite 8 Opener
In a home-run fest at tiny Farmers Memorial Stadium, the hometown Sugar Valley Rattlers outhomered the Stoner Stars in the opening game of the 2029 Ruthlandian Elite 8 Series... the Rattlers, who led the league with 166 roundtrippers, ripped 5 more today to overpower the Stars 8-7... the Stars hammered 3 out of the park in a losing effort.

3B Johnny Doyle slugged a 3-run salvo in the last of the ninth to rally the Rattlers to victory... Stoner has gone ahead 7-5 in the top half of the inning... Sugar Valley was outhit 13 to 12, but the homers made the difference... 2B Fran Dixon belted a 2-run homer and and 3 others connected on solo shots: 1B Dean Woods, RF Lindsay Deal and LF Tyler White... Dixon led the Rattlers with 3 base hits... he also had 2 doubles... the Stars were sparked by 1B Fletch Fowler with 3 hits and 3 RBIs... RF Neil Mooney with 3 hits and 2 RBIs... and 3B Jeff Henderson with 3 hits... Fowler, Mooney and CF Al Rispone all had home runs.

Each club used two pitchers in the game with the victory going to Rattler reliever Dallas Casey (1-0), who blew the save by giving up 3 runs in the top of the ninth... Casey couldn't protect the 5-4 lead... he allowed 5 hits and 3 runs in his 2 innings... the lost went to Stoner reliever Darrell Geoffrey (0-1), who failed to get an out in the bottom of the ninth and blew the save and the game.

Cain Cans Crushers 2-0, Vipers Win Game One
In game one of the Ruthlandian Elite 8 Series at Lakefront Park in Crystal Lake, Valmara's stylish southpaw Carroll Cain blanked the Crushers 2-0 on a splendid 6-hitter... Cain (1-0) fanned 3 and walked just one to outpitch Arnie Cason (0-1)... Cason worked into the eighth and gave up 2 runs on 8 hits with 4 Ks and 4 walks... the Vipers went ahead in the top of the second when LF Sonny Oliver led off with a double and was driven in by a single by 3B Amos Gallagher... in the sixth a walk to 1B Ron Freiberg and a triple by Cain scored the other Valmara run... Valmara picked up 9 hits in all... 2 double plays helped in the win... in the ninth RF Gerry Kazmarek ended the game by throwing out a runner trying to tag up at third on a flyball... Crystal Lake was missing its leading hitter, CF Herm Taylor, because of a bad hamstring... Taylor led the IPA with a .354 BA this season... he's expected back in a few days.

Valmara pushed Pro Cup champ Waleska to the hilt in last year's Elite 8 Series before succumbing four games to two... could be they may be just as tough on this year's Pro Cup favorite Crystal Lake.

Tycobbian Union

Ninjas Explode Late In 6-1 Win Over Hellcats
The Ginza Ninjas could do nothing with Hartsdale's ace Les Chylak for the first 6 innings of the Tycobbian Elite 8 opening game at Ninja Stadium... Chylak held them in the palm of his hand, stopping them 1-0 on just 3 hits... but that quickly ended in the seventh-inning 4-run explosion... Ginza sent Chylak to the showers with 2 more scores in the eighth.

Ninja starter and winning pitcher Hollis Pace (1-0) put in a fine performance as he held the Hellcats to just one run and 6 hits in 7 inninngs... Pace walked just 2 and struck out 4... Chylak (0-1) lost it as he was tagged for 6 runs and 10 hits in 7-plus frames... Ginza had 11 hits in all, led by 2 hits apiece by RF Sadaharu Uchiyama, SS Russ Van Kleek, C Crash Davis and 2B Howard Winston... Hartsdale got 7 off 4 Ninja pitchers.

Tucks Trim Reds 3-2 In 10 In First Game
Tuckanarra playing at home took game one of the Tycobbian Elite 8 Series 3-2 with some fine pitching from Sam Tate and some clutch hitting by pinchhitter Bill Moody, who singled in the winning run in the tenth frame... Tate (1-0) worked all 10 innings, allowed 10 hits, but just a pair of runs... Tate whiffed 4 Reds and walked only one batter... Errol Gaudet started for Rolling Hills and hurled a strong game... He departed with the score 2-2 after 8 innings... Gaudet permitted 8 hits, struck out 3 and walked no one... closer Bobby Morris (0-1) lost it... he worked a scoreless ninth, but was slammed for 3 straight hits in the tenth to decide the game.

The Blue Jays collected 11 hits to 10 for the Reds... Rolling Hills racked up 2 runs in the top of the second when C Tony Brinkerhoff singled and RF Pat Webb doubled to place runners on second and third... SS Jeff Booker and 2B Buffy Kowalczyk got runs in with sac flies... Tuckanarra 1B Lynn Staff evened it up at 2-2 with a homer in the sixth... Starr, SS Jed Turchin and RF Dunstan Lane sparked the Blue Jays with 2 hits each, while Brinkerhoff and 3B Billy Jones drilled 3 hits apiece for the Reds.

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Friday, September 21, 2029

2029 IPA Elite 8 Series

Ruthlandian Union

SV's McConnell Hurls 2- Hitter, Rattlers Up 2-0
In game two of the Ruthlandian Elite 8 at Sugar Valley, Rattler right-hander Benny McConnell hurled a brilliant 2-hit shutout to stop Stoner 4-0... it was Sugar Valley's second win in a row in the best-of-seven series... McConnell only gave us a single in the first and another single in the sixth... McConnell (1-0) walked 3 and fanned 5 in a sharp performance... the Rattlers only got 7 hits themselves... they scored on CF Al Daniels' (.500) solo homer in the third... C Silvio Salas (.429) doubled in the second run in the fifth... and in the sixth 2B Fran Dixon (.444) tripled in run number three and Jan Kissinger (.125) plated the final score with a single... Raul Hidalgo (0-1) also went the distance in defeat... he surrendered 4 runs on 7 hits with 6 strikeouts and no walks.

The Stars will try to get back into the series at home... the series now switches to Stoner for games three and four, and five, if necessary.

Crushers Even Series, Top Vipers 6-5 in Game 2
It's all even after the first two games of the RU Elite 8 Series between Crystal Lake and Valmara... the Crushers won 6-5 behind a complete game by T. D. Burnham, two 2-run homers by C Tommy Trent (.143) and SS Timmy Robinson (.143) and 4 double plays... Burnham (1-0) won ugly, giving up 11 hits to the Vipers... he struck out 5 and issued 3 bases on balls... LF Rich Ray (.500) singled with the bases loaded in the seventh to send the Crushers up by a 6-3 margin... Valmara made it close with 2 runs in the eighth... RF Gerry Kazmarek (.556) led the Vipers with 2 doubles and a single, driving in 3 runs... C Floyd Randolph (.222) had 2 hits, including a home run... Randolph had 2 runs batted in... starter Chris Phillips (0-1) suffered the loss... he allowed 4 runs and 5 hits in 6 innings... Phillips left trailing 4-3.

Games three, four and five will be played at War Memorial Stadium in Valmara, beginning tomorrow afternoon.

Tycobbian Union

Ginza Wins Again, Plooster Whips Hellcats 5-3
For the second successive day Ginza whipped Hartsdale at Ninja Stadium... Loris Plooster settled down after giving up 3 runs in the first two frames to whip the Hellcats 5-3... Hartsdale jumped off to an early 3-0 lead... Plooster (1-0) permitted 3 runs and 9 hits and went the route... the Ninjas backed him up with 11 hits, paced by RF Sadaharu Uchiyama (.500) with 3 hits and 2 RBIs... Uchiyama slammed 2 doubles... CF Cotton Cornwall (.250) added a solo homer... Hartsdale 1B Johnny Scott (.143) went deep for them... Art Reese (0-1) took the loss as he was battered for 5 runs and 9 hits in his 4 innings.

Hartsdale's Pioneer Park will host the series for games three and four, and also game five, if needed.

Reds Knot Series, Brown Beats Blue Jays 6-3
The Rolling Hills Reds won game two on the road to knot the Tycobbian Elite 8 Series at a game apiece... Johnny Brown (1-0) sparkled on the mound as he held Tuckanarra to 6 hits and 3 runs... Brown whiffed 6 and walked a pair and tossed a complete game... the Reds smacked 15 hits with C Tony Brinkerhoff (.875) leading the way with 4 hits and 3 RBIs... Brinkerhoff is 7-8 so far in the series... LF Pat Webb (.333) chipped in with 2 hits and 2 RBIs... Webb had a solo homer in the ninth... LF Rod McCarthy (.500) went 2-4 and drove in all 3 runs for the losers... McCarthy drilled a 2-run shot in the eighth inning narrowing the Reds lead to 5-3.

The series now heads to Rolling Hills for the next three games.

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Saturday, September 22, 2029

2029 IPA Elite 8 Series

Ruthlandian Union

Relievers Stand Out In Stoner 6-5 Victory
Manager Benny Stern got strong bullpen work and that's just what the doctor ordered for the Stoner Stars, who finally won a game in the Ruthlandian Elite 8 Series with the Sugar Valley Rattlers... the Stars salvaged game three 6-5 as three relievers came to the rescue with 4 scoreless innings... the Rattlers ran up a 5-2 lead after 5 frames and looked like they were headed for a third straight win, but they couldn't dent the scoreboard again... Lou Neuman, Ben Murphy and Jody Younger nailed down the victory... Younger (1-0) worked the ninth for the win... Stoner snapped a 5-5 tie in the last of the ninth when LF Kevin Fisher (.545) led off the inning with a double, moved to third on a groundout and scored on a game-winning single by 1B Fletch Fowler (.385).

The Stars collected 13 hits, led by Fisher with 3-4 and 2 runs scored... five other Stars had 2 hits apiece... SS Benny Webster (.200) topped the team with 3 RBIs... RF Lindsay Deal (.417) had a great game in defeat as he hammered 2 homers and batted in all 5 Rattler runs... closer Dallas Casey (1-1) took the mound in the ninth and took the loss... none of the starters were effective... Sugar Valley's Aron Libertini was shelled for 5 runs and 11 hits in 8 innings and Stoner's Travis Wallace was treated roughly as he permitted 5 runs and 5 hits in 5 innings.

Game 3 To Crushers, Go Up 2-1 In Series
13-year veteran Duncan Welch put the Crystal Lake Crushers ahead with a 6-3 triumph over the Valmara Vipers at War Memorial Stadium... that gave the Crushers a two games to one advantage in the RU Elite 8 Series... Welch (1-0), the 35-year-old portsider, fanned 10 in a standout performance, walked just 2 and limited the Vipers to just 6 hits and 3 runs... Welch is now 17-4 in the postseason in his career... RF Sterling Hall (.385) led the Crushers at the plate with 3-for-5 and 2 RBIs... Crystal Lake led 4-0 after 4 innings and 6-1 after 5 and a half innings... Valmara rallied for 2 runs in the last of the sixth to complete the scoring... Teddy Lem (0-1) caught the loss in a bad outing... Lem was slammed for 8 hits and 6 runs in his 5-plus frames.

Tycobbian Union

Ninjas Halt Hellcats 6-4, Near Sweep
Visiting Ginza moved closer to sweeping the Tycobbian Elite 8 Series from Hartsdale with comeback 6-4 victory at Pioneer Park... it was the Ninjas third consecutive win in the best-of-seven series... Trailing by 3-0 after 4 innings, Ginza erupted for 2 in the fifth and 3 more in the sixth to knock off the Hellcats... SS Russ Van Kleek (.636) sparked the Ninjas 11-hit barrage with 4 hits in 5 at-bats... Van Kleek had 2 doubles and scored 3 times... 1B Johnny O'Rorke (.100) scored 2 runs and hit a solo homer... and 3B Taro Mori (.273) drove in a pair of runs... Hartsdale rapped out 12 hits, but left 11 runners on base... CF Fred Wasikowski (.583) led Hartsdale with 4 hits and SS Lynn Lundy (.167) had 2 hits and scored twice.

Ryuji Kaneko (1-0) notched the win for the Ninjas though he departed early after permitting 3 runs and 8 hits in his 5 frames - however only one was earned... relievers Bud Van Buren and Fred Beard held Hartsdale to only one run over the final 4 frames with Beard getting the save... the loss went to Hellcats starter Hank Cooke (0-1), who was blistered for 5 runs and 7 hits in 6 innings... Cooke went to the showers behind 5-3.

Hollis Pace (21-10), the first-game winner, will try to close out the series tomorrow afternoon, opposed by first-game loser Les Chylak (22-11)... Pace beat him 6-1 in the opening game.

Tucks Hold Off Reds 5-3, Take 2-1 Lead
Tuckanarra took a 5-0 lead over Rolling Hills in the first 4 frames, then held on for a 5-3 win and a 2-1 lead in the TU Elite 8 Series... left-hander Quinn Starr survived a 3-run fourth for the victory... he shut the Reds down without a run over the last 5 innings... overall the crafty Starr (1-0) gave up only 6 hits and didn't give up an earned run... the Blue Jays peppered the Reds for 8 hits with RF Dunstan Lane (.625) collecting 3 hits, including 2 doubles, and batting in 2 runs... 2B Eddie Darby (.231) and LF Ted Sabonis (.333) added 2 hits and 2 runs each... SS Jeff Booker (.417) led the way for the Reds with a single and a triple and 2 runs driven in... starter Buck Myers was hung with the defeat... Myers (0-1) worked 4 innings and surrendered 5 runs and 7 hits.

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Sunday, September 23, 2029

2029 IPA Elite 8 Series
(best-of-seven)

Ruthlandian Union

Tackett Tames Rattlers 4-2, Stars Tie Series
After four games the Ruthlandian Elite 8 Series is deadlocked at 2 games each for Sugar Valley and Stoner... in a solid outing the Stars Glenn Tackett tamed the Rattlers 4-2 to even up the series... Tackett (1-0/3.71) was touched for 10 hits, but stranded 10 batters, fanned 8 and walked one.

Stoner went ahead 3-0 on a 2-run clout by 3B Jeff Henderson (.500) in the fourth frame and an RBI single by 2B Norm Murdoch (.063) in the sixth... that was all the runs Tackett needed... Sugar Valley made it a game with 2 runs in the seventh on an RBI triple by SS Jan Kessinger (.235) and an RBI single by Dean Woods (.267)... the Stars finished up the scoring in the bottom of the seventh on a single by Kevin Fisher (.538), who stole second and went to third on a bad throw, then rode home on a wild pitch... Stoner had 9 hits and were led by Henderson's 2 hits and 2 RBIs and 1B Fletch Fowler's (.412) 2 hits and 2 runs scored... Kessinger paced the Rattlers with 3-5... Loser Jeremy Blanchard (0-1/4.61) pitched into the seventh, allowed 4 runs and 9 hits with 6 Ks and 3 walks.

Valmara Evens Series, Cain Stymies CL 7-1
It was all Carroll Cain in game four of the RU Elite 8 Series played at War Memorial Stadium in Valmara... Cain hurled the hometown Vipers past Crystal Lake 7-1, limiting them to just 5 hits and a run in his 8 innings... Cain (2-0/0.53) was sharp with 7 strikeouts and only one base on balls... closer Ivan Guzek finished up with a runless ninth... it was Cain second win in the series as he blanked the Crushers in game one... The Viper victory evened the best-of-seven series at 2 games each.

Cain and Crystal Lake starter Arnie Cason were locked up in a 2-1 duel until Valmara busted it up with 3 runs in the seventh and 2 more in the eighth... Arnie Cason (0-2/2.70) held his own but was the losing pitcher... he left the scene behind 2-1 after 6 frames, gave up only 5 hits and fanned 5... Valmara went to town on his two relievers, who were blasted for 5 runs and 6 hits in just 2 innings... Viper CF Teddy Szymanski (.500) led the 11-hit attack with 4 RBIs and 2 hits... Szymanski poled a 3-run homer in the seventh to send Valmara on its way to the win... 2B Pete Hicks (.429) tripled in the Crushers only run in the top of the seventh.

Tycobbian Union

Hellcats Hang In, Chylak Stops Ninjas 6-2
The Hartsdale Hellcats were desparate for a win and Les Chylak got it for them... the Hellcat ace stopped Ginza 6-2 to keep them alive in the Tycobbian Elite 8... the Ninjas won the first three contests and could have wrapped up the series today... still it will be a miracle if Hartsdale can come back with 4 straight triumphs... Chylak (1-1/3.21) checked Ginza on 2 runs and 6 hits in his 6-plus frames... Hellcat relievers Donovan Lee and Maury West retired the last 6 Ninja batters in order to nail down the verdict... Hollis Pace (1-1/4.85), 21-game winner, suffered the defeat as he gave up 6 runs and 6 hits in 6 innings.

Hartsdale's big bats were 1B Johnny Scott (.286) and Cris Wallace (.250)... both of them drove in 3 runs and had 2 hits each... Wallace had 2 doubles and Scott a single and a homer... Ginza only managed 6 hits in defeat.

Reds Knot Series, Gaudet Beats Blue Jays 5-3
At ancient Midtown Base Ball Grounds in Rolling Hills, the Reds Errol Gaudet came through with a clutch performance to tie up the TU Elite 8 at 2 games each with a 5-3 decision... Gaudet (1-0/1.29) tossed 6 strong innings and limited Tuckanarra to one unearned run and 7 hits... 3 relievers came to his rescue and managed to hold off the Blue Jays over the last 3 frames... Tommy Pierson (0.00) and Bobby Morris (2.25) held the Blue Jays scoreless in the seventh and eighth, while McGraw Christianson (9.00) was tapped for a run in the ninth... Sam Tate (1-1/3.00) went the distance for the Tucks, but struggled... the Reds pummeled him for 14 hits, but managed only 4 earned runs.

At the plate it was 2B Buffy Kowalczyk (.500) leading the way for Rolling Hills with 3 hits and a pair of runs batted in... he got added support from SS Jeff Booker (.438) with 2 hits and 2 runs and 1B Billy Christianson (.200) with 3 hits and an RBI... SS Jed Turchin (.353) had a single and a 2-run homer for the Blue Jays and RF Dunstan Lane (.636) delivered 2 hits and an RBI.

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Monday, September 24, 2029

2029 IPA Elite 8 Series
(best-of-seven)

Ruthlandian Union

Rattlers Wiggle By Stars 3-2 For Series Lead
In a tight pitchers' duel at Nonnac Stadium in Stoner, visiting Sugar Valley got the best of the Stars 3-2 behind the fine pitching of Benny McDonnell (2-0/1.06), who racked up his second victory in the Ruthlandian Elite 8 Series... McConnell fired 8 strong innings and permitted 2 runs and 8 hits with 3 strikeouts and a walk... Dallas Casey (9.82 ERA) closed it out for the save with a scoreless ninth... Raul Hidalgo went the route for the Stars, gave up 3 runs and 8 hits with 7 strikeouts and 3 walks... the win gave Sugar Valley a 3-2 edge in the series, which switches to Sugar Valley for game six, and if needed, game seven... Travis Wallace (13-12) will get the call for Stoner, while it will be Aron Libertini (21-15) for the Rattlers.

Stoner scored first on a second-inning bomb by 1B Fletch Fowler (.429), it was his second of the series... 2B Fran Dixon (.381) countered that with a 2-run roundtripper for the Rattlers in the fourth frame... it was his second time to go deep... Hidalgo (.200) got the second run in for the Stars in the fifth on a sacrifice fly to make it 2-all... CF Al Daniels (.267) got the winning run in in the top of the sixth on a deep flyball... Stoner had the advantage with 9 hits to 8 for Sugar Valley.

Vipers Victorious 6-3, Up 3-2 On CL Crushers
The Valmara Vipers are now within reach of eliminating the Pro Cup favorite, the Crystal Lake Crushers in the RU Elite 8... the Vipers were victors at home 6-3 and now enjoy a 3 games to 2 advantage... winning pitcher Chris Phillips (1-1/4.85) got even with T. D. Burnham (1-1/5.29), who had beaten him in game two... Phillips hurled 7 frames, allowed 4 and 3 runs, fanned 5 and issued one walk... while Burnham was burned for 6 runs and 11 hits in 8 innings... Burnham walked 4 and struck out 8 in a lackluster start... Tom Greenwood (5.40 ERA) and Pavel Volkov (0.00 ERA) set down 6 in a row to finish off the Crushers in the eighth and ninth.

SS Timmy Robinson (.200) got the Crushers rolling with a solo homer in the second frame, only to have Phillips (.667) tie it for the Vipers with a single in the fifth... C Tommy Trent's (.125) 2-run two-bagger sent Crystal Lake in front 3-1, but the lead didn't last long... Valmara bolted for 4 runs in the last of the seventh to seal the fate of the Crushers... CF Teddy Szymanski (.500) topped them with 2 hits and 2 runs... SS Teddy Rudek (.278) chalked up 2 hits and scored one time and LF Sonny Oliver (.375) notched 2 hits and batted across a run.

If necessary, the final two games are set to be played in Crystal Lake. Game six is tomorrow afternoon with Duncan Welch (19-14) on the hill for the Crushers and Teddy Lem (19-12) for the Vipers. Welch whipped Lem 6-3 in game three.

Tycobbian Union

Reds Trim Tucks 6-5, Take Series Lead 3-2
Playing at home at Midtown Base Ball Grounds, Rolling Hills took the lead in the Tycobbian Union Elite 8 with a narrow 6-5 triumph over Tuckanarra... the Reds now have a 3-2 edge in the best-of-seven series.

Both clubs collected 11 hits each... leading the Reds were SS Tony Ptacek (.286), C Tony Brinkerhoff (.526) and 2B Derek Kristensen (.333), all with 2 hits each... Ptacek scored twice, batted in 2 runs and popped 2 doubles... topping the Blue Jays bats were C Trevor Dowd (.222) and pitcher Jamie Gustafson (.667) with 2 runs batted in apiece.

It was a rocky start for both starters, Johnny Brown of Rolling Hills and Jamie Gustafson of Tucknarra... loser Gustafson (0-2/8.18) was gone after three innings... he was hammered for 5 runs and 8 hits and exited trailing 5-3... winner Brown (2-0/4.24) was tagged for 4 runs in the first 4 frames, but held the Blue Jays at bay, giving up only one run in the next 4 innings... Brown departed after 8 innings, permitted 5 runs and 10 hits, struck out 7 and walked 2... Bobby Morris (1.80 ERA) chalked up the save with a runless ninth.

The series returns to Tuckanarra tomorrow afternoon for the final 2 games... the Blue Jays will have to win both games to move on to the next round, the TU Final 4... Rolling Hills will try to wrap up the series with Tom Pierson (11-15) or McGraw Christianson (0-0) on the hill, opposed by Quinn Starr (14-8) for Tuckanarra... Starr hurled the Blue Jays to a 5-3 win in game three.

Hartsdale Stay Alive With 8-5 Win Over Ginza
At home at Pioneer Park, Hartsdale staved off elimination with an 8-5 victory over Ginza, cutting the Ninjas lead to three games to two in the TU Elite 8... the Hellcats snapped a 5-5 tie in the eighth, scoring the winning run on a wild pitch.

Winning pitcher Art Reese (1-1/6.23) labored early as he was knocked around for 4 runs in the first 3 innings, but Reese got his second wind and finished the game, holding Ginza to one run over the next 6 frames... Reese walked 7, allowed 10 hits and struck out 5 in a gritty performance... Loris Plooster (1-1/5.29) suffered the loss as he surrendered 8 runs and 9 hits in his 8 innings.

C Clyde Dotson (.500) sparked Hartsdale with 2 hits and 3 RBIs... 2B Neil Wills (.211) had 2 hits, 2 runs batted in and scored 3... LF Nicky Carpenter (.333) scored twice and pitcher Reese (.400) doubled in a pair of runs... 3B Taro Mori (.389) had a perfect 3-for-3 day and drove in 3 for Ginza... CF Cotton Cornwall (.263) also drilled 3 hits with 2 doubles and a single.

The Ninjas will try again to finish off the Hellcats in game six at Ninja Stadium... if necessary game seven will also be there... tomorrow's starters are Ryuji Kaneko (18-10) for Ginza and Hank Cooke (18-12) for the Hellcats... Kaneko beat Cooke 6-4 in game three.

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Tuesday, September 25, 2029

2029 IPA Elite 8 Series
(best-of-seven)

Ruthlandian Union

Stars Force 7th Game, Nip Rattlers 5-4
It was looking bad for the Stoner Stars in game six of the Ruthlandian Union Elite 8 Series at Farmers Memorial Park in Sugar Valley... for the first 5 innings Sugar Valley's Aron Libertini shut them out on just 2 hits and held a 2-0 lead... Libertini was getting very close to ending the Stars season, when they suddenly busted out with 2 runs in the sixth to tie the score and 3 more in the seventh to take a 5-2 lead... fortunately Stoner managed to hold on and win 5-4, forcing a game seven in the series.

The Rattlers scored 2 runs in the opening frame on an throwing error by catcher P. J. Blake and an RBI groundout by 1B Dean Woods (.227)... the Stars struck for two quick runs in the top of the sixth on a double by LF Kevin Fisher (.421), followed by a 2-run clout by 2B Norm Murdoch (.125)... Stoner went in front 5-2 on a triple by 3B Jeff Henderson (.455), intentional walk to RF Neil Mooney (.333) and an RBI double by SS Benny Webster (.227) and a 2-run double by catcher P. J. Blake (.217)... Sugar Valley closed it to 5-4 when Lindsay Deal (.292) singled and rode home on 3B Johnny Doyle's (.238) 2-run shot... it was Doyle's second homer in the series.

Stars starter Travis Wallace (1-0/4.85) notched the win with 8 solid innings... Wallace only allowed 4 hits and 2 earned runs in his stint... he walked 4 and fanned 8... Darrell Geoffrey retired the Rattlers in order in the ninth for the save... Libertini (0-1/6.00) took the loss, going 7 innings and giving up 7 hits and 5 runs.

Vipers Upset Favored Crushers 12-2, Win Elite 8
Everything went right for the underdog Valmara Vipers in game six of the RU Elite 8 and everything went wrong for the Pro Cup favorite, the Crystal Lake Crushers... Valmara piled up 16 hits... held the Crushers to 7... and crushed them 12-2 to take the series four games to two... CF Reno DeBenedetto (.400) led the attack with 3-6 and 4 RBIs with help from LF Benny Hooper (.286), who was 2-4 with 3 RBIs... DeBenedetto and Hooper homered in the game.

Teddy Lem (1-1/4.28) struggled at times with his control, but got credit for the victory... Lem permitted only 2 runs -one earned - and 7 hits in 7 innings... he walked 6 and struck out 5... Ivan Guzek worked the last two innings and held the Crushers without a run... longtime Crystal Lake star Duncan Welch (1-1/5.52) didn't have it today and was pounded hard for 11 hits and 7 runs... he lasted only into the fifth.

Valmara will get a few days off to get ready for the winner of the Stoner-Sugar Valley series in the Ruthlandian Union championship.

Ginza Winza in 6 Games, Finish Off Hellcats 7-1
Fine pitching and four homers were enough to put the Ginza Ninjas over the top in the Tycobbian Union Elite 8 Series... Ryuji Kaneko (2-0/1.38) was sharp for 8 innings in the 7-1 victory over the Hartsdale Hellcats at Ninja Stadium...Kaneko limited the Hellcats to just one run and 7 hits, struck out 4 and walked 2... Kazuki Hara closed it out for him with a 1-2-3 ninth, striking out 2 of the batters... Hank Cooke (0-2/6.75) was the loser as he was slammed for 7 runs and 10 hits in 7-plus frames.

SS Russ Van Kleek (.458), LF Hideo Kojima (.222), C Crash Davis (.333) and PH Kurt Holstein powered the win with home runs.

The Ninjas now await the winner of the other TU Elite 8... It will be Rolling Hills or Tuckanarra in the Final 4.

Tucks' Starr Stumps Reds 6-2, Game 7 Tomorrow
8-year veteran Quinn Starr crafted a 6-2 win over the Rolling Hills Reds to propel the Tuckanarra Blue Jays into a game seven finale against the Ginza Ninjas... Tuckanarra tied the TU Elite 8 Series at 3 games each... in a clutch outing, junkballer Starr gave up 10 hits and only one run in a complete-game performance, while walking 2 and fanning 2... the Tucks supported him with 12 hits, led by SS Jed Turchin (.346) with 2 hits and 3 RBIs... and 2B Eddie Darby (.200) with 2 hits and 2 runs scored... Starr (.286) even got into the act with a home run.

It was another futile day for Rolling Hills starter Buck Myers (0-2/9.00), who caught his second loss of the series... Myers was ripped for 6 runs on 11 hits in his 6 innings... C Tony Brinkerhoff (.522) smacked 2 hits in defeat and drove in 2 runs.

Both teams' aces are set to go in tomorrow's seventh game in Tuckanarra... Errol Gaudet (21-13) will get the start for the Reds, while it will be Sam Tate (19-11) on the mound for the Blue Jays.

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Wednesday, September 26, 2029

2029 IPA Elite 8 Series
(best-of-seven)

Ruthlandian Union

Tackett Too Tough, Stars Win Game 7
In game seven of the Ruthlandian Elite 8 Series, Glenn Tackett did it all... He not only hurled the Stoner Stars to a 2-0 shutout victory over the Sugar Valley Rattlers, Tackett also drove in both runs with a crucial, game-winning 2-run double in the seventh inning... Stoner advances to the RU Final 4, taking on the Valmara Vipers, who knocked out the Pro Cup favorite, the Crystal Lake Crushers.

Tackett (2-0/2.52), a soft-balling lefty, mesmerized the Rattlers on 4 hits, struck out 4 and walked 2 in 8 sharp innings... closer Darrell Geoffrey retired Sugar Valley in order in the ninth for his second save in the series... Jeremy Blanchard was almost equal to Tackett... Blanchard (0-2/2.78) limited the Stars to just 4 hits and allowed no earned runs... he walked 4 and struck out 4 in a fine performance.

Tycobbian Union

RH Reds Roll Over Tucks 11-1 In Game 7
What a game for Rolling Hills... the Reds really rolled in game seven of the Tycobbian Union Elite 8 Series, smashing Tuckanarra 11-1 on the Blue Jays home field... 17 hits and a flawless mound performance by veteran Errol Gaudet decimated Tuckanarra and eliminated them from the Pro Cup playoffs... Rolling Hills will now move on to the TU Final 4 against powerful Ginza.

The Reds racked up 4 doubles, 3 triples and 2 homers in the rout, led by 2 RBIs each from RF Pat Webb (.367), C Tony Brinkerhoff (.500), CF Victor Koenig (.091) and 2B Buffy Kowalczyk (.389)... both Koenig and Brinkerhoff went deep... Gaudet (2-0/0.79) restricted the Blue Jays to one unearned run on 7 hits, walked no one and fanned 4... Tuckanarra starter Sam Tate (1-2/5.16) took the brunt of the beating, giving up 7 runs and 9 hits in 4-plus innings.

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Friday, September 28, 2029

Ginza, Valmara Favored In IPA Final 4
The Islandian Pro Alliance Pro Cup playoffs are down to four teams. The second-seeded Ginza Ninjas, fourth-seeded Valmara Vipers, fifth-seeded Rolling Hills Reds and eight-seeded Stoner Stars have made the cut. Valmara upset the number-one seed Crystal Lake, Ginza whipped the sixth seed Hartsdale, Rolling Hills upended third-seeded Tuckanarra and Stoner knocked off the number seven seed Sugar Valley. All of the Elite 8 Series were hotly-contested with two of them going the full seven games and two of them being decided in six games.

In the Tycobbian Union Final 4 Ginza is forecast to whip Rolling Hills and Valmara is rated better than Stoner in the Ruthlandian Union championship series. The Ninjas host the Reds at Ninja Stadium tomorrow afternoon in game one, while the Vipers will welcome the Stars to War Memorial Stadium.

Ginza is led by two outstanding starters: Hollis Pace (21-10/2.79) and Loris Plooster (18-11/2.73) and a slew of solid hitters: Johnny O'Rorke (.296/27/86/85), Cotton Cornwall (.337/25/107/87), Russ Van Kleek (.320/21/79/78) and Sadaharu Uchiyama (.306/11/63/97). Young Johnny Brown (17-10/2.86) and veteran Errol Gaudet (21-13/3.38) are Rolling Hills best hurlers. The Reds best batters are Pat Webb (.311/21/104/73) and Billy Christianson (.300/15/94/106). The Ninjas are expected to be in the Pro Cup Finals against the Valmara Vipers.

Valmara has the edge over Stoner on the mound with three strong starters in Carroll Cain (21-12/2.90), Chris Phillips (18-10/2.82) and Teddy Lem (19-12/2.97). At the plate the Vipers top guns are Teddy Szymanski (.292/21/87/79) and Floyd Randolph (.264/23/87/66). Stoner has the superior bats with Jeff Henderson (.296/20/90/63), Kevin Fisher (.297/7/67/92), Neil Mooney (.310/19/69/72), Fletch Fowler (.288/16/75/60) and Al Rispone (.286/10/58/84). On the hill the Stars possess two solid starters with Glenn Tackett (21-13/3.00) and Raul Hidalgo (19-13/3.10).

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Saturday, September 29, 2029

2029 IPA Final 4 Series
(best-of-seven)

Ruthlandian Union

Stars Tackett Shines In Opener, Beats Vipers 6-2
Both underdogs won the openers in the IPA Final 4s... in the Ruthlandian Final 4 Series, Stoner's Glenn Tackett (3-0/2.12) breezed through the Valmara Vipers on the road at War Memorial Stadium 6-2, holding them to 7 hits and one earned run... the Stars blasted out 12 hits and were paced by CF Al Rispone (.250) with 3 hits and 2 RBIs, SS Benny Wallace (.233) with a double and a triple, 2 runs and an RBI and LF Marty Berrigan (.667) with 2-3 and 2 runs... Carroll Cain (2-1/1.44) caught the loss, allowing 4 runs on 8 hits with 2 walks and 7 Ks... SS Teddy Rudek (.333) drove in all of the Vipers' runs and had 2 base hits.

Reds Nip Ninjas 5-4 In Final 4 Opener
Rolling Hills nipped Ginza 5-4 with a 3-run outburst in the top of the seventh that snapped a 2-2 tie... winner Errol Gaudet (3-0/1.47) scattered 10 hits and permitted 2 runs in his 8 innings... giving the loss to Hollis Pace (1-2/4.95)... Pace was touched for 5 runs and 8 hits in 7 frames... Bobby Morris (1.50) got his second save of the postseason, though he gave up an unearned run in the last of the ninth... Gaudet (.455) and CF Scotty Yiska (.387) both had 2 RBIs to spark the Reds, along with 1B Billy Christianson (.161), who homered... Rolling Hills had 9 hits in all...

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Sunday, September 30, 2029

2029 IPA Pro Cup Final 4 Series

Ruthlandian Union

Henderson HR Tops Vipers, Stars Win 1-0 in Game 2
Stoner's Raul Hidalgo and Valmara's Chris Phillips locked horns in a great pitching duel in game two of the Ruthlandian Union Final 4 Series... they went at it goose egg by goose egg for 6 innings, when it was finally broken up by 3B Jeff Henderson (.400) on a seventh-inning smash to give the Stoner Stars a 1-0 victory... the eighth-seeded Stars now have surprisingly won the first two games of the series from the fourth-seeded Valmara Vipers... Hidalgo (1-2/2.42) tossed a 7-hit shutout, fanning 4 Vipers and walking 3... Phillips (1-2/3.43) worked 8 innings, allowed 5 hits, struck out 6 and walked nobody.

Tycobbian Union

Ginza Rallies, Whips Rolling Hills 6-5 In 11th
After two games in the Tycobbian Union Final 4, Ginza and Rolling Hills have traded one-run games... Ginza took this one 6-5 in 11 innings when Taro Mori (.400) walloped a 2-out pinch-hit triple and scored on 2B Howard Winston's (.300) base hit... reliever Frank Beard (1-0/0.00) sealed the win by holding the Reds to just one hit and no runs over the final 2 frames... Loris Plooster went the first 9, surrendering 5 runs on 7 hits with 7 strikeouts and 4 bases on balls... Bobby Morris (0-2/2.57) chalked up the defeat, when he was tagged for the winning hit in the eleventh.

The Ninjas had the advantage in hits 11 to 8, led by LF Sadaharu Uchiyama (.368), who had 3 hits and got the two-out game-tying single in the bottom of the ninth to send it into extra innings... SS Russ Van Kleek (.419) added in 2 runs and an RBI... 1B Billy Christianson (.200) topped the Reds with 2-4 and 2 runs batted in... Chrisitianson socked a homer and a double in defeat.

The game went back-and-forth... Rolling Hills had a 2-0 lead in the second inning... only to lose it in the bottom half 3-2... the Ninjas made it 4-2 in the third... with the Reds tying it up 4-4 in the fifth... SS Tony Ptacek (.143) put Rolling Hills in front 5-4 briefly with a sacrifice fly in the eighth only to have Ginza tie the score in the ninth.

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Monday, October 1, 2029

2029 IPA Final 4 Series
(best-of-seven)

Ruthlandian Union

Blake's Blast Puts Stars Up 3-0 In RU Final 4
The Stoner Stars are rapidly becoming a miraculous story... the unheralded Stars have done it again... catcher P. J. Blake (.270) ripped a 3-run roundtripper in the bottom of the eighth to give Stoner a 7-4 victory over stunned Valmara in game three of the Ruthlandian Final 4 and a huge 3-0 lead in the series... the Stars were ranked the worst team in the Pro Cup playoffs this year and look at them, just one win away from the Finals.

1B Fletch Fowler (.297) also had a 3-run homer in the fifth to give Stoner a 4-0 lead... the Vipers got back in the game with 4 runs in the top of the seventh on 2B Alec Leclerc's (.216) 2-run single and LF Sonny Oliver's (.375) 2-run double.

Hard-throwing right-hander Travis Wallace (2-0/4.71) toughed out the 4-run inning for the win... he surrendered 4 runs and 8 hits in 8 innings, struck out 6 and walked 3... Darrell Geoffrey got his third postseason save with a perfect ninth... it was a bad outing for losing pitcher Teddy Lem (1-2/5.95), who was battered for 10 hits and 7 runs in 7-plus frames... the Stars outhit the Vipers 11 to 8.

Kaneko Hurls 3-Hitter, Ginza Whips Reds 3-1
Ginza's number three pitcher is 24-year-old Ryuji Kaneko, but he is pitching like an ace in the playoffs this year... Kaneko stopped Rolling Hills on 3 hits in a 3-1 win in game three of the Tycobbian Union Final 4 and put the Ninjas in the driver's seat with a 2-1 lead.

Kaneko has been splendid so far with a 3-0 record and a sparkling 1.29 ERA in 3 postseason starts... Kaneko walked just one and whiffed 3 batters in his 8 innings... Ken Kichida came on in the ninth and retired the Reds in order for his first save in the playoffs this year... losing pitcher Buck Myers (0-3/8.31) had another rocky effort... he worked 3 innings and gave up 2 runs... the Reds went to the bullpen early in an attempt to salvage the game, but they got nothing from their bats and went down to defeat... McGraw Christianson may have earned a spot in the starting rotation as he stood out with 5 innings of one-run ball in relief... permitting 5 hits with 3 strikeouts and no bases on balls.

The Ninjas 9-hit offense was sparked by RF Sadaharu Uchiyama (.429) with 4-for-4, 2 runs and an RBI... one of Uchiyama's hits was a lead-off home run to start the game... 3B Taro Mori (.357) and LF Jiro Yamazaki (.286) batted in the other two runs... Yamazaki did it with a sac fly in the third, while Mori did it with a ninth-inning single... Rolling Hills CF Scotty Yiska (.325) spoiled Kaneko's shutout with a fourth-inning homer.