ISLANDIAN PRO ALLIANCE (RUTHLANDIA and TYCOBBIA BASEBALL UNIONS)

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Friday, June 15, 2001

Ruthlandian Union - South Division

Nine's Ledbetter Win 10th, Beat FC 8-2
On the road in Forest City at Riverside Stadium, the top club in the RU South bowled over the second place Lumberjacks 8-2 as Casey Ledbetter won his 10th game of the season. He is now tied with Jackie Leslie (10-2 3.35) of the Fairfax Frogs for the most victories in the Islandian Pro Alliance. Ledbetter (10-1 3.19) scattered eight hits, struck out five and walked three in a complete-game performance. Topping the Nine's 11-hit attack was right fielder Ronnie Lee (.360) with 3-for-5 and two RBIs. Left fielder Ronnie Horn (.298) scored twice and had two hits and center fielder Tommy Reinhold (.301) hit a home run. Gene Stuart (5-4 4.25) was tagged with the loss, allowing four runs in three innings.

Marston (34-22) took the series three games to two and increased its lead over second place Forest City (30-28) to five games. The two clubs now switch cities and will go to Marston for a series.

Rattlers Put the Bite on Sunbirds 5-3
At Farmers Memorial Park in Sugar Valley, the third place Rattlers took an early 5-0 lead and held on to defeat fourth place Belair Beach 5-3. Paul Haines (3-3 3.62) picked up the victory by holding the Sunbirds to three runs and seven hits. He lasted into the eighth and needed help from closer Gregg Neal (4-3 2.08), who did his job and got his 7th save. Carl Thompson (8-5 2.37) lost for the second time in a row and third time in five games. He yielded five runs before departing in the sixth. Sugar Valley third sacker Jorge Vargas (.351) led his club with a two-run triple and shortstop Flipper Bird (.242) had two hits and scored twice. Belair Beach's top batter was left fielder Nicky Swift (.353) with 3-for-4, including his RU-leading 23rd home run.

Sugar Valley took the series four games to one.

The Rattlers (28-28) are six games out of first place, while the Sunbirds (27-31) trail by eight games.

Diamonds Defeat Westerners 5-3, Nuxhall Winner
In Waleska, Zach Nuxhall of the Claxton Diamonds withstood three homers to beat the Westerners 5-3 at Westerner Field. Fortunately for Nuxhall they all came with the bases empty. Nuxhall (3-7 4.92) pitched into the ninth and held Waleska to seven hits, while walking three and fanning eight. Earl Weber (4-1 2.49) came in with the tying runs on second and third and got the final batter for his 5th save. The loser was Smokey Joe Carter (8-6 2.97), who was sent to the showers by a four-run third inning. Sparking the Diamonds at bat were center fielder Wayne Wilson (.284) and shortstop Bobby Ritter (.321), both had three hits in the game. Shortstop Errol Eichhorn (.263), right fielder Charley Williamson (.282) and left fielder Big Hoss Burkhalter (.286) all homered for the Westerners.

Claxton's (27-32) triumph lifted them out of the division basement by two percentage points. It was the Diamonds third successive win over the Westerners (26-31). Both ballclubs are 8.5 games behind the top team in the RU South, the Marston Nine (34-22).

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Friday, June 15, 2001

Tycobbian Union - East Division

Ninjas Nab First Place in TU East
Ginza has moved atop of the TU East with a heart-stirring 2-1 thirteen-inning victory over the South Fork Stallions. By virtue of the win the Ninjas slipped a half-game ahead of Cape Coral and Ozarka. The pitching was outstanding in the game. Both teams started off well and scored in the first frame. South Fork center fielder Mike Yastrzemski (.253) scored on an error by second baseman Toshiro Nomura and then in the bottom of the inning back-to-back doubles by shortstop Shinjiro Aoki (.292) and third baseman Kaz Ojima (.313) knotted the score. But after that there was nothing but goose eggs on the scoreboard until the last of the thirteenth. Aoki led off with a single, then stole second base. With two outs first baseman Kenshin Yamamoto (.302) cracked a single to left to end the game and send Ginza into first place in the division.

Billy Joe Gordon (0-5 3.27) came on in the last inning and lost it, while Alec Sasek (2-1 6.10) picked up the win with a scoreless inning. But it wasn't an easy win for Sasek. He gave up a leadoff triple to third baseman Glenn Holliday (.243), then had to strike out the side. Both starting pitchers stood out with the Stallions Ken Olson (5-5 2.83) going eight innings and giving up only five hits and a run and Ninja Kazuhiro Nakayama (5-8 2.81) pitching into the tenth, allowing no earned runs and nine hits. Aoki had two hits and scored both runs to lead Ginza, while first baseman Alex Kesler (.250) went 3-4 for the South Fork.

The Ninjas are now 31-27 on the year and are a half-game in front of the Hurricanes (30-27) and the Nats (30-27).

CC Wins with Late Rally, Tops Nats 5-2
At Seaside Stadium in Cape Coral, the Hurricanes were quite calm for six innings, but they finally kicked up a storm with a late inning rally to blow past Ozarka 5-2 to throw the TU East race into a frenzy for first place. The 'Canes and Naturals are both 30-27 this season and tied for the runner-up spot. When Ginza whipped South Fork today, they moved into first with 31-27 mark, a half-game up. The Nats fine little righthander Luther Hatch had shut them out 2-0 over the first six innings, but Cape Coral got to him for four runs in the seventh. Center fielder Eric Smith (.231) sent in the go-ahead run with a single. The Hurricanes outhit Ozarka 10-7 and were paced by second baseman Andy Anderson (.301) with 2-3 and an RBI, catcher Rick Clark 2-3 and two runs scored and left fielder Rod Kelly (.327) 2-4 and an RBI. Kaz Hayagawa (6-7 4.29) worked a solid game, allowing only two runs and seven hits in seven innings with two walks and four strikeouts. Hayakawa left for a pinchhitter trailing 2-0, but got the win, when his club came back to take the lead. Reliever Doug Lyons (2-2 5.57) tossed two scoreless innings for his first save this season. Hatch (7-6 3.63) was the losing pitcher. He gave up five runs and nine hits in seven-plus innings and finished the game with 10 Ks.

Cape Coral (30-27) won four out of five games in the series to deadlock with Ozarka (30-27) for second place.

Zorros Clip Hellcats 5-4 in 10 Innings
Playing at home at De la Vega Stadium, the Luxora Zorros charged back and beat Hartsdale 5-4 in ten innings after trailing by a 4-0 score in the seventh. The Zorros knotted the score with four runs in the seventh to spoil Phil Reed's two-hit shutout. A couple of walks and a pair of two-run two-baggers by shortstop Kris Baker (.268) and pinchhitter Claudio Ordonez (.232) made it 4-4. Then in the last of the tenth, closer Gene Young walked the leadoff hitter, second baseman Paco Benitez (.254). Benitez stole second and hustled to third on a throwing error by catcher Gerry Wise, where he was driven in by catcher Eric Richter's (.359) deep sacrifice fly. Roberto Martinez (4-1 2.70) claimed the victory with two scoreless innings and the defeat was given to Young (2-3 3.66). There were only 11 hits in the game, 6 for Luxora and 5 for the Hellcats. Hartsdale left fielder Jay Luna (.281) had a three-run blast in the second inning.

The Zorros got excellent relief work from Eddie Castillo (0-3 3.98), Eddie Hoffman (0-2 3.86) and Roberto Martinez. They blanked Hartsdale on two hits over the last seven frames.

Luxora (26-29) is in the fifth spot in the divisional standings, but only 3.5 games off the pace. Hartsdale (26-31) is last and stands Just 4.5 games back. All the teams in the TU East are still very much in the running. A team could go from first to worst or vice-versa very easily and very swiftly.

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Friday, June 15, 2001

Tycobbian Union - West Division

Champs Rally , Beat Frogs Again 5-4
Well, what do you know? The Frogs are human. Arlon rallied today from a 4-2 deficit and beat the TU West leader 5-4 for the third straight time. That has never happened to them this season. Two losses in a row is the worst Fairfax has done. In the seventh, center fielder Jerry Keller's (.310) RBI single cut the Fairfax lead to 4-3 and then first baseman George Lyons (.232) whacked a two-run double off Johnny Schuessler to drive in the winning runs. Craig Smith (7-5 3.35) hurled a creditable game for the victory, though he was tapped for ten hits and four runs in seven innings. Smith fanned eight Frogs and walked two. Champ closer Jeff Nieman (5-2 1.45) tossed two scoreless innings for his 3rd save. Schluessler (3-6 4.54) was the loser and gave up five runs in seven innings. However, the Frogs outhit Arlon 12 to 9, but left too many runners stranded. First baseman Earl Hutchinson (.293) had two hits, scored twice and drove in one run for Fairfax, while right fielder Gregg Vincent (.322) was 3-for-4 with an RBI. Two other Frogs had two hits each: shortstop Warren Lee (.302) and catcher Marv McCoy (.347).

Fairfax (39-18) is still far ahead in the TU West. Arlon (28-30) is fourth in the division, 11.5 games behind them.

Viks Win 6th Straight, Deal Sox 6th Loss
Bayview batters had a banner day at Downtown Plaza Stadium and walloped Blue Lake 11-9 for their 6th win in a row. The Vikings ran up an 11-5 lead and then struggled to find a pitcher who could finish the Blue Sox off. Driving the offense was first baseman Dwayne Coleman (.304) with three RBIs, giving him an IPA-leading 65 this season. Chipping in two more RBIs each were right fielder Dean Howell (.310), left fielder Glenn Burns (.320) and catcher Jose Hernandez (.297). Bayview outscored the Blue Sox, but they didn't outhit them. Blue Lake had 14 hits to the Viks 11. Pacing the Blue Sox were right fielder Fred Collins (.287) with a perfect 4-4 day, two runs and two RBIs and catcher Curly Harris (.217) with 2-4 and three RBIs. Harris hit the game's only homer, his 4th this season. Bayview starter Jesus Carvajal (7-2 3.52) benefited greatly from the offensive output and notched the win, going into the eighth, allowing six runs and ten hits. Closer Buzzy Lewis( 2-2 3.13) got the final out in the game after Blue Lake had scored three runs and narrowed the lead to just two runs. It was his IPA-leading 10th save. Pete Henry (2-7 5.34) was battered for five runs in the six-run sixth to absorb the loss.

The Vikings (33-26) are now in second place and seven games behind first place Fairfax (39-18), while the Blue Sox (23-34) are fifth and trail by 16 games. Blue Lake had dropped its last six games.

Bucs Lundgren Stops Lynx 8-1 in First Start
Bay St. Clair's manager Guy Rondre has no trouble finding hitters on his lineup card, but pitching is another story. Maybe Rondre had found him a starter in Adam Lundgren. He promoted Lundgren (1-1 2.78) from the bullpen and in his first start of the season beat La Claire 8-1 on a seven-hitter. Lundgren permitted only one walk and struck out six Lynx. The Buccaneers are hitting a lofty .288 and padded that today with 17 base hits. They have seven .300 hitters in the starting lineup. Topping the list today was first baseman Maury Smith (.359) with two hits and three RBIs, right fielder Andy Pettorini (.302) and left fielder Charley Moon (.263) with three hits apiece. Moon hit his 8th roundtripper and scored twice. Shortstop Chuck Hankins (.345) scored three times and had a pair of hits. Jerry Smith (7-7 3.93) started and lost if for La Claire. Smith was ripped for five runs and nine hits and departed in the fifth with the score 5-0.

Despite the excellent hitting, the Buccaneers (22-37) are in last place, 18 games off the pace. La Claire (29-29) is third in the standings, 10.5 games in back of Fairfax (39-18). Bay St. Clair has a dismal 4.28 ERA, next-to-last in the TU West and absolutely last in home runs allowed with 60.

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Saturday, June 16, 2001

Ruthlandian Union - North Division

Redhawks Rap A's 9-1
The division-leading Far Mountain Redhawks went on a 13-hit rampage and walloped second place Glasco 9-1 at Sky High Stadium. Manager Alex Groveland also got a solid pitching performance from Sonny Eilliot (7-5 2.92), who went the distance and gave up ten hits, but only one unearned run. Elliott fanned six and walked two for the win. Left fielder Gator Davis (.264) led the hitters with 4-for-5 and two RBIs with center fielder Hawk Gallagher (.302] adding two hits and two RBIs. Lefthander Bill Darby (3-2 3.88) was the losing pitcher and was smacked hard for seven runs in less than four innings.

The Redhawks (35-24) got back on the win track and moved 4.5 games in front of runner-up Glasco (29-27). Far Mountain had lost four of the last five games to the Athletics.

Wright's 3-Run HR Wins It for All-Stars 7-6
It didn't look good for the Elnora All-Stars as they trailed Valmara 4-2 in the eighth. But they scored twice and tied it up 4-4. The Vipers promptly retaliated with a pair of runs in the top of the ninth, only to see center fielder Harry Wright (.226) jolt a three-run homer to suddenly end the contest, giving Elnora a stunning 7-6 comeback victory. Wally Tidwell (2-4 3.96) staggered to the win as he was only saved by Wright's game-winning blast. Tidwell lost the lead 6-4 in the top of the ninth. Alex Trepanier (3-3 4.88) was the victim of the home run and the losing pitcher. Wright drove in four runs to spark Elnora. Left fielder Quincy Peterson (.292) and catcher Todd Simons (.297) both homered. Valmara's best batters were center fielder Jan Szymanski (.256), who hit his 10th roundtripper this year and pushed across three runs and starting pitcher Paul Schoenfeld (.107) drove in two runs.

Valmara (30-28) missed a chance to take over second place in the RU North Division with the defeat. The Vipers are still tied for third with Colfax (30-28) and 4.5 games in back of the division's number one club, the Far Mountain Redhawks (35-24).

V's Szwak Beat Blasters on 5-Hits, 6-2
Righthander Johnny Szwak dominated in the Volusia 6-2 triumph over the Colfax Blasters. Szwak (5-1 4.17) struck out 11 and walked only one, while stopping Colfax on just five hits. He took a one-hitter into the eighth when he was tagged for two back-to-back home runs by shortstop Wayne O'Reilly (.212) and third baseman Vic Boldt (.271). Boldt came on an inside-the-park roundtripper. The Vigilantes were paced by two RBIs each by shortstop Scooter Perez (.359) and Szwak (.304). Both of them had two hits apiece in the V's 13-hit attack. Lefty Alex Castille (7-4 3.92) suffered the defeat, allowing five runs and leaving in the sixth inning trailing 5-0.

Volusia (28-31) edged closer to the .500 mark and are in fifth place, seven games behind the division leader. Colfax (30-28) is tied for third with Valmara (30-28), one percentage point out of second and 4.5 games off the pace.

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Saturday, June 16, 2001

Ruthlandian Union - South Division

FC's Edelman Slows Down Nine, 6-2
Solid pitching by Forest City's Vinny Edelman and poor defense by first place Marston combined to give the Lumberjacks a 6-2 win at Legends Field. Edelman (5-4 2.98) surrendered ten hits, but was tough to score on. He finished up with two walks and six strikeouts. Nick Pace (8-6 3.27) was looking for his 9th victory, but didn't get it due to some shaky defense that cost him three unearned runs. Pace fanned ten Lumberjacks, while walking four and permitting nine base hits. Center fielder Ryan Morse (.346) racked up four hits for the winners and scored twice. Shortstop Pops Keller (.281) laced a pair of hits and had two RBIs.

RU South runner-up Forest City (31-28) gained a game on the Marston NIne (34-23) and now trail by four games.

Rattlers Win 3rd Straight, Hines Blanks Diamonds
Sugar Valley got a sweet outing from righthander Harry Hines, who blanked Claxton 7-0 on seven hits to run the Rattlers win streak to three, breaking the Diamonds three-game win string. Hines (5-4 4.17) just put the ball in play and lets his defense handle it for him. He struck out only one batter and walked none in the process. Sugar Valley had plenty of firepower as they socked 13 hits. Second baseman Rudi Oliver (.344) hit his 5th homer, had two hits and drove in a pair of runs, while shortstop Flipper Bird (.246) delivered two hits, two RBIs and scored once. Catcher Slingshot McFall (.357) had three hits and scored one time.

The Rattlers (29-28) are a solid third in the RU North and five games behind Marston (34-23). Claxton (27-33) is last and 8.5 games back.

Westerners Edge Sunbirds 5-4
Righthander Gary Hill of Waleska tired in the ninth, but still got the Westerners a 5-4 decision over the Belair Beach Sunbirds. With the tying runs on second and third, reliever Andrei Marsiske (3-1 2.76) came in and saved it for the 5th time this season. Hill (6-3 4.62) almost went the distance, allowed ten hits and four runs with nine Ks and just one walk. Todd Wilson (3-7 4.39) pitched a good game for the Sunbirds, but registered the loss. Wilson only allowed two earned runs and six hits in his six frames as two of the scores were unearned. The Westerners hitters were paced by left fielder Big Hoss Burkhalter (.285) as he hit his 14th homer and had two RBIs, third baseman Yoshihide Nishida (.262) with 3-for-4, a run and an RBI and second baseman Wiz Taylor (.273) with a pair of basehits and one runs scored. Belair Beach catcher Denny Everhart (.233) went long for homer number 7.

Waleska (27-31) forged a half-game in front of Belair Beach for the fourth place spot in the standings. The Westerners are 7.5 games out. The Sunbirds (27-32) are fifth in the division and are eight games behind.

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Saturday, June 16, 2001

Tyrobbian Union - East Division

Ozarka Regains First, Drops Ninjas to 2nd
The Ozarka Naturals lit up the scoreboard early at Ninja Stadium and regained the number one spot in the TU East pennant race. The Nats walloped 13 hits and three homers to drop Ginza 8-4 to move a half-game up on them. They were led by second baseman Duane Starr (.302), who collected 4 hits in 5 tries, scored twice and batted in four runs, while third sacker Doug Cunningham (.253) went 2-for-5 with two RBIs. Starr (6), Cunningham (17) and left fielder Ronnie Patterson (11) all hit home runs. Yasuyuki Nakagawa (7-5 2.74) notched his 7th victory and twirled a complete game. He carried an 8-0 lead into the eighth and had given up only two hits, when he was tagged for four runs. Overall Nakagawa gave up eight hits, walked two and fanned four. Ginza starter Vic Rousakis (7-6 3.54) absorbed the loss, allowing five runs in less than three innings.

Ozarka (31-27) is back in first place, while the Ninjas (30-27) fell to second place.

SF Slips by CC 2-1 Behind Battle
Flint Battle of South Fork got the best of Wally Robinson of Cape Coral in a tight 2-1 pitching battle at Seaside Stadium. Battle (8-5 2.53) went the distance and limited the Hurricanes to just four hits, while Robinson (8-4 2.85) allowed seven hits and only one earned one in eight innings of work. South Fork is in fourth place in the TU East and the defeat kept Cape Coral out of a first place tie. The Stallions drew first blood with a hit-batsman, single, error and wild pitch scoring the first run in the second. Two costly walks and shortstop Bobby Riley's (.254) RBI single plated the eventual winning run in the third. Cape Coral's only run came on right fielder Danny Mullins' (.316) double in the last of the third.

The Hurricanes (30-28) are third in the division, just a game out of first. South Fork's triumph crunched it up even tighter (29-30) as the Stallions are only 2.5 games behind leading Ozarka (31-27).

Zorros Whips Hellcats 9-6 in 14 Innings
Luxora should have won the game against Hartsdale in regulation, but had to go extra innings to finally whip the Hellcats 9-6 in 14 innings. The Zorros blew a 6-1 ninth-inning lead to send it into overtime, but won it with six hits off loser Jackie Bond (2-2 4.87) in the 14th. Third baseman Roberto Vina (.282) drove in the tiebreaking run with a double. Luxora added two more with shortstop Kris Baker's (.272) sacrifice fly and a single by left fielder Tommy Fortunato (.271). In all, the Zorros rattled the fences for 21 hits with second baseman Paco Benitez (.262) going 4-for-8, first baseman Paul Hallenbeck 4-for-6, center fielder Rickey Alfonso (.218) 3-for-7 and Fortunato 3-for-8. Baker and Alfonso each drove in three runs. Luxora missed the IPA record for hits in an extra-inning game by one. Hartsdale only had 11 hits, but had homers by Whiz Weaver (.312), Jay Luna (.289) and Walt Long (.250) that accounted for all of their runs. Closer Roberto Martinez (5-1 2.40) came up with another strong showing, stopping the Hellcats on two hits and no runs over the last five innings. Andy Stevens (2-2 3.10) came to his rescue when Martinez walked the bases loaded in the 14th. Stevens induced a game-ending double play and got his first save.

It was Luxora's third consecutive victory. The fifth place Zorros (27-29) are only three games off the pace. Hartsdale (26-32) is in the division cellar and is five games out. The Hellcats have been beaten in their last three games.

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Saturday, June 16, 2001

Tyrobbian Union - West Division

Frogs Davis Homers to Beat Bucs 4-2 in 10 Innings
Fairfax's Gator Davis only had one hit in the game, but it was a good one -- a two-run walk-off home run to give the Frogs a 4-2 victory over last place Bay St. Clair. It was Davis' (.308) 13th roundtripper on the season. It came off losing pitcher Johnny Nikolsky (3-5 5.52). Picking up the win was closer Takehide Takahashi (5-1 1.49), who blew the save in the ninth by allowing the Buccaneers to tie the score. Starters Jackie Leslie (10-2 3.19) for the Frogs and Sean Lawrence (2-6 4.07) for the Bucs battled hard for seven innings. Lawrence left after seven trailing 2-0 after giving up five hits and both runs. Leslie made it into the ninth, but didn't get his 11th win. He allowed only four hits and one run. Fairfax held the hard-hitting Bucs to just five hits, while getting eight hits themselves.

Fairfax leads the TU West Division with a very impressive 40-18 record, the best in the IPA. The Bay St. Clair Buccaneers (22-38) are in last place and have the worst record in the IPA.

Orgeron's Homer Winner for Blue Sox over Viks
At Harbor Stadium in Blue Lake, shortstop Cy Orgeron (.250) cracked a game-winning solo homer in the seventh inning of reliever Mike Jardoin (3-4 6.60) to give the Blue Sox a 5-4 victory over the second place Bayview Vikings. But it took some serious relief pitching by Russ Courtney to nail down the verdict in the ninth. A single, stolen base and wild throw placed the tying run on third with only one out. Courtney rose to the occasion and got a ground out with the infield drawn in and then retired the next batter on a grounder to save the game. It was Courtney's (3-2 3.82) 5th save of the season. Both clubs banged out 9 hits each. Vikings Shortstop Shorty Richards (.261) and first baseman Dwayne Coleman (.306) each hammered two-run homers. It was Richards' 6th and Coleman's 23rd and tied him with Greg Vincent (.319) of Fairfax and Nicky Swift (.348) of Belair Beach for the most homers in IPA circles.

Bayview's defeat dropped its mark to 33-27. The Vikings are now eight games behind Fairfax (40-18). Blue Lake (24-34) is fifth and 16 games out of first place.

Champs in 6-4 Comeback Win Over Lynx
Longball power made the difference in Arlon's 6-4 ten-inning triumph over the La Claire Lynx. The Champions had the only homers in the game and they came at critical spots. Left fielder Matt Merrill (.317) hit a three-run salvo in the seventh to put them ahead 4-3 and then in the top of the tenth, first baseman George Lyons (.231) led off the inning with a solo shot to make it 5-4. Reliever Jeff Nieman (.200) added an insurance run with a double later in the inning. Nieman (6-2 1.34) worked three scoreless innings for the victory, permitting just one hit and one unearned run, while striking out four. Nick Baumgartner (3-6 4.02) sustained the loss giving up two runs in two innings. Second baseman Karl Detwiler (.324) and shortstop Bama Hartley (.286) sparked Arlon's 14-hit offense with three hits apiece. Shortstop Dirk Lindahl (.294) had two hits and scored three times for the Lynx and right fielder Manny Paulauskas (.236) socked three hits and batted in one run. La Claire had 10 hits in the game.

The Arlon Champions and La Claire Lynx are tied for third place in the TU West race with 29-30 marks and are 11.5 games behind in the standings.

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Sunday, June 17, 2001

Ruthlandian Union - North Division

A's Blank Redhawks, Robles HR Wins It 1-0
In the opening game of a doubleheader at Sky High Stadium in Far Mountain, the Glasco Athletics won a 1-0 squeaker from the Redhawks on first baseman Francisco Robles' (.287) second-inning home run. Left Jesse Balfour (6-5 2.98) went eight marvelous innings, allowed six hits, struck out 10 and issued only one walk to gain the victory. He exited for reliever Ray Cook (1-2 0.84), who came on after Balfour gave up a lead-off single in the ninth. Cook struck out two of the three batters he faced for his 5th save. John Luzzatti (3-4 2.95) suffered a tough loss, surrendering only one run on three hits in eight innings.

A's Sweep Redhawks, Take Nightcap 8-7
Division runner-up Glasco swept the twinbill from first place Far Mountain, taking two one-run ballgames. The A's outscored the Redhawks 8-7 in the nightcap, socking 14 hits to their 10. Doing the damage for Glasco were second baseman Barry McCord (.296) with three RBIs, right fielder Lee McDougall (.293) with two RBIs and first baeman Francisco Robles (.293) with a pair of RBIs. Center fielder Chet Reynolds (.302) scored three times, while left fielder Jose Valenzuela (.320) scored twice and drove in one run. Lefty Charles Darby (9-4 2.35) got his 9th win this season, but he was roughed up by five runs in seven innings. Closer Ray Cook (1-2 1.31) managed to save it for Darby, in spite giving up two runs in two innings. Cook has now collected six saves. Reliever Vance Mitchell (4-1 3.33) fell for the first time this year. The Athletics rapped him for three runs in his only inning worked. Glasco rallied from a 5-3 deficit and tied it in the seventh. The A's jumped ahead 8-3 in the eighth and held on to win it.

Glasco (31-27) shaved two full games off the Far Mountain (35-26) lead with the sweep and now only trail by 2.5 games in the RU Division.

Vipers Smash All-Stars in Opener 11-2
Valmara walloped 15 hits to back Zarek Zalewski's 7-hit pitching and smashed Elnora 11-2 the first game of a twinbill. It was Zalewski's (8-3 1.81) 8th triumph on the year. The smooth southpaw fanned seven and walked two in a route-going performance. First baseman Yank Jankowski (.308) drove in five runs with a 4-for-5 day, including a pair of two-baggers, and third sacker Scotty Peterson (.306] went 3-for-5 and drove in three runs. Elnora starter and loser Tyrone Gray (3-6 3.98) was roughed up by the Vipers and permitted six runs and nine hits before departing in the seventh behind 6-2.

Vipers Bite Elnora Twice, Sweep Twinbill
The Valmara Vipers put on another fine offensive display in game two and took both ends of the twinbill from last place Elnora. The Vipers rapped out 10 hits in the 7-4 nightcap victory. Center fielder Jan Szymanski (.262) unloaded his 11th and 12th homers of the year to drive in four runs and take over the RBI lead in the Ruthlandian Union with 56. Left fielder Jet Kazmarek (.285) also contributed two hits and two runs scored for the victors. Righthander Todd Turner (6-4 4.11) got credit for the win, going eight innings and allowing four runs and three hits. New All-Star signee, Jim Tarzetti (0-1 12.00) had a rocky first start and was tagged for four runs and four hits in just three frames. Elnora is missing two starters due to injury.

Valmara (32-28) is now third in the RU North standings and just 2.5 games in back of the top club, the Far Mountain Redhawks (35-26). The Vipers are just one percentage point behind the Glasco Athletics (31-27). Elnora (23-39) is in last place and trails the leader by 12.5 games.

Vigilantes Fall to Blasters in Game One 8-3
In the first game of two at Colfax, the homestanding Blasters had two big four-run innings and dumped Volusia 8-3. Flash Guidry (7-5 2.64) went all the way, despite being touched for 11 hits by the Vigilantes. Guidry struck out 9 in the game. Colfax only got six hits, but was given six unearned runs by five errors by the V's. Blasters center fielder Tatsuya Sasaki (.267) powered a two-run roundtripper in the second inning and shortstop Wayne O'Reilly (.213) belted a three-run job in the seventh frame. Portsider Lenny Collins (3-4 2.98) picked up the loss, but only gave up two earned runs in seven innings of work.

V's Split with Blasters, Takes Game Two 8-6
In the nightcap, Volusia was held in check for the first six innings and trailed Colfax 4-1. Then they mounted an impressive comeback against the Blasters relief corps to win in 10 innings 8-6 and divide the doubleheader. Both clubs collected 10 hits each with the Vigilantes big gun, left fielder Jesus Arroyo (.271), driving in three runs with three hits, including his 5th homer. Shortstop Scooter Perez (.362) added two hits and two RBIs. Colfax shortstop Josh Jackson (.265) went 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBIs and right fielder Pat Lott (.260) had two hits and two RBIs. Reliever Brian King (1-0 3.29) pitched a scoreless ninth with two Ks for the win with save help from Augie Giertych (0-1 4.35). He got his first save of the season, but had to sweat out a bases-loaded situation. Manager Clem Rogers couldn't get any help from the bullpen, but did get a fine start out of Harry Manning. He held Volusia to three hits and a run in the first six frames. However, it was a different story when Manning left the game. Walt Sellers (1-4 2.88) blew a save in the two-run ninth and losing pitcher Pat Langlais (0-4 4.94) blew the game in the two-run tenth.

Colfax (31-29) is third in the division and trails first place Far Mountain (35-26) by 3.5 games. Volusia (29-32) is fifth and six games out.

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Sunday, June 17, 2001

Ruthlandian Union - South Division

'Jacks Pearson Homers to Top Marston in Opener
At Legends Field in Marston, the Forest City Lumberjacks got brilliant relief work and finally won the game in 16 innings 7-6 on third baseman Jesse Pearson's (.295) home run. In the first game of a doubleheader Marston leaped out to a 6-0 lead after four innings, but that is all they got. For the next 13 innings they put nothing but zeros on the scoreboard. Relievers Brian Charles (3-2 4.62), Nick Marceau (1-1 4.05), Timmy Brooks (1-2 1.91) and Jim DiGregorio (1-1 3.12) combined to blank the Nine on 8 hits. DiGregorio got the victory, holding Marston hitless over the last 3.2 innings. Milt Wilson (0-3 3.32) took the loss, allowing only Pearson's homer in four innings. Forest City had five roundtrippers in the game. Shortstop Pops Keller (.290), left fielder Chuck Hill (.339), first baseman J. T. Edmonds (.216) and second baseman Johnny Mack Butler (.228) all went deep. Left fielder Ronnie Horn (.296) hit Marston's only home run. The Lumberjacks totaled 17 hits, while the Nine collected 16.

Lumberjacks Cut Down Marston Twice
Forest City rallied late in both games to take both ends of the twinbill with first place Marston. The second place Lumberjacks cut down the Nine 5-4 in the nightcap to climb to within two games of first place in the RU South Division. They had to overcome four homers by Marston and a 4-1 deficit after five innings. The big blow of the game was a three-run blast by left fielder Chuck Hill (.342) in the decisive eighth frame. It was Hill's 19th homer and it gave him 60 RBIs for the season, tops in the Ruthlandian Union. Righthander Glenn Moore (7-3 2.52) survived the home run barrage and got the win. He allowed seven hits, fanned four and walked one. Jim Gregorio (1.-1 3.00) relieved him and pitched two scoreless innings for his first save. Starter Paul Azard (6-3 2.85) suffered the loss and gave up five runs and nine hits in seven innings. Right fielder Nick Winters (.250) went 4-for-4 and scored twice and Hill had two hits and four RBIs to pace the Lumberjacks, while center fielder Tommy Reinhold (.302), first baseman Johnny Berthold (.260), right fielder Chris Deangelo (.275) and left fielder Ronnie Horn (.297) all hit solo homers for Marston.

It was Forest City's (33-28) third triumph in a row over Marston (34-25).

Diamonds Take First Game, Raps Rattlers 9-6
In the first game of a doubleheader at Farmers Memorial Park in Sugar Valley, the Claxton Diamonds rapped 17 hits in the 9-6 defeat of the Rattlers to snap their three-game win string, in spite of five home runs by the home team. First baseman Marty McCluskey (.310) ripped four hits, scored twice and drove in three to spark the Diamonds. Right fielder Dixie Baker (.326) drove in two with his 18th homer and scored twice and left fielder Vern Jennings (.263) had two hits and two RBIs. Heading the homer brigade for Sugar Valley was right fielder Karl Dietz (.244) with two roundtrippers, third baseman Jorge Vargas (.351), left fielder Cy Bartz (.277) and first baseman Ken Arnold (.244). Dennis Scott (6-5 4.23) was tagged for four first-inning runs, but settled down and went the distance, yielding six runs and eight hits overall, while striking out six and issuing no walks. Rattler starter Tony Michelet (4-8 5.26) didn't survive the first inning and caught the loss. He allowed five runs and five hits and only got one out.

Rattlers Split, Win 7-6 in 10 Over Diamonds
Sugar Valley wasted a lot of hits, but finally pulled it out 7-6 in ten innings over Claxton. The Rattlers outhit the Diamonds 18-7, but stranded 11 runners. Center fielder Freddie Vaux (.330) won the game with his third hit of the game. It was a walk-off single and his third RBI. It scored pitcher Gregg Neal, who had led off with a double. Shortstop Flipper Bird (.254) had four hits, scored two and batted in two for Sugar Valley. Claxton had three homers with Dixie Baker (.324) hitting his 19th, left fielder Winky Rush (.288) his 6th and starting pitcher Tetsunori Nakashima (.167) with his first of the year. Neal (5-3 1.98) notched the victory with two scoreless innings. Claxton closer Earl Weber (4-2 2.79) got the loss and blew the save. He gave up the tying run in the ninth and the winning run in the next inning.

The Rattlers allowed the Diamonds to get back in the game after taking a 5-2 lead in the sixth. Claxton took the lead 6-5 in the top of the ninth, but couldn't close it out.

Sugar Valley (30-29) is third in the division, four games off the pace of Marston (34-25), while Claxton (28-34) moved out of the cellar, 7.5 games behind. The Diamonds slipped a half-game in front of Belair Beach (27-34).

Waleska's Chancellor 2-Hits Sunbirds in Opener
It has been an up-and-down season for Marv Chancellor (4-8 5.36) of Waleska, but today at Westerner Field he shackled Belair Beach 5-2 on just two hits and piled up 10 strikeouts. Third baseman Yoshihide Nishata (.266) drove in all five runs, scored twice and hit a pair of home runs to back up Chancellor's fine mound performance. Center fielder Milt Carlson (.276) chipped in four hits and scored a pair of runs. Left fielder Nicky Swift (.351) had both hits and both RBIs for the Sunbirds, including a double and his 24th home run. Belair Beach starting pitcher Ken Frey (4-4 3.46) lost it, but did a credible job, giving up only five hits and three runs in seven innings.

This was Waleska's (28-31) second win in a row and the Sunbirds (27-33) fourth consecutive defeat.

Kraft Conquers Belair Beach, Waleska Wins Pair
It's been a long season for the legendary skipper McGraw Johnson of the Waleska Westerners. His club has struggled this season, something Johnson is not used to. But today he got two fine outings and two complete games to sweep two games from Belair Beach. Waleska had won three straight now and extended Belair Beach's losing spell to five. Rusty Kraft (4-6 3.87) shut down the Sunbirds 6-2 in the nightcap. Kraft allowed no walks and fanned six, surrendering only five hits in all, two of them homers by the 17-year old phenom, first baseman Paul Gravelli (.330). Left fielder Big Hoss Burkhalter paced the Westerners with 2-4 and two RBIs and right fielder Rick Vaughn (.291) went 2-3 and batted in two runs. Terry Christian (1-4 4.82) was the losing pitcher. Waleska put up four runs in just two innings and quickly ended his day.

The Westerners (29-31) are in the fourth spot in the division standings, 5.5 games in back of first place Marston (34-25). Belair Beach (27-34) has fallen on hard times and is running last in the RU South, 8 games off the pace.

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Sunday, June 17, 2001

Tycobbian Union - East Division

Ito Fans 14 Nats, Ginza in First Place
The Ginza Ninjas are in first place in the TU East Division after whipping Ozarka 8-3 in the first game of a twinbill at Ninja Stadium. Manager Horoko Uchiyama's decision to move Toshiharu Ito into the starting rotation had paid quick dividends. Ito (4-1 2.09) struck out 14 batters, allowed nine hits and pitched a complete game. Ito is unbeaten in four starts. Ginza quickly rebounded from a 3-0 second-inning deficit with two runs in the home half of the inning and then put the Naturals away with five in the third. The Ninjas smoked three pitchers for 15 hits with first baseman Kenshin Yamamoto (.303) leading the way with a pair of homers and three RBIs. Right fielder Charlie Campbell (.279) also had a two-run homer. It was Yamamoto's 9th and 10th of the year and Campbell's 8th. Right fielder Denny Little (.196) homered for the Nats. Loser Tony Didriksen (5-6 3.92) was mauled for seven runs and nine hits in less than three innings.

Ginza Grabs Two from Ozarka, Wins Nightcap 5-0
The first place Ginza Ninjas got excellent pitching in both games and make a clean sweep of the doubleheader with Ozarka. In the nightcap, Kojiro Matsumoto (9-2 3.05) blanked the Naturals on seven hits and moved 1.5 games ahead of them in the TU East standings. The Ninjas hit three homers, two by center fielder Takashi Fujimoto (.272) and one by right fielder Charlie Campbell (.278). Fujimoto batted in three runs. It was Matsumoto's 9th win. He had nine Ks and two walks in the game. Donnie Young (4-4 3.95) lost it for Ozarka, giving up four runs in four innings and exited with the score 4-0.

Ginza improved to 33-28 on the year, while Ozarka dropped to 31-29. The Naturals are tied with Cape Coral (31-29) for the runner-up spot in the TU East race, 1.5 games out of first place.

'Canes Edge SF 3-2 in Opening Game
In the opening game of two at Seaside Stadium in Cape Coral, the hometown Hurricanes moved into second place with a 3-2 triumph over South Fork. Katsuyuki Nagashima (4-5 2.64) turned in another sparkling performance since being promoted from the bullpen. He is 3-1 in four starts. Nagashima held the Stallions to just five hits, walked only one and fanned seven. Cape Coral only got six hits with right fielder Danny Mullins (.333) getting three of them and scoring twice. Third baseman Roberto Betencourt (.203) doubled in the first run in the opening frame, catcher Rick Clark (.352) had an RBI single in the first and left fielder Rod Kelly (.316) plated the final score in the fifth. South Fork right fielder Paul Giles (.279) went 2-for-4 with his 15th home run and two RBIs. Booger Burchfield (3-5 3.32) worked a good game, but still lost it, permitting three runs and six hits in seven innings.

Stallions Stall Hurricanes 6-3 in Game Two
In the nightcap, South Fork dumped Cape Coral 6-3 to split the doubleheader. Left fielder Gene Woodruff (.274) socked three hits, scored twice and drove in three for the Stallions. South Fork had 15 hits and plenty of scoring opportunities, but left 13 of them on base. Lefthander Jerry Harrison (7-3 3.55) hurled a solid game for the victory, pitching into the eighth, surrendering three runs and seven hits with seven strikeouts and no base on balls. Ken Conner (3-2 2.25) relieved him and got the last five outs for his second save. Chalking up the loss for the 'Canes was starter Owen Pruitt (4-5 4.03), who departed after seven innings, trailing 4-1. Right fielder Danny Mullins (.349) led them at bat with 3-for-4, including his 6th home run.

Cape Coral (31-29) missed out on an opportunity to move within a half-game of first place Ginza (33-28). Instead, the Hurricanes are deadlocked with Ozarka (31-29) in second place, 1.5 games off the pace. South Fork (30-31) is in fourth place, just three games behind.

Montel's 4-Hitter Gives Z's 4th Straight Win
At Pioneer Park in Hartsdale in the first game of a twinbill, Luxora won for the fourth time in a row. The Zorros zapped the Hellcats 5-1 on Johnny Montel's 4-hit performance. Montel (5-7 3.41) tossed a fine game, finishing up with 8 Ks and one walk for his first victory in his last five decisions. First baseman Paul Hallenbeck (.338) and left fielder Claudio Ordonez (.233) hit homers. Both came in the four-run sixth when Hallenbeck hit his 10th and Ordonez smacked his 4th. Hallenbeck drove in three runs, while Ordonez batted in the other two. Starter Glenn Mann (6-8 3.02) gave up both homers and all five runs. He left in the sixth inning and sustained the loss.

Hellcats Splits with Z's, Take Second Game 5-4
In game two of the doubleheader Hartsdale and Luxora played leapfrog. The Hellcats led 3-0 after seven, trailed 4-3 after eight and won it in the bottom of the ninth 5-4 on shortstop Terry Bellino's infield hit with the bases loaded. That ended Hartsdale's four-game loss skein and also snapped the Zorros winning string at four. In the hits department the Hellcats had an edge 10-8 and were led by center fielder Greg Reynolds (.254) with three hits and Bellino (.345) with two hits and two RBIs. Third baseman Roberto Vina (.285) hit a go-ahead homer for Luxora in the eighth. It was a three-run shot and gave the Zorros a brief lead. It was Vina's 8th this year. Closer Gene Young (3-3 3.73) logged the win, although he was tagged for Vina's roundtripper. Reliever Andy Stevens (2-3 3.74) not only blew the save, but lost the game, giving up the two runs in the ninth.

Luxora (28-30) is in fourth place in the division and only 3.5 games out of the top spot. Hartsdale (27-33) is in the basement and 5.5 games behind.

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Sunday, June 17, 2001

Tycobbian Union - West Division

Echevarria Homers, Frogs Take Opener from Bucs
It was a wild and wooly affair at the Frog Pond in Fairfax. The first place Frogs scored four in the last of the ninth to take the first game from Bay St. Clair 11-9 on Billy Echevarria's (.244) clutch pinch-hit two-run homer. The Buccaneers had taken a 9-7 lead in the top half of the inning, but couldn't finish Fairfax off. Pitching was non-existent as both teams hit at will and total 16 hits apiece. Right fielder Gregg Vincent (.329) went 4-5 with two RBIs to pace the Frogs. Helping him out were catcher Marv McCoy (.357) with 3-5, Shortstop Warren Lee (.307) with 2-3, first baseman Ernie Hutchinson (.295) with 2-5 and left fielder Gator Davis (.310) with 2-5. Bay St. Clair countered that with first baseman Maury Smith's (.362) 4-4 and 2 RBIs, left fielder Charley Moon's (.265) 2-5 and three RBIs and third baseman Bobby Tracy's (.309) 3-5 and an RBI. Smith leads the Tycobbian Alliance hitters with a .364 batting average and also in hits with 83.

None of the pitchers deserved the win, but it went Mel Murray (5-3 4.97), who gave up three runs in the ninth, the only inning he worked. The loss went to Ben Crowley (3-6 4.58), who gave up four unearned runs in the bottom of the ninth.

Bucs Robinson Get Split, Beats Fairfax 6-2
In game two of the twinbill, Bay St. Clair rode the left arm of Gary Robinson and the big bat of Maury Smith to a 6-2 triumph over Fairfax and gained a split for the day. Robinson (4-7 4.35) pitched a complete game, spreading out 10 hits, fanning six and walking two, while first baseman Smith (.363) slugged a pair of homers and drove in five runs. Right fielder Gregg Vincent (.332) hit a two-run roundtripper for the Frogs. It was his 24th of the season and tied him for the IPA lead for the most homers. Starter Jimmy Dalton (6-5 4.61) toiled in defeat, being slammed for six runs in five-plus frames.

Fairfax (41-19) is atop the TU West Divison, while the Bay St. Clair Bucs (23-39) are last, 19 games out.

Viks Victors Over Blue Sox, Win First Game 3-2
In the first game of a doubleheader, Bayview edged Blue Lake at Harbor Stadium 3-2 on Glenn Burns' one-out single in the top of the ninth. Adrian Strom (6-3 3.54) and closer Buzzy Lewis (3-3 2.97) teamed up to tame the Blue Sox. Strom allowed only five hits and two runs - one earned - in seven innings, while Lewis got the win with two runless innings. He allowed two hits and struck out three. Left fielder Burns (.319) paced the winners at bat with 2-for-4 and first baseman Dwayne Coleman rapped his 24th homer to tie for the IPA lead with Gregg Vincent of Fairfax. It was Coleman 68th RBI, tops in the IPA. Second baseman Ken Bennett (.257) and left fielder Greg Boone (.300) had RBIs for the losers. The loss went to Bennie West (6-7 2.55). He worked into the ninth and permitted three runs and eight hits.

BL-Viks Divide Bill, Sox win 2-1 in Nightcap
The Blue Lake Blue Sox were outgunned 13 hits to 3, but not outscored. They nipped Bayview 2-1 to divide the double bill at Harbor Stadium. A two-base throwing error by first sacker Keith Burke in the last of the ninth led to the Vikings downfall. Second baseman Ken Bennett (.256) drove in left fielder Greg Boone (.297) from second base with a game-winning double. Donnie Bullock (4-6 5.57) registered the victory with a scoreless ninth, striking out two batters. Buzzy Lewis (3-3 2.97) took the loss via the unearned run. First baseman Fred Taranto (.314) homered in the fourth for the Blue Sox's other score. Three singles put up Bayview only run in the top of the fourth. Third sacker Bob Klostermann (.257) singled and batted in the run.

Bayview (34-28) is in second place in the standings with Blue Lake (25-35) holding down the fifth spot. The Viks trail Fairfax (41-19) by 8 games, while the Blue Sox are 16 out.

Lynx Wins Opener, Lamoreaux Stops Champs 3-1
La Claire big 6'7" righthander Frank Lamoreaux stopped Arlon 3-1 on just three hits to take the first game of the doubleheader at Capitol Park Stadium. Lamoreaux (5-4 3.06) outtwirled the Champs Woody Fitzgerald, striking out eight and walking just one batter. Fitzgerald (3-2 2.05) scattered nine hits and went the distance as well, finishing up with four Ks and a walk. The Lynx got RBIs from left fielder Rich Hart (.279), right fielder Manny Paulauskas (.252) and second baseman Darrell Boyce (.249). Boyce got his on his 7th home run this year. Left fielder Matt Merrill (.316) pounded his 11th in the fourth frame to plate Arlon's only run.

Lynx Sweep Champs, Win Nightcap 3-2
Manager Rip Calkin of the La Claire Lynx got solid pitching from a trio of hurlers to nip Arlon 3-2 to take both ends of the doubleheader. Winning pitcher Pat Daniels fired seven strong innings, whiffing nine batters, walked none and held the Champions to six hits and two runs. Relievers Nick Baumgartner (3-6 3.96) and Monoto Kishata (2-4 3.19) set down Arlon in the last two innings without a run. Kishata chalked up his 8th save. Loser Ace Howe (4-6 2.95) went six innings, was touched for three runs and five hits. Howe issued four bases on balls and fanned five. Trailing 2-0 in the sixth, La Claire scored three runs on three singles, a wild pitch and a two-run double by Manny Paulauskas (.254). A triple by center fielder Jerry Keller (.303) and a sac fly by first baseman George Lyons (.232) gave Arlon a 1-0 lead in the fourth. Catcher Smoke Zakharov (242) made it 2-0 in the fifth with his 5th homer.

The La Claire Lynx (31-30) are currently in the third spot in the TU West race and are 10.5 games out of first. Arlon (29-32) is fourth and trail by 12.5 games.

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times

Monday, July 18, 2001

Collins Sticks It to TU Pitchers
The Player of the Week has been chosen by the Tycobbian Union. The award went to Fred Collins, right fielder of the Blue Lake Blue Sox.

In a sensational hitting performance, he wrecked league pitchers with a .519 average to win the honor. Collins went 14-27 for the week, totaled 1 home run and 4 RBIs and scored 6 times.

To date, Collins has collected 54 hits for a .289 average. He has posted 6 home runs, scored 29 runs and driven in 15 runs.

Vargas Voted RU Player of the Week
Jorge Vargas went on a hitting rampage last week against Ruthlandian Union pitchers and collected the Player of the Week Award.

The Sugar Valley third baseman connected for 13 hits in 29 at-bats and 3 home runs. For the week he hit .448 with 17 RBIs and scored 6 runs.

A look at his 2001 stats shows Vargas with a .352 average, 14 home runs, 44 RBIs and 50 runs scored. He has played in 56 games.

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Monday, June 18, 2001

Ruthlandian Union - North Division

A's Whip Redhawks Third Time in a Row
The second place Glasco Athletics certainly are not intimidated by the first place Far Mountain Redhawks. The A's came into Sky High Stadium and have knocked them off for the third straight game. This time they shut them out 7-0 and cut the Redhawks lead down to just 1.5 games. Duncan McFalls and Jeremiah McDonald combined for the shutout. McFalls (4-0 2.22) picked up his 4th consecutive victory, going seven innings, yielding 10 hits, but no runs. McFalls fanned three and walked three. McDonald (1-2 3.41) went the final two innings to complete the shutout, allowed one hit and whiffed three batters. McDonald got his 3rd save. Sparking Glasco at bat were right fielder Jose Valenzuela (.328) with three hits and two RBIs and third baseman Zach Byorvik (.230) with two RBIs. The Athletics numbered 9 hits in all. Poor defense cost Far Mountain dearly. The Redhawks committed two errors and gave up 6 unearned runs. Losing pitcher Vic Vaux (5-5 3.34) worked the first seven frames and gave up three runs and seven hits, only one run was earned. The Redhawks left 13 runners on base. They had plenty of hits, but just couldn't get them at the right time. Right fielder Tommy Sonnier (.296) had three hits, center fielder Hawk Gallagher (.303) banged out two hits and shortstop Al Nixon (.275) went 2-for 4.

Glasco (32-27) closed the Far Mountain (35-27) lead to just 1.5 games in the RU North pennant chase. The A's have won 12 of the 18 games played against the Redhawks this year.

All-Stars Clip Vipers 4-3
At the State Fairgrounds in Elnora, the All-Stars edged third place Valmara 4-3, when left fielder Quincy Peterson (.295) singled in the go-ahead run in the eighth inning and broke the 3-3 tie. Elnora had jumped out to a 3-0 first-inning lead, highlighted by Gil Foster's (.339) two-run smash. The Vipers came back in the fifth to even the score at 3-all on a solo homer by shortstop Scotty Peterson (.298) and a two-run roundtripper by catcher Yoshi Motsuzaki (.279). Lefty Pat Savoie (2-0 1.97), in just his second start, struck out 14, while allowing seven hits and three runs. Portsider Gerry Bart (4-6 5.06) suffered the defeat and gave up four runs, just two of them earned, along with seven hits. He fanned six and left in the eighth inning.

Valmara (32-29) remained 2.5 games behind first place Far Mountain (32-27). The Vipers are third in the division and tied with the Colfax Blasters (32-29). Elnora (24-39) is in the cellar.

Blasters Beat Vigilantes 5-3, Smith Wins it
In the friendly confines of Mountain View Stadium, the Colfax Blasters defeated Volusia 5-3 and climbed into a tie for third place with Valmara. Skipper Clem Rogers got a good outing from 39-year-old lefthander Robbie Smith (3-4 3.04), who held the Vigilantes to three runs and seven hits prior to departing in the ninth with one out and the tying runs on first and second. Closer Walt Sellers (1-4 2.83) delivered a double play ball to end the game and get his 6th save. Offensively Colfax outhit Volusia 10-7 and were led by shortstop Wayne O'Reilly (.219), who doubled and homered and drove in three runs. Kit Kivett (5-2 1.99) started for the V's but only lasted one inning. He was shelled for four runs in the first inning and took the loss.

The Blasters and Valmara Vipers are tied for the third spot in the division with identical 32-29 marks, only 2.5 games off the pace. Volusia (29-33) is in fifth place, six games behind leading Far Mountain (35-27).

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Monday, June 18, 2001

Ruthlandian Union - South Division

Lumberjacks Log 4th Win Over Marston, 13-8
Forest City did it again - the Lumberjacks trimmed Marston down-to-size with a rousing 13-8 bashing at Legends Field. It was Forest City's fourth straight win over Marston and cut their lead to only one game in the RU South Division standings. The 'Jacks jumped off to a 7-0 lead after the first two innings, saw it drop to 7-5 in the sixth, then finished the Nine off with a five-run seventh to go up 12-5. Three homers and 13 hits paved the way to victory. Catcher Matt Stinson (.245) had a triple, homer and four RBIs, first baseman J. T. Edmonds (.218) homered and drove in four runs and shortstop Pops Keller (.299) went 3-for-4 with three RBIs. Marston banged out 17 hits, but couldn't match them in runs. Left fielder Ronnie Lee (.365) had two hits and two RBIs, catcher Mo Chappell (.296) had a homer and two runs batted in and third baseman Roland Thomas (.318) went 4-for-5. The winning pitcher was Gene Stuart (6-4 4.59), but he struggled throughout the game and had to be relieved in the ninth. He surrendered 16 hits and all eight runs before he hit the showers. Clyde Ledbetter (10-2 3.58), who leads the IPA with 10 wins, was ripped hard for five runs in the opening inning. It was his 2nd loss.

Marston (34-26) still is holding on to the top spot, but Forest City (34-28) has narrowed the gap to just one game.

Baker's HR Beats Rattlers 2-1
At Farmers Memorial Park in Sugar Valley, the Rattlers ran up against a strong performance by Claxton's Zach Nuxhall, who beat them on a four-hitter 2-1. Right fielder Dixie Baker (.327) brought home the victory with his 20th homer, a two-run swat in the fourth inning. Nuxhall (4-7) won his second straight game with a little help from Earl Weber (4-2 2.76). Nuxhall struck out seven and allowed only one base on balls. Weber came in and got the last two outs in the last of the ninth with the tying run on second base. It was his 6th save this season. Shortstop Flipper Bird (.264) had three of Sugar Valley's four hits. Paul Haines (3-4 3.39) went the distance in defeat, gave up only two runs, fanned five and walked two batters.

Third place Sugar Valley (30-30) fell to .500 on the year and is four games in back of Marston (34-26). Claxton (29-34) is ranked fifth in the division and trails by 6.5 games.

Carter Shoots Down Sunbirds 5-1
The Waleska Westerners extended their winning stretch to four games and at the same time sent Belair Beach down to its sixth successive defeat. The Westerners got a fine stint from Smokey Joe Carter (9-6 2.82), who won his 9th game of the campaign with a 5-hit 5-1 victory. Carter was in control and ended up with seven Ks and a walk. Left fielder Big Hoss Burkhalter (.299) sizzled with the bat and got three hits and drove in a pair of scores. Center fielder Rick Vaughn went 2-for-3 with a homer and two RBIs. Carl Thompson (8-6 2.67) lost his third game in a row and left in the fifth behind 5-0. Waleska got the best of the Sunbirds in the offensive department, outhitting them 13-5.

Waleska (30-31) is now flirting with the .500 mark and sits in fourth place in the RU South Division, while Belair Beach (27-35) has spiraled downward to last place, eight games out.

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Monday, June 18, 2001

Tyrobbian Union - East Division

Ninjas Top Nats 3rd Game in a Row
The first place Ginza Ninjas dealt Ozarka its third defeat in a row, topping them 8-6 at Ninja Stadium. Ginza belted out 15 hits and recovered from a 5-1 deficit with a four-run fifth inning. Third baseman Kaz Ojima swung a big bat and drove in four runs for the Ninjas with two hits, including his 2nd home run of the year. Shortstop Shinjiro Aoki (.303) went 4-6 in the game and center fielder Takashi Fujimoto (.279) had three hits. Leading the Naturals were first baseman Floyd Snow (.234) with 2-for-4 and three runs batted in and right fielder Denny Little (.198) with two RBIs. Snow hit his 11th roundtripper, while Little socked his 5th. Reliever Toshiya Tamura (2-2 4.83) worked only part of an inning, but retired both batters he faced and got credit for the win. Buddy Hart (2-3 4.10) closed out the game with two scoreless innings for his 2nd save. Reliever Jackie Cunningham, who came on in the seventh, was the losing pitcher. He was pounded for three runs in less than two innings.

Ginza (34-28) moved to 2.5 games in front of Ozarka (31-30) in the TU East standings. The Naturals are in third place, a game behind second place Cape Coral (32-29).

'Canes Conquer Stallions 4-1 Behind Hayakawa
At Seaside Stadium in Cape Coral, the hometown fans went home happy as their second place Hurricanes conquered South Fork 4-1 behind the impressive pitching of Kaz Hayakawa. He lasted until the ninth, but ran out of gas and needed help from Scotty Lohmeyer. Hayakawa (7-7 4.00) held the Stallions to just five hits, fanned six and issued only two walks to even his record at 7-7 for the year. Lohmeyer (2-3 2.92) notched his third save by getting the last two outs of the game. Cape Coral had 10 hits and were led by right fielder Danny Mullins (.355) and second baseman Andy Anderson (.297), each with two hits and an RBI. Righthander Ken Olson (5-6 2.94) was pegged with the loss, allowing four runs in five innings of work.

Cape Coral (32-29) remained 1.5 games in back of the division-leading Ginza Ninjas (34-28). Fourth place South Fork (30-32) fell four games off the pace with the loss.

Hellcats Rip Zorros 7-1, Reed Wins It
Hartsdale's Phil Reed handcuffed the Luxora Lynx 7-1 at Pioneer Park. Reed (7-1 2.71) went the distance, yielded only five hits, struck out six and walked two batters. Heading up the offense was second baseman Francisco Abreu (.310), who slammed a pair of home runs, doubled, scored three times and drove in five runs. Abreu now has 15 homers. Chris Pierce (5-4 3.41) pitched a complete game, but had a tough time, especially with Abreu. Pierce allowed eight hits and all seven runs.

It was the Hellcats (28-31) second consecutive victory over the Lynx (28-31). Luxora is in fifth place in the TU East, 4.5 games behind, while Hartsdale is in last place and trails by 5.5 games.

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Monday, June 18, 2001

Tyrobbian Union - West Division

Bucs Win Again, Beat Frogs 6-4
The Bay St. Clair Buccaneers did it again - they beat the first place Fairfax Frogs for the second game in a row. The last place Bucs busted open a 3-3 tie in the sixth to take a 6-4 decision. First baseman Maury Smith (.368) hit his 9th homer to go-ahead 4-3, right fielder Andy Pettorini (.311) tripled in a run to make it 5-3 and pitcher Adam Lundgren (.231) kicked it up to 6-3 with an RBI double. Lundgren (2-1 2.75) pocketed the win with seven good innings, holding the Frogs to three runs - two earned - and allowing seven hits. Ben Crowley (3-6 4.54) recorded his 1st save by getting the final two outs of the game. Johnny Schluessler (3-7 4.86) dropped his third straight game and fourth in his last five decisions. He was knocked out in the sixth and was charged with six runs and seven hits. Leading the Buccaneers at bat were Smith with 3-for-5 and two RBIs, second baseman Tony Mann (.343) with two RBIs and Pettorini with 3-for-4, two runs scored and one run batted in. Fairfax was paced by second baseman Greg Inman (.273), who was 3-for-4 with a homer, double and two RBIs.

The Frogs (41-20) lead the TU West, while Bay St. Clair (24-39) is 18 games behind and is dead last in the division.

Blue Sox Bash Bayview 5-2 Behind Clay
Both clubs had trouble driving in runs and left a lot of runs on the base paths. Blue Lake left 15 stranded and Bayview left 14 on. But Blue Lake did manage tp push across enough runs to win the contest 5-2 at Harbor Stadium. Pitcher Jay Clay (5-3 2.87) got the victory and also drove in two runs. Clay struggled with his control and walked five and allowed ten hits, but he kept the Vikings at bay, permitting only two runs. Junior Zell (0-1 7.11) helped Clay salvage the win by getting a double play line drive to end the game. Zell relieved Clay with one out in the ninth, after Clay had walked two batters.

It was the Blue Sox (26-35) second win in a row over second place Bayview (34-29). Blue Lake is fifth in the standings and are 15 games out of first. The Vikings trail Fairfax (41-20) by eight games.

Champs Take Lynx 6-5 in 10 Innings
Arlon gave La Claire new life in the bottom of the ninth when the Lynx knotted the score at 5-5 with back-to-back home runs at Capitol Park Stadium, but it was to no avail - center fielder Jerry Keller (.302) came through with a one-out single off losing pitcher Andy Murray (2-1 4.26) to score Matt Merrill, who had tripled. That gave Rod Kelley (3-2 4.11) the 6-5 victory. He hurled the last two innings and gave up one run. Right fielder Steve Barnett (.200) led the Champions with a two-run roundtripper in the fifth to tie the game at 2-2, then in the seventh pinchhitter Kris Gervais (.248) cracked a three-run homer for a 5-3 lead. La Claire unloaded three home runs - one apiece for left fielder Rich Hart (.279), catcher Dennis Weiss (.262), and second baseman Darrell Boyce (.255). Hart has hit 13 this season, while Weiss and Boyce each got their 8th of the year.

Arlon (30-32) is in the fourth spot in the TU West Division and La Claire (31-31) is third, 10.5 games off the pace.

[MorseMoose]

Once I get a chance, I'll be reading this. Wow...looks like a lot of time put into this!

[Eugene Church]

Originally Posted by MorseMoose

Once I get a chance, I'll be reading this. Wow...looks like a lot of time put into this!

Yeah, but it is a labor of love. I have been working over two years on this league.

Thanks for checking it out.

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Tuesday, June 19, 2001

Ruthlandian Union - North Division

FM Finally Snaps Losing Streak, Elliott Beats A's
Righthander Sonny Elliott finally put an end to Far Mountian's three-game losing streak. Elliott (8-5 2.85) beat the red-hot Glasco A's 4-2 at Sky High Stadium for his 8th win of the season. He was touched for nine hits, fanned six and walked four. Not a thing of beauty, but it was a win and came just in time. With a win, Glasco could have moved to within one half-game of the Ruthlandian Union North Division lead. The Redhawks racked up a dozen hits with three players collecting a pair of hits and an RBI: right fielder Tommy Sonnier (.300), second baseman Shirai Kobayashi (.272) and shortstop Al Nixon (.281). The top batsmen for the Athletics were right fielder Jose Valenzuela (.333) with three hits and center fielder Chet Reynolds (.302) and shortstop Kyle Ballentine (.280) with two hits each.

Far Mountain (36-27) got a little breathing room with the win and moved to 2.5 games ahead of second place Glasco (32-28), who have won 8 of their last 10 games.

Vipers Batter All-Stars 12-5
The third place Valmara Vipers battered Elnora 12-5 on the road. Valmara rattled the boards for 18 hits, led by center fielder Jan Szymanski's (.256] three RBIs and 13th homer, first baseman Yank Jankowski's (.315) four hits and two RBIs and catcher Yoshi Motsuzaki's (.283) two hits and two RBIs. Second baseman Floyd Vinson (.337) had three hits and shortstop Cazzie Karunas (.200) scored three times. Pitcher Paul Schoenfeld (4-5 4.99) got the win despite allowing 15 hits. He finished up with seven Ks and a walk. Elnora second sacker Gil Foster (.35)) went 4-for-4 with his 9th home run and two RBIs, shortstop Johnny Zumwalk (.283) batted in two runs and center fielder Harry Wright (.241) hammered three hits. Getting the loss was starter Sean Sykes (6-6 5.33), who suffered his fourth loss in a row. Sykes was belted out in the second frame after allowing seven runs, two in the first and five in the second.

Valmara (33-29) is just one percentage point behind second place Glasco (30-28). Elnora (24-40) has one of the worst records in the IPA and is last in the division, 12.5 games off the pace.

Vigilantes Crush Colfax 14-0, Szwak Hurls 3-Hitter
If any team ever had a perfect game, it was the Volusia Vigilantes. They got 20 hits and only gave up 3 and crushed Colfax 14-0 at Mountain View Stadium. Righthander Johnny Szwak (6-1 3.57) was briliant with 10 strikeouts and and a walk in the first shutout of his IPA career. The V's offense was led by left fielder Jesus Arroyo (.283) with 4-for-6 and five RBIs. First baseman Alejandro Salazar (.296) had two hits and three RBIs, shortstop Scooter Perez (.364) scored twice and had three hits, right fielder Dan Rogers (.278) batted in two runs with three hits and center fielder Alex Luna (.251) had two RBIs. Volusia hit three roundtrippers on the day with Salazar hitting his 7th, Jojo Nunez (.310) his 4th and Luna his 6th.

The Colfax Blasters (32-30) are in fourth place and trail by 3.5 games. Volusia (30-33) is fifth and six games behind.

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Tuesday, June 19, 2001

Ruthlandian Union - South Division

Marston's Pace Whitewashes 'Jacks 2-0
Marston's Nick Pace whitewashed Forest City 2-0 at Legends Field. Pace tossed an 8-hitter, struck out five and issued only one walk in getting his second shutout of the season. The first place Nine moved two games ahead of the Lumberjacks in the RU South Division. Marston collected 11 hits in all. Most of them off losing pitcher Vinny Edelman (5-5 2.95). He allowed nine hits and two runs in seven innings. Right fielder Sam Dixon (.271) led the winners with a 4-4 day and scored twice. Center fielder Tommy Reinhold (.306) doubled in a run in the fifth and third baseman Roland Thomas (.326) singled in the other one in the seventh.

Marston (35-26) is in first in the division, while Forest City is in the second spot, 2 games off the pace.

SV Defeats Claxton 4-2, Hines Winner
Playing at home Sugar Valley got the best of Claxton 4-2 at Farmers Memorial Park. Harvey Hines (6-4 4.02) hurled a solid game, yielding only six hits and two runs, while striking out three and walking none. Closer Gregg Neal (5-3 1.93) pitched a runless ninth to rack up his 8th save for the Rattlers. Pacing the offense was third baseman Jorge Vargas (.355), who went 2-for-4, hit his 15th homer and drove in three runs. Diamonds second baseman Donny McCoy (.349) topped his club with an RBI double and and a sac fly to drive in both of the their runs. Chris Gallagher (0-5 4.63) lost it for Claxton, giving up four runs and nine hits in seven frames.

The Rattlers (31-30) are in third place in the RU South standings and the Diamonds (29-35) are fifth. Sugar Valley is four games out of first place, while Claxton is 7.5 games behind.

Sunbirds Stops 6-Game Skid
Going into the game at Westerner Field, Waleska had won four straight and Belair Beach had lost six straight. Both strings ended with the Sunbirds taking a 6-4 triumph over the Westerners. Winning pitcher Troy Wilson (4-7 4.36) withstood a four-run third and held Waleska scoreless over the last six innings. Belair Beach took the lead for good 5-4 in the fifth. Three roundtrippers paved the way for the Sunbirds. The IPA home run leader, Nicky Swift (.336) belted his 25th, first baseman Phil Gravelli (.333) hit his 8th and catcher Denny Everhart (.225) got number 8. Westerner first baseman Fred Shelton (.297) slammed his 11th. Gary Hill (6-4 4.73) was the loser as he gave up six runs in seven-plus innings.

Waleska (30-32) in in fourth place and trails first place Marston (35-26) by 5.5 games. Belair Beach (28-35) is in the baseman, eight games out.