ISLANDIAN PRO ALLIANCE (RUTHLANDIA and TYCOBBIA BASEBALL UNIONS)

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times

Friday, June 22, 2001

Around the IPA

Manager Rip Calkin has guided the La Claire Lynx (33-31) to a third place finish thus far in the IPA's first season. Calkin was one of the finest shortstop in Island history, noted for almost never missing a game. He played in over 2600 consecutive games during his career and holds the Islandian Amateur Alliance record.

Calkin told BNN, "It sure was easier to play the game than to manage it."

It's been an up-and-down year for La Claire. The Lynx began the season 9-1 in April, but cooled off severely to 12-21 in May and has turned it around in June to 12-9, trailing first place Fairfax by 10.5 games. Hitting is La Claire's Achilles' heel. Calkin's crew is batting only .253 (5th) in a division where .269 is the average, is 5th in runs and 5th in homers. Pitching may his salvation. The Lynx are third with a 3.92 ERA, bettered only by Arlon (3.59) and Fairfax (3.70). In fielding La Claire is second with a .979 fielding average.

On the mound La Claire is led by Frank Lamoreaux (6-4 2.71), Tony Nygaard (2-3 3.36) and Jerry Smith (7-7 4.02). The fourth starter is Pat Daniels (6-2 4.45). Nickie Baumgartner (3-6 4.19) was in the starting rotation, but recently was dispatched to middle relief. Calkin's bullpen ace is Monoto Kishata (3-4 3.12), who has saved 8 games (2nd-tied) and made 19 appearances.

The rest of the hill corps consists of Andy Murray (2-1 4.10), Val Krumholtz (3-1 4.50) and Nick Pilsner (1-3 5.11).

First baseman Luis Marquez is the only .300 hitter in the Lynx lineup. Marquez is batting .302 with 5 homers, 25 runs and 25 RBIs. Calkin's most valuable batter has been his standout left fielder Rich Hart, who is hitting .274 with 14 home runs (6th-tied), 40 runs and 53 RBIs (3rd-tied). Lead-off man Dirk Lindahl is having a good season at shortstop and with the bat. He has a .285 average with 6 home runs, 34 runs and 35 RBIs. Slick fielding second baseman Darrell Boyce is batting .271 with 8 roundtrippers, 30 runs and 34 RBIs and Lucky Collins, a fine glove in center field, has compiled a .282 mark, scored 39 times, batted in 11 and stolen 16 bases (6th).

Based on his available talent, Rip Calkin's club may have overachieved. "I just tell my players to do their best, day in and day out. That's all I ever tried to do."

A third place finish at the end of the season would be a quite an accomplishment.

The best pitching in the Tycobbian Union West Division statistically belongs to the fourth place Arlon Champions (30-34), who sport a fine 3.59 ERA. The skipper of the Champs is the legendary amateur first baseman, Gary Louis, whose consecutive-game playing streak was broken by Rip Calkin. Arlon is 13.5 games off the pace of the Fairfax Frogs. The Champions were 15-17 in May and 11-11 in June.

The Champs have a splendid closer in Jeff Nieman. His record is 6-3 with 3 saves and a brilliant 1.26 ERA in 20 relief appearances. They also have a good group in the starting rotation, headed by Ace Howe (4-6 2.95), Woody Fitzgerald (3-3 3.11), Craig Smith (7-5 3.45) and Ray Hunt (5-6 3.49). In middle relief Rod Kelley (3-2 4.11) has been sufficient, but Sean Dudek (1-4 4.40), Erik Fitrakis (0-2 4.50) and Pete Edgar (0-3 5.08) are in danger of being cut from the squad.

Louis' ballclub has trouble scoring runs, ranking last with a .252 batting average, 4th in run scoring and second in homers. But he does have two very fine ballplayers in center fielder Jerry Keller and left fielder Matt Merrill. Keller has a .308 batting percentage, 17 doubles (7th-tied), 4 triples (5th-tied), 12 HR (9th), 37 runs, 52 RBIs (5th) and 6 stolen bases. Merrill is hitting .310 with 10 doubles, 6 triples (2nd), 8 home runs, 41 runs, 35 RBIs and 8 stolen bases. Kirk Detwiler has been outstanding, too. He has the best average on the team at .326 and is one of the top fielding second basemen in the TU West, leading the division in assists and double plays. He has 14 doubles, 2 triples, 4 homers, scored 40 runs with 25 RBIs and 5 stolen bases.

Among the other five regulars, only shortstop Bama Hartley and first baseman George Lyons have contributed much offense. Hartley's average is .267 with 5 roundtrippers, 30 runs scored and 19 batted in. Lyons has supplied some power with 10 homers and 35 RBIs, but is hitting only .238 in average.

The forecast for the Arlon Champions is third or fourth. They hit the ball a little better than the La Claire Lynx and might surpassed them by season's end. Neither ballclub looks to be improved with trades. They don't have much to bargain with.

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times

Friday, June 22, 2001

Around the IPA

It must be tough to play for one of the greatest, if not the greatest player in the Islandian Amateur Alliance history. The fifth place Blue Lake Blue Sox (28-35) are managed by Cobb Tyson, a great center fielder and hitter, who boasts the highest career batting average in the IAA. He has had a very successful playing career and managerial career so far, but his previous success has not translated into success in the Islandian Pro Alliance, the first ever purely pay-for-play baseball league in the Islands. At least in the first two months of the campaign.

Tyson told reporters at a recent press conference, "Baseball is 100 per cent of my life."

Tyson has been severely disappointed in the progress of his club. Blue Lake has not had a winning month yet, going 4-6 in April, 15-17 in May and 9-12 in June. They are well back in the standings, 15 games behind.

The crusty Tyson commented on his team, "We are a balanced ballclub - our hitting is bad and our pitching is, too."

The Blue Sox are fourth in the TU West in both categories and fifth in fielding (.976). The team is hitting only .262, but is third in home runs with 58 and dead last in runs scored (257). On the hill Tyson's team has a 4.01 ERA.

Blue Lake's most productive bat belongs to center fielder Donnie Frazier with a .314 average, 13 homers, 37 runs and 40 RBIs. Frazier is a top-notch outfielder, too. First baseman Fred Taranto is batting .321 with 16 doubles, 7 home runs, 27 runs and 25 RBIs and a good glove, third baseman Timmy Smith has a .317 batting average with 7 roundtrippers, 23 runs and 21 RBIs, left fielder Greg Boone with a .293 mark, 39 runs and 21 RBIs, right fielder Fred Collins with a .284 average, 6 homers, 30 runs, 16 RBIs and 10 stolen bases and second baseman Ken Bennett at .257 with 8 home runs, 19 runs and 42 RBIs and a good defender. Only Frazier and Bennett have the pop to drive in runs.

Tyson does have two fine pitchers in his rotation, both right handers. Bennie West (7-7 2.44) and Jay Clay (5-3 2.87) give Blue Lake a good 1-2 punch. Both West and Clay give quality outings just about every time out. But there isn't much after them as the Blue Sox have tried eight different pitchers as starters this year. Derek Manetti (3-4 4.72) and new signee Ray Davini (0-0) are the latest to get a shot. Tyson's closer Russ Courtney (3-2 3.60) has been dependable with 25 appearances and 6 saves. There's not much help in middle relief. Mickey Dwyer (2-1 3.90) is the best of the lot. Former starters, Pete Henry (3-7 5.23), lefty Donnie Bullock (4-6 5.54) and Jimmy Zell (0-1 6.48) will get a brief trial in long relief according to Tyson. Room will have to be made on the roster for reliever Clint McPherson (1-2 3.56), who has been out sick for about two weeks.

The Blue Sox hold their own with all the teams in the division except for the first place Fairfax Frogs, who have dominated them, winning 8 of 9 this season. Playing the Frogs better would move them up in the division, but fifth or sixth looks likely for Tyson Cobb and Blue Lake.

One would not think a team that can start five .300 hitters would be in last place and 20 games behind, but that is the case of the Bay St. Clair Buccaneers (24-41). Manager Guy "Lightning" Rondre, former standout southpaw in the company leagues, said he would be happy to get back on the hill with such a strong hitting team.

The Bucs are second in the TU West with a .285 team batting average and third in runs scored with 287, but are missing home run power. Bay St. Clair ranks last with only 34 roundtrippers. Rondre told the press that he is in the market for some pitching and would be willing to part with some of his hitters to get them. The Buccaneers sorely need pitching with a 4.20 ERA, fifth in the division. Rondre also needs to shore up the defense as it is last with a poor .975 fielding average. Rondre is going to be a busy man trying to fill in all of the holes in his ballclub and soon. Bay St. Clair has gone 2-8 in April, 15-18 in May and only 7-15 in June.

Rondre has lots of potential trade bait with three of the top six hitters in the league. First baseman Maury Smith leads the Tyrobbian Union with a .367 average. He has 14 doubles, 9 homers, 45 runs and 49 RBIs. Smith is a talented fielder, too. Fine fielding second baseman Tony Mann is fifth with a .336 mark, 12 doubles, 3 home runs, 42 runs scored and 29 RBIs and catcher Jake Singleton is sixth with a .335 average, 13 doubles, 1 roundtripper, 28 runs and 25 RBIs.

The Buccaneers also have third baseman Bubba Tate, who platoons with Bobby Tracy. Both are over .300 with Tate hitting .336 with 5 home runs, 12 runs and 27 RBIs in 29 starts, while Tracy is batting .310 with 12 runs scored and 18 RBIs in 36 starts. Neither is strong on defense with Tate fielding .907 and Tracy .927.

Rounding out the lineup are shortstop Chuck Hankins, who has a .311 average with 5 homers, 33 runs, 19 RBIs and 13 stolen bases and center fielder Nickie Friedrichs with a .298 mark and 19 doubles (2nd), 3 triples and no home runs. He has scored 30 times and driven in 22. The final regular is left fielder Charlie Moon, who is hitting only .252, but has 13 doubles, 1 triple, 8 roundtrippers, 36 runs, 26 RBIs and 6 stolen bases, while leading off.

Shifting over to Rondre's pitching rotation, he has only one reliable starter, lefthander Norm Gross (7-5 3.37). But he may have found another. Rondre moved his closer Adam Lundgren (2-1 2.75) to a starting role and he chalked up two solid wins. Sean Lawrence (2-7 3.99) and Gary Robinson (4-7 4.35) have the other two starting slots. At least for now. The Bucs have three lefties with Lundgren the only righthander. All total they have six southpaws on the squad.

Bay St. Clair's closer is Ken Kazak (0-3 4.32). Ben Crowley (3-6 4.54), Ted Jorgerson (2-5 5.30) and Dennis Coulon (1-2 5.60) are the middle relievers. All of them are portsiders except for Crowley.

With a few smart swaps the Buccaneers could really improve the team and cause some problems in the Tycobbian Union West. Another quality starter and a good closer could do it.

[Eugene Church]

Do you regular viewers learn much about the league with these team summaries?

Do you have a favorite team or players?

Do you have a fair knowledge of the teams?

I must admit, I still can't really tell who plays for who.

I know the teams and how good they are, but can't tell you who plays for them.

I wonder how long it will take me to connect the players with the teams.

[Eugene Church]

Whew, I am glad that is done.
I will now rework the pitching rotations and lineups. I will make some roster changes, too.
Also intend to see if teams can do some trading and fill holes on their rosters.

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times

Friday, June 22,2001

Trading Frenzy in the IPA

In a high-profile blockbuster deal the Glasco Athletics got the number two hitter in the Ruthlandian Union, Maury Smith, from the last place Bay St. Clair Buccaneers. Smith, who is also a fine fielder, is currently batting at a .367 pace with 9 home runs and 49 RBIs. He has played in 63 games and scored 45 times. He trails only Dave Davis (.373) of the Far Mountain Redhawks in the batting title race. To get Smith, GM/Manager McDuffie Hughes had to give up four ballplayers: 31-year-old starting pitcher Duncan McFalls, 25-year-old reliever Jeremiah McDonald, 28-year-old starting pitcher Kenny Metcalf and 26-year-old right fielder Jose Valenzuela.

McFalls sports a 4-0 mark with a 2.22 ERA in 3 starting assignments. He has held the opposition to a .273 batting average and has 19 strikeouts in 44 innings. Valenzuela is batting .336 with 3 homers, 39 runs and 23 RBIs and will hit third in the Buccaneers batting order. Southpaws McDonald (1-2 3.41) and Metcalf (3-2 4.10) will work middle relief.

In a wild and crazy day, the A's also worked out a trade for 25-year-old first baseman Francisco Robles, who became expendable with the Maury Smith acquisition. Robles was sent to the La Claire Lynx for starting pitcher Jerry Smith. Looking at his stats this year, Robles has compiled a .281 batting average, while hitting 3 home runs and driving in 20 runs. He has played in 40 games and scored 15 runs. Smith has posted a 7-7 record in 2001 with a 4.02 ERA. Teams are hitting .270 against him and he has rung up 62 strikeouts in 103 innings.

Glasco skipper McDuffie Hughes said, "We had to do something to get some hitting into our lineup. We are next-to-last in runs scored. Our pitching couldn't do it by itself. Maury Smith will do wonders for our team."

Bay St. Clair's GM/Manager Guy "Lightning" Rondre was estatic about the trade and told The Islandian Times, "We will miss Maury, but anytime you can get that many quality players, you got to pull the trigger. This really shores up our pitching and didn't harm our offense."

The Bucs also sent rightfielder Andy Pettorini to Arlon for much-needed power-hitting first baseman George Lyons. Pettorini is batting .284 with 23 hits and 1 home run. He has scored 6 times and has batted in 9 runs. Lyons is hitting .238 with 10 home runs and 35 RBIs.

The general consensus among the baseball experts is that Bay St. Clair really got better with this trade. So did the Glasco Athletics.

The rich got richer in the IPA. Just ask GM/Manager Harry Buckley of the Fairfax Frogs. He picked up three pretty fair pitchers and didn't have to give up much to improve his mound staff. The first place Frogs got 22-year-old righthanded starter Kaz Hayagawa from Cape Coral for 29-year-old gloveman Scoop Estes, 19-year-old righthanded reliever Jim DiGregorio from Forest City for 38-year-old catcher Joey Jacobs and reliever Eddie Castillo from the Luxora Zorros for slick-fielding utility infielder Vince Cooper.

Hayagawa is 7-7 in 15 starts with a 4.00 ERA. DiGregorio has a 1-1 record in 13 relief appearances with a fine 3.00 ERA. Buckley will give him a shot at a starting spot in the Frog rotation. In 12 appearances and 2 starts this year Castillo has fashioned a 0-3 record and a 3.94 ERA. In 11 games this season Cooper is batting .280 with 7 hits and 1 home run. He has scored 2 runs and driven in 3. The pitcher-wealthy Z's intend to play Cooper at shortstop and shore up its weak defense. Jacobs will take over the catcher position for the Lumberjacks. In limited action he had hit .259 with 1 homer and 7 RBIs in 9 games.

The weak-hitting South Fork Stallions have finalized a deal with the Marston Nine for the services of 25-year-old center fielder Ronnie Lee. In exchange, the Nine will receive 26-year-old starting pitcher Booger Burchfield. His record this season is 3-6 in 15 starts with a 3.35 ERA. Thus far this season in 40 games, Lee is batting .341 with 2 home runs, 17 RBIs and 18 runs scored. He has 46 hits in 135 at-bats.

The Stallions also added a first baseman in a swap with the Bayview Vikings. South Fork sent 21-year-old starting pitcher Jerry Harrison to the Viks in exchange for 23-year-old Keith Burke. To this point in the season, Harrison shows a 7-3 record, 11 starts, 83 innings, 47 strikeouts and a 3.55 ERA. Hitting .308 to date, Burke has 1 home run and 4 RBIs. He has played in 14 games.

Volusia got some vitally-needed hitting, while Claxton got some drastically-needed pitching. Officials for the Vigilantes confirmed that they have traded 36-year-old starting pitcher Johnny Szwak to the Diamonds. In return, the V's will receive 26-year-old left fielder Winky Rush. In 2001, Szwak has chalked up 6 wins and 1 loss in 8 starts with 75 strikeouts in 63 innings and a 3.57 ERA, while Rush is hitting .280 with 6 home runs, 29 RBIs and 25 runs scored. He has played in 61 games.

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Friday, June 22, 2001

Ruthlandian Union - North Division

Redhawks Squeeze by Vipers 5-4
First place Far Mountain squeezed out a close 5-4 win over the Valmara Vipers, scoring the winning run on an error by right fielder Jet Kazmarek, who dropped a routine fly ball. That gave the the Redhawks their third win in a row. 6'6" Frank Lamoreaux (5-1 4.03) fired a gutsy game, allowing 11 hits, but striking out 8 and walking only one for the victory. He was backed by 10 hits by his teammates, led by second baseman Shirai Kobayashi (.280) and catcher Sean Larson (.286), who each had 2 RBIs. Kobayashi had three hits, while center fielder Hawk Gallagher (.310) had four hits and scored three times. Gallagher singled, stole second and scored the winning run. The loss went to closer Danny Blauser (5-2 1.75). He gave up one unearned run and two hits after coming in to start the eighth inning. Catcher Yoshi Motsuzuki (.277) had a two-run homer to pace the Vipers.

Far Mountain (38-27) is now 4.5 games ahead of Valmara in the Ruthlandian Union North.

Colfax Clobbers Glasco 8-2, Manning Wins 9th
Colfax clobbered Glasco 8-2 behind Harry Manning and took a game lead in the battle for second place in the RU North. Manning notched his 9th victory by checking the A's on seven hits. It was Glasco's third successive defeat. They are now tied with Valmara for third place. Leading by a 3-0 score, the Blasters broke open the game with a five-run outburst in the top of the eighth, highlighted by by a three-run rip by right fielder Pat Lott (.268) and catcher Jeff Cook's (.242) two-run smash. Charles Darby (9-5 2.71) gave up seven runs in seven-plus innings for the loss.

The much-ballyhooed first baseman Maury Smith (.369) was 2-for-4 and scored a run in his first game for Glasco. He was traded to the A's for four players yesterday. Smith told BNN, "Only the uniform has changed. It is my job to just go up there and swing the bat and play baseball. We just ran into a good pitcher."

Colfax (34-30) trails first place Far Mountain (38-27) by 3.5 games, while Glasco and Valmara are 4.5 games behind.

All-Stars Hold Off V's 8-7
The Elnora All-Stars rapped out 14 hits and held on to defeat Volusia 8-7 on the road at the Jailhouse. Newcomer Joe Norris (.250) drove in two runs in his first game at shortstop and cleanup hitter Quincy Peterson had three hits and a pair of RBIs. The Vigilantes moved ahead 3-0 in the second frame on third baseman Bennie Anderson's (.230) base-clearing triple, but Elnora tied it 3-3 in the next inning and went up 7-3 in the seventh, then had to survive a three-run surge in the ninth. Tyrone Gray (4-6 4.25) allowed seven runs in eight-plus innings. Wally Tidwell (2-4 3.89) got the last two outs for his 2nd save. Starter Raul Sandoval (6-7 3.15) suffered the loss and was routed in the seventh after giving up seven runs on a dozen hits. Only one homer in the game. That was by V's second sacker Chaco Rivera (.232), only his 2nd of the season.

Elnora (25-41) snapped a two-game loss string and ended Volusia's (31-34) two-game win streak. The Vigilantes are fifth in the standings, seven games out, while the All-Stars are 13.5 games behind in last place.

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Friday, June 22, 2001

Ruthlandian Union - South Division

Marston Massacres Sunbirds 20-9
Boy, the bats were really swinging and the balls really flying at Bayside Park in Belair Beach from both teams. The pitchers never had a chance. First place Marston massacred the hometown Sunbirds 20-9 in a slugfest. The Nine set new IPA marks for most runs (20) and most hits (26) and tied the record for the most doubles with 7. Backup second baseman Don Nichols (.269) hit a grand slam homer, drove in six runs and scored three, shortstop Lenny Torricelli (.275) had four hits, scored three and drove in three, right fielder Chris Deangelo (.288) had three hits and batted in three, first baseman Johnny Berthold (.258) went 3-for-5, scored three and had two RBIs and new center fielder Kerby Jost (.500) was 3-for-6 in his first game and scored three runs. Marston scored 9 times in the opening frame and ran up a 17-2 margin after just five innings. The Sunbirds had 13 hits and were paced by first basemen Phil Gravelli (.338) with three hits and two homers and left fielder Nicky Swift (.331), who drove in four runs and cracked his league-leading 26th home run. Swift overtook Chuck Hill of Forest City in RBIs 62 to 61. Center fielder Matty McDermott (.340) got his 11th roundtripper.

The two clubs set the IPA record for most runs with 29 and most hits with 39. Elnora (18) and Valmara (8) set the runs mark with 26 on May 3. In that same game the teams totaled 33 hits with the All-Stars getting 19 and the Vipers 14. Valmara held the old mark of 22 hits, set in a 10-3 win over Elnora on April 24. Paul Azard (7-3 3.46) posted the victory, while Spunky Oberlander (0-1 0.00) failed to get an out in his inauspicious debut. He gave up 6 hits, a walk and seven runs before he departed. Marston tied the Hartsdale Hellcats for the most doubles in a game. The Hellcats hit seven in a 6-2 decision over Cape Coral on April 25.

This was Marston's (37-26) third straight triumph. Claxton (29-36) is now nine games off the pace.

Rattlers Nip 'Jacks 3-2, Benson Beats Moore
At Farmers Memorial Park in Sugar Valley, two of the better righties in the IPA were matched up and Ron Benson (9-6 2.83) outpitched Glenn Moore (7-4 2.59) 3-2 for his 9th victory of the season. The Rattlers Benson worked eight innings, yielded eight hits and two runs with eight Ks and three walks. He gave way to Gregg Neal (5-3 1.88), who struck out two of the three batters he faced in a perfect ninth inning. It was his 9th save. Moore hurled a complete game, gave us nine hits and fanned eight. Center fielder Freddie Vaux (.328) plated the winning run with a single in the fifth. Each club hit two homers with left fielder Paul Winston (.267) and right fielder Karl Dietz (.243) going deep for Sugar Valley and center fielder Ryan Morse (.347) and second baseman Jesse Wolf (.317) reciprocating for the Lumberjacks.

Second place Forest City (35-30) lost ground to both first place Marston and third place Sugar Valley (32-31). They trail the Nine by three games, while the Rattlers are five games out.

Westerners Wallop Diamonds 14-6
The Waleska Westerners battered five Claxton hurlers for 19 hits in a 14-6 romp at Avalon Stadium, dealing the Diamonds a third straight defeat. Third baseman Yoshihide Nishata (.277) hammered two home runs and batted in seven runs, while second baseman Wiz Taylor (.281) had four hits, scored three runs with an RBI and center fielder Rick Vaughn (.303) delivered three hits, scored four times and drove in two runs. Center fielder Wayne Wilson (.284) and shortstop Bobby Ritter (.311) homered for the losers. The Westerners trailed 4-1 after the first two innings, but took the lead for good in the fourth 5-4. Waleska really cracked it open with two in the sixth and six in the seventh to make it 13-4. Rusty Kraft (5-6 4.01) coasted to victory in spite of allowing 13 hits before he exited in the ninth. Phil Lavigne (0-0 5.58) finished out the game by giving up a run in the ninth. Loser Tetsunori Nakashima (8-5 4.65) was trounced for seven runs before he left in the sixth.

The Westerners (32-32) climbed up to the .500 mark and are fourth in the RU South race, 5.5 games behind. Claxton (29-37) fell 9.5 games back in fifth place.

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Friday, June 22, 2001

Tycobbian Union - East Division

Ginza's Matsumoto 10-Game Winner
The bases were loaded... there were two outs... it was the bottom of the ninth... Glenn Holliday of South Fork was the hitter... and Ginza's closer Ken Watkins came in to save the Ninjas fifth consecutive victory... he did. Watkins (3-3 2.83) got his 7th save when he caught Holliday (.236) looking on a third strike to nail down the Ninjas 2-1 victory for Kojiro Matsumoto (10-2 2.90), who registered his 10th win of the year and tied Casey Ledbetter (10-2 3.46) of Marston and Jackie Leslie (10-2 3.13) of Fairfax for the most victories in the IPA. Motsumoto limited the Stallions to just four hits, fanned five and issued three bases on balls. Little-used left fielder Nobuyuki Komatsu (.219) singled in the game-winner in the top of the sixth inning, sending newcomer Vince Bernini (0-1 2.57) down to defeat in his first start. Bernini worked seven good frames, allowing eight base hits, but only two runs. Ginza outhit South Fork 10 to 4, giving the Stallions their fourth loss in a row.

The Ninjas (37-28) are the top team in the Tycobbian East and seven games up on fifth place South Fork (30-35).

'Canes Fountain Shuts Out Zorros 8-0
Cape Coral's Gary Fountain blanked Luxora on five hits en route to an 8-0 triumph. Fountain (5-2 4.35) was in command the whole game and finished up with five strikeouts and a walk. He had plenty of offense behind, too. The Hurricanes racked up 15 hits, paced by first baseman Rodger Wooten (.286) with two hits and 4 RBIs, including his 13th homer. Second baseman Andy Anderson (.304) had three hits and five other Hurricanes had two apiece. Taking the loss was Francisco Fernandes (5-6 3.55), who gave up four runs and ten hits in eight innings.

"That was one of my best outings," Fountain told reporters after the game. "I was worried a lot in the bullpen. My ball wasn't quite right. Luckily, it can be two different worlds -- the bullpen and the game. Once I stepped on the field, it all fell into place."

This season Fountain has compiled a 5-2 record with a 4.35 ERA in 12 starts.

Cape Coral (34-30) is in second place in the standings, 2.5 games behind leading Ginza (37-28). Luxora (29-33) is 6.5 games out and in the fourth spot in the division.

Naturals Knock Off Hellcats 7-5, Young Wins It
At Pioneer Park in Hartsdale, the third place Ozarka Naturals kept the homestanding Hellcats in the cellar with a 7-5 victory. Homers were the deciding factors as first baseman Poochie Kramer (.294) and center fielder Teddy Braun (.309) each unloaded three-run homers. Braun hit his in the sixth and overcame a 5-4 Hartsdale lead. Big Donnie Young (5-4 4.06) went all the way, surrendering seven hits, while fanning seven and walking only two. The newly-acquired Stan Vandenberg (0-1 4.00) pitched well in his first start, except for the roundtrippers. He went the distance, gave up only five hits, four earned runs, struck out eight and walked just one. The Hellcats also parked two in the bleachers. Third baseman Whiz Weaver (.298) and center fielder Greg Reynolds each had two-run shots.

Ozarka (33-31) remains 3.5 games in back of first place Ginza (37-28), while last place Hartsdale (29-35) is 7.5 games off the pace.

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Friday, June 22, 2001

Tycobbian Union - West Division

Frogs Bomb Bayview Again
Fairfax did it again! The first place Frogs bombed second place Bayview 13-2 for their third straight win and the Vikings fifth loss in a row. Fairfax has taken both games of the five-game series so far, winning the opener yesterday 7-0. The Frogs got only 9 hits, but they certainly did some damage with them. They tore into Paul Hood (3-3 2.92) for six runs in the third inning and never looked back. Backup center fielder Louie Ward (.338) in a rare start had two hits and four RBIs, left fielder Gator Davis (.298) got his 15th homer, good for three runs and right fielder Gregg Vincent (.324) drove in a pair with his 25th of the season. Vincent took over the home run lead in the TU and tied Bayview's Doug Coleman for the most RBIs with 69. Coleman has 24 roundtrippers.

Manager Harry Buckley also got a strong performance from lefthander Jimmy Dalton (7-5 4.39), who gave up nine hits, but only two runs. Dalton had six strikouts with only one walk.

Fairfax (44-20) increased its lead over Bayview (34-32) to 11 games.

Bucs Blank Lynx 1-0 in 13 Innings
Noted for their hitting, the Bay St. Clair Buccaneers did a change of pace and blanked the La Claire Lynx 1-0 in 13 innings at Shoreline Park. Manager Guy Rondre used three new pitchers that just joined the club to stop La Claire on seven hits. The game was finally decided when third baseman Bobby Tracy (.313) tripled off Monoto Kishata to lead off the 13th and then scored the winning run on pinchhitter Stan Denton's (.216) grounder to short. Dirk Lindahl threw home late in an attempt to get Tracy.

The Bucs starting pitcher was Duncan McFalls (4-0 1.84), who was just obtained in a blockbuster trade with Glasco along with Jeremiah McDonald (1-2 3.22). McFalls worked nine scoreless innings, fanned five, walked two and yielded only five hits. He was relieved by McDonald, who pitched the tenth and the eleventh and allowed no runs and a hit. The third newcomer was Chris Van Arden (1-0 0.00), who was just signed. Van Arden sat down the Lynx on one hit and no runs in the last two innings for the win. He had two strikeouts and a walk. The trade is already paying dividends for Bay St. Clair.

La Claire got a strong performance from starter Pat Daniels (6-2 4.07). Daniels pitched a splendid nine innings, limiting the Buccaneers to just three hit with three Ks and no walks. Kishata (3-5 3.19) caught the loss, allowing one run and four hits over three innings.

The Lynx (33-32) loss kept them in third place and 11.5 games behind Fairfax (44-20) and and a half game behind the Bayview Vikings (34-32).

Champs Crush Blue Sox 8-1, Howe Winner
On its home field at Derby Downs, Arlon raced past Blue Lake 8-1 on the strength of Ace Howe's five-hit pitching and halted the Blue Sox win string at four. The Champions busted open a tight 2-1 game with two runs in the seventh and four more in the eighth. Howe (5-6 2.78) walked one and fanned nine batters in an impressive outing. Left fielder Matt Merrill (.313) led the hitters with three RBIs and two homers, giving him 13 for the season. Right fielder Ian Carmack (.500) made his debut for Arlon and hit a three-run blast and a double. The Champs only had seven hits, but the three roundtrippers made the difference. Losing pitcher Ray Davini (0-1 5.14), in his first start since being added to the Blue Lake roster, struck out nine over seven innings, allowed four runs, five hits and walked three. Evan Cooney got clobbered for four runs in his only inning. He is also a recent pickup by the Blue Sox.

Arlon (31-34) remained in the fourth spot in the Tycobbian West Division standings, while Blue Lake (28-36) is fifth and 16 games back.

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Saturday, June 23, 2001

Ruthlandian Union - North Division

Redhawks Romp to 4th Win in a Row
First place Far Mountain romped over Valmara to pick up its fourth win in a row. The Redhawks staked Vic Vaux to a 12-3 lead in the first five innings and coasted in from there, winning 12-7. Vaux (6-5 3.55) was whacked for 15 hits. He walked none and had three strikeouts. Gerry Bart (4-7 5.75) was shelled in the first two innings for seven runs and took the loss. Far Mountain had a dozen hits and were sparked by home runs by third Johnny Strickland (.293) and left fielder Gerald Davis (.250), Davis hit his 7th and drove in three runs and Strickland slammed his 11th and drove a run. Right fielder Tommy Sonnier (.298) drove in two runs, first baseman Royce Benson (.297) had three hits and scored twice, catcher Dave Davis (.377) was 3-for-5 and plated two runs and center fielder Hawk Gallagher (.315) went 2-for-3 and scored three times. The batting leaders for the Vipers were center fielder Jan Szymanski (.248) with four RBIs and his 14th homer and catcher Yoshi Motsuzaka (.283) with 3-for-5 and two runs. Szymanski jumped ahead of Belair Beach's Nicky Swift (.331) in the RBI race. Szymanski has 63 and Swift 62.

Far Mountain (39-27) has captured the first three games of the series with Valmara (33-32) and has moved 5.5 games in front of them. The series will conclude with a twinbill tomorrow.

Blasters Win 4th, A's Drop 3rd Straight
The Colfax Blasters won their fourth straight game and dealt Glasco a third straight defeat 5-4 in 11 innings. Pinchhitter Dennis Cole (.309) got the game-winning hit when he doubled in shortstop Wayne O'Reilly in from third. Walt Sellers (2-4 2.58) registered the victory and allowed only one hit in three innings with three Ks and three walks. Ray Cook (1-3 1.63) was nailed with the loss, yielding three hits in two innings. The Blasters laced 14 hits with Reilly going 3-5, including a home run, his 5th of the season. Reilly also scored three times. First baseman Al Jensen (.250) had two hits, two RBIs and his first roundtripper. The Athletics only got 7 hits in the game.

Second place Colfax (35-30) got a little breathing room between them and Glasco (32-31). The A's are tied with Valmara (33-32) for the third spot in the RU North. The Blasters are 3.5 games in back of Far Mountains (39-27), while Glasco and the Vipers are 5.5 games off the pace.

All-Stars 7 runs in the 4th Too Much for V's
The Jailhouse fans were not very happy after their Volusia Vigilantes were beaten 7-4 by Elnora. The V's leaped ahead 3-0 in the third, but gave it right back when the All-Stars erupted for 7 runs in the fourth, highlighted by left fielder Quincy Peterson's (.296) grand slammer. Right fielder Art Atkins (.330) also drove in two runs. Volusia outhit Elnora 13 to 11. The winner was Pat Savoie (3-0 2.58), but it wasn't pretty. Savoie struck out 8, but allowed 11 hits and walked three until he left in the seventh. Lefty John Tinker (3-8 4.69) wrapped the game up for him, holding the Vigilantes scoreless in two-plus innings. Tinker had two walks and permitted two hits. Volusia had plenty of chances as center fielder Alex Luna (.258) and third baseman Chaco Rivera (.243) both had three hits and three others smacked a pair apiece. The losing pitcher was Kit Kivett (5-3 2.70), who has come back down to earth after winning his first five starts. Kivett has dropped the last three game. He was racked for seven hits and seven runs and exited in the fourth, trailing 7-4.

Last place Elnora (26-41) has won two in succession from the V's (31-35), who are in 5th place and 9.5 games behind Far Mountain (39-27).

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Saturday, June 23, 2001

Ruthlandian Union - South Division

Pace Wins 10th, Nine Tops Sunbirds 4-1
First place Marston continued to roll with a 4-1 triumph over last place Belair Beach. The Nine picked up their fourth consecutive win as Nick Pace won his 10th game of the season, tops in the IPA. Pace (10-6 2.88) sent the Sunbirds down to a third straight loss, stopping them on just three hits with seven strikeouts. He also issued five bases on balls. Right fielder Nicky Swift (.332) spoiled the shutout with his league-leading 27th roundtripper. Leading the Marston attack was first baseman Johnny Berthold (.259) with a two-run homer, his 17th, and third baseman Roland Thomas (.337) with two RBIs. The loser was Troy Wilson (4-8 4.49). The NIne got to him for four runs in five innings.

Marston (38-26), the top team in the RU South, leads last place Belair Beach (28-38) by 11 games.

Rattlers Hit 4 HRs, Whip Lumberjacks 6-3
It was a bad beginning for Paul Haines of the Sugar Valley Rattlers. Forest City jumped on him for three runs in the opening frame, but then he settled down and shut them out the rest of the way, beating them 6-3 at Farmers Memorial Park. The Rattlers battled back with four roundtrippers, two by first baseman Ken Arnold (.240) and one each by shortstop Flipper Bird (.260) and left fielder Cy Bartz (.281). Bird's 4th homer gave Sugar Valley a 4-3 lead in the fifth. Haines (4-4 3.10) scattered nine hits, whiffed 11, walked no one and allowed only one earned run in a fine showing. Gene Stuart (6-5 4.74) went the distance in defeat, permitting nine hits and six runs. Arnold and Bird paced the Rattlers offense with two RBIs each, while Chuck Hill (.351) led the Lumberjacks with three hits and an RBI.

Third place Sugar Valley (33-31) cut Forest City's (35-31) margin to just a game in the battle for second place in the RU South. The Rattlers are five games behind Marston (38-26), while the second place Lumberjacks are four games out.

Westerners Outgun Diamonds, Win 3rd Straight 10-8
Smokey Joe wasn't smokin' today, but the Waleska bats were as they blistered Claxton 10-8 to take their third win in succession and hand the Diamonds a fourth consecutive loss. Smokey Joe Carter (10-6 3.01) got his IPA-leading 10th victory, but it was tough getting it. Carter was shelled for eight runs - five earned - and eleven hits before he hit the showers in the eighth frame. He was losing 5-3 until the Westerners teed off on Claxton for seven runs to take a 10-5 lead. Smokey Joe couldn't hold it and had to get help from closer Andrei Marsiske (3-1 2.65), who got the last five outs for him. With the tying runs on first and third he retired pinchhitter Donnie McCoy (.344) in the eighth on a deep fly ball. Marsiske put the Diamonds down in order in the ninth for his 6th save. The Waleska comeback was led by catcher Mac Wilkins' (.216) grand slam and second baseman Wiz Taylor's (.281) three-run shot. Former closer Earl Weber (4-3 3.54) suffered the setback in his first start. He gave up seven runs in seven innings.

The Westerners (33-32) are in fourth place and 5.5 games away from the division leader, while Claxton (29-38) is fifth, 10.5 games out.

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Saturday, June 23, 2001

Tycobbian Union - East Division

SF's Olson Halts Ginza's Streak at 6
It took a hard-throwing 6'5" righthander to slow down the red-hot Ginza Ninjas. Ken Olson put a halt to their six-game winning streak by beating them 6-2 on a six-hitter. The victory also ended a four-game dry spell for the Stallions. Olson went all the way and finished with three walks and five Ks. Shortstop Bobby Riley (.262) and left fielder Mac Stewart (.243) had key hits and drove in two runs apiece. Also lending a hand with solo homers were right fielder Paul Giles (.272) and third baseman Glenn Holliday (.236). It was number 16 for Giles and number 12 for Holliday. The only offense the Ninjas could muster against Olson came from first sacker Kenshin Yamamoto (.296), who slammed a two-run homer in the opening frame to give him 12 for the year. Ginza didn't help its cause as it played sloppy defense and committed four errors, gifting South Fork with four unearned runs. Kazuhiro Nakayama (5-9 3.00) was knocked out in the fifth after allowing five runs - four unearned - and four hits. Nakayama was wild and walked three.

The Ninjas (37-29) have the best record in the TU East Division and lead fifth place South Fork (31-35) by six games.

CC Stops Z's 5-2, Newcomer Salow Winner
Manager Huggy Miller of Cape Coral got an outstanding debut performance from his new southpaw Jeff Salow. The 22-year-old Salow (1-0 0.00) went six shutout innings in his first start and got credit for the 5-2 decision over the Luxora Zorros. He gave up seven hits, fanned eight and allowed three walks. Salow was replaced on the mound as he threw a lot of pitches and began to tire badly. He departed with a 3-0 lead that Cody Burg couldn't hold. Luxora cut it to a 3-2 score with a pair of runs in the seventh. However, closer Scotty Lohmeyer (2-3 2.70) finished the job with two scoreless innings and picked up his 4th save. Chris Pierce (5-5 3.52) was pinned with the loss, permitting five runs and seven hits in seven-plus frames. Center fielder James Middleton (.324) and catcher Rick Clark (.355) had homers for the winners.

The second place Hurricanes (35-30) gained ground on the Ginza Ninjas (37-29) in the division standings and are now just 1.5 games out of first. With the defeat Luxora (29-34) fell back into fifth place and 6.5 games behind. The Zorros are a half-game in back of the fourth place South Fork Stallions (31-35).

Hellcats Homers Beat Hatch and Nats 5-2
At Pioneer Park in Hartsdale, the Hellcats put away Ozarka 5-2 with the help of three homers. Right fielder Mel Poe (.264), center fielder Greg Reynolds (.254) and second baseman Francisco Abreu (.306) each went deep on Luther Hatch. On the mound skipper Zim Donner got another good effort from starter Phil Reed (8-1 2.70) and closer Gene Young (4-3 3.08). Reed struck out five, walked three and checked the Naturals on seven hits over his seven innings. Then Young came in and sealed it with two runless innings. Young fanned four batters in a fine outing. Hatch (7-7 3.86) pitched a complete game, surrendering eight hits, fanned eight and walked three. Pacing Ozarka at bat were third baseman Doug Cunningham (.258), who went 3-3 and drove in both runs and shortstop Duane Starr (.301) with a pair of hits and two runs scored. Poe, Reynolds and Abreu all had two hits apiece for the Hellcats.

With the victory Hartsdale (30-35) climbed out of the cellar past Luxora (29-34) by a slim two percentage points. The Hellcats are now in fifth place and only 6.5 games behind Ginza. Ozarka (33-32) is third in the division and 3.5 games off the pace.

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Saturday, June 23, 2001

Tycobbian Union - West Division

Viks End Losing Streak, Nip Frogs 2-1
Strong pitching curtailed Bayview's losing streak at five games. Jesus Carvajal and Buzzy Lewis combined to edge first place Fairfax 2-1. It was the Frogs first loss in three games. Carvajal (8-3 3.48) held them to six hits and a run over the first seven innings, registering six strikeouts and walking only one. The score was tied 1-1 when Carvajal left for a pinchhitter in the eighth. With two outs in the top of the eighth, right fielder Dean Howell (.303) doubled in third baseman Bob Klostermann from third base with the winning score. Howell drove in both Viking runs. He had an RBI single in the first inning. Fairfax's only run came in the fourth inning when catcher Larry Novikov (.571) doubled in Gregg Vincent. The Frogs had the edge in hits 8 to 6.

Closer Buzzy Lewis (3-3 2.70) nailed down the verdict, but had some anxious moments in the bottom of the eighth. After a lead-off double, he walked two batters. With one out and the bases full, he struck out two dangerous hitters, Gregg Vincent (.327) and Gator Davis (.293) to end the threat. Together they have driven in 118 runs this year. Lewis put the Frogs away in the ninth for his IPA-leading 11th save. With one out he gave up a single, then finished them by getting a double-play ball. Fairfax got a good outing from new trade acquisition, Kaz Hayagawa (7-8 3.87), who suffered the loss. He allowed two runs and five hits in seven-plus innings with eight strikeouts and a walk.

The Frogs (44-21) are high on top of the Tycobbian Union West, way ahead of everybody. Bayview (35-32) is number two, but a very distant 10 games behind.

Lynx Upend Bucs 5-3, Orlando Winner
It was Kimo Orlando's first start for La Claire and the little 5'8" righthander did just fine. He notched a 5-3 victory over Bay St. Clair. In eight innings Orlando (1-0 2.25) restricted the good-hitting Buccaneers to six hits and two runs, but his control was a little rusty as he walked six and fanned five for his first IPA win. Southpaw Gary Robinson (4-8 4.40) had a 2-0 lead, but weakened in the sixth and surrendered three runs. The Lynx put up two more in the top of the ninth to make it 5-2. Robinson went the route, allowed 11 hits and struck out four, walking none. Shortstop Dirk Lindahl (.281) hit his 7th homer, drove in one run and scored two to spark La Claire. Left fielder Don Lundquist (.135) had a two-run single for the go-ahead runs in the sixth and first baseman Francisco Robles (.282) had three hits, scored a run and drove one in. Bucs second baseman Tony Mann (.337) was 3-for-3 with two RBIs and his 4th homer. Pinchhitter Jose Valuezuela (.332) pounded one into the stands off closer Monoto Kishata in the last of the ninth. Kishata then retired the last two batters for his 9th save.

The La Claire Lynx (32-34) are third in the TU West Division, 10.5 games out. Bay St. Clair (25-42) is last, 20 games behind.

Champs Smith Blanks Blue Sox 4-0
In an impressive outing, Craig Smith of the Arlon Champions whitewashed the Blue Lake Blue Sox 4-0 at Derby Downs. Smith (8-5 3.14) held Blue Lake scoreless, allowed 6 singles, chalked up 8 strikeouts and yielded 2 walks. First baseman Brad Ray (.328) supplied all the offense with four RBIs. He singled in two runs in the first and two more in the sixth. Derek Manetti (3-5 4.69) was charged with the loss as he went the distance, permitting four runs and eight hits with four Ks and no walks.

"I'm getting a lot more downward movement instead of side to side. That side-to-side stuff can get hit a long way," said Smith, who is throwing with more of an overhand motion. "It's not rocket science. It was just a little adjustment, but that's all it took."

This season Smith has registered 8 wins and 5 losses in 16 starts with a 3.14 ERA.

Fourth place Arlon (32-34) trails Fairfax by 12.5 games, while Blue Lake (28-37) is 16 games back and is in the fifth spot in the TU West.

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Sunday, June 24, 2001

Ruthlandian Union - North Division

FM Wins 4th Straight
In the first game of a doubleheader in Far Mountain, Redhawks righthander Sonny Elliott zeroed in Valmara and shut them out 4-0 on six hits. Far Mountain has won five straight and taken all four games so far with the Vipers. Elliott (9-5 2.64) captured his third win in a row, struck out four and walked three. Paul
Schoenfeld (4-6 4.96] lost it for Valmara, giving up all six hits, all four runs with six Ks and two walks in six innings. Left fielder Gerald Davis (.251) collected his 8th homer with a solo shot.

Redhawks Sweep Two from Vipers
Solid pitching by John Lazzatti and a huge 7-run eighth paved the way for Far Mountain 9-3 victory to sweep the doubleheader and the five-game series from Valmara. Lazzatti (5-4 2.91) shined with a five-hitter and finished up with four strikeouts and two walks. Southpaw Zarek Zalewski (8-4 1.97) left with a 3-2 lead after seven, but closer Danny Blauser (5-3 2.61) was hit hard and lost it. Shortstop Al Nixon delivered a two-run two-bagger to put the Redhawks ahead for good. Also in the inning, second string first baseman Josh Swift (.267) clubbed a three-run triple and third baseman Joey Cannizzaro (.324) hit a two-run triple. Backup catcher Sean Larson (.333) had a two-RBI double in the fourth to put Far Mountain up 2-0 at the time. All of the Vipers runs came in the top of the sixth on an RBI single by Louis Sharp (,358) and a two-run double by second baseman Floyd Vinson (.330).

The Far Mountain Redhawks (41-27) under Alex Groveland are the elite team of the RU North Division and have won their last six games. They swept the series with Valmara (33-34) and dropped them to fourth place in the standings, 7.5 games behind. The Vipers have now lost their last five games.

Blasters Beat A's 5-3 in Opener
In the opening game of a twinbill in Glasco, Colfax took charge in the late innings and won 5-3 over the Athletics for its fourth consecutive victory. 38-year-old shortstop Wayne O'Reilly (.223) tripled in a pair of runs in the eighth to put the Blasters ahead 3-1. After Glasco cut it to 3-2, Colfax finished them off with two more in the ninth on singles by left fielder Blinky Brandon (.284) and third baseman Russ Farrell (.286). Lefty Alex Castille (8-5 4.25) picked up his 8th win with a fine effort. He gave up seven hits and three runs, while pitching into the ninth. He was relieved with the score 5-3 and men on first and third with tow outs. Reliever Jim Dreyer (1-0 3.96) struck out the only batter he faced to get his 3rd save. Southpaw Bill Darby (3-4 3.76) got hung with a tough loss, allowing only two runs and four hits in seven innings. Colfax had 9 hits in the game and the A's only 7. Left fielder Ox Beauvais (.342) homered for Glasco. It was number 13 for the year. This was the Athletics fifth successive defeat.

Colfax Takes a Pair from Athletics
Colfax is on a hot winning streak as they took both ends of a twinbill. The Blasters slipped past Glasco 4-3 for their fifth consecutive triumph and dished out a sixth loss in a row for the Athletics. Flash Guidry (9-5 2.57) won his third successive game with an impressive complete-game performance. Guidry fanned eight, allowed seven hits and walked only one, struggling only in the three-run eighth when the A's tied it at 3-all. In the top of the Russ Ferrell drove in the game-winner with a single off reliever Bobby Joe Belvin (0-1 6.75). Third baseman Ferrell (.290) had two hits and two RBIs for the winners, while right fielder Buck Bucholtz (.333) had 2-4 and two RBIs for the losers. The Blasters totaled 10 hits overall and Glasco got only seven.

Second place Colfax (37-30) has a tough task keeping up with torrid Far Mountain (41-27). The Blasters remain 3.5 games off the pace after sweeping Glasco (32-33). The slumping A's are 7.5 games out of first.

V's Victorious Over All-Stars 3-2
He is new to Alfonso Feliz's starting rotation, but Ike Moore made a strong impression on the Volusia manager and the Elnora All-Stars, too. Moore blanked them for the first eight innings on four hits, but was touched for two runs in the ninth. Moore got credit for the 3-2 win in the only single game of the day in the RU North. After surrendering a single that closed the gap to 3-2, relief ace Ricky Moreno (3-1 2.57) got the last two outs for his 9th save. Moore (2-1 3.86) gave up six hits in all, struck out eight and walked three for the victory. The Vigilantes got only five hits and two earned runs off of lefthander Sean Sykes (6-7 5.09), who pitched a complete game. The loss spoiled Elnora's win streak at two and ended Volusia's skid at two games. The V's took a 1-0 lead in the second on second baseman Paco Rivera's (.239) ground out. They went up 3-0 in the seventh on another RBI ground out by Rivera and got the last one when second baseman Gus De la Hoya (.231) doubled, stole third and came home a throwing error by the catcher.

The fifth place Vigilantes (32-35) trail first place Far Mountain (41-27) by 8.5 games and Elnora (26-42) is in the basement, 15 games back.

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Sunday, June 24, 2001

Ruthlandian Union - South Division

Ledbetter Wins 11th for Marston
In a single game, a four-run first inning made it easy for the first place Marston Nine to win their fifth game in a row, an 8-3 victory over last place Belair Beach. It was the Sunbirds fourth straight defeat. Casey Ledbetter and Milt Wilson combined on a 7-hitter. Ledbetter (11-2 3.42) went six and two-thirds innings and got his 11th win, the most in the IPA. He allowed three runs on six hits, fanned three and issued one walk. Wilson struck out three in his two-plus scoreless innings. Lefthander Carl Thompson (8-8 2.79) dropped his fifth consecutive game, giving up four runs and four hits in two innings. He was troubled by four walks. Shortstop Don Nichols (.281) drove in five runs for the Nine, first baseman Chuck Barrett (.286) batted in two and third baseman Roland Thomas (.341) had the other RBI.

Marston is the RU South leader with a 39-26 mark, while Belair Beach is in the basement with a 28-39 record, 12 games behind.

'Jacks Slam Rattlers 11-6 in Opener
Second place Forest City slammed 17 hits including three roundtrippers to outscore Sugar Valley 11-6 in the first of two games today at Farmers Memorial Park. Right fielder Benny Davis, center fielder Ryan Morse and reliever J. D. Gisclair hit the home runs. Davis (.235) had three hits and four RBIs, shortstop Pops Keller (.306) was 4-6 with a pair of RBIs and Chuck Hill (.351) drove in one. Morse went 5-6, scored four times and batted in one run. Vinny Edelman (6-5 3.10) got the win with seven innings of work. He allowed four runs and ten hits. Gisclair (0-0 9.00) finished the last two innings and gave up the other two scores. Harvey Hines (6-5 4.34) suffered the loss, giving up five runs in just two and two-thirds innings. The Rattlers swatted 13 hits and were led at bat by third baseman Jorge Vargas ((.342) with his 16th homer, shortstop Flipper Bird (.268) with three hits and his 5th home run and center fielder Freddie Vaux (.332) with four hits, two runs and an RBI.

FC's Bahr Tosses Two-Hit Shutout in Nightcap
The Forest City Lumberjacks were on the road, but it made no difference, they swept both ends of the doubleheader against the Sugar Valley Rattlers, ringing us an easy 9-0 victory in the nightcap. Lefthander Herm Bahr (8-4 3.30) was magnificent as he stopped the Rattlers on just two hits, racking up six Ks and issuing just one base on balls for his third win in succession and 8th on the year. Second baseman Rudi Oliver (.341) singled in the fourth and left fielder Cy Bartz (.276) doubled in the eighth for the only hits off Bahr. Nickie Lynn (1-4 6.10) continued to struggle and caught another loss, surrendering seven runs and 14 hits in only five innings. The Lumberjacks hit three more homers, giving them an IPA high of 97 this season. They also belted 20 hits, giving them 37 in the twinbill. Shortstop Pops Keller (.311), third baseman Jesse Pearson (.275) and first baseman J. T. Edmonds (.242) collected home runs. Edmonds had four hits and three RBIs and Keller was 3-6 with three runs batted in.

The double win enabled second play Forest City (37-31) to chop a half-game off of first place Marston's (39-26) lead. They now trail the Nine by 3.5 games. The Rattlers (33-33) fell to 6.5 games off the pace.

Diamonds Defeat Westerners 5-4 in 11
In another single contest, utility outfielder Dan Molnar of Claxton had quite a game. He cracked a three-run homer in the ninth to tie the game and then he won it with an infield hit in the eleventh to edge Waleska 5-4. Molnar (.231) went 2-5 and drove in four runs to pace the Diamonds. Westerner starter Gary Hill (6-4 4.67) was protecting a 4-1 lead and had surrendered only two hits entering the ninth. Then Molnar stepped to the plate and sent the game into extra innings. Dennis Scott (7-6 4.29), a former starter, now turned closer, worked a very strong three innings, yielding only one hit and no runs with five strikeouts to get credit for the win. The loss went to Adrian Marsiske (3-2 2.78), who was tagged for one run and three hits in one and two-thirds innings. Waleska took a four-run advantage in the opening frame, highlighted by a three-run homer by left fielder Milt Carlson (.242). But the Westerners were blanked for the next ten innings by starter Alex Vanzetti (two innings) and relievers Pete Castellani (three innings), Chris Jauvert (two innings) and Scott (three innings).

With the defeat Waleska (33-33) fell back into a tie for third place with Sugar Valley (33-33). Both clubs are 6.5 games behind in the division standings. Claxton (30-38) is in the fifth spot and are 10.5 games out.

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Sunday, June 24, 2001

Tycobbian Union - East Division

Stallions Race by Ninjas 5-1
South Fork used the longball to knock off first place Ginza 5-1 at Jock Ewing Stadium. First baseman Keith Burke (.316) and right fielder Paul Giles (.272) both had roundtrippers to support Flint Battle's (9-6 2.50) capable pitching, who gave up ten hits, but only one run in the seven and two-thirds innings he worked. Glenn Turnbull (3-2 3.06) got the final four outs and fanned two of them for his 2nd save. Losing pitcher Vic Rousakis (8-7 3.40) went the distance, allowing five runs and eight hits with seven strikeouts and four walks.

Ginza dipped to a 37-30 record, but is still on top of the TU East Division. Fourth place South Fork improved to 32-35 and trails by 5 games.

Callahan Cools Off 'Canes 6-0
The Luxora Zorros ended a brief two-game losing slide with a 6-0 victory over Cape Coral at De la Vega Stadium in the opening game of a doubleheader. Keith Callahan, a young 20-year-old righthander had a superb outing, limiting the Hurricanes to just four hits. Callahan (6-6 3.09) walked only one and posted seven strikeouts. The Z's backed him with nine hits and were led by third baseman Rico Vina (.288) with two hits, two runs and his 9th home run, Right fielder Rickey Alfonso (.200) chipped in two RBIs and catcher Eric Richter (.346) and first baseman Paul Hallenbeck ).340) contributed two hits apiece. Absorbing the loss for Cape Coral was Wally Robinson (9-5 2.88), who was hit hard for five runs in five-plus innings.

CC Squeezes by Z's 2-1 in 11, Split Twinbill
The second game of the twinbill between Cape Coral and Luxora was a stirring pitchers' duel that went extra innings. The Hurricanes finally squeezed out a 2-1 victory behind the splendid performance of lefty Katsuyuki Nakashima, who pitched all 11 innings. First baseman Rodger Wooten (.289) decided it with a lead-off home run off losing pitcher Roberto Martinez (5-3 2.20), one of the best finishers in the IPA. It was Wooten 14th of the season. Nakashima (5-6 2.45) allowed eight hits, fanned two and walked two to gain the split. Johnny Montel (6-7 3.08) was also brilliant, going ten innings before he went out for a pinchhitter. Montel permitted eight hits, walked one and struck out seven. Both teams scored in the second inning. Cape Coral took the lead in the top half of the inning on shortstop Bobo Hatfield's (.262) solo homer, his 3rd this year. The Zorros tied it up 1-1 as third baseman Rico Vina (.288) crossed the plate, when shortstop Vince Cooper (.229) grounded into a double play. It stayed that way until the top of the eleventh.

The Hurricanes (36-31) picked up a half-game on first place Ginza (37-30) with the split. Cape Coral is second in the Tycobbian Union East race, just one game out of the top spot. Luxora (30-35) is last and is six games behind.

Hellcats Griffin Blanks Nats 4-0
The Hartsdale Hellcats took the opener of a twinbill with Ozarka 4-0 as Danny Griffin twirled a 7-hit shutout. The Hellcats busted up a scoreless tie with a three-run eruption in the last of the sixth. Catcher Kevin Haynie (.349) had an RBI ground out and right fielder Mel Poe (.263) delivered a two-run single. Griffin (6-7 3.24) fanned seven Nats and walked two in a sterling performance to outhurl Yasuyuki Nakagawa (7-7 2.83). Nakagawa allowed seven hits, struck out four, but walked six. He also hit a batter. There were no extra base hits in the game.

Nats Cunningham Beats Hellcats with HR
Ozarka gained a split in the doubleheader at Pioneer Park in Hartsdale with a tenth-inning homer by Doug Cunningham to nip the Hellcats 4-3. It was Cunningham's (.261) 18th roundtripper. Catcher Scotty Fisher (.191) also had a home run for the Naturals. Closer Alex DiMaggio (7-2 1.64) continued his great bullpen mastery with two scoreless innings for his 7th victory this year. He took over for starter Tony Didriksen (6-6 3.89), who pitched well in his eight innings, giving up three runs and six hits with seven Ks and a walk. Adam Falkenbach (1-3 4.05) was the loser. He gave up three hits and a run in the tenth. Glenn Mann (6-9 3.28) started for the Hellcats, allowed six hits and three runs, only one earned, in seven innings. Mann fanned eight and walked two in a fine effort. Hartsdale right fielder Mel Poe (.272) collected his 9th homer, a solo shot. He had three hits and scored two times.

Ozarka (34-33) is third in the division, only 3 games behind the leader, while Hartsdale (31-36) is fifth, 6 games behind.

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Sunday, June 24, 2001

Tycobbian Union - West Division

Viks Harrison Halts Frogs 4-2
Manager Walter Johnson of second place Bayview needed some pitching, so he traded for Jerry Harrison. So far, it looks like a good trade. Harrison pitched a 4-2 victory over first place Fairfax in the first game of the twinbill. Harrison (8-3 3.40) spread out eight hits, struck out three and walked one in a complete-game outing. He outpitched 10-game winner Jackie Leslie (10-3 3.19), who also went the distance, surrendering 10 hits, walking four and fanning four. In the sixth frame third baseman Bob Klostermann (.259) blooped a single to short right to drive in the eventual winning run. Second baseman Alan Hansen (.359) paced the Vikings with 3-5, an RBI double and a run scored. Left fielder Glenn Burns (.318) added two runs batted in. Fairfax second baseman Greg Inman (.276) doubled in a run in the second and third baseman Stan Cobb (.350) grounded out and drove in a run in the third. That put the Frogs up 2-1, but it didn't last. Harrison got stronger as the game went on.

Viks Sweep Frogs, Win Nightcap 7-3
The powerful first place Fairfax Frogs won the first two games of the series with runner-up Bayview in convincing manner, but the Vikings roared back and captured the last three games. Bayview took the nightcap 7-3 and swept the doubleheader to cut the Frogs division lead to 8 games. Trailing 3-2 in the top of the sixth, the Vikings ripped Robbie Meredith for four runs with the big blow coming off the bat of center fielder Dean Howell (.315). He put them ahead 4-3 with a two-run double. Left fielder Glenn Burns (.328) and catcher Scott Sykora (.292) had RBI singles and expanded the lead to 6-3. Frank Wells (6-4 3.61) was the winning hurler with great relief work from newcomer Ken Fairchild (0-0 0.00). Wells tossed six innings, permitted three runs, just one earned, and six hits. Fairchild closed it out with three scoreless innings for his first save. Meredith (9-2 2.82) got only his second loss of the season and was hit hard, allowing ten hits and six runs in five and two-thirds innings. Right fielder Gator Davis (.294) drove in all three Fairfax runs with a pair of hits. Davis has driven in 52 runs this year.

With the twin losses Fairfax dipped to 44-23 in the Tycobbian Union West Division and second place Bayview improved to 37-32, but still trail by 8 games.

Bucs Lundgren Stops Lynx 4-1
Going from the relief corps to a starting role can be a difficult process, but it has been easy for Adam Lundgren of the the Bay St. Clair Buccaneers. The 27-year-old righthander has won three straight starts. His latest victim was the La Claire Lynx 4-1. Lundgren (3-1 2.49) throttled them on five hits, fanned eight and walked three. The Bucs only got seven hits, but make good use of them. They scored two unearned runs in the first on Jose Valenzuela (.335) roundtripper and two more in the fourth on a passed ball and a double by Lundgren (.250). Tony Nygaard (2-4 3.42) was the losing pitcher as he gave up four runs - two earned - in four innings with four strikeouts.

Bay St. Clair (26-42) is sixth and last in the TU West standings, 18.5 games behind Fairfax (44-23), while La Claire (34-33) is in the third spot, 10 games out.

Blue Sox Skunk Champs on Clay's 6-Hitter
Six solitary singles and not a single run. That what Jay Clay of Blue Lake did to the Arlon Champions in his 7-0 triumph at Derby Downs. Clay (6-3 2.63) was in total command with 11 strikeouts and just one walk. The Blue Sox had some big bats, too, with 13 hits. Right fielder Fred Collins (.283) paced them with 2-for-5, two runs and three RBIs, including a double and a triple. Center fielder Donnie Frazier (.317) was 3-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI. Loser Ray Hunt (5-7 3.79) was gone early, leaving in the fourth after allowing five runs and six hits.

Blue Lake (29-37) is managed by Cobb Tyson and is fifth in the division, 14.5 games out. Arlon (32-35) piloted by Gary Louis is fourth, 12 games behind.

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times

Monday, June 25, 2001

Islandian Pro Alliance Leaderboard

Ruthlandian Union

Batting Average
Dave Davis (Far Mountain) .376
Ryan Morse (Forest City) .363
Scooter Perez (Volusia) .362
Gil Foster (Elnora) .359
Louis Sharp (Valmara) .358
Chuck Hill (Forest City) .351
Donny McCoy (Claxton) .346
Ken Green (Marston) .343
Ox Beauvais (Glasco) .342

Home Runs
Nicky Swift (Belair Beach) 27
Dixie Baker (Claxton) 20
Chuck Hill (Forest City) 19
Johnny Berthold (Marston) 17
Dennis Cole (Colfax) 17
Big Hoss Burkhalter (Waleska) 16
Jorge Vargas (Sugar Valley) 16
Jesse Wolf (Forest City) 16
Benny Davis (Forest City) 14

RBIs
Chuck Hill (Forest City) 64
Nicky Swift (Belair Beach) 63
Jan Szymanski (Valmara) 63
Big Hoss Burkhalter (Waleska) 59
Dixie Baker (Claxton) 58
Dennis Cole (Colfax) 57
Jesse Wolf (Forest City) 54
Jorge Vargas (Sugar Valley) 49
Johnny Berthold (Marston) 47

Hits
Ryan Morse (Forest City) 101
Tucker Hill (Colfax) 100
Scooter Perez (Volusia) 100
Donny McCoy (Claxton) 91
Bobby Ritter (Claxton) 90
Dave Davis (Far Mountain) 88
Gil Foster (Elnora) 88
Chuck Hill (Forest City) 88
Louis Sharp (Valmara) 88

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times

Monday, June 25, 2001

Elnora 2B Foster RU's Top Player
The Ruthlandian Union has selected its Player of the Week and the honor went to Gil Foster, Elnora's fine second baseman.

For the week he batted .520 (13-25) with 3 home runs, 6 runs and 8 RBIs.

This season in 66 games, Foster has hit at a .359 clip with 88 hits, 10 home runs, 37 RBIs and 42 runs scored.

CC's Mullins Sticks It to TU Pitchers
The Tycobbian Union made it official today: Danny Mullins is the Player of the Week.

He really stood out on the diamond this week with a .560 average to take home the award. The Cape Coral right fielder went 14-25, drove in 3 runs, scored 5 times and hit 1 home run.

To date this year Mullins is batting .341 with 6 home runs.

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Monday, June 25, 2001

Ruthlandian Union - North Division

Elnora Ends Redhawks Streak at 6
Last place Elnora ended Far Mountain's consecutive-game winning streak at 6 games with an easy 9-2 romp over the number one team in the Ruthlandian Union North. Carl Costas (4-8 3.46) was quite effective, stopping the Redhawks on seven hits and finishing up with seven strikeouts and two walks. The All-Star attack was led by left fielder Quincy Peterson (.294), who had a grand slam homer and second baseman Gil Foster (.361) with two hits and two RBIs.
Elnora punched out 10 hits. Costas (.313) even had two hits and scored twice. Stan Lamoreaux (5-2 4.69) got scalded for five hits and seven runs in just four innings. He also walked four in the loss.

Far Mountain (41-28) holds a 14-game edge over Elnora (27-42), who is in last place in the division.

Cole's HR Beats A's in 13th Inning
Skipper Clem Rogers got excellent work from his bullpen as his Colfax Blasters nudged past Glasco 6-5 in 13 innings at Mountain View Stadium. First baseman Dennis Cole (.303) slugged his 18th homer of the year with two outs in the thirteenth to give second place Colfax its sixth consecutive victory and Glasco's seventh defeat in a row. Six shutout innings by the relief corps paved the way. Walt Sellers (2-4 2.47) pitched the eighth and ninth, Jim Dreyer (1-0 3.67) the tenth through twelfth and winner Vic Jankovich (1-0 0.00) hurled the thirteenth. McDuffie Hughes also got a fine job from Bobby Joe Belvin (0-2 2.89), who worked six and two-thirds innings, but lost it. He gave up only one run, five hits with seven Ks and a walk. Glasco has now lost its last seven games. The Blasters notched 17 hits to 12 for the A's with catcher Jeff Cook (.246) getting two of them and driving in a pair of runs, center fielder Tatsuya Sasaki (.281) went 4-7 and left fielder Blinky Branton (.292) and right fielder Pat Lott (.270) both were 3-5. Glasco's top hitters were right fielder Lee McDougall (.289) and second baseman Barry McCord (.291), each with 3-6 and two RBIs. Center fielder Chet Reynolds (.293) was 2-6 and scored twice. McDougall hit his 3rd homer and pinchhitter Buck Bucholtz (.400) got his first. Colfax was helped by four double plays, which tied the IPA mark for an extra-inning game. The record was established on May 18, when Far Mountain turned four in a 14-inning affair against Colfax.

Colfax (38-30) is the number two team in the RU North race and trails first place Far Mountain (41-28) by 2.5 games. Glasco (32-34) continued it downward plunge and is now 7.5 games off the pace.

V's Deal Vipers 6th Loss
Volusia dealt Valmara more misery with its 6th loss in a row, pounding the Vipers at home 10-3 at Silver River Stadium. The Vigilantes racked up 15 hits as everybody in the lineup got at least one hit with center fielder Alex Luna (.262) leading the way with 3-for-5 and three RBIs, including his 8th home run. Catcher Jorge Rosado (.340) and second sacker Chaco Rivera (.239) contributed two RBIs apiece. Pitcher Lenny Collins (.364) even joined the party with 2-for-4, an RBI and a run scored. Collins (5-4 2.67) breezed past Valmara, checking them on seven hits and three runs with nine strikeouts and a walk. None of the runs were earned. Todd Turner (6-5 4.32) took the loss, giving up four runs in four innings.

The Vigilantes (33-35) under manager Alfonso Feliz have moved up into a third place tie with Glasco (32-34) and Valmara (33-35). All of are 7.5 games in back of the top club, the Far Mountain Redhawks (41-28).