ISLANDIAN PRO ALLIANCE (RUTHLANDIA and TYCOBBIA BASEBALL UNIONS)

[Eugene Church]

I need and would appreciate your feedback on this dynasty.

What could I do to improve it?

What is it lacking?

What are elements you don't like?

No offense will be taken for constructive criticism. Feel free to be candid.

[StLee]

Originally Posted by Eugene Church

I need and would appreciate your feedback on this dynasty.

What could I do to improve it?

What is it lacking?

What are elements you don't like?

No offense will be taken for constructive criticism. Feel free to be candid.

I know this is not what you are looking for in your questions up top, but I'll chime in to say this: after 46 years and 212 pages, I would say you're doing it right!

From a preference standpoint, a few more graphics could go a long way towards helping us remember key teams, games, players, etc. Otherwise, I think your dynasty is fantastic and doesn't really need improvement.

[Eugene Church]

Originally Posted by StLee

I know this is not what you are looking for in your questions up top, but I'll chime in to say this: after 46 years and 212 pages, I would say you're doing it right!

From a preference standpoint, a few more graphics could go a long way towards helping us remember key teams, games, players, etc. Otherwise, I think your dynasty is fantastic and doesn't really need improvement.

Thanks for the compliments. I will start using some graphics to spice up the pages.

I noticed your Uniforms link andI really enjoyed your wonderful uniforms. You are very talented.

The New Orleans Pelicans logo is great.

Incidentally, as a kid I used to go to Pelican Stadium in the early 50s to watch the Southern Association New Orleans Pelicans. The Southern Association is my all-time favorite baseball league. It featured the Atlanta Crackers (one of the greatest minor league franchises), Birmingham Barons, Memphis Chicks (short for Chickasaws), Nashville Vols, Chattanooga Lookouts, Little Rock Travelers, Mobile Bears and New Orleans Pelicans.

My favorite baseball Pels were pitcher Bob Purkey, outfielder Frank Thomas and first baseman Dale Long... all played for the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 50s and 60s.

I was ball boy for the Mobile Bears for about three years in the 50s. I sat in the right field bullpen and chased down foul balls. I was paid a dollar a game. Wow, those were some great years. My favorite Bears were Gary Bell, fine righty for Cleveland and Boston in the late 50s and 60s... Bill Dailey, fine reliever, though very short-lived because of arm trouble, for Minnesota in the early 60s (Dailey was the American League reliever of the year one year), Jim Gentile, slugger for Baltimore until Boog Powell replaced him... Dick Brown, good catcher for Detroit (sadly, I heard he died in an auto accident at a young age after a short Major League career... and Don Demeter, fine jouneyman center fielder for the Phillies and Tigers.

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Monday, September 24, 2046

2046 IPA DIVISION CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES - Game 6

Ruthlandian Union

REEDER OUSTS CLAXTON IN GAME 6
Valmara's Zak Reeder was on fire with 12 strikeouts in game six of the Ruthlandian Division Series as he blew away the Claxton Diamonds 4-1 to cop the series four games to two... Reeder (1-1.4,11) rebounded from a mediocre game three performance with a sizzling outing... he stopped the Diamonds on one run and seven hits, walking only one batsman... the Vipers were fueled by homers by Jacek Prusak (.286) and Ken Jensen (.400) among their nine base hits... Steven Ellison (1-1/2.70) also went the route, but lost... he was tagged for four runs, while walking one and fanning three.

Prusak popped a two-run homer and paced the Vipers with two hits... CF Don Ritchie (.381) also drilled a pair of hits... Valmara never trailed in the game, taking a 2-0 lead on Prusak's first inning clout... 1B Jojo DeLucca (.364) narrowed it to one run with his third roundtripper of the series in the top of the second... the Vipers added single runs in the fifth and seventh to eliminate the Diamonds... DeLucca had three hits and SS Stevie Wynn (.238) two in defeat.

Valmara skipper Vanya Vasylenko told the press, "Our pitching sustained us... Primo was great in both his starts and we got one win from Teddy and Zak... our bats could have been better, but they were sufficient... we know we will have to do better to get past Rocky Rapids in the RU title series... they were very inpressive against Sugar Valley... sweeping them in the Division Series."

Claxton manager Dixie Baker complimented the Viper pitchers... "Sirak was outstanding in both games... and Twardzik and Reeder each won a game... our offense was lacking... that was the story of our entire season and carried over into the playoffs... DeLucca was our only reliable threat."

Valmara now advances to the Ruthlandian title series against powerful Rocky Rapids... the Snappers defeated last year's IPA champion Sugar Valley in a four-game sweep... the opening game is set to be played at Snapper Stadium in Rocky Rapids... the Vipers are rated the sixth best club in the Pro Cup playoffs, while the Snappers ranked third in The Islandian Times poll.

Tycobbian Union

ALOMAR HOMERS TOO MUCH FOR SUMMERLAND
Robinson Alomar certainly stood tall at the plate on at least two occasions in game six of the Tycobbian Division Championship Series... with Hartsdale down 2-0 in the ninth, Alomar sent one soaring into the stands to tie it up at 2-2 and send the game into overtime... then in the bottom of the thirteenth he launched a three-run homer to propel the Hellcats past the Summerland Sunsets 5-2 and advance them to the Tycobbian League Championship Series against the winner of the Red Bluff-Kenwood series... Alomar (.261) drove all five Hellcat runs... Jimmy Howard (1-0/1.29) registered the win with five runless innings... he gave up only two hits from the ninth to the thirteenth... the loss went to Steven McLeod (0-1), who was tagged for the game-winning fourbagger.

Perry Givens started for Hartsdale and worked eight strong innings, yielding only two runs on five hits with five Ks and three bases on balls... Summerland used Jacob Gillen for the first nine innings... he blanked the Hellcats for eight innings before Alomar homered in the ninth... Billy King relieved him and held the Hellcats scoreless in the tenth and the eleventh.

The Sunsets took a 2-0 lead in the first inning... 3B Alex Abbotson (.348) homered and CF Antonio Vasquez doubled in a run... it was the third roundtripper in the postseason for Abbotson... in addition to the great day Alomar had, Hartsdale's top hitters were CF Darrell Nesbitt (.286), LF Marv Shaw (.316), 1B John Ford (.435) and C Frank Penn (.250), all with a pair of hits.

RED SOX TOP WILDCATS IN WILD FINISH, SERIES TIED
It was a wild finish in Red Bluff when the Red Sox rallied for two runs in the last of the eighth for a 5-4 victory that tied the Tycobbian Division Series at three games and forced a game seven... Gregg Campbell had a 4-3 lead, but couldn't hold it because of his wildness... in the decisive inning Campbell walked the first three batters to load up the bases for a game-tying sacrifice fly by SS Leemond O'Donovan (,250)... then he uncoiled a wild pitch that provided the eventual winning score... Campbell (0-2/6.75) walked seven all total, gave up five runs on five hits, but went the distance... George Reynolds (1-0/0.00) got the win for the Red Sox by working two scoreless innings in relief of starter Jack Wallace, who allowed four runs on five hits in his seven innings stint, but only two were earned.

RF David Kelso (.462) continued to blister the Wildcats with two roundtrippers, three RBIs and three runs scored... Kelso leads the playoffs with 13 RBIs... O'Donovan has driven in 9 runs in the postseason for the Red Sox... LF Jesse Shaw (.370) scored twice and posted two hits... Kenwood was led by 2B Country Crowder (.400) with two hits and two RBIs, while 3B Charley Brandenberg (.263) had a solo homer.

In the seventh game finale it will be Jud Cox (1-0/2.16) for the homestanding Red Sox, opposed by Tommy Carter (0-1/6.52) for the Wildcats... Carter took game one 3-2, but was massacred in game four 9-4... Cox lost the first one, but got the win in the fourth one.

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Tuesday, September 25, 2046

2046 IPA DIVISION CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES - Game 7

Tycobbian Union

O'DONOVAN'S HOMER SENDS RED BLUFF TO TU LCS
Game seven of the Tycobbian Division Series was magnificently played by both teams... neither one deserved to lose it and go home for the long, long winter... but alas, one had to win and one had to lose... the Red Bluff Red Sox and Kenwood Wildcats battled for 11 innings before it was decided by Leemon O'Donovan's 345-foot homer that just barely cleared the left field fence that sent the Red Sox fans into euphoria and advanced the club to the Tycobbian Union League Championship Series against the Hartsdale Hellcats.

It was an intense contest with super pitching... Tommy Carter tossed nine standout innings for Kenwood, limiting the Red Sox to just one unearned run on nine hits ... Carter fanned four and walked only one... Jud Cox started for Red Bluff and went eight sparkling innings, permitting just one unearned run on six hits with six Ks and no walks... the Wildcats' wonderful reliever Mike Jones (1-1/3.38) came on in the tenth and lost it in the 11th... George Reynold was the second Red Sox hurler... he worked a runless ninth... the win went to Carson Jamara (1-0/2.08), who blanked Kenwood in the 10th and the 11th and struck out four of the six men he faced.

Kenwood drew first blood in the top of the fourth frame... 2B Country Crowder (.400) reached second base on an error by shortstop Leemon O'Donovan, moved over to third base on a ground-out, then scored on a single by SS Ben Daniels (.286)... the game stayed 1-0 until the last of the ninth, when CF Ike Sweetwater got on base via an error by second baseman Country Crowder and was promptly driven around to score on C Ed Warren's (.227) clutch double.

Red Bluff had the edge in hits 11 to 7... 1B Josh Stevens (.313) got three of them and LF Jesse Shaw (.375) had a pair... Crowder (.400) and CF Rod Foster (.346) led Kenwood with two hits apiece.

This was the second straight year Red Bluff had to come back from 2-0 deficits and whip Kenwood in seven games... manager Jim Schubert said, "Can you believe we did it two years in a row?... it was even tougher this year... Kelso saved our butts in game six and Cox, Warren and O'Donovan did it today... and it ain't gonna get any easier with Hartsdale on the horizon."

A frustrated Aaron Hankins, manager of the Wildcats, said it was deja vu all over again. "Hey, I'm too old for this... we had them down for the count the last two years and couldn't KO them off either time... I was disappointed last year, but this is just too, too hard to take... it was ours for the taking... Wallace and Cox came up big for them in games six and seven... but we just couldn't shut down the Red Sox bats, especially Kelso and O'Donovan."

[moonlightmerc]

I really enjoy reading your dynasty and I'm impressed that you kept it going for so long. I wish I could stick with my games for more then a few months without starting over.

[Eugene Church]

Here are logos of the other three playoff teams.

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Wednesday, September 26, 2046

SNAPPERS, HELLCATS FAVORED IN LCS
The Pro Cup favorite and defending IPA champ Sugar Valley Rattlers are long gone after being swept away in the first round of the playoffs. However, the two next best teams are still alive and well. The second-rated club Hartsdale took care of number four Summerland in six games, while third-ranked Rocky Rapids easily disposed of Sugar Valley in four games. For the Tycobbian League Championship Hartsdale will now faces number five Red Bluff, victor in a tough seven-game set with Kenwood and in Ruthlandia it will be Rocky Rapids challenged by the sixth-rated Valmara Vipers.

Both Rocky Rapids and Hartsdale played well in the Division Series and are the choice of the oddsmakers in the LCS round, but neither one of them are a lock. Valmara and Red Bluff are capable of upsetting them. The Pro Cup playoffs are still a toss-up with four pretty evenly-match teams. The Snappers and Hellcats are slightly favored to win in the semi-final round with Rocky Rapids expected to win it all.

ROCKY RAPIDS:
Best Postseason Pitchers: SP Jamie Taylor (2-0/2.65), RP Steve Owens (0-0/0.00/2 saves)
Best Postseason Batters: RF Jose Ramos (.438/1/2/7), C Carney Kirkpatrick (.400/0/5/2)
Key Players: SP Jamie Taylor (2-0/2.65), SP Robby Barnhill (1-0/3.00), SP Buster Noland (1-0/5.14), RF Steve Owens (0-0/0.00/2 saves), 2B Marty Featherstone (.267/1/2.3), 3B Duncan Musselwhite (.176/0/0/1), RF Jose Ramos (.438/1/2/7), C Carney Kirkpatrick (.400/0/5/2)

VALMARA:
Best Postseason Pitchers: SP Primo Sirak (2-0/1.00)
Best Postseason Batters: 2B Ken Jensen (.400/1/1/4), LF Jacek Prusak (.286/2/4/3), RF Jimmy Logan (.333/1/3/4), CF Don Ritchie (.381/0/0/3)
Key Players: SP Primo Sirak (2-0/1.00), SP Teddy Twardzik (1-1/3.86), SP Zak Reeder (1-1/4.11), RP Paul Holloway (0-0/0.00/0 saves), 2B Ken Jensen (.400/1/14), LF Jacek Prusak (.268/2/4/3), RF Jimmy Logan (.333/1/3/4), CF Don Ritchie (.381/0/03), 1B Cain Greene (.136/0/1/0), SS Antos Dacko (.136/1/3/1), 3B Jose Vargas (.444/1/1/2), 3B Jorge Aparicio (.154/1/1/1)

HARTSDALE:
Best Postseason Pitchers: SP Kippy Wilhelm (2-0/2.12), SP Perry Givens (0-1/2.40), SP Gil Younger (1-1/3.86), RP Alfonso Cervera (0-0/0.00/1 save), RP Jimmy Howard (1-0/1.29)
Best Postseason Batters: 1B John Ford (.435/0/3/1), RF Emilian Burgess (.320/1/6/4), SS Robinson Alomar (.261/2/5/3), LF Marv Shaw (.316/0/1/6)
Key Players: SP Gil Younger (1-1/3.86), SP Perry Givens (0-1/2.40), SP Kippy Wilhelm (3-0/2.12), RP Alfonzo Cervera (0-0/0.00/1 save), CF Darrell Nesbitt (.286/0.2.2), RF Emilian Burgess (.320/1/6/4), 1B John Ford (.435/0/3/1), 3B Greg Melton (.250/0.0/3), LF Marv Shaw (.316/0/1.6), SS Robinson Alomar (.262/2/5/3), C Frank Penn (.250/0/2/3)

RED BLUFF:
Best Postseason Pitchers: SP Jud Cox (1-0/1.46), SP Jack Wallace (1-0/1.69), RP Carson Jamara (1-0/2.08/0 saves), RP George Reynolds (1-0/0.00/0 saves)
Best Postseason Batters: RF David Kelso (.387/3/13/10), SS Leemon O'Donovan (.240/3/10/4), 3B Fran Blanchard (.333/0/5/2), 1B Josh Stevens (.313/0/2/5), LF Jesse Shaw (.375/0/0/8)
Key Players: starters Jud Cox, Mickey Rosen (0-2/6.14) and Jack Wallace (1-0/1.69), relievers Carson Jamara (1-0/0.00/no saves) and George Reynolds (1-0/0.00/no saves), RF David Kelso, SS Leemon O'Donovan, 3B Fran Blanchard, 1B Josh Stevens, CF Ike Sweetwater (.222/1/1/4), LF Jesse Shaw (.375/0/0/8)

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES, September 25, 2046
Friday, September 28, 2046

2046 IPA LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES - Game 1

Ruthlandian Union

SIRAK STOPS SNAPPERS 3-1 IN RU OPENER
Rocky Rapids rolled into Valmara, fresh off a four-game sweep of last year's Pro Cup winner Sugar Valley, but were soundly silenced by Primo Sirak 3-1 in the opening game of the Ruthlandian League Championship Series at War Memorial Stadium... it was Sirak's (3-0/1.04) third win of the postseason... in another superlative start, he held the Snappers to one run on five hits, struck out 11 and walked only one, but he did get one inning's worth of help from Paul Holloway, who got the last three outs in the game for his first postseason save... 30-game winner Jamie Taylor (2-1/2.52) pitched well enough to win, but didn't get much in the way of run support... Taylor tossed a complete game, gave up only two earned runs on six hits, walked four and fanned two.

The Vipers got all three runs in the first three frames... in the first CF Don Ritchie (.360) got on base on an error, stole second and scored on 1B Cain Greene's (.240) RBI single... Valmara added two more runs in the third when Greene singled in a another run and 3B Jorge Aparicio (.118) got an RBI ground-out... Greene paced the Vipers with three hits in three at bats... the Snappers' only score came in the ninth... 2B Marty Featherstone (.333) walked, was doubled to third by C Carney Kirkpatrick (.474) and scored on 1B Masaharu Kawasaki's (.105) deep sacrifice fly... Kirkpatrick notched three hits for the Snappers and Featherstone collected two... Kirkpatrick slammed two doubles... Both squads had six hits apiece.

Tycobbian Union

HARTSDALE HOLDS OFF RED BLUFF 6-5 IN GAME 1
Opening up at home at Pioneer Stadium, the Hartsdale Hellcats leaped out to a 6-0 margin after two innings, but then had to fight off the rallying Red Bluff Red Sox in the first game of the Tycobbian League Championship Series... the Hellcats prevailed 6-5, but the Red Sox made it interesting... in a winning, but sub-par effort, Gil Younger (2-1/3.91) went all the way, enduring 13 hits and giving up five runs... he got the best of Red Sox ace Jud Cox (1-1/1.71), who was tagged for six runs on 11 hits in seven innings, but only two runs were earned.

Igniting the Hellcats' offense were SS Robinson Alomar (.333) with three hits and two RBIs, 2B Myrt Breland (.348) with two hits, an RBI and a run, 3B Greg Melton (.286) with two hits, two runs and an RBI, and C Frank Penn (.292) with two hits and a run scored... tops at the plate for the Red Sox were 3B Fran Blanchard (.324) with a homer, single and two RBIs, 1B Josh Stevens (.351) scored twice and had three hits and LF Jesse Shaw (.378) socked a pair of hits.

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Saturday, September 29, 2046

2046 IPA LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES - Game 2

Ruthlandian Union

TWARDZIK TAMES SNAPPERS 2-1, VIPS WIN AGAIN
For the second day in a row the underdog Valmara Vipers stopped the big guns of the favored Rocky Rapids Snappers... portsider Teddy Twardzik picked up where Primo Sirak left off and shackled the Snappers 2-1 on just five singles in game two of the Ruthlandian Championship Series... the Vipers have now taken the first two games of the best-of-seven series... Twardzik (2-1/2.84) was effectively wild... he walked six batters, but escaped trouble with the help of three double plays... Rocky Rapids also got an impressive start from Robby Barnhill (1-1/2.65), who allowed 10 hits, but only two runs in going all the way.

In the first frame, Valmara put together four singles by 2B Ken Jensen (.375), CF Don Ritchie (.357), 1B Cain Greene (.310) and 3B Jose Vargas (.462) to get all the runs they needed...RF Jason Wagsdale and Vargas got the RBIs... two walks led to Rocky Rapids only score in the second inning... Greene had three hits to lead the Vipers at the plate with help from Vargas and Jensen, each with a pair of hits... Snapper 1B Masaharu Kawasaki (.217) smacked three hits for the losers.

Tycobbian Union

HELLCATS SKIM BY RED SOX AGAIN, 2 GAMES UP
Kippy Wilhelm is proving to be a lifesaver for the Hartsdale Hellcats... he skimmed by the Red Bluff Red Sox 3-2 in game two to put the Hellcats in the driver's seat in the Tycobbian League Championship Series with a two-nothing lead in the best-of-seven set... it was his third consecutive postseason victory... Wilhelm worked eight strong innings, striking out 10 Red Sox, walking only one and permitting only two runs on six hits... he gave way to closer Alfonso Cervera in the ninth, who chalked up his second save in the playoffs... in a good outing for Red Bluff, Mickey Rosen (0-3/5.16) hurled a complete game, yielding three runs on nine hits with four walks and five Ks.

Hartsdale got two runs in the last of the second on back-to-back doubles by C Frank Penn (.286) and SS Robinson Alomar (.323)... Wilhelm's ground-out got Alomar in with the second run of the inning... 1B John Ford (.355) went deep in the third for the decisive score... Red Bluff cut it to 3-2 in the top of the fifth on a two-run single by LF Jesse Shaw (.366), but couldn't get any closer.

The Hellcats picked up nine hits with RF Emilian Burgess (.333) and 2B Myrt Breland (.385) both getting two hits each... the Red Sox were held to six hits... leading them was SS Leemon O'Donovan (324) with a pair of hits.

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Sunday, September 30, 2046

2046 IPA LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES - Game 3

Ruthlandian Union

ROCKY RAPIDS SNAPS OUT OF IT, TOPS VIPERS 6-3
Rocky Rapids snapped a two-game losing streak against Valmara in the Ruthlandian LCS to get back into the series... the Snapper bats came alive with 13 hits to top the Vipers 6-3 in game three at home at Snapper Stadium... starting pitcher Buster Noland (2-0/3.46) notched the win, surviving six walks in the process... Noland fanned six batters in six innings and limited the Vipers to one run on five hits... Noland was ahead 4-1 when he left the game and three relievers managed to hold on for the win.

Leading the Snapper attack were C Carney Kirkpatrick (.423) and RF Jose Ramos (.346) with homers, two hits and two RBIs apiece... SS Nick Nova (.292) added two hits, scored twice and batted in a run... and 3B Duncan Musselwhite (.202) cracked a pair of hits and scored once... Valmara collected 10 hits with LF Jacek Prusak (.310) getting two of them, including his third postseason home run... 3B Jose Vargas (.471) also had two hits for the Vipers.

Zak Reeder (1-2/4.87), the Valmara starter, posted the loss, going five innings and giving up four runs on eight hits.

Tycobbian Union

HELLCATS WIN THIRD STRAIGHT ON BURGESS HR IN 14TH
For 14 innings it was nip-and-tuck and back-and-forth before the Hartsdale Hellcats finally won a homer-fest with Red Bluff 7-6... in the top half of the 14th the Hellcats scored twice on a triple by Darrell Nesbitt and a sac fly by Marv Shaw, followed by Emilian Burgess' solo homer...Burgess' blast proved to the be the difference as the Red Sox rallied with its fourth homer of the game in the bottom half of the inning, a one-run shot by Jesse Shaw... the Hellcats also pounded four out of the park in a 14-hit flurry... all three wins by the Hellcats have been by one run.

In addition to Burgess' (.342) game-winner, Greg Melton (.333), Robinson Alomar (.343) and Myrt Breland (.406) also went deep for Hartsdale... it was Alomar's third of the playoff, Burgess' second and the first for Melton and Breland... heading up the HR brigade for the Red Sox was David Kelso (.356) with a pair of blasts... Kelso now has hit five in the postseason and has driven in 17 runs... Bailey Norcross of Middlefield holds the all-time playoff HR mark with 8 in 2005... while Barney Lewis of Southport drove in 23 runs in the 2044 postseason... Leemon O'Donovan (.300) chipped in his fourth playoff homer, while it was the first for Shaw (.354).

Breland and Melton sparked the Hellcats with three hits each and Shaw, Alomar and Burgess got two apiece... Kelso was tops for the Red Sox with two hits, four RBIs and two runs scored... Shaw had a pair of hits, scored a pair and homered.

Jimmy Howard (2-0/1.64) claimed the win with four solid innings of relief... he worked the 11th through 14th, gave up only two hits and one run... the loss went to Carson Jamara (1-1/2.00), who went four and two-thirds innings, allowed just two hits and one run, while fanning five and walking three.

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Monday, October 1, 2046

2046 IPA LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES - Game 4

Ruthlandian Union

SNAPPERS SNEAK BY VIPERS 2-1, TAYLOR EVENS SERIES
Two of the best twirlers in the IPA went at in game four of the Ruthlandian League Championship Series and it was something to behold... Jamie Taylor, 30-game winner for Rocky Rapids, just barely got the best of Valmara's 24-game winner Primo Sirak to even up the best-of-seven series at two games each... Both of them hurled complete games... in a sharp performance Taylor (3-1/1.85) checked the Vipers on one unearned run and five hits, struck out five and walked three... while Sirak (3-1/1.06) caught his first loss of the postseason, but was a tough competitor, allowing only one earned run and nine hits... Sirak walked four and fanned four.

Valmara got a 1-0 lead in the top of the fourth... LF Jacek Prusak (.303) led off the inning with a single, then left fielder Buddy Hamilton mishandled 1B Cain Greene's (.324) base hit and the runners went to second and third respectively... 3B Jose Vargas (.400) grounded out to third base and plated the first run of the game... in the bottom of the sixth the Snappers took charge with two runs... with one away LF Buddy Hamilton (.231) and 2B Marty Featherstone (.310) singled back-to-back and C Carney Kirkpatrick (.379) walked to fill the bases... RF Jose Ramos (.333) hit into a force at second to knot it up at 1-1... then shortstop Antos Dacko botched 1B Masaharu Kawasaki's (.161) groundball for the eventual winning score... Hamilton led the Snappers with two hits and Greene got two for the Vipers... there were no extra-base hits in the game.

Tycobbian Union

COX KEEPS RED BLUFF ALIVE, STOPS HARTSDALE 4-2
Red Bluff needed a big game from Jud Cox in game four of the Tycobbian LCS at Red Bluff Park and got it... Cox kept the Red Sox from being swept by the Hartsdale Hellcats with a 4-2 triumph to keep them alive in the series... the Hellcats won the first three games... Cox (2-1/1.82) struck out seven, walked just one, gave up nine hits, but only two runs... he left for a pinchhitter in the eighth with reliever George Reynolds pitching a 1-2-3 ninth for the save... the losing pitcher was Gil Younger (2-2/3.77), who was tagged for four runs on nine hits and had five walks and five Ks.

Younger was looking good through five frames with a 2-1 lead, but the Red Sox stuck him for single runs in the sixth, seventh and eighth to cop the win... LF David Kelso (.347) banged his sixth postseason homer for the game-winner in the seventh... 2B Big Boy Payne (.217) finally snapped out of his playoff funk with three hits and three runs... Jud Cox (.429) drove in two runs for the Red Sox... topping the Hellcats at the plate were CF Darrell Nesbitt (.261) with three hits in four tries and C Frank Penn (.297) with two hits.

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Tuesday, October 2, 2046

2046 IPA LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES - Game 5

Ruthlandian Union

VIPERS VAULT PAST SNAPPERS 7-4 IN 11 INNINGS
Don Ritchie was a one-man show in game five of the Ruthlandian LCS... he drove in 5 runs in the Valmara 7-4 victory in 11 innings over Rocky Rapids pushing his Vipers into a one-game lead, three games to two... Ritchie led the Valmara 15-hit attack with a three-run homer in the third and a two-run two-bagger in the decisive 11th... winning pitcher Teddy Twardzik (3-1/3.06) did a credible job on the hill, going 10 innings, giving up four runs on 6 hits, but walked six, while striking out three batters... Paul Holloway put away the Snappers in the last of the 11th, but didn't breeze through them as they got two runners aboard and had the tying run at the plate with one away... Holloway (0-0/3.00) got the final two outs for the save, his second in the playoffs... the defeat went to closer Steve Owens (0-1/4.50), who struggled mightily... he was tagged for 7 hits in just two innings... Snapper starter Rusty Barnhill (1-1/3.12) had a decent outing... in his nine innings he allowed four runs on 8 hits with four walks and eight strikeouts.

Ritchie (.366) and RF Jason Wagsdale (.333) both socked three hits for Valmara... Rocky Rapids' top bat was 2B Marty Featherstone (.303) with a two-run homer and 3B Duncan Musselwhite (.237) with two hits and two runs scored... the Snappers were held to just seven hits.

Valmara will get chance to wrap up the series on its own home grounds with the next two games slated for War Memorial Stadium. The Vipers have the home-field advantage... during the playoffs the Vipers are unbeaten at home in five games... the Snappers have split four road games in the postseason.

Tycobbian Union

RED SOX RALLY PAST HELLCATS 5-4, STILL TRAIL 3-2
After dropping the first three games of the Tycobbian League Championship Series to Hartsdale, the Red Bluff Red Sox are making a stand... they rallied for a thirteen-inning 5-4 win in game five at Red Bluff Park to cut the Hellcat lead to three games to two... the series returns to Hartsdale for the rest of the games... the Hellcats haven't lost a playoff game this season at Pioneer Park... they are unbeaten in five games, while the Red Sox are 2-3 in away games.

Red Bluff trailed 3-1 going into the last of the eighth, but got a clutch two-run homer from Josh Stevens (.250) to tie it... Hartsdale went up 4-3 on a solo shot by Frank Penn (.349) in the top of the ninth, only to have Big Boy Payne (.220) send it to overtime with a game-tying smash... small ball won it for the Red Sox in the 13th... Ike Sweetwater (.229) got a bunt base hit to lead off the inning... pinchrunner Nate Kernell was sacrificed to second base... then he came around to score the winning run when second baseman Benjy Tate misplayed David Kelso's (.327) ground ball and let it go through his legs into the outfield.

Red Bluff reliever George Reynolds (2-0/1.35) was outstanding... he stopped the Hellcats on one run and three hits in his six innings... Reynolds fanned five and walked two for the win... he came on for starter Mickey Rosen (0-3/3.94) in the eighth frame and went the rest of the way... in a tough loss Alfonso Cervera (0-1/1.08) worked three and one-third innings in relief of starter Kippy Wilhelm (3-0/3.65)... Cervera only allowed one hit in his stint and the winning run was unearned.

Red Bluff was held to eight hits with 3B Fran Blanchard (.269) and CF Ike Sweetwater (.229) getting two each... Blanchard went deep for the Red Sox, one of their three homers... Hartsdale hammered out 13 hits with C Frank Penn (.349) getting four of them... three players got a pair each: CF Darrell Nesbitt (.269), 1B John Ford (.311) and 3B Greg Melton (.341)... Penn homered and doubled and Nesbitt had a three-bagger.

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Wednesday, October 3, 2047

2046 IPA LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES - Game 6

Ruthlandian Union

SNAPPERS EDGE VIPS 7-6, TIED 3-3
Rocky Rapids fought off Valmara 7-6 in game six of the RU LCS at War Memorial Stadium... the Snappers dealt the Vipers their first loss of the playoffs at home, running up a 7-3 lead in the eighth and then holding on for dear life as the Vipers rallied, but came up short... the best-of-seven series is now knotted up at three wins apiece with game seven tomorrow afternoon, also in Valmara... it's a mound matchup made in Heaven with 30-game winner Jamie Taylor (3-1/1.85) going for Rocky Rapids and he will be opposed by 24-winner Primo Sirak (3-1/1.06) for Valmara... they have already battled twice in the series with Sirak winning 3-1 in the opener and Taylor getting the nod 2-1 in game four... tomorrow's winner will be crowned champion of the Ruthlandian Union and will meet the Tycobbian champ for the IPA Pro Cup trophy.

1B Masaharu Kawasaki (.150) paved the way with a three-run roundtripper in the fourth, putting the Snappers ahead 4-3... 2B Marty Featherstone (.316) also went deep with a solo shot... Featherstone had two hits and two RBIs... C Carney Kirkpatrick (.351) also swatted a pair of hits and drove in a run... and 3B Duncan Musselwhite (.238) batted in a run, too... both clubs picked up 10 hits each... LF Jacek Prusak (.282) led the Vipers with two runs batted in... while CF Don Ritchie (.378) and RF Jimmy Logan (.333) both delivered two hits and drove in a run... 3B Jose Vargas (.357) had an RBI, too.

The winning pitcher was Buster Noland (3-0/4.29)... it was tough, but he survived eight innings, giving up five runs on nine hits... closer Steve Owens registered his third save, but it was a shaky one... before Owens got the final out, he gave up a run in the ninth, which cut the Snapper lead to one run.

Zak Reeder (1-3/5.46) was the loser in an ineffective performance... Rocky Rapids rocked him for seven runs and nine hits in seven and two-thirds innings... Reeder walked four and fanned seven.

Tycobbian Union

RED SOX TIE SERIES 6-4, STEVENS HR WINS IN 10TH
Josh Stevens belted two out of the park in game six of the Tycobbian LCS with the last one coming in the 10th inning and giving Red Bluff a 6-4 victory over the Hartsdale Hellcats to deadlock the best-of-seven series at three games each... this was the first time in the postseason that the Hellcats had lost at Pioneer Park... the home streak ended at five.

Game seven will be tomorrow at Pioneer Park with 26-game winner Jud Cox (2-1/1.82) getting the assignment for the Hellcats and 28-game winner Gil Younger (2-2/3.77) taking the hill for Red Bluff... Younger took the opening game of the series 6-5, while Cox got revenge in game four 4-2.

Hitting hero Josh Stevens drove in five runs with three hits for Red Bluff... he also had a triple in addition to the two longballs... Stevens has poled three homers in the playoffs so far... RF David Kelso (.300) has hit 6 home runs in the postseason and leads the Red Sox with 18 RBIs... SS Leemon O'Donavan (.260) is second with 4 homers and 12 RBIs and Stevens (.279) third with 3 roundtrippers and 9 runs driven in.

The Red Sox rebounded from a 3-0 deficit after five innings... but Hellcat starter Perry Givens weakened in the late innings and allowed the Red Sox to rally... Red Bluff eventually took a 4-3 lead in the top of the eighth, but starter Jack Wallace couldn't hold it... Hartsdale tied it up at 4-all in the last of the eighth, sending the game to extra innings... Wallace (2-0/2.81) got credit for the victory... over nine frames he fanned nine, walked four, permitted four runs on seven hits... George Reynolds saved it for him with a perfect tenth... it was Reynolds' second save in the postseason... Jimmy Howard (2-1/2.77) suffered the loss, surrendering two runs on four hits in his two innings.

Hartsdale was sparked at the plate by RF Emilian Burgess (.294) with two RBIs... the other two runs were driven in by SS Robinson Alomar (.326) and pinchhitter Danny Marks (.429)... Alomar tops the Hellcats with 13 RBIs and Burgess is second with 10... CF Darrell Nesbitt (.263) scored twice for the Hellcats.

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Thursday, October 4, 2047

2046 IPA LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES - Game 7

Ruthlandian Union

VALMARA UPSETS SNAPPERS IN SEVEN
The number-six pick Valmara upset the number-three pick Rocky Rapids for the Ruthlandian League crown in seven games... Primo Sirak, pitching at home, came up big in a 5-3 win over the Snappers and 30-game winner Jamie Taylor... Sirak (4-1/1.49) whipped Taylor for the second time in the series, permitting three runs on eight hits with three walks and four strikeouts... Sirak (.125) also doubled in two critical runs in the last of the fourth frame to tie the score at 3-3... later in the same inning LF Jacek Prusak's (.293) sac fly gave the Vipers the lead and CF Don Ritchie (.388) made it 5-3 with an RBI single... closer Paul Holloway (2.45) relieved in the ninth and registered his second save... with one away and one runner on he got the final two outs on a double-play ball.

In a disappointing complete-game outing Jamie Taylor (3-2/2/57) was touched for five runs and eight hits in defeat... he fanned four and walked four... Each club had eight hits... Ritchie led Valmara with a pair of hits, while 2B Marty Featherstone (.341) and C Carney Kirkpatrick (.366) garnered two hits apiece for the Snappers.

At the press conference after the game, Viper manager Vanya Vasylenko spoke to the media and said, "Sirak was the key... he really is a special pitcher... and Ritchie and Prusak came through for us at the plate... beating Rocky Rapids says something... the Snappers are a strong club with very few weaknesses... we feel that we will represent Ruthlandia well in the Pro Cup Finals... we won it in 2043 and it sure would be nice to add another one to our trophy case."

Hank Bethel, the Snapper skipper, reiterated the words of Vasylenko, "Primo Sirak is certainly one fine pitcher... take him out of the equation and Rocky Rapids is headed to the IPA Finals... no excuses... we gave it a very good shot... sweeping Sugar Valley was fantastic... but we couldn't get past the Vipers."

Tycobbian Union

5 HOMERS TOO MUCH, HARTSDALE DOWNS RED BLUFF 8-2
On a three-game losing streak, Hartsdale had to win game seven of the Tycobbian League Championship Series on the road... the Hellcats' five homers made it fairly easy as they powered by Red Bluff 8-2 to capture the series four games to three and advance into the IPA Pro Cup Finals against the Valmara Vipers, the champion of the Ruthlandian Union.

Greg Melton (.333) walloped two out of the park to ignite the victory and Robinson Alomar (.314), John Ford (.283) and Darrell Nesbitt (.279) also put runs on the scoreboard with roundtrippers... Hartsdale also got a route-going performance from Gil Younger (3-2/3.38), who limited hard-hitting Red Bluff to just two runs and eight hits in game seven... Jud Cox (2-2/2.58) was treated harshly by the Hellcats... they bashed him for four homers, seven runs and 10 hits in five-plus innings... it was 7-1 when he departed for the day.

Melton had two homers and three RBIs for the winners, who collected 12 hits... Nesbitt, RF Emilian Burgess (.304) and LF Marv Shaw (.286) all chipped in with two hits apiece... 2B Myrt Breland (.311) scored twice and 1B John Ford had a homer and two runs batted in... Jud Cox (.438) went deep in defeat for the Red Sox and C Ed Warren (.261) posted two hits and drove in a run.

"When you lose a 3-0 lead in a series, you don't take anything for granted." That was winning manager Jud Turchin's comments after the Hellcats' victory in game seven. "We knew we had a good team, but we couldn't finish off the Red Sox... luckily Younger slowed 'em down and we hit the heck out of the ball."

Upbeat and downcast at the same time, vanquished Red Bluff manager Jim Schubert said, "It was quite a series until game seven when we just didn't have a good day... but we sure fought them hard in all six games... I'm especially proud that we came back from 3-0 and almost won the series... that's speaks volumes for our team's character and resilience."

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Saturday, October 6, 2046

HELLCATS IN 7 IN PRO CUP FINALS
Here are your choices in the IPA Pro Cup Finals: second-ranked Hartsdale and sixth-rated Valmara, the last two challengers for the 2046 Islandian baseball title. Which team will be crowned IPA champion? Most of the baseball media are leaning toward the Hellcats. The general consensus is they will win in seven games over the Vipers.

Hartdale has never won a Pro Cup. They have made the playoffs seven times in the club's history. Four times they have bailed out in first-round games. However in 2006 they pushed IPA champion Turon to the limit in the opening round, losing out three games to two. The Hellcats were also knocked out in the first round when Turon won the Pro Cup again in 2009. And they lost a seven-game series to IPA winner South Fork in the 2043 Tycobbian LCS.

Valmara has made 15 trips to the postseason and claimed two Pro Cups, topping Mahaska in 2026 and North Hills in 2043. The Vipers have come close several times: lost to Turon in the 2003 Finals, defeated by Tuckanarra in the 2023 Finals, were beaten four games to three by Blue Lake in the IPA Finals in 2030 and lost again 4-2 in the Finals the next year to Rolling Hills in 2031.

Hartsdale boasts a .274 team batting average, ranking fourth in the league. They led the IPA in scoring 806 runs and they have quality pitching with a 3.34 team ERA (6th). Valmara can also swing a bat with a .277 BA (2nd) and scored 740 runs, ranking fourth in the league. Hartsdale also has a decided edge in home-run power and superior defense. The Hellcats hammered 187 homers (6th) and posted a super .978 FA, while the Vipers had only 113 roundtrippers (22nd) and were just average with the gloves (.973 FA).

On the mound the two clubs are fairly even, though Hartsdale had four 20-game winners in its starting rotation, but Valmara has a big edge in the bullpen. The Viper pen charted a great 2.08 ERA (2nd) to 3.85 (18th) for the Hellcats. With 98 wins in the regular season the Hellcats will have the home field advantage in the best-of-seven series. Valmara won 95 games.

Both clubs will go with three starters in the series' rotation. Hartsdale will have Gil Younger (28-9/2.54) in the number one slot. He had a fantastic year and came in second to Jamie Taylor of Rocky Rapids, who chalked up a record-breaking 30 victories. In the playoffs in his five starts Younger is 3-2 with a 3.38 ERA. Kippy Wilhelm (20-16/3.63) is the number-two man. Wilhelm is 3-0 in the postseason in four starts with a 2.65 ERA. Third in the Hellcats' rotation is Perry Givens (20-9/3.43). In his four playoff starts Givens is 0-1 with a 2.90 ERA. David Payne (20-9/3.18), a starter in the regular season, will be on duty as a long reliever in the Pro Cup Finals, along with Jimmy Howard (3-7/3.98). The closer will be Alfonso Cervera (4-2/3.14), who led the IPA this season with 24 saves.

Valmara's top ace is Primo Sirak (24-8/1.96). The sensational left-hander is 4-1 in five starts in the postseason this year with an outstanding 1.49 ERA. Following him in game two will be another southpaw, Teddy Twardzik (24-12/2.69). He was the Pro Cup MVP in 2043 when the Vipers prevailed over the North Hills Hawks for the Islands' championship. In the playoffs this season Twardzik has been steady with a 3-1 mark in four starts with a 3.06 ERA. The third starter, Zak Reeder (18-16/4.25), has been inconsistent this year. He also has had a very tough time in the playoffs with a 1-3 record and a very poor 5.46 ERA. The other regular-season starter Harold Hutson (11-9/3.75) may gets some consideration during the Pro Cup Finals. Valmara is well-fixed in the bullpen with Paul Holloway (10-2/1.74/16 saves) and Gordon White (1-0/1.63/3 saves).

The Hellcats have a heck of a batting order with Darrell Nesbitt (.297/14/67/103), Emilian Burgess (.316/18/79/106), Greg Melton (.276/28/82/109), John Ford (.268/30/100/82), Robinson Alomar (.259/30/88/67) and Frank Penn (.341/6.71/58). There are no easy outs in the Hartsdale line-up. Hartsdale has done far better against righties than portsiders this season. Having to face southpaws at least three times in the series could be a huge factor... and even more so should the series go a full seven games... the Hellcats would have to face Sirak and Twardzik as many as five times.

The Vipers are led at the plate by the RU batting champ Ken Jensen (.351/7/65/93), 2B Jorge Aparicio (.334/7/60/89), Don Ritchie (.289/4/82/95) and Cain Greene (.253/22/81/68). Valmara doesn't measure up offensively with Hartsdale on paper, but they might just do it on the diamond. The proof is in the pudding as the Vipers have demonstrated by winning the RU North Division and then disposing of the favored Rocky Rapids Snappers in the Ruthlandian Championship Series. Keep in mind Valmara beat the Snappers, who swept the defending IPA Pro Cup champ Sugar Valley.

The key factor in the Pro Cup Finals will be whether or not Valmara's number three starter can get the job done. If Zak Reeder or Harold Hutson comes through for them with at least one win, they can give Hartsdale a run for its money. Hudson would give the Vipers three lefties in the rotation, should he get the call.

PRO CUP FORECAST: Hellcats' bats are just too much for the Vipers... don't think Valmara can match them on the scoreboard... Hartsdale gets its first-ever Pro Cup... winning it with the long ball in seven games.

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Sunday, October 7, 2046

2046 IPA PRO CUP FINAL SERIES - Game 1

HELLCATS HANDLE VIPERS IN PRO CUP OPENER 5-1
The powerful Hartsdale Hellcats handled Valmara rather handily in the opening game of the 2046 Pro Cup Finals... they had no trouble with left-handers Primo Sirak and George White, collecting 10 hits off of them in a 5-1 triumph... 28-game winner Gil Younger (4-2/2.94) tossed another fine game, stopping the Vipers on four hits, striking out five and walking none in an almost flawless performance... loser Sirak (4-2/2.01) was hit hard for five runs and seven hits in his seven innings.

The Hellcats put three runs on the board in the last of the fourth on a two-run double by SS Robinson Alomar (.327) and an error by third baseman Jose Vargas (.314) accounted for the third score... Hartsdale added two more in the sixth on an RBI single by LF Marv Shaw (.283) and a sacrifice fly by pitcher Gil Younger (.286)... Valmara's only run came on a solo clout in the eighth by LF Jacek Prusak (.295)... it was his fourth of the playoffs.

The leading bats for the Hellcats were Alomar with two doubles, two runs and two RBIs and Shaw with two runs batted in... 2B Myrt Breland (.333) and Younger pitched in with two hits each.

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Monday, October 8, 2046

2046 IPA PRO CUP FINAL SERIES - Game 2

GREENE HOMERS TWICE, VIPERS EVEN SERIES
Valmara's Cain Greene slammed a homer that tied the game up in the seventh, then won it with another one in the top of the 12th... his two roundtrippers sparked the Vipers to a 3-2 victory and evened up the Pro Cup Finals at one game each... southpaw Teddy Twardzik (3-1/2.74) weathered 12 hits in 10 and two-thirds innings, giving up only two runs... closer Paul Holloway (1-0/1.80) followed him and got the win by holding the Hellcats to one hit and no runs in his one and one-third frames... the Hellcats stranded 14 runners in the game... Hartsdale got a great start from Kippy Wilhelm (3-0/2.40)... he worked 11 innings, limited the Vipers to just two runs and six hits, struck out five and issued no bases on balls... the defeat fell to Alfonso Cervera (0-2/1.93), who surrendered Greene's second home run.

1B Cain Greene (.294) led Valmara with two homers and two RBIs... and SS Antos Dacko (.196) chipped in with a solo homer and a single... Hartsdale got a two-run homer and a single from SS Robinson Alomar (.333)... it was Alomar's fifth roundtripper in the playoffs... he has driven in 18 runs... the Hellcats also got three hits from 2B Myrt Breland (.358) and a pair of hits from CF Darrell Nesbitt (.271) and 1B John Ford (.295).

The series will now head to Valmara with the next three games at War Memorial Stadium. The Vipers are 6-1 at home in the postseason, while the Hellcats are 3-4 on the road. Both clubs are 9-6 in the playoffs.

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Tuesday, October 9, 2046

2046 IPA PRO CUP FINAL SERIES - Game 3

HELLCATS NIP VIPERS 5-4 IN 11 INNINGS
Visiting Hartsdale took an early 4-2 lead after six frames, Valmara came back and tied it at 4-4 in the eighth and then the Hellcats won 5-4 in the 11th... Benjy Tate (.143) got new life when outfielder Jacek Prusak (.259) dropped his lazy flyball... Darrell Nesbitt singled him to second and a fielder's choice put runners on the corners... then Greg Melton's base hit scored Tate with the go-ahead run... the victory put Hartsdale in front in the Pro Cup Finals two games to one in the best-of-seven series.

David Payne (1-0/6.00) registered the win with two scoreless frames in the 10th and the 11th... Payne was pitcher perfect when he retired all six batters he faced... Perry Givens started for the Hellcats and allowed four runs on nine hits in seven and two-thirds innings... Givens (0-1/3.26) faded in the latter innings, but did fan six batters, while walking only one... reliever Paul Holloway (1-1/1.00) suffered the loss though he permitted just one unearned run in his four innings... Harold Hutson, the Valmara starter, did a credible job giving up four runs on eight hits in seven innings... Hutson walked four and struck out nine.

Offensively the Hellcats were paced by LF Marv Shaw (.262) with a two-run double... SS Robinson Alomar (.344) collected two hits, one of them his sixth roundtripper of the posteseason... Alomar tops the squad with 19 RBIs in the playoffs... 3B Greg Melton (.344) and CF Darrell Nesbitt (.276) also added two hits apiece for Hartsdale. Viper starter Harold Hutson had two hits, one of them a home run... SS Antos Dacko (.214) chipped in with 2 for 5 and two RBIs.

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Wednesday, October 10, 2046

2046 IPA PRO CUP FINAL SERIES - Game 4

SIRAK KNOTS SERIES, VIPERS TOP HELLCATS 7-3
The underdog Valmara Vipers needed a win and got it when Primo Sirak held off the Hartsdale Hellcats 7-3 in game four of the IPA Pro Cup Finals at War Memorial Stadium in Valmara... this knotted the Islandian title series at two games apiece... in a solid outing Sirak (5-2/2.04) checked the heavy-hitting Hellcats on three runs and eight hits in eight innings, while notching eight Ks and walking just one... reliever Kasio Kitowsky worked the ninth and sat the Hellcats down in order to preserve the victory... in a rough start Hartsdale ace Gil Younger (4-3/3.44) caught the loss as the Vipers smacked him for five runs and five hits in six innings... Younger also hurt himself by walking five batters... when he left, the Hellcats trailed 5-1.

Valmara went to work on Younger in the first inning with three runs on two walks and three hits... 1B Cain Greene (.283) singled in the first score, SS Antos Dacko's (.233) base hit plated run number two and 3B Jose Vargas (.271) doubled in the third one... CF Don Ritchie (.348) made it 4-0 with a solo homer in the fourth frame... Hartsdale got its first run in the top of the third on an RBI single by 2B Myrt Breland (.328)... the Vipers extended the lead to 5-1 in the fourth on a double by 2B Ken Jensen (.278), a ground-out and a wild pitch... the Hellcats cut it to 5-3 on a two-run blast by CF Darrell Nesbitt (.275) in the seventh, only to have Valmara match it with two in the last of the eighth on RBI singles by C Randy Calhoun (.132) and pinchhitter Paul McMahon (.111).

Each club collected eight hits with Dacko (.233) leading the Vipers with a pair of hits and Melton (.354) topping the Hellcats with two.

Game five will also be in Valmara with a rematch of the game-two hurlers, Teddy Twardzik (24-12/2.69) for the Vipers and Kippy Wilhelm (20-16/3.63) for the Hellcats... Hartsdale won that one 3-2 in 12 innings... so far in the postseason Twardzik is 3-1 in 5 starts with a fine 2.74 ERA, while Wilhelm is 3-0 in 5 starts with an even more impressive 2.40 ERA.