ISLANDIAN PRO ALLIANCE (RUTHLANDIA and TYCOBBIA BASEBALL UNIONS)

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Sunday, July 8, 2001

Tycobbian Union - West Division

BL Bops Frogs 4-3 for 4th In a Row
Blue Lake is playing great baseball and having lots of fun at the Frog Pond in Fairfax. In the first game of the twinbill, the Blue Sox bopped the Frogs 4-3 for win number four in a row and gave the TU West Division leader its fifth consecutive defeat. Clint McPherson (3-4 4.04) tossed a solid game, stopping Fairfax on six hits and three runs in going the distance. He beat Kaz Hayagawa (8-10 3.92), who pitched a decent game, while working eight innings and allowing four runs on eight hits. Center fielder Donnie Frazier (.297) tripled in the eighth and scored the winning run on first baseman Fred Taranto's (.318) sacrifice fly. Frazier had homered earlier in the game, had two hits, scored twice and drove in one. Shortstop Dandy Wilson (.250) also had two hits and scored twice. Frogs left fielder Gator Davis (.279) went 2-4 and had two RBIs to pace his club. First baseman Ernie Hutchinson (.266) scored two runs for Fairfax.

5 Straight for Blue Sox, Sweep Frogs
Skipper Cobb Tyson's Blue Lake Blue Sox had done the unbelievable. They have come into the Frog Pond and sweep not just a doubleheader, but all five games of the series with Fairfax. The Blue Sox took both ends of the doubleheader and have now won their last five games. They captured the nightcap 7-2 with Derek Manetti (5-5 3.81) on the mound. He scattered eight hits, held the Frogs to just two runs and pitched a complete game. Center fielder Donnie Frazier (.304) was the batting hero again with a perfect 3-for-3 day and driving in three runs for the Sox. They totaled 12 hits in all. Blue Lake chased Jackie Leslie (11-6 3.60) after three innings and sent him to his fourth loss in the last five decisions. Leslie was belted for four runs and seven hits before he called it a day.

Fairfax (51-31) is still way ahead in the Tycobbian Union West standings in spite of dropping its last six games. Blue Lake (40-41) is third and trails the Frogs by 10.5 games.

Bucs Win Again Over Viks, 6th Straight
In the opening game of a twinbill, Bay St. Clair won its sixth successive game by coming back to beat Bayview 9-8. The Buccaneers had a 7-4 lead after four innings, lost it by the seventh and trailed 8-7, then won 9-8 with single runs in the last two at-bats. Second baseman Tony Mann doubled in the right fielder Jose Valenzuela (.299) with the game-breaker in the last of the eighth frame. Taking the loss was Ken Fairchild (0-1 1.80) and recording the win in relief was closer Chris Van Arden (3-0 0.84). He gave up no runs in the last two frames. The Bucs were outhit 14 to 12 by Bayview. Mann (.332) drove in four runs with four hits and center fielder Wayne Latham (.429) batted in two with two hits to pace the winners. It was Mann's 6th roundtripper so far. First baseman Dwayne Coleman (.311) led the Vikings with 4-for-4, four RBIs and two runs scored. He had two doubles and his 27th homer, tops in the Tycobbian Union. Bayview has dropped five consecutive games now.

Bucs, Viks Split Twinbill, Streaks End
It was good while it lasted, but it's over now. Bay St. Clair's win string came to an end at six in the nightcap. Bayview's Jerry Harrison (10-5 3.15) cooled them off 6-1 at Shoreline Park and also stopped the Vikings losing skid at five games. Harrison struck out five, walked only one and allowed only one run and eight hits in a complete-game outing, his 7th this season. Catcher Tommy Harrell (.260) led the team with two runs batted in and 2 hits, including his 4th homer this year. First baseman George Lyons (.242) collected his 16th roundtripper for the Buccaneers. Don Yaden (2-1 3.60) was the losing pitcher as he was nicked for four runs in five innings.

Second place Bayview (44-40) cut into first place Fairfax's (51-31) huge lead in the TU West and now trails by 8 games. Bay St. Clair (33-5) is last and is 18.5 games back.

Lynx Slide by Champs 2-1 in Opener
In the opening game of a doubleheader, La Claire slipped past Arlon at Derby Downs 2-1 in an error-filled game. No runs were earned, all were a gift of the four errors in the game. Pat Daniels and Nickie Baumgartner combined to handle the Champions. Daniels (8-3 3.91) got credit for the victory. He surrendered nine hits, fanned two and walked one in six-plus innings. Baumgartner (3-6 3.86) came on in the seventh with the tying score on second and got the last out of the inning, then blanked them in the eighth and ninth innings for his 3rd save. Baumgartner allowed one hit and fanned three. Arlon had the advantage in hits 10-6 over the Lynx. 19-year-old Connie Govagan (0-1 0.00) did a fine job in his first start for the Champions. He went the distance, struck out six, walked one and gave up no earned runs and six hits.

Champs, Lynx Divide Doubleheader
The team that gets the most hits doesn't always win the game. In the nightcap Arlon was outhit 11 to 7, yet beat La Claire 4-2 to divide the doubleheader. The Lynx took the lead 2-0 in the second on Artie Scott's (.211) homer, but the Champions quickly rallied to tie it at 2-2 in the third frame on Matt Merrill's (.315) two-run single. Arlon went ahead to stay on right fielder Andy Pettorini's (.326) single in the fifth and finished the scoring in the seventh with second baseman Karl Detwiler's (.307) RBI single. Southpaw Woody Fitzgerald (5-4 3.59) worked eight good innings, gave up 11 hits, but only two runs. Fitzgerald walked three and fanned seven. Rock steady closer Jeff Nieman (6-5 1.43) pitched a perfect 1-2-3 ninth for his 6th save. La Claire starter Kimo Orlando (3-2 2.27) suffered the defeat, allowing only one earned run in seven innings with eight Ks. He was victimized by faulty defense and three unearned runs.

Arlon (40-42) is fourth in the TU West race, 11 games behind Fairfax (51-31), while La Claire (39-43) is 12 games back in fifth place.

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times

Monday, July 9, 2001

Valmara CF Nets RBU Award
The premier performer in the Ruthlandian Union this week was Jan Szymanski of the Valmara Vipers. The hot-hitting 29-year-old center fielder put up a .429 average and .500 on-base percentage, piling up 12 hits in 28 at-bats, 2 home runs, 12 RBIs and 7 runs scored. That kind of hitting got him the RBU Player of the Week honors.

In 80 games Szymanski is hitting .257 this season for the Vipers with 80 hits, 16 home runs, 79 RBIs, 39 walks, .332 OBP and has scored 55 runs .

TU Star of the Week Named
It was announced today that Cape Coral third baseman Spook Estes had received the Tycobbian Union Player of the Week Award for his impressive play last week. All week long he was terrific at the plate and won the honor with a .500 BA (14-28), 3 home runs and 6 RBIs.

In 2001 Estes has produced 45 hits in 133 at-bats for a .338 average with 4 home runs and gotten on base at a .371 clip. He was obtained in a trade from Fairfax on June 22 for pitcher Kaz Hayagawa (7-7 4.00). He was a backup infielder for the Frogs, but became a regular for the Hurricanes.

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Monday, July 9, 2001

Ruthlandian Union - North Division

3-Run 9th Makes Valmara a Winner Over Colfax
Valmara did little against Flash Guidry until the last of the ninth, then they erupted for three runs to surprise first place Colfax 4-3 at War Memorial Stadium. A bases-loaded walk to shortstop Matt Mazurek (.271) decided the game. Up until then, it looked like the Blasters were going to win. Right fielder Pat Lott's (.272) two-run homer in the fourth and first baseman Dennis Cole's (.320) solo shot gave them a 3-1 lead and it didn't look like Guidry was beatable. Doubles by center fielder Jan Szymanski (.260) and second baseman Floyd Vinson (.300) made it made it 3-2. A walk to first baseman Yank Jankowski (.310) and singles by third baseman Rickey O'Reilly (.280) and right fielder Frank Francois (.170) tied the score and set the stage for Mazurek to win it. Guidry (10-8 2.72) gave up four runs and eight hits and finished with two walks and four strikeouts. Vanya Vasylenko (1-1 4.74) started and worked the first seven innings, yielded three runs on seven hits, walking seven and fanning five, Andre Trepanier (3-3 4.26) allowed no runs in his inning of work and Mickey Webb (2-0 6.00) pitched a scoreless ninth for the victory.

It was a tough loss for Colfax (47-36). The Blasters are 7 games ahead of fifth place Valmara (40-43) and have the Far Mountain Redhawks breathing down their necks.

V's Edge Redhawks 4-3
At Sky High Stadium in Far Mountain, the home club lost a golden opportunity to climb to within a half-game of first place in the RU North. The Redhawks fell to Volusia 4-3. Lenny Collins (7-5 3.04), a hard-throwing lefty, posted his fourth win in his last five games. He struck out nine and limited them to three runs on seven hits and four walks. Closer Ricky Moreno pitched the ninth for his 12th save, but had trouble putting away the Redhawks, who had the tying and winning runs on second and third when he got the last out. Pacing the winners with two hits apiece were right fielder Jesus Arroyo (.276), second baseman Chaco Rivera (.251) and Collins (.333). Catcher Dave Davis (.379) went 3-for-4 and third baseman Johnny Strickland (.285) 2-for-2 with a double and his 14th home run of the season. Sonny Elliott (12-6 2.50) suffered the loss, permitting four runs on nine hits with seven strikeouts in eight innings. He had won his last six outings.

Second place Far Mountain (46-38) has now dropped its last three games and is 1.5 games in back of first place Colfax. Volusia (42-41) is the number four club and trails by 5 games.

Elnora's Tarzetti Flings Shutout, Blanks A's
At State Fair Park in Elnora, the All-Stars delighted the home crowd with a 4-0 shutout of the Glasco Athletics. A new hurler, 20-year-old Jim Tarzetti (1-2 1.80), who just joined the squad about three weeks ago, blanked the A's on ten hits with seven Ks and a walk. Elnora cracked 13 base hits and were sparked by right fielder Art Atkins (.316) and second baseman Gil Foster (.350). They each had three hits and drove in a run. Foster did it with his 11th roundtripper. Third baseman Richie Franklin (.257) was 3-for-3 and scored three times. Losing pitcher Jesse Balfour (8-7 2.90) had an off-day, allowing all four runs on a dozen hits. He had won four of this last five decisions.

This was Elnora's (33-51) third win in succession. The last place All-Stars are 14.5 game out. Glasco (41-40) is in third place, just 5 games behind.

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Monday, July 9, 2001

Ruthlandian Union - South Division

Pace Ends Marston 3-Game Losing Streak
First place Marston put an end to a three-game losing streak with a 4-1 triumph over Claxton at Legends Field. Nick Pace (12-7 2.70) racked up his 12th victory of the year with a five-hit performance. Pace didn't give up an earned run, fanned seven and walked five in pitching his 11th complete game. Leading the Nine at bat were left fielder Ronnie Horn (.295) and backup third baseman Roddy Teague (.429) each with two RBIs. Earl Weber (5-5 3.95) lost it for the Diamonds, allowing four runs and ten hits in seven innings. He walked three and struck out seven. Pace permitted only five singles, while Marston belted out 12 hits. Everybody in the lineup had at least one base hit.

Marston (46-35) is the top club in the RU South and has an 8.5-game lead over fifth place Claxton (39-45).

Hill Strongarms 'Jacks 6-1
Fourth place Waleska has been the hottest team lately in the RU South with a 7-3 mark in the last ten games. Today they disposed of second place Forest City 6-1 behind righthander Gary Hill (8-5 4.35), who stopped the hard-hitting Lumberjacks on seven hits, fanned six and issued only one walk. Pacing the Westerners 11-hit attack was second baseman Wiz Taylor (.301), who went 2-for-5 and batted in three runs. First baseman Freddie Shelton (.309) and right fielder Charley Williamson (.293) chipped in another RBI each in the win. Herb Bahr (10-5 3.42) lost for the first time in six decisions, giving up four runs, only two of them earned, and eight hits in seven innings. He departed trailing 4-0.

The win enabled the Westerners (42-40) to draw within a game of second place Forest City (44-40). Waleska is 4.5 games behind Marston (46-35) and the Lumberjacks trail them by 3.5 games.

Dietz Goes Deep, Beats Sunbirds in 10th
On the road in Belair Beach at Bayside Park, clutch-hitting Karl Dietz went deep for Sugar Valley to beat the Sunbirds 4-3 in ten innings. It was the Rattler right fielder's 15th home run this season and sent reliever Lou Zanelli (5-7 3.31) down to defeat. It was Sugar Valley's fourth win in a row. Getting credit for the victory was closer Gregg Neal (7-5 2.12), who tossed two scoreless innings and retired all six men he faced, striking out two of them. Starters Hec Skurgan of Sugar Valley and Carl Thompson of Belair Beach hooked up in a pretty good duel. Skurgan (0-0 4.15) worked eight innings, gave up three runs - two earned - and eight hits with five strikeouts, while Thompson (9-8 2.60) fanned 10 in nine innings and allowed three runs. Topping the Rattler hitters were Dietz (.275) with 2-3 and shortstop Flipper Bird (.295) with 3-5, including a double and a triple. Left flelder Nicky Swift (.332) led the Sunbirds with his 29th roundtripper and two RBIs.

With the win, Sugar Valley (43-39) moved into a second place tie with Forest City (44-40), 3.5 games out of first place. Belair Beach (34-49) is last and a distant 13 games off the pace.

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Monday, July 9, 2001

Tycobbian Union - East Division

Ninjas Rousakis Sharp in 3-1 Win Over Zorros
At Ninja Stadium, Ginza's Vic Rousakis was razor-sharp in a 3-1 victory over the Luxora Zorros. Rousakis (9-9 3.63) snapped a personal three-game losing skein, limiting the Z's to just four hits, while striking out four. The Ninjas got eight hits and were led by second baseman Scoop McDonald (.240) and left fielder Nobuyuki Komatsu (.186), who drove in runs in the second inning to put them ahead 2-1. Center fielder Takashi Fujimoto (.275) hit his 11th homer for the last run in the eighth inning. Lefthander Johnny Montel (7-9 3.19) in a losing effort pitched well and went seven innings, giving up two runs on six hits, while striking out four and walking one.

The Ginza Ninjas (46-37) are atop the TU East standings and lead fourth place Luxora (39-42) by 6 games.

Nats Rally Late in 4-2 Win Over Hurricanes
The fans at Ellie Ewing Stadium in Ozarka left happy after their Naturals rallied late to whip Cape Coral 4-2. The Hurricanes took an early 2-0 lead in the second inning on shortstop Cal Burt's (.189) two-run blast. Ozarka finally broke through against Katsuyuki Nagashima (7-7 2.71) with three runs in the sixth on a single by second baseman Duane Starr (.291) and two bases-loaded walks to shortstop Gil Lantz (.247) and first baseman Poochie Kramer (.245). Lantz added in the final run with his 6th roundtripper of the year in the eighth inning. Tony Didriksen (7-7 3.75) recorded the victory in spite of control problems. He went seven innings, surrendered eight hits and two runs with five strikeouts and six bases on balls. Closer Alex DiMaggio (7-3 1.30) continued his bullpen brilliance with two scoreless frames for his 6th save. Center fielder James Middleton (.308) collected 4 hits for the Hurricanes.

Cape Coral (42-41) fell 4 games back of first place Ginza (46-37), while Ozarka (40-43) is 6 games out of the top spot.

Stallions Race by Hellcats 8-2
The South Fork Stallions raced by Hartsdale 8-2 at Pioneer Park with late-inning outbursts in the eighth and ninth frames. With the score knotted at 2-2, the Stallions put four runs on the scoreboard, highlighted by third baseman Ken Robbins' (.232) bases-loaded triple. They added two more in the next inning on right fielder Paul Giles' (.269) two-run double. South Fork got 12 hits with first baseman Keith Burke (.351) collecting three of them. Flint Battle (11-7 2.60) turned in another impressive performance for this 11th victory. He was touched for eight hits by the Hellcats and gave up only two runs, while recording his 11th complete game of the year. Glenn Mann (7-11 3.56) lost another one, his fourth defeat in the last five games. Mann was ripped for six runs in seven-plus innings.

The triumph gave South Fork (43-40) clear possession of the runner-up spot in the standings, 3 games off the pace. Hartsdale (38-45) is last in the TU East race and 8 games out.

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Monday, July 9, 2001

Tycobbian Union - West Division

Frogs Lose 7th Straight
Manager Gary Louis' main man this season has been Jerry Keller and the Arlon center fielder delivered again - he lined a game-winning single in the bottom of the ninth off the one of the best closers in the IPA to send the slumping Fairfax Frogs to their seventh straight defeat. The Champs edged the first place Frogs 4-3 and beat Takehide Takahashi (8-3 1.50), who has 8 wins, 10 saves and a microscopic 1.50 ERA. Recording the win was Rod Kelley (4-2 4.09), who pitched a scoreless ninth in relief of starter Ace Howe (7-7 2.91). It was a solid performance by Howe as he held Fairfax to three runs, only two earned, in eight innings. Howe pitched toe-to-toe with Robby Meredith (10-3 2.68), who gave up three runs, only two earned, in seven innings. Keller (.293) led the 13-hit offense with 3-5 and three RBIs and got some help from second baseman Karl Detwiler (.311), another Louis stalwart, who went 3-5 and scored twice. Frog first sacker Ernie Hutchinson (.271) pace them with three hits. Skipper Harry Buckley's big guns, Stan Cobb (.328), Gregg Vincent (.326) and Gator Davis (.280), whose 52 homers and 196 RBIs between them, were silenced in this game. Arlon pitching held the Frogs to nine hits and no home runs.

Fairfax got some bad news. Their slugging right fielder Gregg Vincent sprained an ankle running the bases and will be out of the lineup for about two weeks.
Louie Ward (.295) will replace him. Ward has little power, but is a fine contact hitter and and a very good defender with an excellent arm. Vincent's 26 home runs and 77 RBIs will be sorely missed by the Frogs.

Despite losing 7 times in 10 games, the first place Frogs (51-32) are still in great shape and lead the Tycobbian Union West Division by eight games over Bayview (44-41) and are 10 games up on fourth place Arlon (41-42).

LC's Nygaard Whips Vikings 7-3
La Claire got a good job from Tony Nygaard, who got a complete-game 7-3 victory over the Bayview Vikings. Nygaard (3-6 3.44) won for the first time in a month, struck out nine and finishd up strong, blanking Bayview over the last three frames. A big four-run seventh put the Vikings away. Leading the Lynx's 11-hit barrage were shortstop Dirk Lindahl (.291), third baseman Luis Marquez (.283), first baseman Francisco Robles (.279) and second baseman Darrell Boyce (.248), each with an RBI single in the decisive inning. Overall Marquez was 3-4 with three runs batted in, Boyce was 1-2 with two RBIs and Robles had two hits and an RBI. Left fielder Glenn Burns (.322) topped the Viks with 2-4, including his 7th roundtripper this year, and scored twice. Frank Wells (7-7 4.09) carded the loss, pitching into the seventh and allowed seven runs.

Bayview (44-41) missed a chance to narrow the gap between them and first place Fairfax (51-32), but the Vikings have been even worse than the Frogs over the last ten games, winning only twice. The Frogs are 8 games ahead. La Claire (40-43) is in fifth, 11 games off the pace.

Bucs End Sox Streak at 5
It took 15 innings, but Bay St. Clair finally subdued Blue Lake 8-3 with a 5-run uprising and stopped the Blue Sox win skein at five games. George Lyons' two-run base hit was enough to win, but the Buccaneers tacked three more on just to make sure. The Bucs piled up 16 hits and were paced by Lyons (.244) with 2-6 and a pair of RBIs, second baseman Tony Mann (.331) was 2-6 with two runs driven in and center fielder Bird Dog Burgdorf (.167) had two RBIs. Blue Lake's second baseman Ken Bennett (.270) and third baseman Timmy Smith (.314) topped them with solo homers. Gary Robinson (5-9 4.54) gathered in the victory with a spotless two innings of relief, setting down six consecutive batters in the 14th and 15th. Bay St. Clair held Blue Lake hitless over the last six frames. Both Sean Lawrence (2-7 3.86) and Kenny Metcalf (3-2 3.79) worked two scoreless innings. Being nailed with the loss was Ray Davini (0-2 6.92), who was battered for five runs in two-plus innings.

Both clubs are playing well with 7 triumphs in their last 10 ballgames. Blue Lake (40-42) slipped to the fourth spot in the standings with the setback and are 10.5 games back, while Bay St. Clair (34-50) trails by 17.5 games.

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Tuesday, July 10, 2001

Ruthlandian Union - North Division

Vipers Squeeze by Blasters in First Game 7-6
In the first game of a doubleheader at War Memorial Stadium, fifth place Valmara got the best of first place Colfax for the second day in a row by one run and dealt them their third straight defeat. The Vipers outstanding bullpen ace Danny Blauser came in and preserved a 7-6 win for Zarek Zalewski. Blauser (6-4 2.39) made his 35th appearance and got his 5th save with three scoreless innings. He struck out four and allowed only one base hit. Zalewski (10-5 2.69) got credit for the victory, but struggled again, giving up six runs and nine hits in six innings. Zalewski has been hit hard in his last three outings and seen his sub-2.00 ERA skyrocket to 2.69. Good hitting saved him this time. Valmara registered 11 hits and got RBIs from seven different players. Right fielder Jet Kazmarek (.314), first baseman Yank Jankowski (.313) and third baseman Rickey O'Reilly (.283) each led the way with a pair of hits. The Vipers ran up a 7-3 lead off of Colfax starter and loser Harry Manning (11-5 3.45) after four innings and then had to stave off the Blasters the remainder of the day. The Blasters smacked 10 hits and were paced by left fielder Blinky Brandon (.309) with 3-for-5, including two doubles and a triple. Brandon scored three runs and batted in one. Third baseman Russ Farrell (.296) had three hits and two RBIs, while first baseman Dennis Cole (.318) drove in two runs.

Colfax (47-37), the top team in the Ruthlandia Union North, leads fifth place Valmara by 6 games. Every team in the division is still in the running for the playoffs, except for last place Elnora, which has a lot of ground to make up in the second half of the season. The All-Stars are 14 games behind.

Blasters Blast 5 HRs, Split with Vipers
Powerball snapped Colfax's losing streak at three games. The Blasters ripped 5 roundtrippers to crush Valmara 10-3 in the nightcap and split the twinbill. First baseman Dennis Cole (.324) boomed two out the park for his 24th and 25th of the year, while shortstop Wayne O'Reilly (.249), third baseman Russ Ferrell (.301) and catcher Jeff Cook (.257) each slammed one. Colfax punished Viper pitching for 19 hits and had four players with three hits apiece. They made it easy for Jim Dreyer (3-0 3.56), who got a rare start. With doubleheaders two of the last three days, the regular rotation needed some help and got it. Dreyer went the route and held Valmara to three runs on nine hits, while walking four and fanning eight. Viper center fielder Jan Szymanski (.263) hit his 17th homer and drove in all three of their runs, taking over the IPA RBI lead with 83. Spot starter Paul Schoenfeld (4-8 5.03) suffered the loss, allowing five runs in 5+ innings.

In the Ruthlandian Union North pennant chase Colfax (48-37) is on top and leads fifth place Valmara by 7 games.

FM's Luzzatti Tosses 6-Hit Shutout, Whips V's
In the opener of a twinbill at Sky High Stadium, both pitchers were firing on all cylinders as Far Mountain's John Luzzatti was victorious over Volusia's Raul Sandoval 1-0 in a superb battle of southpaws. Luzzatti (7-6 3.26) was touched for six hits in a complete-game performance and his second shutout this year. Luzzatti finished up with two bases on balls and five Ks, while Sandoval (7-10 3.67) limited the Redhawks to just two hits and a run in seven innings, while striking out six and walking none. He left for a pinchitter in the top of the eighth. Redhawk left fielder Gerard Davis (.246) led off the fifth inning with a single, stole second base and rode home on catcher Dave Davis' (.378) RBI single. Second place Far Mountain had lost its last three games.

Redhawks Sweep V's, Lamoreaux Fans 13 in 2-hitter
Far Mountain swept both ends of the doubleheader from Volusia and inched to within a half-game of first place in the RU North. The Redhawks Stan Lamoreaux (6-2 4.21) was fabulous as he blanked the V's 4-0. He totally stopped the Vigilante bats and tossed a sensational two-hit shutout and struck out 13, while giving up 6 walks. Second baseman Shirai Kobayashi (.268) went 2-for-4 with a homer and drove in three runs to spark the victory. A fourth-inning single by left fielder Winky Rush (.282) and a sixth-inning double by center fielder Alex Luna (.271) were all Volusia could manage off Lamoreaux. Brian King (1-1 2.64) worked a complete-game in defeat, permitted four runs and eight hits with five Ks and a walk.

Ron Benson of Sugar Valley owns the strikeout mark with 16 in a 5-3 triumph over Waleska on June 25.

The Redhawks (48-38), piloted by Alex Groveland, are now just a half-game in back of first place Colfax (48-37). Volusia (42-43), managed by Alfonso Feliz, is in the fourth spot in the division standings and trails the Blasters by 6 games.

All-Stars Top A's for 4th In a Row
Playing on their home grounds at State Fair Park in Elnora, the All-Stars rode the strong arm of Carl Costas (5-10 3.42) to their 4th win in a row. He bumped off Glasco 6-3 in the opener of a twinbill on a three-hit outing with six strikeouts and four bases on balls. Costas (.317) also lent a hand with his bat and had two hits and two RBIs. Elnora left fielder Quincy Peterson (.288) connected for his 16th homer and right fielder Art Atkins (.315) laced his 5th. Both were solo shots. The All-Stars disposed of starter Charles Darby (11-7 3.40) early. He was gone after two innings and left trailing 4-0.

Late-Inning Comeback Gains Split for A's
Glasco divided the doubleheader with Elnora, taking the nightcap 8-5 with a late comeback that ended the All-Stars win sting at four. The Athletics were down 3-1 after six frames as loser Sean Sykes (7-9 5.31) kept them in check until he weakened in the late innings. The A's tied it up 3-all in the seventh, then scored three more in the eighth to take the lead for good and finished off the All-Stars with two in the ninth. Lefthander Reece Kilham (1-0 4.60) notched the victory. He lasted into the ninth, gave up four runs on eight hits, fanned five and walked just one. Skipper McDuffie Hughes was happy to get that kind of a start out of a spot starter. For the winners third baseman Zach Byorvik (.251) had a double among his two hits and batted in four runs. Catcher Nick O'Neil went 2-for-4 with a homer and drove in two runs. Four other players tacked on two hits each in the game. Second baseman Gil Foster (.346) and center fielder Ron Gilbert (.264) each went deep in defeat, number 12 for Foster and number 5 for Gilbert.

Glasco (42-41) is holding down third place, just five games off the pace. Elnora (34-52) falls to 14.5 games out of first and are in the division cellar.

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Tuesday, July 10, 2001

Ruthlandian Union - South Division

Vanzetti Superb, Diamonds Nip Nine in 11 Innings
Alex Vanzetti of Claxton put on a superb performance in the first game of a twinbill at Legends Field. He pitched all 11 innings in a 2-1 victory over first place Marston. Vanzetti (6-2 2.47) stopped them on just four hits, no earned runs, fanned six and walked two. It was his third straight win and he has only allowed one earned run in his last 26 innings. A walk to first baseman Marty McCluskey and a single by pinchhitter Arnie Kruger (.234) put runners on the corners. A wild pitch by losing pitcher Vince Gardner (1-3 3.41) decided the game and gave Vanzetti a well-deserved win. Casey Ledbetter (11-4 3.52) matched him for nine innings, giving up only one run on 11 hits and striking out nine. Ledbetter has failed four times in getting his 12th victory. Claxton outhit Marston 12 to 4 and were led by left fielder Vern Jennings (.257) with 3-4 and one run scored and center fielder Wayne Wilson (.293) with 2-5 and an RBI. The Nine's only run came in the sixth when center fielder Tommy Reinhold (.307) singled, stole second and came home on a two-base throwing error by shortstop Bobby Ritter.

Diamonds and Melton Massacre Marston in Sweep
The Claxton Diamonds took both games of the doubleheader from the Marston Nine, mauling them 11-2 in the nightcap. The Diamonds lashed five home runs and 14 hits and got an impressive debut from the newly-signed Sammy Melton (1-0 2.00), who held Marston to six hits, while fanning seven and walking two. Melton also belted one of the homers. Left fielder Dan Molnar (.415) hit two of them, giving him 9 in 21 games since being added to the roster. Right fielder Dixie Baker ((.317) hit a grand slam, his 26th, and first baseman Marty McCluskey (.311) got his 9th of the season. The Nine never were in the ballgame, but had two roundtrippers by right fielder Chris Deangelo (.273) and backup third baseman Roddy Teague (.467). Ed Vogler (3-4 4.46) failed to finish the fifth and was tagged for seven runs and six hits to suffer the loss.

Marston (46-37) is the RU South Division leader and has a 6.5-game edge over fifth place Claxton (41-45).

Lumberjacks Score Late, Beat Waleska in Opener
The Waleska Westerners jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning and went into the eighth up 4-1, but couldn't hold it. Forest City rallied late to win the opener of the twinbill 6-4. In the top of the eighth third baseman Jesse Pearson cut the lead to 4-3 with a two-run single, then in the ninth left fielder Chuck Hill (.330) doubled in the tying run. First baseman J. T. Edmonds (.297) laced a two-run single for the go-ahead runs. Lefthander Buddy Hutchinson (3-8 4.60) struck out the side in the bottom of the ninth to save it for Timmy Brooks (3-3 1.56), who got the last two outs in the eighth when starter Glenn Moore tired. Edmonds led the hitters with 3-for-4 and three RBIs, along with Ryan Morse (.369) with 3-for-4 and two runs scored. The Westerners best batters were left fielder Big Hoss Burkhalter (.317) and third baseman Yoshihide Nishida (.280) with a home run apiece. Andrei Marsiske (4-3 3.66) came on in the eighth, blew the save and lost the game. He gave up four hits and three runs in one inning.

Westerners Outscore 'Jacks to Split Doubleheader
At home at Westerner Field, Waleska unleased a 15-hit rampage in the nightcap and outscored Forest City 11-7 to divide the doubleheader. Center fielder Rick Vaughn (.325) sparked the Westerners with 3-4, three RBIs and three runs scored. Shortstop Jinx Giarussa (.309) chipped in three RBIs and right fielder Mark Rizzo (.250) drove in two. Both clubs had five doubles each to tie the IPA mark of ten, set by Claxton (4) and Forest City (6) on May 21, and by Valmara (2) and Volusia (8) on June 26. The Lumberjacks hit the only two homers in the game, by second baseman Jesse Wolf (.303) and pitcher Brian Charles (.313). Newcomer Erv Gunderson (1-0 9.45) made his debut and was the winner, but was slashed for seven runs and ten hits in 6+ innings. Forest City had 13 hits in all. In a non-save situation, Andrei Marsiske (4-3 3.51) pitched scoreless ball in his two innings of work and protected Gunderson's victory, giving the loss to Charles (3-3 4.71), who was ripped for 12 hits and 8 runs in five and two-thirds innings.

The Ruthlandian Union South got even tighter as Waleska (43-41) climbed to within 3.5 games of first place, while second place Forest City (45-41) sits 2.5 games off the pace. The Westerners are tied with Sugar Valley (43-41) for the third spot in the division.

Sunbirds Trip Rattlers 3-2 in Game 1
It was a heck of a pitching matchup between Sugar Valley's Ron Benson and Belair Beach's Ken Frey. They both worked into the 11th inning when Sunbird first baseman Phil Gravelli (.322) delivered the winning hit to give Belair Beach a 3-2 triumph and halted the Rattlers win streak at four. With two outs right fielder Matty McDermott (.324) singled, stole second and scampered home on Gravelli's single. Benson had walked Nicky Swift (.331), the IPA home run leader, to pitch to Gravelli. Closer Lou Zanelli (6-7 3.27) notched the win as he got the last two outs in the top of the 11th, when Frey ran out of gas. Benson (13-7 2.67) suffered the defeat, allowing only five hits, while striking out six and walking two. Frey didn't get the decision, but tossed an impressive game, yielding just two runs on seven hits in ten and a third innings. Frey chalked up eight Ks and issued two bases on balls. There were no extra base hits in the game. The Rattlers got 7 hits, while the Sunbirds had 5.

S'Birds Win Two 1-Run Games from Rattlers
The Belair Beach Sunbirds are in last place in the RU South standings, but they spoiled third place Sugar Valley's chance to get real close to first place Marston. The Sunbirds won both games in the twinbill by one run, taking the nightcap 7-6 with a two-run comeback in the eighth inning. Second string catcher Dusty James (.288) tied the score at 6-all with his second homer of the game to lead off the inning. It came off reliever Jay Washington (1-2 3.50), who was the losing pitcher. Shortstop Danny Church (.250) tripled with two outs and was driven in by left fielder Nicky Swift's (.332) RBI single for the game-winner. Belair Beach hammered four homers with Swift getting his 30th and Phil Gravelli (.329) stroking his 16th. Closer Lou Zanelli (7-7 3.47) was treated roughly when he came on in the eighth. The Rattlers scored three times and took a short-lived 6-5 lead, but Zanelli retired them in order in the last of the ninth for the victory. James and Gravelli topped the 'Birds with three hits each. James drove in three runs and Gravelli two. Church also had three hits and scored twice. Belair Beach had the advantage in basehits 16 to 10. Left fielder Cy Bartz (.278) drove in three runs for the Rattlers, while shortstop Flipper Bird (.296) was 3-for-4 and scored twice.

The double loss enabled Forest City (45-41) to take over the runner-up position in the RU South, 2.5 games out of first. Sugar Valley (43-41) fell back into a two-way tie with the Waleska Westerners (43-41) and are 3.5 games behind.

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Tuesday, July 10, 2001

Tycobbian Union - East Division

Ninjas Belt Zorros 9-6 in Opener
Ginza belted Luxora 9-6 in the opening game of the doubleheader at Ninja Stadium for its third win in succession. Right fielder Charlie Campbell (.296) keyed the victory with a third-inning grand slam that put the Ninjas up 7-2. Ginza was outhit 14 to 9, but made better use of them. Right fielder Pedro Vizquel (.292) went 4-for-4, scored three times and drove in three to pace Luxora. Vizquel had a two-run homer. Z's catcher Eric Richter (.334) had two hits and two RBIs. It was an ugly win for Toshiharu Ito (9-2 2.16) as he gave up 14 hits in eight and a third innings. But thanks to the Ninja firepower he came away a winner in his worst outing of the season. The loss went to Tito Tovares (1-1 3.06), who was treated harshly, allowing six runs in two innings. Luxora has lost its last three games.

Ginza Grabs Two from Luxora
In a seesaw battle Ginza took the nightcap from Luxora 5-4 for its 4th straight win and gave the Zorros a fourth straight loss. The Ninjas won it in the last of the eighth when center fielder Tommy Fujimoto (.281) led off with a double, went to third on a groundout and came home on first baseman Kenshin Yamamoto's (.289) sac fly. Righthander Buddy Hart (3-3 4.08) came out of the bullpen and got the start for Manager Horoko Uchiyama and gave him a complete-game win. Hart surrendered four runs and nine hits, struck out eight and issued 3 walks. Getting his first start of the season, Andy Stevens (3-4 3.67) also went the distance and suffered the loss. He fanned four, walked one and was touched for nine hits. Catcher Howard Mitchell (.286) was 2-4 for Ginza with a two-run homer. Fujimoto went 3-4. First sacker Paul Hallenbeck (.337) had a two-run two-bagger for Luxora.

TU South leader, Ginza (48-37) kicked up its lead over fifth place Luxora (39-44) to 5 games.

Stallions Stampede Over Hellcats in First Game
Righthander Ken Conner supplied the pitching and Glenn Holliday supplied the hitting as the South Fork Stallions stampeded over the Hartsdale Hellcats 9-1 in the first game on the double bill. The Stallions have won their last four games, while it was Hartsdale's third loss. Holliday (.273) slammed a bases-loaded home run to spark the Stallions with help from right fielder Paul Giles (.273) and second baseman Bob Jones (.296), who had two RBIs each, two hits and scored twice. Conner (7-2 2.31) won his fourth straight game, holding the Hellcats to just four singles and a run with five Ks and two walks. Mitch Yassen (0-1 4.19) absorbed the defeat, permitting seven runs in two plus innings. South Fork hammered out 11 hits in all.

South Fork Sweeps Hellcats for 5th Straight
Three South Fork pitchers combined to hurl a ten-inning 5-0 shutout over Hartsdale at Pioneer Park to take both ends of the twinbill. It was the Stallions fifth straight triumph and the Hellcats fourth defeat in a row. Shortstop Bobby Riley (.259) cleared the bases with a three-run double and left fielder Gene Woodruff (.272) added in a two-run homer to finish off reliever Nico Carnera and Hartsdale. Manager Duroche "Lips" Leon pitching corps is depleted and he was force to use Vince Bernini on two days' rest and got seven great innings out of him. Bernini (2-3 2.49) shut out the Hellcats on two hits and fanned six. Billy Joe Gordon (0-5 2.66) tossed a perfect 1-2-3 eighth and closer Glenn Turnbull (6-3 2.68) got the last six outs for the victory. Skipper Zim Donner, also desperate for a rested starter because of two doubleheaders in three days, pressed his closer Gene Young (5-4 2.83) into a start and got a very well-pitched five innings. Young struck out seven and permittled only four hits before tiring. Tal Vaitkus (0-1 1.90) took over and blanked the Stallions for two innings, before giving way to Carnera in the eighth inning. Carnera was stung for five runs in the top of the tenth and was charged with the loss. The South Fork pitchers only gave up three singles in the game, while the Stallions was swatting 11. Riley went 4-5, center fielder Ronnie Lee (.326) was 3-6 and Woodruff (.272) went 2-5.

South Fork (45-40) kept pace with the Ginza Ninjas (48-37) and are still 3 games behind in second place. Hartsdale (38-47) fell to 10 games out and are at the bottom of the standings in the Tycobbian Union East.

Nats Edge Hurricanes 3-2 in Game One
At home at Ellie Ewing Stadium in Ozarka, the Naturals got a strong outing from Sid Hyder, an 18-year-old righthander. Hyder (3-1 3.14) edged Gary Fountain and the Cape Coral Hurricanes 3-2 in game one of the doubleheader. Hyder halted the Hurricanes on four hits and had 10 strikeouts, while walking four. He needed help in the ninth when a one-out double by center fielder Antonio Guerrero (.321) put the tying run in scoring position. Manager Joe Mac Carney quickly yanked Hyder and called in Alex DiMaggio (7-3 1.28), who did his job to perfection - the ace closer struck out the last two batters for his 7th save. Nats center fielder Teddy Braun (.288), second baseman Duane Starr (.294) and third baseman Doug Cunningham (.254) had an RBI apiece to pace them, while shortstop Bobo Hatfield (.279) and second baseman Andy Anderson (.283) batted in a run each for Cape Coral. Fountain (6-4 4.39) worked a good game, too. He allowed only two earned runs and seven hits, while going the distance. Fountain struck out eight and walked three in defeat.

'Canes and Nats Divide, CC Wins 5-3 in Game Two
In the nightcap, Cape Coral snapped its three-game skid with a 5-3 victory over Ozarka, while at the same time putting an end to the Nats three-winning streak. The Hurricanes ran up a 5-1 margin in the top of the eighth and then held on. Ozarka scored two in the eighth and had the bases loaded in the ninth with two outs. Reliever Cody Burg (1-2 4.78) was summoned from the bullpen and retired the dangerous Floyd Snow (.221) for the final out of the game. It was Burg's first save this year. Starter Owen Pruitt (6-5 3.92) picked up the win by going seven and a third innings and giving up three runs, just two were earned. Donnie Young (5-7 4.15) caught the loss and went the distance, but only allowed two earned runs, fanned six and issued two walks. Ozarka outhit Cape Coral 9 to 6 in the game. Third baseman Doug Cunningham (.256) got his 21st roundtripper to lead the Nats, while center fielder James Middleton (.313) went 2-3 with two RBIs for the winners.

The Hurricanes (43-42) are in the third spot in the TU East Division, 5 games behind. Ozarka (41-44) is fourth and 7 games off the pace.

[Eugene Church]

Sorry for not being around the last three days or so.

Hurricane Gustav caused some severe problems in my area. Baton Rouge got the worst storm it has ever had in recent times...last 30 years.

Say a prayer for the people in the Baton Rouge area and also South Louisiana. New Orleans came through fine, I think.

No problem for me. My house suffered no damage, but we were told it might take up to 8 weeks to get power to our house. We were very, very lucky. We got power back in just a few days.

We just were mildly uncomfortable for 2 and a half days. No power, no tv, no air conditioning. It was just hot and humid with no cold drinks or water.

However, they had to rush me to the emergency room - no OOTPB.

Turns out I was suffering from severe anxiety caused by acute computer game addiction. Many times this is fatal, but they saved me by breaking out an old APBA board game and got me under control. Part of the therapy was looking at a blank monitor and sitting in front of a keyboard, pretending to play OOTPB. The doctor said it would fool my brain, since it cannot tell the difference between something that you imagine and something that is really happening. It's called Psycho Cybernetics or something like that.

I am OK...at least for now. They say relapses are likely.

Pray for me.

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Tuesday, July 10, 2001

Tycobbian Union - West Division

Frogs Croak Again, 8th Straight Loss
In the opener of a twinbill, TU West Division Leader, the Fairfax Frogs, croaked again for the 8th straight time, falling 3-2 to the Arlon Champions. Rocket-arm Craig Smith (11-5 2.71) ran his winning streak to five with fine 11-strikeout performance. He walked only two and gave up seven hits in his 9th complete game this year. Catcher Smoke Zakharov (.246) paced the Champs with a two-run roundtripper in the fifth to put them ahead 2-1. It was his 7th. Fairfax left fielder Gator Davis (.281) started the scoring with a solo shot in the second inning. Davis has hit 18 out of the park this season. Arlon got the winning run in the 7th on a balk by loser Jimmy Dalton (8-7 4.54). Dalton worked seven innings, allowed five hits and three runs. The Frogs played without right fielder Gregg Vincent for the first time since his injury. He will be out one to two weeks with a bad ankle. Vincent is hitting .326 with 26 home runs and 77 RBIs.

Fairfax (51-33) is in danger of tying the IPA mark for most consecutive defeats. Nine is the record and was set by three clubs, Valmara, Glasco and Sugar Valley. It is remarkable that the Frogs are still far in front in the division standings. Fortunately their toughest competition, Bayview has been playing almost as poorly as them and still trails them by 6 games. Third place Arlon (42-42) is nine games behind Fairfax.

Champs Sweep, Frogs Tie IPA Loss Mark at 9
Arlon swept the doubleheader from division-leading Fairfax, taking the second game 4-1 and extended the Frogs losing skid to a record-tying 9 games. The Champions got another route-going effort from newcomer Hal Meissner (1-0 1.20), who shackled Fairfax on five hits. He struck out six and walked six in an up-and-down performance. Arlon was led at bat by right fielder Andy Pettorini (.340) with two hits, including a homer, and two runs scored. Center fielder Jerry Fuller (.296) chipped in two hits and drove in a pair and shortstop Bama Hartley (.267) had two hits and an RBI. Shortstop Warren Lee (.323) had three of the Frogs five hits. Bobby Ray Trent (0-1 3.00) lost it, yielding three runs and eight hits in seven innings with eight Ks.

Valmara, Glasco and Sugar Valley will be pulling for Fairfax to lose tomorrow so the Frogs can have the dubious honor of losing the most games in a row in the brief IPA history all to itself.

Fairfax (51-34) lead over third place Arlon (43-42) has been shaved to 8 games. The Champs have won the last four games.

Viks Rally to Whip Lynx 4-2 in First Game
In the first game of a doubleheader at Capitol Park Stadium in La Claire, the second place Bayview Vikings knocked off the Lynx 4-2 with a late-inning rally. Second baseman Alan Hansen (.384) delivered a two-run single in the seventh for the go-ahead run, making the score 3-2. Reliever Buzzy Lewis (.286) added an insurance run in the ninth with a sacrifice fly. Center fielder Dean Howell drove in the other run with a solo shot in the sixth frame. Lewis (3-3 3.02) chalked up his IPA-leading 14th save by holding La Claire scoreless in the last two innings, although the Lynx threated by loading the bases with two outs in the bottom of the ninth before he got the final out on a game-ending double play. Winner Paul Hood (7-4 2.65) turned in a strong performance in his seven innings. The stocky portsider allowed only one earned run and seven hits, while fanning 10. Big Frank Lamoreaux (6-8 4.15) suffered the defeat, but pitched well. He only gave up two earned runs in his eight innings. Pacing La Claire was catcher Dennis Weiss (.251), who had two hits. He hit his 9th homer in the fifth inning for the first run of the game and singled in another run in the sixth. The Lynx outhit the Vikings 10 to 6 in the game.

Big Inning Wins It for Vikings, Sweep Lynx
Trailing 3-0 in the nightcap, Bayview put 7 runs on the scoreboard in the sixth inning and then held on to whip La Claire 8-7 and complete the sweep. The two triumphs moved the Vikings to within 6 games of the first place Fairfax Frogs, who are in the throes of a monstrous 9-game losing streak. Both clubs rattled the board for 13 hits each. Leading the way for the Vikings with three hits apiece were second baseman Alan Hansen (.389), first baseman Dwayne Coleman (.311) and catcher Tom Harrell (.269). Topping the Lynx were left fielder Rich Hart (.255), shortstop Dirk Lindahl (.292), center fielder Lucky Collins (.308), third baseman Luis Marquez (.290) and first sacker Francisco Robles (.283), each with two hits. Marquez had the only homer in the game, his 8th of the year. Ken Fairchild (1-1 3.71) picked up the win in his first start, but was ravaged for six runs and ten hits in seven innings. Jose Carvajal (9-5 4.26), a starter, was forced into a relief spot as Bayview ran out of relievers and got the last two outs on fly balls with the bases loaded for his first save. Starter George Gentry (0-1 1.37) lost his first start for La Claire, the victim of six unearned runs in the sixth. He had blanked the Vikings over the first five innings.

Bayview (46-41) is managed by Walter Johanssen and is in second place in the TU West, now 6 games off the pace. La Claire (40-45) is in the fifth spot and 11 games out. The Lynx are skippered by Rip Calkin.

Bucs Bomb Blue Sox 9-4 in Opener
Bay St. Clair bombed Blue Lake 9-4 in the opener of a twinbill played at Harbor Stadium. The Buccaneers smashed 20 hits and were sparked by left fielder Charley Moon (.272), first baseman George Lyons (.250), center fielder Wayne Latham (.500) and pitcher Norm Gross (.140), all with two RBIs apiece in the rout. Shortstop Chuck Hankins (.327) led them with four hits. The Blue Sox got eight hits off Gross (11-7 3.49), who went the distance. Second baseman
Dandy Wilson (.256) drove in three runs with a pair of singles for Blue Lake. The losing pitcher was starter Bennie West (9-9 3.09), who was slapped around for seven runs in the first two frames.

Bucs Win Both Games, Drop Sox 5-4 in Nightcap
Trailing 4-2 heading into the eighth, Bay St. Clair scored one in the eighth to cut it to one run and then won it 5-4 with a two-run ninth to take both games of the twinbill with the Blue Sox at Harbor Stadium in Blue Lake. An error by third baseman Timmy Smith (.314) allowed the Buccaneers to tie the score, then center fielder Wayne Latham (.444) plated the winning run with a single. Kenny Metcalf (4-2 3.73) pitched a runless eighth for the victory and Sean Lawrence (2-7 3.82) closed it out with a perfect ninth for his first save, while closer Russ Courtney (5-3 2.70) was roughed up for two runs in his two innings and took the loss. There were five roundtrippers in the ballgame. Bucs first baseman George Lyons (.254) connected for his 17th and left fielder Charley Moon (.277) marked up number 11. Blue Sox catcher Curly Harris (.229) slammed two into the stands to give him 6 on the year and second baseman Ken Bennett (.272) got his 14th.

The cellar-dwelling Buccaneers (36-50) are 15.5 games out in the TU West and Blue Lake (40-44) is fourth, 10.5 games behind.

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Wednesday, July 11, 2001

Ruthlandian Union - North Division

Colfax Clobbers Valmara 14-4
The top team in the Ruthlandian Union North, the Colfax Blasters, clobbered Valmara 14-4 today at War Memorial Stadium. Colfax blasted 14 hits and were led by first baseman Dennis Cole (.328) with a double, his 26th homer and three RBIs, left fielder Blinky Brandon (.313) scored three times and drove in two and shortstop Josh Jackson (.283) scored three runs. A 7-run fifth spelled doom for the Vipers. Chalking up the win was lefthander Robbie Smith (6-4 3.28), who worked five-plus innings and gave up three runs and five hits. Vic Jankovich (2-0 0.82) continued to sparkle in relief and picked up his first save. He pitched three innings and allowed one run. Loser Todd Turner (8-7 4.38) had a terrible outing with five walks, seven hits and eight runs in just four innings.

Colfax (49-37) leads the fifth place Valmara Vipers (41-45) by 8 games.

Vigilantes Wallop Redhawks 11-4
On the road at Sky High Stadium in Far Mountain, Volusia easily got the best of the second place Redhawks 11-4 as third baseman Bennie Anderson (.252) ripped a grand slam home run and first baseman Alejandro Salazar (.291) banged a three-run roundtripper to back up Manny Seguin on the mound. The V's raced out to a 7-3 lead after four innings and expanded it to 11-3 after six. With such great run support Seguin (1-1 3.42) had it in cruise control, allowing nine hits and four runs, while fanning ten batters. Vance Mitchell (4-3 3.94) was plastered for seven runs in four innings for the loss.

Far Mountain (48-39) dipped to 1.5 games off the pace of the first place Colfax Blasters (49-37). Volusia (43-43) is 6 games behind.

A's Nip All-Stars in 10-9 Slugfest
It was a slugfest at State Fair Park in Elnora, where the visiting Glasco Athletics bolted out to an 8-3 lead in the fourth and then hung on for dear life to nip the All-Stars 10-9. The A's 15-hit attack was led by right fielder Lee McDougall (.288), who cleared the bases with a three-run triple, second baseman Barry McCord (.307) with three hits and a pair of RBIs and shortstop Kyle Ballentine (.307) with three base hits. Elnora racked up 14 hits and were paced by home runs by right fielder Jerry Cascio (.265) and center fielder Rusty Gilbert (.263). Cascio batted in three runs and second baseman Gil Foster (.349) drove in a pair of runs with a 2-for-3 day. It wasn't a day for the pitchers to shine. Bill Darby (4-5 4.30) notched the victory, while Tyrone Gray (5-10 4.36) took the loss. Darby allowed six runs in six hits in six innings, while Gray (5-10 4.36) was blistered for seven runs in 3-plus innings. Ray Cook (3-4 1.84) closed the game out for his 8th save this season.

Glasco (43-41) is holding down spot number three in the RU North and is 5 games out. Elnora (34-53) is in the division basement, 15.5 games behind.

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Wednesday, July 11, 2001

Ruthlandian Union - South Division

Marston Beats Claxton 6-3 Behind Azard
At Legends Field in Marston, lefty Paul Azard (8-5 4.35) beat the Claxton Diamonds 6-3. Azard fanned four, walked none, allowed 11 hits, but only three runs in a route-going performance. Second baseman Ken Green (.343) starred at bat for the Nine with a double, his 9th home run, scored two runs and batted two in. Catcher Pete Robinson (.202) homered for the Diamonds. Johnny Szwak (9-3 3.69) was roughed up by Marston for 10 hits and six runs. Szwak also pitched a complete game and had six Ks and four walks in a poor outing.

It was only first place Marston's (47-37) second win in the last ten games. They are 7.5 games in front of fifth place Claxton (41-46).

Edelman Outduels Carter, 'Jacks Edge Waleska 3-2
Vinny Edelman outdueled Smokey Joe Carter on the mound and drove in the winning run with a sixth-inning sac fly in the Forest City 3-2 triumph over Waleska at Westerner Field. Edelman (8-6 3.17) went all the way, struck out eight, walked one and checked the Westerners on seven hits. Left fielder Big Hoss Burkhalter (.321) and center fielder Rick Vaughn (.329) went deep on him, but that's all the runs they got. It was Burkhalter's 25th and Vaughn's 8th. Carter (12-7 3.09) was looking for his 13th victory, but instead got his 7th defeat. He surrendered three runs on six hits in seven innings. Carter whiffed nine and walked five. The Lumberjacks scored twice in the third inning when Carter forced in a run with a bases-loaded walk to Chuck Hill (.322) and second baseman Jesse Wolf (.303) drove in the other run with a deep sacrifice fly.

Forest City (46-41) kept pace with the division-leading Marston Nine (47-37) and are only 2.5 games off their pace, while Waleska (43-42) slipped to 4.5 games behind.

Sunbirds Slip by Rattlers 8-6
The ball was booming at Bayside Park in Belair Beach as the Sunbirds prevailed over Sugar Valley 8-6 for their third win in a row. Both clubs hit three home runs each, but it was catcher Dusty James' (.286) two-run single in the eighth that won the game. He got it off closer Gregg Neal (7-5 2.25), who blew his 5th save of the season. The Birdies got roundtrippers from left fielder Nicky Swift (.333), shortstop Danny Church (.249) and first baseman Phil Gravelli (.332), while shortstop Flipper Bird (.299), catcher Slingshot McFall (.292) and left fielder Cy Bartz (.281) countered for the Rattlers. It was Swift's 31st of the season, best in the IPA. Right fielder Matty McDermott (.329) had four hits for the winners and center fielder Freddie Vaux (.353) went 4-for-4 in defeat. The Sunbirds outhit Sugar Valley 14 to 11 with the win going to middle reliever Todd Wilson (5-9 4.72), in spite of him being tagged for two runs in his only inning. Lou Zanelli (7-7 3.41) sealed the verdict for Wilson with his 9th save by recording a 1-2-3 ninth. Starter Paul Haines (5-6 3.80) absorbed the loss for the Rattlers, allowing seven runs - five earned - in seven innings.

Third place Sugar Valley (43-42) has been beaten in its last three games and has fallen 4.5 games behind in the standings. Belair Beach (37-49) is last and 11 games off the pace.

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Wednesday, July 11, 2001

Tycobbian Union - East Division

Ninjas Destroy Zorros 14-5, 5 Wins In a Row
The Ginza Ninjas are on a rampage again with a fifth win in a row. They totally destroyed Luxora at Ninja Stadium 14-4, ripping them for 20 hits. The Zorros have now lost five consecutive games. It looked good early for the Z's as they got off to a 3-0 lead after three innings, then the roof caved in. Ginza put 14 runs on the scoreboard in the next four innings to win in a walk. The Ninja bats were blazing as first baseman Kenshin Yamamoto (.298) rapped out four hits, third baseman Kaz Ojima (.320) and second baseman Scoop McDonald (.244) each had three, and shortstop Shinjiro Aoki (.283) and center fielder Takashi Fujimoto (.283) totaled two apiece. Backup backstop Kris Michel (.175) batted in five runs with a three-run homer and two sacrifice flies. Although he was battered and bruised Kojiro Matsumoto (13-4 3.05) notched his 13th win of the season. Matsumoto was whacked for five runs and nine hits in six-plus innings. He exited with a 10-5 lead. Chris Pierce (8-7 3.51) was the losing pitcher and left trailing 8-4 in the fifth frame after giving up eleven hits.

Ginza (49-37) is atop the Tycobbian Union East standings and are 9 games ahead of fifth place Luxora (39-45).

Olson Fires 3-Hitter, Stallions Win 5th Straight
South Fork roared to its fifth straight victory as Ken Olson fired a three-hitter in the 11-2 blistering of Hartsdale at Pioneer Park. Olson (9-7 2.84) struck out seven, walked two and allowed only one earned run. Pacing the Stallions offense were shortstop Bobby Riley (.259) with a three-run roundtripper and first baseman Keith Burke (.317) with a two-run jack. Losing pitcher Phil Reed (9-3 3.27) failed to get out of the second inning and was tagged for six runs and five hits in one of his worst starts of the season. A 6-run second inning pretty much decided the game. It was the Hellcats fifth setback in a row.

South Fork (46-40) is the hottest club in the division with an 8-2 record in its last 10 games. The Stallions are second in the race and only 3 games behind first place Ginza (49-37). Hartsdale (38-48) is still pulling up the rear and in last place, 11 games off the pace.

CC Conquers Nats 8-3, Robinson Wins 11th
Cape Coral erupted for three runs in the fourth inning against Ozarka to snap a 3-3 tie en route to an 8-3 triumph on the Nats home field. The big hit of the inning was a double by shortstop Bobo Hatfield that plated the eventual winning run. Hatfield (.282) homered, doubled and singled, scored twice and batted in a pair of runs. Second baseman Spook Estes (.324) also went deep for the Hurricanes. Cape Coral collected 12 hits, while southpaw Wally Robinson allowed eight hits in going the distance. He fanned eight and issued a couple of walks. Yasuyuki Nakagawa (9-9 3.35) struggled and picked up the loss. He was smacked for six runs in three-plus innings. Third baseman Doug Cunningham (.259) slammed his 22nd home run for Ozarka and first baseman Poochie Kramer (.241) hit his 5th. They accounted for all three of the Naturals runs.

The Hurricanes (44-42) are in the third spot in the TU East and trail by 5 games, while Ozarka (41-45) are 8 games out and in fourth place.

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Wednesday, July 11, 2001

Tycobbian Union - West Division

Frogs Set IPA Mark, 10th Straight Loss
The Fairfax Frogs are the new IPA record holder for the most consecutive losses. Arlon's Connie Gavagan shut them out 1-0 at Derby Downs to give them their 10th straight defeat. With one out in the sixth inning right fielder Andy Pettorini (.333) walked and then scored the only run of the game on left fielder Matt Merrill's (.308) double. Gavagan (1-1 0.00), only 19 years old, limited Fairfax to six hits, fanned four and issued only one walk. He just recently joined the Champions and has been outstanding in 5 relief appearances and two starts. Gavagan has yet to give up an earned run in 25 innings. His only loss was 2-1 to La Claire in his first start. Jackie Leslie (11-7 3.50) dropped a tough decision, holding Arlon to just four hits and a run in seven innings.

Sugar Valley, Glasco and Valmara all had 9-game losing streaks earlier this season. Now the first place Fairfax Frogs (51-36) have the record all to themselves. The Frogs had a 14-game lead over third place Arlon when they began the abysmal skid. The lead has dwindled to 7. Second place Bayview trailed by 9 games at the time. Now the Vikings are 6 games out.

Lynx Blank Vikings 1-0
The Bayview Vikings continue to flounder and failed to pick up ground on the slump-ridden Fairfax Frogs in the TU West Division. The Vikings were blanked 1-0 by La Claire at Capitol Park Stadium. Pat Daniels and Munoto Kishata combined for the shutout. Daniels (9-3 3.66) needed help with the bases loaded and two outs in the ninth, but salvaged the win, when Kishata (4-7 3.26) retired Bob Klostermann (.266) on a grounder to end the game and pick up his 10th save. Daniels permitted six hits, walked two and struck out four. The loser was Jesus Carvajal (9-6 4.11), who went seven innings, allowed eight hits, walked none and fanned five in a fine outing. Second baseman Darrell Boyce (.253) got the game-winner when he blasted his 11th roundtripper of the year for the only run in the game in the bottom of the seventh.

Bayview (46-42) is in the runner-up spot in the standings, but still 6 games behind the Fairfax Frogs (51-35). While the Frogs have lost 10 straight games, the Vikings have only been 4-6 during that span. The La Claire Lynx (41-45) are 10 games off the pace and in fourth place.

Bucs Win 4th Straight, Slip by Sox 5-4
The last team you'd think would go on a 9-1 roll would be the last place Bay St. Clair Buccaneers - but that's just what Skipper Guy Rondre's team has done. They won their 4th straight game, slipping by Blue Lake 5-4 to give the Blue Sox a 4th loss in a row. A four-run seventh put the Bucs ahead 5-2 and they hung on to win it. In the decisive inning, left fielder Charley Moon (.279) delivered a two-run double, pinchhitter Ed Albrecht (.444) had an RBI single and right fielder Jose Valenzuela (.293) socked a sac fly. Righthander Duncan McFalls (6-2 3.50) recorded the victory with six strong innings. He stopped Blue Lake on just two hits and two runs, only one of them earned. The loss went to Derek Manetti (5-6 4.02), who started and was touched for five runs in seven innings.

The defeat dropped Blue Lake (40-45) to fifth place in the Tyrobbian Union West race, 10.5 games out of the top spot. The Buccaneers (37-50) are 14.5 games behind the leading Fairfax Frogs and are lagging way behind in the division basement.

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Thursday, July 12, 2001

Ruthlandian Union - North Division

Vipers Outscore Blasters 13-9
One thing for sure - the fans got their money's worth at War Memorial Stadium in Valmara. The Vipers leaped out to a 9-2 lead after five innings, only to see it evaporate, when Colfax tied it up 9-9 with a 7-run eighth. But Valmara got the last word with four runs in the bottom of the inning to outscore the Blasters 13-9. First baseman Yank Jankowski (.320) tripled in the winning run and also hammered a bases-loaded home run to drive in five runs for the Vipers, who totaled 13 base hits. Catcher Yoshi Motsuzuki (.285) added three hits and three RBIs and left fielder Louis Sharp (.333) batted in two runs. Center fielder Jan Szymanski (.265) also smacked his 18th homer for Valmara. Colfax hammered 15 hits and were led by shortstop Wayne O'Reilly (.254) with his 12th roundtripper and three RBIs, left fielder Blinky Brandon (.314) with a pair of hits and two runs batted in and second baseman Tommy Stanley (.255) with two RBIs. Pitching was nowhere to be found with Danny Blauser (7-4 2.45) getting the victory and Walt Sellers (2-5 3.36) taking the fall. Blauser gave up two runs in one and two-thirds innings and Sellers was belted for four runs in one and two-thirds innings.

Fifth place Valmara (42-45) is now 7 games behind the Ruthlandian Union North leader, the Colfax Blasters (49-38).

V's Rout Redhawks 13-5
The Volusia Vigilantes busted up a 5-5 battle with 8 runs in the last two frames to win going away 13-5 over Far Mountain at Sky High Stadium. Pacing the V's 17-hit attack were left fielder Winky Rush (.287) with three hits and four RBIs, right fielder Jesus Arroyo (.280) with four hits and two RBIs, shortstop Scooter Perez (.382) with three hits, four runs scored and a pair of runs driven in and first baseman Alejandro Salazar (.290) with two RBIs. Notching the win was Kit Kivett (9-3 3.17), who tossed seven innings, fanned eight and allowed five runs. Volusia's standout closer Ricky Moreno (4-2 2.04) finished off Far Mountain with two scoreless innings. The losing pitcher was the Redhawks ace reliever Doc Rutledge (6-6 3.06). The Vigilantes tagged him for five runs in less than an inning.

Far Mountain (48-40) fell for the third game in a row and failed to gain ground on the RU North leader. The Redhawks are still 1.5 games behind Colfax (49-38). Fourth place Volusia (44-43) trails by 5 games.

Smith and Beauvais Pace A's to 7-1 Win Over Elnora
Glasco righthander Jerry Smith stopped Elnora 7-1 on a four-hitter and left fielder Ox Beauvais (.340) supplied three hits and three runs batted in for the Athletics third successive win. Smith fanned five, walked two and went the distance for the 8th time this season, while Beauvais unloaded his 17th home run. Second baseman Barry McCord (.310) had two hits and doubled in two runs and center fielder Greg Reynolds (.309) cracked three hits, scored twice and had an RBI for the winners. Elnora starter Pat Savoie (5-2 3.22) chalked up the loss, going five innings and allowing five runs.

The Glasco A's (44-41) are just 4 games behind first place Colfax (49-38), while last place Elnora (34-54) is 15.5 games out.

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Thursday, July 12, 2001

Ruthlandian Union - South Division

Nakashima Knocks Off Nine 8-3
The Claxton bats finally woke up from their six-inning slumber and pinned an 8-3 loss on Nick Pace and the Marston Nine. Pace has shut them out 3-0, but faltered in the seventh when the Diamonds unloaded two homers and scored five times. Right fielder Dixie Baker (.316) unloaded a grand slam, his 27th of the season to put them ahead to stay. First baseman Marty McCluskey (.318) followed it with a solo salvo, number 10 on the year for him. Tetsunori Nakashima (10-6 4.68) pitched a steady game and blanked Marston over the last six innings. Nakashima scattered 10 hits, fanned five and walked two in pitching a complete game for his 10th victory. Pace (12-8 2.99) struggled mightily and was battered for eight runs all in the last three innings. Left fielder Ronnie Horn (.292) went deep for Marston and got his 9th home run.

The Ruthlandian Union South Division leader is Marston (47-38). The Nine is 6.5 games up on fifth place Claxton(42-46).

FC's Bahr Bops Westerners 5-2
Forest City moved to within a game and a half of first place in the RU South with a 5-2 decision over the Westerners in Waleska. Lefty Herm Bahr (11-5 3.35) worked a very solid eight innings for his 11th victory of the season, yielding seven hits and two runs with four Ks and three bases on balls. Closer Timmy Brooks (3-3 1.49) recorded his 5th save with a runless ninth. He gave up two hits to put runners on the corners, then retired the last three batters, two on strikes. Right fielder Benny Davis (.263) led the Lumberjacks at bat with a three-run shot in the sixth. It was his 17th roundtripper. Waleska starter Rusty Kraft (6-9 4.51) went eight innings in a losing cause and was tagged for five runs, four earned.

The second place Lumberjacks (47-41) are three games out in the loss column, but trail first place Marston (47-38) by just 1.5 games. Waleska (43-43) is tied for the fourth spot in the standings with Sugar Valley, just 4.5 games off the pace.

Thompson Tames Rattlers 3-2 in 10 Innings
The Belair Beach Sunbirds won their fourth game in a row and dealt Sugar Valley its fourth consecutive defeat. Carl Thompson did the job on the hill with a three-hitter and IPA home run leader, Nicky Swift, did it with his bat to edge Sugar Valley 3-2 in 10 innings. Thompson (10-8 2.55) retired a dozen Rattlers on strikes for his 10th victory and Swift (.338) went 3-5 and won the game with walk-off homer. Swift was the first batter newcomer John-Michael Darragh (0-1 0.00) faced in his first appearance since signing yesterday. Darragh came on in relief of Harvey Hines (8-6 3.72), who went nine innings and only permitted two runs. Sunbird third baseman Mike Janocko (.219) doubled in two runs in the bottom of the ninth to send the game into overtime.

Belair Beach's (38-49) triumph kept third place Sugar Valley from gaining ground in the divisional race. The Rattlers are tied with Waleska (43-43) and are 4.5 games behind. The Sunbirds are in the cellar, 10 games out.

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Thursday, July 12, 2001

Tycobbian Union - East Division

Zorros End 5-Game Skid
The Luxora Zorros put and end to a 5-game losing skid with an 8-3 road triumph over first place Ginza, who lost for the first time in 5 games. Keith Callahan (7-8 3.25) bent, but he didn't break. He permitted 11 hits, but only three runs, finishing up with five Ks and a walk. The Z's punched out 15 hits and broke open a 3-3 game with a three-run sixth. Sparking the victory with three hits apiece were catcher Eric Richter (.339), second baseman Paco Benitez (.257) and right fielder Pedro Vizquel (.297). Starter Kazuhiro Nakayama (6-10 2.79) took it on the chin, allowing six runs and ten hits in five-plus innings, although only three were earned.

Ginza (48-38) is the top team in the TU East and has an 8-game lead over fourth place Luxora (40-45). The Zorros are deadlocked with the Ozarka Naturals (41-46).

Stallions Win 6th, Battle Beats Hellcats 5-3
When Flint Battle is on the hill for South Fork, the opposition usually has its work cut off for them. Battle (12-7 2.52) recorded his 12th victory and 12th complete game in a 5-3 decision over the last place Hartsdale Hellcats at Pioneer Park. It was the 6th win in a row for South Fork and Hartsdale's 6th straight defeat. The soft-throwing righthander shackled them on five hits, while walking two and fanning six. Battle allowed only one earned run. Hartsdale got to him for a 3-0 lead in the third frame, but were shut out the rest of the way. Battle (.231) even suppled the winning run in the seventh with a sacrifice fly. First baseman Alex Kesler (.255) and catcher Darryl Burnett (.266) paced the Stallions with two hits and two RBIs each. Going down to defeat was starter Danny Griffin (6-10 3.63), who tossed seven innings and gave up four runs.

With the win, the second place Stallions (47-40) edged closer to the division leader, the Ginza Ninjas (49-38) and cut their lead to just 2 games. Hartsdale (38-49) trails by 11 games.

'Canes Squeak by Ozarka 2-1 in 10 Innings
Visiting Cape Coral took its third consecutive victory from Ozarka at Ellie Ewing Stadium 2-1 as two southpaws combined to win a squeaker. Jeff Salow (3-1 2.40) hurled the first nine innings and allowed only one unearned run on seven hits, fanned ten and walked three, while closer Scotty Lohmeyer (2-5 4.14) earned his 6th save with a perfect tenth. Nats starter Luther Hatch (8-10 3.66) was outstanding as he held the Hurricanes to one run and five hits over the first nine frames. Hatch struck out 10 in the game. Getting the loss was closer Alex DiMaggio (7-4 1.45), who surrendered a game-winning sac fly to Salow (.417) in the tenth. Cape Coral had an 8-7 advantage in hits.

The Cape Coral Hurricanes (45-42) are third in the standings, 4 games off the pace. Ozarka (41-46) is tied for fourth with Luxora (40-45) and are 8 games back.

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Thursday, July 12, 2001

Tycobbian Union - West Division

Frogs Finally Win, Snap 10-Game Losing Streak
The 10-game losing streak is finally over for the Fairfax Frogs. It came to an end on the road at Derby Downs in Arlon. The Frogs came out on the long end of a 6-4 scored. Righthander Kaz Hayagawa (9-10 3.98) put on a gritty performance and claimed the victory with some late-inning bullpen help from Takehide Takahashi (8-3 1.42). Hayagawa gave up a three-run homer in the first inning to center fielder Jerry Keller (.299), but settled down and only gave up one more run in the seventh. By then, Fairfax had come back and taken a 6-4 lead. Hayagawa allowed eight hits and four runs, while Takahashi nailed down his 11th save with two shutout innings to finish off the Champs. Arlon had won its last five games. The Frogs pelted Arlon for 13 hits and were led by center fielder Billy Echevarria (.253) with 4-5 and two runs scored, and homers by left fielder Gator Davis (.281) and first baseman Earl Hutchinson (.261). Woody Fitzgerald (5-5 3.87) took the loss and departed after six innings, allowing five runs. Fairfax broke a 3-all tie with a pair of runs in the fifth and added another in the seventh to go up 6-3.

In spite of the lengthy losing stretch, the Frogs (52-35) still have a comfortable lead over second place Bayview. Arlon (44-43) is in third place and trails by 8 games.

Lynx Edges Vikings 4-3 in 10
The La Claire Lynx blew a 3-0 ninth-innng lead, but came back and edged Bayview 4-3 in 10 innings. Center fielder Lucky Collins (.308) cracked a two-out two-bagger for the game-winning hit, scoring reliever Andy Murray (.500) from second base. Collins had three hits in all, including a home run in the third frame. Third baseman Kenny Hall (.241) also homered, a two-run shot in the second inning. Closer Buzzy Lewis (3-4 3.09) suffered the defeat, giving up two hits and a run in one and two-thirds innings. Murray (3-1 3.41) got credit for the victory in relief of starter Kimo Orlando (3-2 2.23). Murray got the last four outs and allowed no runs. Orlando blanked Bayview untl the ninth. Overall he surrendered three runs on five hits. Jerry Harrison started for the Vikings and yielded three runs and seven hits in seven innings. At bat Bayview was paced by catcher Jose Hernandez (.288), who had a two-run triple in the top of the ninth,

Runner-up Bayview (46-43) slipped to 7 games behind first place Fairfax (52-35), while La Claire (42-45) remained in fourth place in the Tycobbian Union West and is 10 games out.

5 In a Row for Buccaneers, Top Sox 7-4
At Harbor Stadium in Blue Lake, Bay St. Clair pounded out a 7-4 triumph for its 5th in a row. The Buccaneers lashed 11 hits off four Blue Sox hurlers, led by left fielder Charley Moon (.283) with 2-for-3, including his 12th roundtripper, and a pair of RBIs, center fielder Wayne Latham (.455) with 2-for-4 and two RBIs and third sacker Bobby Tracy (.312) with 3-for-3 and two runs scored. In addition, second baseman Tony Mann (.324) hit his 7th homer of the year. Blue Lake second baseman Ken Bennett (.269) got number 15, a two-run blast. The win went to starter Don Yaden (2-1 3.78), who worked into the ninth. Yaden gave up 11 hits and four runs and needed help from closer Chris Van Arden (3-0 0.79). The stubby 19-year-old righthander did his job very well. Van Arden came on with two runners on and quickly retired the only two batters he faced to wrap up his 3rd save.

Bay St. Clair (38-50) has won 9 of the last 10, but is still deep in the cellar, 14.5 games out. Blue Lake (40-46) is fifth and 11.5 games behind.

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Friday, July 13, 2001

Ruthlandian Union - North Division

Elnora's Tarzetti Zaps Colfax 8-2
Elnora manager Zoggy White is pleased with the recent addition to his starting rotation - a tall and slender 20-year-old righthander named Jim Tarzetti. In his fourth start Tarzetti (2-2 1.85) zapped the first place Colfax Blasters 8-2. He gave up eight hits, but stranded ten in a complete game. Tarzetti finished up with nine strikeouts and two walks. The All-Stars backed him up with plenty of offense. They rapped out 14 hits and beat one of the top pitchers in the IPA, Flash Guidry (10-9 2.88). Elnora got rid of him quickly with four runs in the first three innings. First baseman Paul Kesler (.371) led the way with three hits and scored twice. Shortstop Joe Norris (.219), center fielder Harry Wright (.263) and second baseman Gil Foster (.347) all had two hits each, scored a run and drove one in. Left fielder Quincy Peterson (.287) also had two RBIs. For Colfax second baseman Tucker Hill (.333) had two hits and plated both of their runs.

Colfax (49-39) is first in the Ruthlandian Union North Division and is 14.5 games in front of last place Elnora (35-54).

Redhawks Rally, Dump Vipers 8-4
Far Mountain needed a win to cut Colfax's lead in the RU North to a half-game and got it. The Redhawks rallied from a 4-2 deficit after 5 innings and came back to win it 8-4 behind the pitching of dependable Sonny Elliott and a potent 14-hit offense. Elliott (13-6 2.47), the RU leader with 13 wins and a 2.47 ERA, settled down after a rocky five innings and blanked Valmara over the final four frames. He allowed nine hits, but only two earned runs. Far Mountain was paced by catcher Dave Davis (.382), who had three hits and four RBIs, right fielder Tommy Sonnier (.266) was 4-4 and scored three times and third baseman Johnny Strickland (.294) went 3-5 and had an RBI. Viper centerfielder Jan Szymanski (.270) was just about the whole show for them. He was 2-2 with two homers, number 19 and 20, and three runs batted in. Szymanski took over the league lead with 87 RBIs. 19-year-old Vanya Vasylenko (1-2 4.83) lost it. He was tagged hard for ten hits and five runs in seven innings.

The second place Redhawks (49-40) are now only a slim half-game behind Colfax (49-39), while fifth place Valmara (42-46) slipped to 7 games off the pace.

A's Take 4th Straight in Comeback Win
A big 4-run eighth brought home Glasco's 4th straight victory as they whipped Volusia 8-6 at the Jailhouse. Left fielder Ox Beauvais (.342) tied the score at 6-6 with a two-run single, followed by first baseman Maury Smith (.347) game-winning single. Backup third baseman Rick Adkins (.204) made it 8-6 in the ninth with his 6th home run. Bullpen specialist Ray Cook (3-4 1.96) notched his 9th save this season with a scoreless eighth and ninth. Arnie McFalls (5-4 5.32) pitched one and a third innings for the victory, giving up no runs. Augie Giertych (1-2 3.38) suffered the loss in relief and was roughed up for three runs in less than an inning. The Athletics outhit the Vigilantes 13 to 10. Left fielder Winky Rush (.292) drilled three hits and drove in a pair of runs for the losers and shortstop Scooter Perez (.383) went 2-for-4 and took over the league batting lead.

Promising Glasco outfielder Buck Bucholtz (.405) was injured running the bases and may miss about two weeks with a strained hip muscle.

The Glasco A's (45-41) are in the third spot in the RU North race and trail first place Colfax (49-39) by 3 games. The Volusia V's (44-44) are fourth and are 5 games back.