ISLANDIAN PRO ALLIANCE (RUTHLANDIA and TYCOBBIA BASEBALL UNIONS)

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Tuesday, July 17, 2001

Ruthlandian Union - South Division

Marston KOs Westerners with a 4-run 8th
Marston did it again! The first place Nine whipped Waleska for the fifth straight time, KO-ing them 8-5 with a four-run outburst in the eighth inning at Legends Field and sweeping the series. Marston collected 13 hits with three players getting three hits apiece. Center fielder Tommy Reinhold (.316), left fielder Ronnie Horn (.295) and shortstop Don Nichols (.310) each also batted in a pair of runs. Third baseman Roland Thomas (.364) had two hits and drove in the other two runs for the Nine. Horn was the only one with a home run. He hit his 10th of the year. The Westerners outhomered Marston with three solo shots: center fielder Rick Vaughn (.322) getting number 9, right fielder Charley Williamson (.295) number 10 and catcher Mac Wilkins (.203) number 3. Vinny Gardner (2-3 3.22) collected the victory, but he gave up a run and three hits in his two innings. Andrei Marsiske (4-4 3.71) absorbed the loss. The Nine drilled him for four runs in two-thirds of an inning.

Marston ran its record to 52-39. They are now 8.5 games ahead of fourth place Waleska, who have fallen to 44-48 on the year.

Lumberjacks Squeeze by Rattlers 3-2, Moore Winner
Manager Rob Jackson got a strong performance from righthander Glenn Moore, who stifled Sugar Valley on seven hits in a 3-2 victory. Moore (10-7 3.05) notched his 10th win of the year, striking out seven and walking none. He outpitched Hec Skurgan (0-2 5.23), who also tossed a solid game. Skurgan held the lusty-hitting Lumberjacks to just four hits and one earned run in his seven innings. He went out for a pinchhitter, trailing 3-2. Forest City only got five hits in all. With one out in the last of the sixth, second baseman Jesse Wolf tripled, then tagged up and scored the game-winner on Benny Davis' (.270) sac fly.

The Lumberjacks (50-43) are second in the RU South and trail the top club Marston by 3 games. Sugar Valley (45-46) is fourth in the division standings, 7 games off the pace.

Diamonds Dump Sunbirds 7-2, Nakashima Wins 11th
At Avalon Stadium in Claxton, righthander Tetsunori Nakashima chalked up his 11th triumph this season as he crafted a 7-2 victory over Belair Beach. Nakashima never puts the ball over the plate. He just teases the batter on the corners with a wide assortment of soft stuff. Today Nakashima scattered eight hits, fanned four and walked four in his 9th complete game. The Diamonds sent starter Ken Frey (6-8 3.79) reeling with 6 runs in the third inning, highlighted by first baseman Marty McCluskey's (.313) three-run smash, his 11th of the year.

With the win, fifth place Claxton (44-49) has drawn within a half-game of fourth place Waleska (44-48), 9 games out of first place. Belair Beach (41-51) is in the cellar and 11.5 games behind.

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Tuesday, July 17, 2001

Tycobbian Union - East Division

Bernini Takes Stallions to the Top in East
He's a big, tall, skinny southpaw and has only been on the South Fork roster for about three weeks, but the 6'6" Vince Bernini has certainly made his presence known. Bernini (4-3 1.79) shut out Luxora 1-0 on a brilliant 3-hitter. He had 8 strikeouts and walked no one in a marvelous performance that put South Fork into the top spot in the TU East, a half-game ahead of the Ginza Ninjas. And Bernini really had to be good to beat Tito Tovares (1-3 2.20), who stopped the Stallions on just two measly hits in his seven innings. Shortstop Bobby Riley (.252) scored the only run of the game. In the bottom of the fifth Riley led off with a triple and came in to score on third baseman Ken Robbins' (.231) groundout to second base. The only other hit Tovares allowed was a third-inning single by catcher Darryl Burnett (.270). Getting the three hits off Benini were catcher Eric Richter (.338) with a second-inning single, second baseman Paco Benitez (.259) with a fourth-inning double and third baseman Pedro Vizquel (.298), who singled in the fifth for the final hit in the game.

"He just worked us over," Rodrigo Alejandro, the Luxora skipper said. "He probably didn't even take a shower after the game. I don't think he even worked up a sweat. They could probably pitch him again tomorrow."

The two clubs set a new mark for fewest hits in a game with five. The old mark was six, held by Waleska (4)-Belair Beach (2) in a game on May 1, Blue Lake (4)-Arlon (2) on May 8 and Bay St. Clair (2)-La Claire (4) on June 12.

South Fork (52-41) has overtaken Ginza (51-41) with a 9-1 streak, while the Ninjas are 6-4 in their last 10 games. The Stallions are a half-game in front of the Ninjas. Luxora (41-50) is fifth in the standings and trail by 10 games.

'Canes Clobber Ninjas 10-6
The third place Cape Coral Hurricanes knocked the Ginza Ninjas out of first place in the Tycobbian Union East race by belting three homers and clobbering them 10-6 at Seaside Stadium. First baseman Rodger Wooten (.293) unloaded a three-run homer in the first inning, second sacker Andy Anderson (.289) hit a solo shot in the second and right fielder Eric Smith (.206) got a singleton in the seventh. On the hill the Hurricanes got a complete game from Katsuyuki Nagashima (9-7 2.82), who recorded his fifth win in his last six decisions. Not one of his better days as he just coasted to victory after his club gave him a 10-1 lead after five innings. The soft-throwing Nagashima was tagged for six runs and two homers with seven Ks and a pair of walks. In the late innings left fielder Nobuyuki Komatsu (.180) socked a three-run roundtripper and second baseman Scoop McDonald (.247) hit one with nobody aboard to keep the game from being a complete runaway. Ginza used four pitchers, none of which were effective, with starter Vic Rousakis (9-11 3.87) being nailed with the loss. He gave up four runs in the first two innings.

The Ninjas (51-41) fell a half-game back of division-leading South Fork (52-41) with the defeat, while third place Cape Coral (48-44) is within 3.5 games of the top spot.

Ozarka Knocks Off Hartsdale 6-3
Good relief work brought home the win for skipper Joe Mac Carney as Ozarka knocked off Hartsdale 6-3 for its 3rd consecutive victory over the Hellcats. Jackie Cunningham (0-2 4.66) and closer Alex DiMaggio (7-4 1.40) working in relief of Tony Didriksen (9-7 3.74) saved it for him with two scoreless innings. Didriksen worked into the seventh and gave up three runs. However, DiMaggio got credit for the win. First baseman Floyd (.226) had three hits and three runs batted in to pave the way for the victory. First baseman Floyd Snow (.229) hammered his 16th home run in the seventh frame to provide a little more cushion. Glenn Mann (7-13 3.70) suffered his sixth setback in his last seven games and tops the IPA in losses with 13. Hartsdale had 13 hits to just 10 for the Naturals. The Hellcats stranded 11 men on base. Left fielder Jay Luna (.267) led them with 3-5 and a run scored, and shortstop Terry Bellino (.280) slapped two doubles.

Ozarka (45-47) is 6.5 games off the pace of first place South Fork (52-41) and Hartsdale (39-53) is last, 12.5 games out.

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Tuesday, July 17, 2001

Tycobbian Union - West Division

Viks Wells Spins Win Over Frogs 8-2
Runner-up Bayview lit into division-leading Fairfax early and never looked back. The Vikings backed Frank Wells with an 8-0 lead after five innings and he breezed past the Frogs 8-2 to take the series between the top two teams in the TU West three games to two. Wells (8-7 3.93) went all the way, breaking a personal three-game losing streak. He held Fairfax to two runs on eight hits, fanned four and walked three. Right fielder Dean Howell (.285) and catcher Scott Sykora (.245) led Bayview at bat with two hits and two RBIs each. The Vikings collected 11 hits - all singles - off of Frog pitching, sending Robbie Meredith (10-4 2.82) down to defeat again. The 24-year-old righthander has dropped four of his last six decisions and has gone into a slump after beginning the season so well. Meredith was racked for four runs in four innings, but only one of them was earned. Third baseman Stan Cobb (.324) drove in both of the Frogs runs.

Second place Bayview (49-45) is back within hailing distance of first place Fairfax and trails them by 6 games.

Buccaneers Bump Off Champs 6-3
Guy Rondre's Bay St. Clair Buccaneers are one of the hotter teams of late in the TU West. The Bucs cooled off the other hot team, the third place Arlon Champions, 6-3 to take four of the five games in the series. Today at Shoreline Park a trio of hurlers throttled Arlon with the victory going to starter Adam Lundgren (4-3 3.40), who went the first six-plus frames, allowed three runs, eight hits and fanned nine. Jeremiah McDonald (1-2 3.07) and Chris Van Arden (3-0 0.63) pitched scoreless ball the last two and two-thirds innings to seal the win. Van Arden picked up his 5th save. The Bucs treated starter Ace Howe (7-8 3.17) badly and knocked him out of the box with four runs in three innings. He went to the showers trailing 4-1. Bay St. Clair tagged the Champions for 14 hits and were paced by left fielder Charley Moon (.287) with 2-5 and two RBIs and second baseman Tony Mann (.331) with 3-4 and a run batted in. Three other Bucs had a pair of hits apiece: right fielder Jose Valenzuela (.291), shortstop Chuck Hankins (.322) and catcher Jake Singleton (.311). Arlon left fielder Matt Merrill (.321) hit his 17th homer of the season and drove in two runs.

Bay St. Clair (41-52) is still last in the division, despite winning 8 of the last 10. The Buccaneers are 13.5 games out, while Arlon (46-46) is in the third spot in the standings, 8 games behind the leader. The Champs are 6-4 over their last 10 games.

Blue Sox Blow by Lynx with 5-Run 9th
The old baseball adage, "It ain't over 'til it's over" is alive and well. The Blue Lake Blue Sox proved it today at their home grounds, Harbor Stadium. La Claire starter George Gentry shut them out on just three hits and entered the last of the ninth with a 4-0 lead. The Blue Sox shelled him and reliever Monoto Kishata for five runs and seven hits for an unbelievable rally to win 5-4 on a walk-off single by pinchhitter Speedy Warren (.250). In the inning, third baseman Timmy Smith (.321) doubled in two runs and center fielder Donnie Frazier (.296), second baseman Dandy Wilson (.242) and Warren plated one run each. Happy McManus (1-1 4.50) got his first-ever IPA win with a scoreless inning in relief of starter Bennie West. The loser was Kishata (4-8 3.53), who gave up three hits to the four hitters he faced. West worked eight innings, permitted four runs and seven hits, fanned six and issued two bases on balls. Shortstop Jimmy Thomas (.385) and first baseman Francisco Robles (.284) homered for the Lynx.

Blue Lake (45-47) is fourth in the TU West standings, 9 games behind leading Fairfax (54-38). La Claire (43-50) is fifth, 11.5 games off the pace.

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Wednesday, July 18, 2001

Ruthlandian Union - North Division

FM's Luzzatti Stops V's 3-1
The RU North leader, Far Mountain, opened up a series with third place Volusia at the Jailhouse and took the opener 3-1 on a fine performance by John Luzzatti (8-7 3.36). It was the Redhawks third straight triumph. The 35-year-old righthander limited the Vigilantes to six hits and a single run, struck out three and walked only one batter. Third baseman Johnny Strickland (.291) doubled in the second inning and scored on a throwing error by pitcher Brian King. Catcher Dave Davis (.382) knocked the other two runs in the seventh. King caught the loss, going seven innings, striking out seven and allowed all three runs with only two earned. Vigilante first baseman Alejandro Salazar (.301) doubled in their only run in the ninth.

The Redhawks (52-42) picked up a game on second place Colfax (50-43) and are now 1.5 games in front of them. Volusia (48-46) is third and trails by 4 games.

Elnora's Costas Cops Win from Colfax 5-2
Last place Elnora is proving to be no patsy for second place Colfax as the All-Stars have won 5 of 6 from them in the last week. The latest victory came today 5-2 in Elnora at State Fair Park. A big four-run fifth inning put the All-Stars ahead to stay, paced by new second baseman Jim Vaughan (.500), who singled in two runs, and first baseman Paul Kesler (.346) and third baseman Richie Franklin (.255) each with an RBI single. Vaughan just joined the team and played his first game along with left fielder Vic Gelder (.000). Skipper Zoggy White got an impressive game out Carl Costas, who won his third successive game. Costas (7-10 3.18) tossed a solid game, permitting only two runs and seven hits, while fanning six and walking nobody. Harry Manning (11-7 3.84) was the losing pitcher and he was sent to the showers in the fifth after allowing five runs and ten hits. Manning has lost his last three starts. Vaughan topped Elnora batters with 2-4 and three RBIs. Kesler and shortstop Johnny Zumwalt (.278) had three hits apiece. Left fielder Blinky Brandon (.304) led the Blasters at bat with a double and a homer in four at-bats, scored twice and drove one in. First baseman Dennis Cole (.329) got the other RBI.

Colfax (50-43) slipped to 1.5 games behind first place Far Mountain (52-42). Sixth place Elnora (39-55) has a long way to go and is 13 games off the pace.

Zalewski Blanks Glasco A's 11-0
The Vipers of Valmara were at home at War Memorial Stadium and they played a perfect game for their fans. Zarek Zalewski threw an 8-hit shutout, while the Vipers blistered the Glasco Athletics for 18 hits and an 11-0 stomping. It was Zalewski's (12-5 2.43) third win in a row and his IPA-leading 4th shutout of the season. He walked one and struck out six. Leading the bat barrage were shortstop Matt Mazurek (.276) with 3-for-5 and two RBIs, first baseman Tony Goudeau ((.263) with 2-for-4 and two RBIs and catcher Yoshi Motsuzuki (.293) going 3-for-5, including two doubles and an RBI. Valmara hit 7 doubles in all, one less that the league record. Young Reece Kilham (1-1 5.31), making his 3rd start, went down to defeat. He was tagged five runs and left in the fourth inning.

It was the A's (46-46) third consecutive loss as they dropped 5 games back in the standings. Valmara (45-48) is in the fifth spot and 6.5 games out.

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Wednesday, July 18, 2001

Ruthlandian Union - South Division

Claxton's Weber May Never Play Again
The Claxton Diamonds were jolted by some terrible news -- Earl Weber's baseball career was pronounced over -- the result of a ruptured bicep tendon.

The club's GM told BNN reporters, "We were all stunned by the news. Injuries are a part of the game, but you never get used to this kind of devastating news."

To date this year in 7 starts, Weber has crafted a 5-7 mark with a 4.00 ERA.
He has appeared in 29 games, made 7 starts and struck out 77 in 90 innings. The 24-year-old righthander began the season as the team's closer, but recently was moved to the starting rotation. He was 4-2 with a 2.76 ERA in relief work with 6 saves.

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Wednesday, July 18, 2001

Ruthlandian Union - South Division

Nine Trims Rattlers 5-4, Wins 6th Straight Game
It wasn't looking good for the hometown Marston Nine at Legends Stadium this afternoon. They were in the hole 3-0 after five innings to the top winner in the IPA, Ron Benson (14-7 2.69). But the top club in the RU South turned it around in the last four frames and trimmed Sugar Valley 5-4 for their 6th straight victory. Back-to-back doubles by first baseman Johnny Berthold (.240) and shortstop Don Nichols (.326) in the last of the ninth won it. They came off newcomer John-Michael Darragh (0-2 0.00), who has made an inauspicious showing thus far. The 21-year-old Darragh gave up a walk-off homer to the first batter he ever faced in the league to lose in his debut. Darragh has faced three batters and not retired one yet and has two losses to show for it. The Rattlers have lost the last three games. Sugar Valley surrendered 15 hits to the Nine with Nichols getting three of them and driving in a pair of runs. Center fielder Tommy Reinhold (.317) went 2-5 and hit his 9th home run, a two-run shot in the eighth. Rattler third baseman Jorge Vargas (.334) supplied three hits and two RBIs to spark their 13-hit attack. Four players each had two hits: first base Glen Love (.293), right fielder Karl Dietz (.255) and catcher Slingshot McFall (.293). Marston closer Vinnie Gardner (3-3 3.38) blew the save by letting the Rattlers tie the score 4-4 in the top of the ninth, but notched the win anyway.

The Nine (53-39) lead third place Sugar Valley (45-47) by 8 games in the RU South Division.

'Jacks Smack Westerners 6-3
Forest City ran up a 6-0 score after eight innings and held on to whip Waleska 6-3 at Riverside Stadium for its third win in a row. Lefty Brian Charles (4-4 4.07) weakened in the ninth, but notched the win. Charles allowed six hits and three runs, but none of them were earned. But he needed help from closer Timmy Brooks (4-3 1.41) to get the last out of the game. It was Brooks' 6th save on the year. Waleska has lost its last six games. Sparking the Lumberjack attack were second baseman Jesse Wolf (.306) and right fielder Benny Davis (.271). Wolf got his 20th home run, while Davis hit his 18th. Jack Wagner (4-2 3.59) started and suffered the loss, yielding five runs in two innings. The Westerners have fallen in their last three games. Second baseman Errol Einhorm (.250) drove in both of Waleska's runs.

Forest City (51-43) is the number two ballclub in the RU South and trails first place Marston (53-39) by 3 games. Waleska (44-49) stands fifth, 9.5 games out of first.

Weber's Career Over
Claxton pitcher Earl Weber's budding career is over. The 24-year-old righthander suffered a career-ending injury today in the 7-4 loss to the Belair Beach Sunbirds. Weber ruptured his bicep tendon in the second inning of today's game at Bayside Park in Belair Beach. Weber (5-7 4.00) took the loss and finished his career with a 5-7 mark and a 4.00 ERA. He appeared in 29 games, made 7 starts with 77 strikeouts in 90 innings.

The Sunbirds had a 14-13 advantage in hits and were led by center fielder Pat Gilbert (.239) and pitcher Tiny Lindgren (.200). They topped Belair Beach with two RBIs apiece. Left fielder Nickie Swift (.331) also chipped in three hits and scored twice. The Sunbirds surged to a 7-0 margin after eight innings, but Lindgren (2-0 3.70) withered badly and was slammed for four runs and ten hits in eight and one-third innings. Closer Lou Zanelli (7-7 3.47) gave up three hits in his two-thirds of an inning before closing out game. Third baseman Keith Olsen (.307) had 3-4 to lead the Diamonds.

Belair Beach (42-51) remains a hot club. The Sunbirds are in last place, but not playing that way for the last week to so. They are now 11.5 games off the division lead, only a game and half-game behind fifth place Claxton (44-50).

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Wednesday, July 18, 2001

Tycobbian Union - East Division

Stallions Stop Hellcats 6-1 Behind Olson
The South Fork Stallions notched their third triumph in a row as young Ken Olson stopped Hartsdale 6-1 on a seven-hitter. 22-year-old Olson (11-7 2.61) rang up his fourth consecutive victory by going the distance, striking out six and walking just one batter. Right fielder Art Atkins (.312) led them at bat with 3-for-4, center fielder Ronnie Lee (.314) score three times and first baseman Keith Burke (.305) tripled in two runs. Mitch Yassen (1-2 3.72) absorbed the loss, went seven innings and allowed all six runs.

South Fork (53-41) has the lead in the Tycobbian Union East. The Stallions have a half-game edge over second place Ginza (52-41). Cape Coral (48-45) is close by and only 4.5 games out. The Hurricanes are third in the division.

Fujimoto's HR Wins It, Ginza Nips Hurricanes 3-2
It was a tough day to score at Ninja Stadium in Ginza. Both clubs left a lot of runners stranded. Finally Takashi Fujimoto slugged a ninth-inning homer in the bottom of the ninth to make Ginza a 3-2 winner over Cape Coral. Toshiharu Ito (9-3 2.44) and Gary Fountain (7-5 4.14) battled to a 2-2 draw after eight innings. Ito gave up only six hits, but gave us six free passes, while Fountain gave up 13 hits. So the clubs had plenty of opportunities to score, but were kept at bay by the pitchers. Ninja closer Ken Watkins (4-5 3.11) got credit for the win with a scoreless ninth, while Fountain lost it, pitching the whole game. First baseman Kenshin Yamamoto (.294) and second baseman Scoop McDonald (.248) drove in the other two runs for Ginza and left fielder Rod Kelly (.308) and second baseman Howie Winters (.308) batted in runs for the Hurricanes.

Ginza (52-41) stayed right on the heels of first place South Fork (53-41), only a half-game back in second place. Cape Coral (48-45) is 4.5 games back and in third place in the division.

Miscue Gives Nats 4-3 Victory Over Zorros
Luxora's first baseman Paul Hallenbeck botched a ground ball with the bases loaded and two away to give the Naturals a 4-3 victory at Jock Ewing Stadium in Ozarka. That gave closer Alex DiMaggio (8-4 1.34) his 8th win of the season. DiMaggio held the Zorros scoreless in the last two frames. Getting the tough-luck loss was Andy Stevens (3-5 3.60), who just came on the the last inning. He gave up a leadoff double and walked two in the ninth, one was intentional. Left fielder Ronnie Patterson (.242) hit his 16th homer in the first inning for the Naturals, while Hallenbeck (.317) copped his 14th for the Z's in the fourth. Luxora outhit Ozarka 8 to 6. Both ballclubs got good efforts from their starters. Zorro Chris Pierce (8-8 3.76) only allowed 5 hits in eight innings, while Ozarka's 18-year-old Sid Hyder was touched for seven hits in seven innings. They left the game with the score tied 3-3.

It was the fourth place Nats (46-47) fourth win in a row, while the Hellcats (39-54) sustained their fourth straight loss. Ozarka is still in the pennant chase,6.5 games off the pace, while Hartsdale is in the cellar and pretty much out of the race, standing 13.5 games behind.

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Wednesday, July 18, 2001

Tycobbian Union - West Division

Frogs Trent Stops Blue Sox 6-3
Fairfax was outhit and outhomered, but not outpitched in its 6-3 win over Blue Lake. The Blue Sox had more hits than the Frogs - 9 to 5 - and had more homers - 2 to 1 - but Bobby Ray Trent kept them from outscoring them. Trent (1-2 2.73) held Blue Lake to three runs in winning his first game in the IPA. The 23-year-old righthander fanned five and walked only one in going the distance. Trent lost his first two starts even though he pitched well. A four-run second inning finished off losing pitcher Derek Manetti (6-7 4.19) early. Right fielder Louie Ward ((.293) had two RBIs to pace the winners, while center fielder Billy Echevarria (.280), third baseman Stan Cobb (.324), catcher Marv McCoy (.300) and Trent (.222) had the other RBIs. McCoy got his on his 3rd roundtripper of the season. Blue Lake got homers from right fielder Fred Collins (.287) and shortstop Dandy Wilson (.244).

First place Fairfax (55-38) broke a two-game losing streak. Blue Lake (45-48) is fourth in the TU West and trails the Frogs by 10 games.

Bayview Hangs On to Whip La Claire 4-3
Paul Hood and the Bayview Vikings ran up a 4-0 lead after 6 innings and then had to hang on for a 4-3 victory. Hood ran out of gas in the late innings and needed relief from the Vikings bullpen ace, Buzzy Lewis (4-5 3.10), who struck out four of the six batters he faced to protect the win and get his IPA-best 15th save. It was the Vikings third victory in succession. Hood (8-4 2.72) received credit for the win, struck out 10 in seven and a third innings, permitted seven hits and three runs, while walking two. He also singled in a pair of runs in the sixth that proved to be decisive. Right fielder Ed O'Neal (.212) went 2-for-4 and scored twice for the Viks. Pat Daniels (9-5 3.56) was pinned with the defeat as he allowed four runs and five hits in six innings, but only two of the runs were earned.

Bayview (50-45) is in the runner-up position in the division and is 6 games off the pace of the first place Fairfax Frogs (55-38). The Blue Sox (45-48) are fourth in the standings and 10 games behind.

Champs Gross-ed Out By Buccaneers
On the road in Arlon at Derby Downs, Bay St. Clair gross-ed out the Champions 6-2 as southpaw Norm Gross (12-7 3.45) rang up his fifth victory in a row. Gross was tagged for 11 hits, but he only gave up two runs, finishing up with four Ks and 2 BBs for his 12th win. He outpitched Craig Smith (11-7 3.14), who was battered for five runs in less than two innings of work. Sparking the victors were right fielder Bird Dog Burgdorf (.250) with two hits, including a home run, two RBIs and two runs scored, recently-signed center fielder Wayne Latham (.515) had three hits, scored twice and drove in a run, left fielder Charley Moon (.289) doubled, tripled, scored a run and batted one in, and second baseman Tony Mann (.330) drove in two runs.

Arlon (46-47) is in the division's 3rd spot and 9 games behind the leader, Fairfax (55-38). Bay St. Clair (42-32) has put together an 8-2 mark in recent days and looks like they may be making a move to vacate the basement. The Buccaneers are 13.5 games in back of the first place club.

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Thursday, July 19, 2001

Ruthlandian Union - North Division

Redhawks Prevail Over V's 5-2
The visiting Far Mountain Redhawks prevailed over the Volusia Vigilantes 5-2 at Silver River Stadium. Good pitching led skipper Alex Groveland's crew to victory. Starting pitcher Vance Mitchell (5-4 3.73) recorded the win with seven solid innings. He allowed just two runs on eight hits, fanned five and walked three. Closer Doc Rutledge (6-6 3.06) got the ball in the eighth and ninth and set down the V's without a run. Catcher Dave Davis (.389), the number one hitter in the Ruthlandian Union with a very strong .389 batting average, went to town on Vigilante pitching with 4-for-5. First baseman Royce Benson (.303) chipped in three more hits, including a two-run homer in the ninth to expand a 3-2 lead to 5-2. Second baseman Shirai Kobayashi (.259) also hit a solo home run for the Redhawks. His came in the seventh and made the score 3-1. In all, Far Mountain had 11 hits to Volusia's 10. First sacker Alejandro Salazar (.303) had two hits, including his 12th roundtripper this season. Righthander Kit Kivett (9-5 3.78) pitched the entire game and took the loss.

The first place Redhawks (53-42) racked up their 4th straight victory, while the Vigilantes (48-47) are in third place and trail them by 5 games.

Elnora's Gray Blitzes Blasters 4-0
Sometimes Tyrone Gray has his stuff and sometimes not, but when he has it, you just don't hit him. Today at State Fair Park in Elnora, he hurled his 4th shutout of the season, blitzing Colfax 4-0 on three hits. Gray (7-10 3.86) sat down seven Blasters on strikes and walked six of them, but was tough with men on base. He is now tied for the IPA shutout lead with Zarek Zalewski (12-5 2.43) of the Valmara Vipers. Gray got good bat support from newly-signed second baseman Jim Vaughan (.625), who wore out Colfax pitching for three hits and an RBI, collecting two doubles. Catcher Todd Simons (.256) added two hits and an RBI, while left fielder Quincy Peterson (.286) batted in a pair of runs. Robbie Smith (6-6 3.19) dropped his second game in a row, pitching a complete game. He allowed four runs and ten hits.

Slumping Colfax (50-44) slipped 2.5 games behind the RU North leader, Far Mountain (53-42). Second place Colfax is only 3-7 in the last 10 games. Elnora (40-55) is 13 games off the pace and is in last place in the standings.

Vipers Topple A's 5-3
The Valmara Vipers shook off a bad first inning and rallied to topple the Glasco Athletics 5-3 at War Memorial Stadium in a walkathon. Todd Turner was ripped for three runs in the first, but settled down and blanked them over the next six frames. Closer Danny Blauser (7-4 2.60) took over and shut the A's down in the last two innings. Turner (10-7 4.17) collected the victory, his 10th of the year, gave up six hits and three runs in seven innings. He walked six and fanned three. Together Turner and Blauser walked 11 batters to tie the IPA mark in a regulation game. Blauser walked five in just two innings and staggered to his 6th save of the season, leaving the bases loaded in both innings. Glasco stranded 14 men during the game. Losing pitcher Jerry Smith (11-10 4.00) went the route for the Athletics, surrendered eight hits, struck out five and walked just one. Center fielder Jan Szymanski (.271) sparked the Vipers attack with two RBIs and 3 hits in 4 tries. Right fielder Jet Kazmarek ripped two triples, giving him a league-leading 17 on the year, and scored twice. Backup third baseman Scott Kaminski (.345) delivered a pair of RBIs. For the A's first baseman Maury Smith (.355) singled in the first run of the game and third baseman Zach Byorvik (.246) doubled in two runs in the first.

Ozarka pitchers walked 11 South Fork Stallions in a 10-2 loss on June 29th to set the IPA record for most walks in a game. Sugar Valley also walked 11 batters in an 11-inning game with Forest City. The Lumberjacks won that game 6-5 on May 8.

The teams also matched the record for the most walks in a game with 12. Ozarka and South Fork had 12 in the May 8th game.

Glasco (46-47) suffered its fourth consecutive setback and is fourth in the division, 6 games back. Fifth place Valmara (46-48) picked up some ground and is now just 6.5 games out.

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Thursday, July 19, 2001

Ruthlandian Union - South Division

Marston Mauls Rattlers 9-0, Pace Wins 14th Game
Marston's 7th straight victory came easy. Nick Pace hurled an outstanding game for his 14th win of the season. Pace blanked Sugar Valley 9-0 on a fine four-hitter, finishing up with six strikeouts and two walks. It was also his 13th complete game. Topping the Nine's 11-hit offense were left fielder Ronnie Horn (.297), center fielder Kerby Jost (.545) and catcher Mo Chappell (.297), all with home runs. Jost drove in three runs, Chappell two and first baseman Johnny Berthold (.244) two. Paul Haines (5-7 4.01) was tagged with the loss as he was pounded for two homers and five runs in less than an inning.

According to Pace, "There are three important elements in pitching success: location, location, and location." He told his pitching philosophy to sportswriters in the postgame interview after the game. "I really felt comfortable the whole game."

His manager echoed his comments, saying, "He hit his spots time and time again."

His record in 2001 is 14-8 in 24 starts with a 2.80 ERA.

Marston (54-39) is the number one team in the RU South and are 9 games in front of third place Sugar Valley (45-48).

Edelman Ks 11 Westerners, 'Jacks Win 4th Straight
At Riverside Stadium in Forest City, the Lumberjacks won their 4th straight, an easy 8-3 shellacking of the Waleska Westerners, who went down for the 7th game in a row. Righthander Vinny Edelman (9-7 3.11) struck out 11 in a route-going performance. He spread out nine hits and walked only two, not allowing a run after the third frame. The second place Lumberjacks unleashed 17 hits with everyone in the lineup getting at least one hit. Edelman (.125) went 3-for-4 as the club cracked 8 doubles, which tied the league record. Shortstop Pops Keller (.296) and Edelman got two doubles each. The losing pitcher was Smokey Joe Carter (12-9 3.43), who has lost his last three games. Carter was belted hard for seven runs and eleven hits in four-plus innings.

The Volusia Vigilantes chalked up 8 doubles on June 26th in a 10-5 triumph over Valmara.

The second place Forest City Lumberjacks (52-43) trail Marston (54-39) by three games in the pennant chase. Fourth place Waleska (44-50) has gone into a dismal, downward spiral and dropped 9 of their last 10, to fall 10.5 games behind.

Sunbirds Watson Shines, Tames Diamonds 3-1
Manager Marty Pedrosa likes the way his team is playing. The Belair Beach Sunbirds have won 8 of the last 10 games, including today's 3-1 victory over the Claxton Diamonds at Bayside Park. Pedrosa was really beaming after the game with Ray Watson's performance. Watson (3-2 3.84) stopped Claxton on four hits, fanned eight and walked just two. Third baseman Dom Corbelli (.270) led the Sunbirds with two RBIs and shortstop Danny Church (.245) plated the other run. Diamond starter Alex Vanzetti (7-3 2.53) worked a good game, but lost it, yielding three runs in seven innings. A sixth-inning double by third baseman Keith Olsen (.307) produced the only run off of Watson.

Belair Beach (43-51) is still last in the Ruthlandian Union South, but is within striking distance of fourth place. The Sunbirds are 11.5 games off the pace and only a game behind fourth place Waleska (44-50). Claxton (44-51) is fifth in the standings and are 11 games out.

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Thursday, July 19, 2001

Tycobbian Union - East Division

Battle Bests Reed, SF Wins 1-0 Duel Over Hellcats
First place South Fork won a 1-0 duel with the Hartsdale Hellcats at Jock Ewing Stadium and beat them for the fourth time in a row. Righthanders Flint Battle and Glenn Turnbull combined to shut out the last place Hellcats. Battle (13-8 2.48) picked up his 13th triumph this season with a strong showing. Battle limited them to five hits in eight and a third innings with nine Ks and five bases on balls. After Battle gave us a walk and a single with one out in the ninth, Turnbull (6-3 2.58) came in and got the final two outs on a strikeout and a fielder's choice. This was Turnbull's 4th save. Hartsdale's Phil Reed hurled a complete game, gave up seven hits and only one run. That came in the third inning when Battle (.234) singled to lead off. He went to third on an error by the catcher Kevin Haynie, who tried to force him at second on a sacrifice bunt by center fielder Ronnie Lee (.310), but threw it into center field. Battle scored when right fielder Art Atkins (.309) grounded out to short. Battle, second baseman Rick Tsoukalis (.313) and left fielder Gene Woodruff (.292) paced the Stallions with two hits apiece, while shortstop Mike Burke (.256) went 3-for-4 for the Hellcats.

South Fork (54-41) gained ground on second place Ginza (52-42), who lossed to third place Cape Coral today. The Stallions are up by 1.5 games. Hartsdale (39-55) trails everybody in the division and is 14.5 games behind.

'Canes Robinson Whips Ninjas Matsumoto 3-1
Two of the better pitchers in the IPA went toe-to-toe today at Ninja Stadium in Ginza. Southpaw Wally Robinson was on the hill for Cape Coral and righthander Kojiro Matsumoto for Ginza. Robinson (12-7 3.12) prevailed 3-1, giving up eight hits in a complete-game outing. Matsumoto (14-5 2.96) also went the distance, allowing seven hits and three runs. The third place Hurricanes scored runs in the first three innings with RBIs going to left fielder Rob Kelly (.307), who hit his 16th homer in the first and first baseman Rodger Wooten (.292) with a single in the third. Right fielder Danny Mullins (.286) scored the other run in the second when he stole third and came home on catcher Katsuya Noguchi's errant throw. The Ninjas got their only run when shortstop Shinjiro Aoki (.280) delivered a sac fly in the seventh.

It was a tough loss for the Ginza Ninjas (52-42). They are in second place and dropped to 1.5 games off the pace of the first place South Fork Stallions (54-41). Cape Coral (49-45) is in the third spot in the Tycobbian Union East standings and are 4.5 games back.

Lynx Lace Nats 9-6
At Jock Ewing Stadium in Ozarka, the Luxora Lynx laced the Nats 9-6 and snapped their winning string at four. The Lynx broke a 6-6 tie with three runs in the top of the seventh, hightlighted by Claudio Ordonez's (.214) pinch-hit two-run single with the bases loaded and center fielder Tommy Fortunato's (.257) RBI-double. 19-year-old reliever Eddie Hoffman(0-2 4.50) came in and blanked Ozarka over the final three innings on two hits. It was Hoffman's second save of the season. Luxora first baseman Paul Hallenbeck (.323) racked up four hits to pace the Lynx. Catcher Eric Richter (.335) chipped in two runs batted in. Nats center fielder Terry Braun (.292) had the game's only homer, his 9th of the year. Braun went 3-for-5 and scored twice. First baseman Floyd Snow (.227) knocked in two runs with a double. Yasuyuki Nakagawa (10-10 3.36) was the losing pitcher. He really had a bad ballgame, giving up nine runs - six earned - in seven innings.

Ozarka (46-48) slipped to 7.5 games back of the pack in fourth place, while Luxora (42-51) is fifth, 11.5 games out of first.

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Thursday, July 19, 2001

Tycobbian Union - West Division

Blue Sox Sock It to Frogs 10-3
At Harbor Stadium in Blue Lake, the hometown Blue Sox really socked it to the first place Fairfax Frogs. They battered them for 10 runs in the first five inning en route to a 10-3 beating. The Blue Sox piled up a dozen base hits with shortstop Cy Orgeron (.260) leading the way with three hits and four RBIs. Third baseman Timmy Smith (.324) was 2-for-3 with two RBIs and left fielder Speedy Warren (.247) knocking in a pair of scores. Manager Cobb Tyson also got a good effort out of Neil Krogstad, one of his new pitchers. Krogstad (2-0 2.79) made his third quality start since joining the club a month ago. In a complete game, he allowed ten hits, but only three runs, fanned five and walked only one batter. Krogstad outpitched southpaw Jackie Leslie (12-8 3.74), who has lost six of his last eight decisions. Leslie was ripped hard for seven runs in his two innings.

The Frogs (55-39) have been in a slump the last ten games and have only four victories to show for them. Yet, Fairfax has a 6-game edge over second place Bayview (42-53). Blue Lake (46-48) stands fourth in the TU West Division, 9 games behind the Frogs.

Lynx Zap Vikings 8-2, Marquez Homers Twice
The La Claire Lynx went deep four times and zapped Bayview 8-2 at Downtown Plaza Stadium and halted its winning streak at three games. Third baseman Luis Marquez (.280) smacked a pair and plated five runs, center fielder Lucky Collins (.310) hammered a two-run homer and second baseman Darrell Boyce (.239) cracked a solo shot to spearhead the Lynx. Skipper Rip Calkin also got a strong outing from Kimo Orlando (4-3 2.52), who went the distance and held the Vikings to seven hits and one earned run. Orlando gave up three walks and fanned seven. Collins went 3-for-4 and scored three times. Getting tagged with the defeat was starter Jesus Carvajal (9-8 4.64), who surrendered five runs and hit the shower in the third inning.

The Bayview Vikings (50-46), managed by Walter Johanssen, are second in the division standings, while La Claire (44-51) is in the fifth place slot,11.5 games behind Fairfax (55-39).

Champs Gavagan Zips Bucs 4-0
The Arlon Champions have scored only six runs in four starts for 19-year-old Connie Gavagan, but this time they outdid themselves with a 4-0 triumph over Bay St. Clair. Gavagan easily made those runs stand up as he held the Buccaeers to just six hits - all singles - while striking out five and walking four. Backup shortstop Gil Travis (.170) had a perfect 3-for-3 day and drove in three runs. First baseman Brad Ray (.235) doubled in the last run of the game in the eighth. Starter Duncan McFalls (7-3 3.23) absorbed the setback, working six innings, giving up three runs over six innings.

The Champions (47-47) rose up to the .500 mark and now trail first place Fairfax (55-39) by 9 games. Bay St. Clair (42-53) is last and 13.5 games.

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Friday, July 20, 2001

Ruthlandian Union - North Division

V's Anderson Belts 2 Homers, Beats Redhawks 5-4
At the Jailhouse in Volusia, the Vigilantes and Bennie Anderson put an end to Far Mountain's 4-game winning streak with a nip-and-tuck 5-4 victory. Third baseman Anderson (.255) unloaded two homers and drove in three runs. His second one in the last of the eighth was a two-run shot that won the game. Lenny Collins (9-5 3.10) toughed out a win, throwing a lot of pitches, striking out ten, walking six and leaving 14 Redhawks aboard. Collins gave up 10 hits and four runs in eight innings. Closer Ricky Moreno (4-2 1.85) sparkled again in relief and got his IPA-tops 15th save this season. He tossed a scoreless ninth for the save. Stan Lamoreaux (6-3 4.24) went the distance, allowed five runs and nine hits in eight innings with nine Ks and 5 walks. Volusia hit three homers off of him with pitcher Collins (.317) going deep in the fifth inning. Shortstop Joey Cannizzaro (.322) led Far Mountain with three hits and two RBIs.

Far Mountain (53-43) is still on top of the Ruthlandian Union North Division and four games ahead of third place Volusia (49-47).

Savoie Tosses Gem, All-Stars Top Blasters 4-1
Three homers and a pitching gem gave Elnora its third consecutive triumph over slump-ridden Colfax today at State Fair Park. Portsider Pat Savoie (7-2 2.86) tossed a marvelous game, limiting the Blasters to just five hits, while fanning 11 and walking one. Left fielder Quincy Peterson (.289), right fielder Paul Giles (.273) and second sacker Gil Foster (.344) all hit solo salvos. Going down to defeat was Irv Panko (1-2 3.47). He was shelled for all three roundtrippers and four runs in seven innings. First baseman Dennis Cole (.330) doubled in the Blasters only run.

In spite of its poor 3-7 record over the last 10 games and three straight losses, Colfax still holds on to the runner-up spot in the North standings, 2.5 games out of first place. Elnora (41-55) is in the division cellar and is 12 games off the pace.

Vipers Wojcik Stops Athletics 4-2
Valmara took its third successive win and dealt Glasco its fifth defeat in a row with a 4-2 win at War Memorial Stadium. Righthander Gerry Wojcik (2-2 4.23) notched the victory in a solid complete-game outing, yielding only six hits and no earned runs with two bases on balls and eight Ks. The Vipers rallied late to pull out the game. Clutch-hitting center fielder Jan Szymanski (.271) doubled in the tiebreaking scores in the seventh inning, giving him the most RBIs in the IPA this season with 92. Lefthander Jesse Balfour (8-9 3.27) dropped his third straight game, allowing four runs in seven innings.

Valmara (47-48) is 5.5 games below Far Mountain (53-43). The Vipers moved a half-game ahead of the A's (46-48) and took over fourth place from them. Glasco is 6 games out.

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Friday, July 20, 2001

Ruthlandian Union - South Division

Hines and Rattlers Halt Marston Streak at 7
Sugar Valley halted Marston's winning string at 7 games with a 4-2 triumph at Legends Field. Righthander Harvey Hines (9-7 3.66) went the distance, allowed ten hits, but only two runs. Hines finished up with four strikeouts and walked only one batter in a solid performance. At the plate the Rattlers were led by left fielder Cy Bartz (.269), who hit his 10th home run. Shortstop Flipper Bird (.299) smacked three hits in four tries, a double and two triples (tied the IPA record). Picking up the loss was Casey Ledbetter (12-6 3.36), who lost for the fifth time in his last six decisions. Ledbetter went the route, allowed nine hits and four runs, three earned, fanned six and issued two walks.

Bird's two triples tied the IPA mark, currently held by three other players: Tucker Hill of Colfax, who hit a pair against Volusia on May 3, Timmy Smith of Blue Lake, who hit his against Bay St. Clair on May 15 and Alex Luna of Volusia, who collected two triples in the game against Colfax on July 8.

Marston (54-40) is atop the RU South Division and has an 8-game edge over third place Sugar Valley (46-48).

Waleska's Kraft Beats FC with bat and arm 2-1
For the first time in a week Waleska won a game. The Westerners broke a 7-game skid with a narrow 2-1 victory over Forest City at Riverside Stadium, giving the Lumberjacks their first loss in four games. Big 6'7" Rusty Kraft (7-10) hurled a strong game, checking them on six hits, fanning eight batters and walking just one. It snapped a personal three-game losing stretch for Kraft. He outpitched FC's tough lefty Herm Bahr (11-6 3.34), who tossed seven impressive innings, gave up two runs and seven hits before departing. The two battled to a scoreless tie for six innings. Finally shortstop Errol Einhorn (.259) tripled in the first run of the game in the seventh. Kraft (.083) followed up and won his own game with an RBI single to score Einhorn with the eventual-winning run. Center fielder Ryan Morse (.362) provided the 'Jacks only run in the eighth with his 12th homer of the season.

With the setback, Forest City (52-44) remained 3 games back of first place Marston (54-40). The Westerners (45-50) are 9.5 games behind and in fourth place in the division.

Belair Beach Belts Claxton 8-4
At Bayside Park in Belair Beach, the Sunbirds belted Claxton 8-4 to capture three in a row from the Diamonds and escape from the division cellar. The Sunbirds ripped 13 hits and were led by first baseman Phil Gravelli (.333) with three hits and two RBIs, including his 20th home run, left fielder Nicky Swift (.336) with 3-for-4 and an RBI and second baseman Rick Sullivan (.264) with a solo homer. Carl Thompson (12-8 2.56) recorded his fourth consecutive win, being touched for four runs and 11 hits over eight innings. Closer Lou Zanelli (7-7 3.41) got credit for his 10th save with a scoreless ninth. Claxton had plenty of hits with 12, but stranded 11 baserunners. Second baseman Donny McCoy (.343) rapped out three hits and scored twice to pace the Diamonds. Right fielder Dixie Baker (.316) and first baseman Marty McCluskey (.310) each added two hits and an RBI to the attack. John Szwak (9-5 3.85) continued to struggle on the mound with his third loss in a row. Belair Beach socked him for ten hits and seven runs in seven and a third innings.

Belair Beach (44-51) moved ahead of Claxton (44-52) into fifth place in the Ruthlandian Union South standings. The Sunbirds are 10.5 games behind first place Marston (54-40) and the Diamonds are 11 games out.

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Friday, July 20, 2001

Tycobbian Union - East Division

Hellcats Hang On, Snap 5-Game Loss Streak
At Jock Ewing Stadium in South Fork, Hartsdale snapped two streaks - its own 5-game losing streak and South Fork's 4-game win string. The Hellcats jumped out to a 6-1 lead after five innings and then fought off the Stallions belated comeback with a 4-run eighth inning. With the defeat, the Stallions lead in the TU East dipped to a scant half-game over Ginza. 17-year-old Ted Vaitkus, probably the youngest player in the IPA, started and looked unbeatable for seven innings, then ran into a heap of trouble and needed Gene Young's help to finish off South Fork. Vaitkus (3-0 2.73) was the winner in his first start, going into the eighth, giving up five runs on nine hits with 5 Ks and no walks. Young (5-4 2.71) recorded his 9th save by getting the last five outs and gave up no runs. Third baseman Whiz Weaver (.277) led the Hellcat hitters with his 14th ad 15th homers of the season, driving in three runs. Shortstop Mike Burke (.264) had a double and a single and two RBIs. Right fielder Mel Poe (.255) and pinchhitter Jay Luna (.271) plated the other two runs. South Fork third baseman Glenn Holiday (.282) walloped a three-run homer to lead the Stallions, number 19 for him on the year. Ken Conner (9-3 2.61) ran into a hornet's nest today as Hartsdale teed off on him for five runs and eight hits in four innings. He had won six straight games.

South Fork (54-42) is a half-game ahead of second place Ginza (53-42) and 13.5 games up on last place Hartsdale (40-55).

Ninjas, Nakayama Nip Hurricanes 2-1
Ginza manager Horoko Uchiyama got a sterling performance from Kazuhiro Nakayama. The little 5'6" righthander crafted a fine 5-hitter to nip Cape Coral 2-1 at Ninja Stadium. Nakayama (8-10 2.81) went the distance, striking out seven and issuing two walks. He outpitched Jeff Salow (3-3 3.00), who struck out 10 in seven innings and allowed only two runs and six hits. The Ninjas took the lead 1-0 in the third inning with back-to-back doubles by second baseman Scoop McDonald (.254) and third baseman Kaz Ojima (.324). First baseman Kenshin Yamamoto (.298) upped it to 2-0 in the fourth with his 16th roundtripper. The Hurricanes countered with their only run in the top of the eighth when Ginza gave up a run from third to get a ground-ball double play.

Ginza's (53-42) win enabled them to get back within a half-game of the top spot in the Tycobbian Union East, while Cape Coral (49-46) trails by 4.5 games in third place.

Z's Zonk Ozarka 6-3 in 15 Innings
Luxora second baseman Paco Benitez (.256) only got one hit in the game, but it was a base-clearing three-run triple in the four-run 15th inning and sparked the Zorros to a 6-3 triumph over the homestanding Ozarka Naturals. Luxora got excellent relief work from Roberto Martinez and Francisco Fernandes. Martinez (8-3 2.03) fired six shutout innings, striking out seven and holding the Nats to four hits. Fernandes (6-8 4.41) came on in the 13th with the bases loaded and no outs and promptly struck out the side. He closed it out for the win in the 15th, though he was touched for an unearned run. Starting pitcher Johnny Montel (7-11 3.42) also pitched well with seven strikeouts in seven innings, six hits, two runs and a walk. Zorro pitching struck out 17 batters in the game and tied the IPA mark for an extra-inning game. Ozarka got solid work out of its mound corps, too. Starter Luther Hatch (9-10 3.68) went seven-plus, allowed two runs on six hits with four Ks, Alex DiMaggio (8-4 1.20) tossed five-plus, permitted no runs and five hits with three strikeouts. Donnie Young (5-8 4.43) was nailed with the loss as he was shelled for four runs in the 15th. The Naturals totaled 14 hits to 13 for the Z's. Second baseman Duane Starr (.288) collected four of them. Third baseman Roberto Vina (.284) topped Luxora with three base hits.

Luxora tied the strikeout record held by South Fork, set on May 31 in a 12-inning game against La Claire.

Luxora (43-51) is fifth in the standings, 10 games off the pace. Ozarka (46-49) is in fourth place and 7.5 games behind.

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Friday, July 20, 2001

Tycobbian Union - West Division

Blue Lake Batters Frogs 7-4
Blue Lake took on Fairfax at home at Harbor Stadium and battered the first place Frogs 7-4 behind the pitching of Jay Clay and the longball hitting of third baseman Timmy Smith (.327). Clay (11-4 2.76) was not at his best, but he was good enough to get his 11th victory of the year. Clay went the route, gave up four runs on eleven hits, fanned five and walked three. Smith hit two home runs and powered in four runs. Fairfax is sorely missing right fielder Gregg Vincent, his .326 batting average, 26 home runs and 77 RBIs. Vincent has been out for about ten days with a bad ankle and will be back into the lineup in about a week. The loss went to Jim DiGregorio (2-2 4.42), who was kayoed in the fourth after giving up five runs and seven hits. Pacing the Frog hitters were second baseman Cecil Parmenter (.346) and first baseman Ernie Hutchinson (.258) with two hits and an RBI each, including a double.

In spite of the loss, the Frogs of manager Harry Buckley, still hold a 6-game lead over runner-up Bayview (50-47). With the triumph Blue Lake (47-48) moved into a tie for third with Arlon (47-48). The Blue Sox and Champs are 8 games out.

Nygaard Tops Harrison, La Claire Over Viks 5-3
Home run number 13 was a luckly one for second baseman Darrell Boyce (.241) of the La Claire Lynx. It snapped a 3-3 tie in the top of the eighth inning and won the game 5-3 over the Bayview Vikings, beating the tough southpaw Jerry Harrison. Righthander Tony Nygaard (5-7 3.21) went all the way, holding Bayview to seven hits, fanning seven and walking only one in a good effort. Harrison (11-6 3.28) did not have a good outing, giving up five runs on eleven hits, but still pitched a complete game.

Second place Bayview (50-47) failed to pick up ground on Fairfax (55-40) and remained 6 games out of the lead. La Claire (45-51) is in the first spot in the TU West Division, 10.5 games behind the leader.

Meissner and Bucs Blow Past Champs 8-1
Bay St. Clair's Hal Meissner is only 17-year-old, but he doesn't pitch like it. Signed a month ago fresh out of high school, he fired a six-hitter against Arlon at Derby Downs to whip the Champions 8-1. Meissner (2-1 2.54) allowed only one run, a sixth-inning blast by right fielder Andy Pettorini (.333). He finished the game with six strikeouts and two walks. The Buccaneers ripped four Arlon pitchers for 14 hits, led by center fielder Wayne Latham (.452) with two hits, two RBIs and two runs scored. Latham hit his first career homer. Catcher Jake Singleton (.309) also had two hits and two runs batted in. Shortstop Chuck Hankins (.324) went 3-5, scored twice and drove in a run. Woody Fitzgerald (6-6 3.72) couldn't get out the second inning. He gave up five runs in the inning and was pinned with the loss.

Arlon (47-48) dropped into a two-way tie for third place in the Tycobbian Union West race with the Blue Lake Blue Sox (47-48), both trail the top team, Fairfax (55-40), by 8 games. Bay St. Clair (43-53) has its eyes set on getting out of the division basement. The Bucs are now just 2 games behind fifth place La Claire (45-51) and are 12.5 games out of first place.

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Saturday, July 21, 2001

Ruthlandian Union - North Division

Sandoval Too Tough for Redhawks, V's Ease by 3-1
Far Mountain ran into a good pitcher at Silver River Stadium in Volusia -- a hard-throwing lefty named Raul Sandoval. He stopped the Redhawks on just four hits, struck out nine of them and walked only one batter. It was Sandoval's (10-10 3.21) third win in a win. He outhurled Far Mountain's ace, Sonny Elliott (13-7 2.68), who tossed seven innings, allowed just two earned runs and four hits. Left fielder Winky Rush (.295) collected two hits and two RBIs to pace the Vigilantes. Rush's 8th homer of the year put Volusia ahead to stay in the sixth.

The first place Redhawks (53-44) lost ground to third place Volusia in the RU North and saw their lead fall to just 3 games over the Vigilantes.

All-Stars Slam Blasters 7-4
At home in the friendly confines of State Fair Park, the Elnora All-Stars won their third consecutive game, rapping out 12 hits and topping the Colfax Blasters 7-4, led by right fielder Paul Giles (.276), who went 2-4, scored two and drove in two. Pitchers Jim Tarzetti and Wally Tidwell combined to beat the Blasters. Tarzetti (3-2 3.00) got the W with seven innings of work. He allowed four runs and ten hits, then gave way to Tidwell (3-6 3.97), who finished them off with two runless innings to chalk up his 6th save. Flash Guidry (11-10 3.14) took the loss in a poor outing, surrendering seven runs in seven innings. The All-Stars went ahead for good with a three-run rally in the fifth to go up 5-4.

The slumping Blasters (50-46) remained in second place in the division standings, 2.5 games off the pace, while Elnora (42-55) is in last place, 11 games out. Colfax has been defeated in its last three games with the All-Stars.

Vipers Kill A's 15-2
Newcomer to the Valmara battered mound corps, Val Kurcharski bought a smile to the face of skipper J. Jackson Samuel. Kucharski (1-0 5.59) went the distance in his first start and beat the Glasco Athletics 15-2 for Valmara's fourth straight triumph. He hurled a solid game and the Vipers racked uo 14 hits off five Glasco pitchers. Kucharski scattered eight hits, fanned six and issued three free passes for his first career win in the IPA. Valmara unloaded three home runs in the runaway. The IPA RBI leader Jan Szymanski (.312) hammered his 21st, Rickey O'Reilly (.287) notched his 11th and Mark Dubrowski (.200) hit his 3rd of the season. Both center fielder Szymanski and catcher Dubrowski had three-run roundtrippers. O'Reilly's was good for two runs. Szymanski now has 95 RBIs this year. Charles Darby (11-10 3.59) suffered his fourth consecutive defeat and was slammed hard in a four-run first frame. He left after two innings.

The fourth place Vipers improved to .500 on the year at 48-48, only 4.5 games out of first, while fifth place Glasco (46-49) dropped its sixth game in succession. The A's are now 6 games back.

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Saturday, July 21, 2001

Ruthlandian Union - South Division

Benson Blanks Marston, Wins 15th Game
Sugar Valley's Ron Benson became the first 15-game winner in the IPA with a 3-0 shutout over the Marston Nine. Benson (15-7 2.56) blanked them on 5 hits, struck out eight and walked four in another excellent outing by the Rattler ace. It was a scoreless tie for seven innings as Marston starter Booger Burchfield (5-9 3.43) matched Benson zero for zero on the scoreboard. Manager Johnny Walters chose to pinchhit for Burchfield in the seventh and replaced him with his closer Vinnie Gardner (3-4 3.89), who was promptly pounded for three runs in the eighth and was nailed with the loss. Left fielder Cy Bartz (.273) singled in the first run of the game and Benson (.182) followed that with a two-run single.

"It certainly makes my job easy," said the skipper. "When my pitcher pitches a shutout. I can just sit back, watch, and enjoy."

The Marston Nine (54-41) are the number one team in the Ruthlandian Union South and has a 7-game edge over third place Sugar Valley (47-48). However, the Nine's lead over second place Forest City (53-44) has dwindled to 2 games.

'Jacks Edge Westerners 5-4
Forest City's Mr. Clutch this season Chuck Hill (.318) tied the game 3-3 with a three-run shot in the fifth inning, shortstop Pops Keller (.296) tied it again at 4-4 in the seventh with an RBI double and catcher Joey Jarvis (.272) won it 5-4 with a single in the eighth to edge the Waleska Westerners. Glenn Moore (11-7 3.10) pitched a complete game for his third straight victory, allowing seven hits, fanning five and giving up two bases on balls. He stopped the Westerners cold over the last three innings and did not surrender a run. Left fielder Big Hoss Burkhalter (.312) did the most damage offensively for Waleska with a pair of homers, giving him 27 this season, third in the league behind Nicky Swift of Belair Beach (32) and Dixie Baker of Colfax (28). Burkhalter is second in RBIs with 90. Gary Hill (9-6 4.32) had a three-game winning streak go by the wayside. He also went the distance, fanned ten, walked five and was tagged for five runs and seven hits.

The second place Lumberjacks (53-44) shaved a game off of Marston's (54-41) lead and now trail by only 2 games. Waleska (45-51) is fourth in the division standings and 9.5 games out.

Diamonds Ends Sunbirds Streak at 3
The Claxton Diamonds put a stop to Belair Beach's three-game winning skein with a 6-3 victory, led by the soft-throwing Tetsunori Nakashima and Pete Robinson's bat. Nakashima (12-6 4.47) recorded his third win in a row as he held the Sunbirds to six hits, while walking two and striking out seven. Belair Beach jumped out to a 3-0 lead after three innings, thereafter Nakashima shut them out. Robinson (.201) had a perfect day at the plate with 4 hits in 4 at-bats, including his 5th home run and four RBIs. Left fielder Dan Molnar (.375) chipped in his 10th roundtripper on the year. A three-run sixth put the Diamonds in front 5-3 and ahead to stay. Ken Frey (6-9 3.95) lost it, giving up five runs in six innings. Center fielder Bobby Joe Morris (.296) led off the game with a home run and right fielder Matty McDermott (.331) slammed his 14th, a two-run shot in the third for the Sunbirds only runs.

Claxton's (45-52) win helped them leapfrog Belair Beach (44-52) and climb back into fifth place after a one-day stay in the RU South cellar. The Diamonds are 10 games off the pace, while the Sunbirds are 10.5 games back.

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Saturday, July 21, 2001

Tycobbian Union - East Division

Ninjas Takeover 1st Place, Annihilate 'Canes 15-6
Manager Huroko Uchiyama of the Ginza Ninjas needed a win in the worst way and he got a resounding 15-6 triumph over Cape Coral. That enabled the Ninjas move a half-game in front of South Fork and take over the top spot in the Tycobbian Union East. 20 hits and 4 homers did the job. Catcher Katsuya Noguchi (.272) poled a pair out the park, both in the same inning, and drove in four runs, center fielder Takashi Fujimoto (.284) had three hits and four RBIs, including his 14th home run, first baseman Kenshin Yamamoto (.303) went 3-for-4 and batted in three runs, and right fielder Charlie Campbell (.301) also had three hits, two RBIs and his 14th homer. Everybody, but the winning pitcher got at least two hits in the game. But Vic Rousakis (10-11 3.93) got the win, although he did give up six runs. Ginza went into the last of the sixth trailing 6-5, but erupted for nine runs to put the Hurricanes away. Reliever Cody Burg (1-3 5.24) was lit up for five runs in three-plus innings for the loss. Cape Coral center fielder James Middleton (.307) went 3-3 with a home run to pace his club, but he was no match for the Ninjas.

Ginza (54-42) has a sparse half-game lead over second place South Fork (54-43), while Cape Coral (49-47) slid 5 games off the pace.

Weaver's HR Knocks Stallions Out of First Place
The Hartsdale Hellcats rallied from one run down in the top of the ninth when pinchhitter Whiz Weaver (.279) cracked a two-run homer to slip by South Fork 6-5 to knock the Stallions out of first place. He hit his 16th of the season off Glenn Turnbull (6-4 2.98), who blew the save and cost starting pitcher Vince Bernini (4-3 2.00) the victory. Closer Gene Young (6-4 2.67) got credit for the win with a runless eighth. Danny Griffin (6-11 3.82) collected his first save this year with a 1-2-3 ninth. The Hellcats took a 4-1 lead in the third, but the Stallions came back and regained it 5-4 in the seventh. only to lose it in the ninth. Catcher Darryl Burnett was a one-man gang and drove in five runs for South Fork with two singles and a sac fly. The Stallions outhit Hartsdale 12 to 10 in the game.

South Fork (54-43) fell a half-game back of Ginza (54-42) in the TU East pennant race. Hartsdale (41-55) is in last place, trailing by 13 games.

Nats Nudge Zorros 2-1 in 12
Both clubs got some fine pitching in the Ozarka 2-1 victory over Luxora in 12 innings. Nats starter Tony Didriksen (9-7 3.61) worked the first eight and only gave up one run on nine hits. He fanned six and walked none. Zorro starter Tito Tovares (1-3 1.90) was superb, going ten innings, holding Ozarka to six hits and a run with ten Ks and three bases on balls. The win went to 17-year old lefthander Billy Krsnich (1-1 1.64), who won his first-ever game in the IPA with four scoreless innings and four strikeouts. Andy Stevens (3-6 3.72) was the losing pitcher. He was tagged for a leadoff double in the last of the 12th by first baseman Floyd Snow (.228), who scampered to third on a groundout, then scored the game-winner on shortstop Gil Lantz's (.234) clutch single. Second baseman Duane Starr (.289) and third baseman Doug Cunningham (.264) led the winners with two hits apiece, while third baseman Rico Vina (.287) was 3-for-6 in defeat.

The Naturals (47-49) are now 7 games out of first place in the standings. Ozarka is in fourth place. Luxora (43-52) is in the fifth spot in the division, 10.5 games behind.

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Saturday, July 21, 2001

Tycobbian Union - West Division

Blue Sox Bop Frogs Again, Win Third Straight 8-4
At home at Harbor Stadium in Blue Lake, the Blue Sox punished first place Fairfax for a third straight time whipping them 8-4. Blue Lake only got six hits, but made the most of them. They racked up five runs in the fourth and two in the fifth to run up a 7-1 margin. Leading the way were right fielder Fred Collins (.289) with two doubles and three RBIs, and second baseman Dandy Wilson (.250), who homered among his two hits and had three runs batted in. Bennie West (11-9 3.04) had a rough eighth inning when he was tagged for three runs, but he survived it and pitched a complete-game victory, allowing nine hits and four runs, fanned three and walked three. Fairfax's Robbie Meredith (10-5 2.97) continued to be in a funk and suffered his third consecutive defeat. Meredith was slammed for five runs in less than four innings. Frog shortstop Warren Lee (.320) drove in three runs with a 2-run double and ground out.

Fairfax (55-41) is in first place in the division, while Blue Lake (48-48) has surged to third place and is 7 games behind the Frogs.

La Claire Skims by Vikings 4-3 on Boyce's HR
Home runs by Darrell Boyce and Rich Hart sparked La Claire to its third triumph in a row 4-3 over Bayview. Second sacker Boyce (.241) unloaded the game-winner in the ninth, his 14th this season, while Hart (.247) hammered his 17th, a three-run blast in the fourth frame. Skipper Rip Calkin got a good outing from righthander George Gentry (1-2 2.45), who went the distance for the victory, giving up all three runs on ten hits. He fanned six and walked three in his first career win. Closer Buzzy Lewis (4-6 ), in relief of starter Frank Wells (8-7 3.90), gave up the game-winning home run and recorded the defeat. Wells left with the score 3-3 after eight and permitted only six hits. The Viking lost despite outhitting the Lynx 10 to 7. Bayview first baseman Doug Coleman (.294) drove in two runs with his 28th roundtripper and shortstop Shorty Richards (.247) drove in the other one with a double.

La Claire (46-51) is in next-to-last place in the TU West, 9.5 games in back of the leader. Bayview (50-48) is the number two club in the division and 6 games off the pace.

Bucs Lundgren Defeats Champs 7-1
A big 5-run outburst in the eighth inning made Bay St. Clair a 7-1 winner on the road at Derby Downs in Arlon. Adam Lundgren (5-3 3.19) claimed his 5th victory on the year with a 7-hit performance, finishing up with four Ks and two bases on balls. The Bucs were spurred at bat by center fielder Wayne Latham (.447), who continued to tear the cover off the ball with a homer, triple and two runs batted in. First baseman George Lyons (.256) went 2-for-4 and plated two runs, too. Taking the loss was Ace Howe (7-9 3.38). Bay St. Clair ripped him for seven runs and nine hits in seven innings and sent him down to his third consecutive defeat.

The fourth-place Champions (47-49) are 8 games out of first in the Tycobbian West Division and Bay St. Clair (44-53) is still in the cellar, but now only 11.5 games behind. The Buccaneers are one of the hotter teams in the division with a 7-3 mark over the last ten games. Blue Lake is the hottest and is 8-2 for the same period.