ISLANDIAN PRO ALLIANCE (RUTHLANDIA and TYCOBBIA BASEBALL UNIONS) - Page 64

Eugene Church · 10-21-2009, 06:12 PM

The Islandian Times

Friday, September 30, 2005

Ruthlandian Union

Sunbirds Lindgren Injured, May Miss Playoffs
Belair Beach fans will be disappointed to learn that Tiny Lindgren suffered an injury in today's game. Doctors told manager Marty Pedroza that Lindgren would miss one to two weeks with a pulled hamstring muscle.

Pedroza said, "This is a terrible loss, but we'll worry about this later. Right now the Ranford Bulls are my most immediate concern. We've got to beat Ranford today to stay in the playoffs or we can all go home for the winter."

The Sunbirds have signed Lou Zanelli as a roster replacement for Lindgren. Zanelli was 19-25 with a 3.74 ERA with Belair Beach from 2001 to 2003. However Joe Schmidt will take over Lindgren's spot in the rotation. Schmidt was 9-7 this season with a 3.29 ERA. He made 13 starts and appeared in 42 games.

Checking out his stats for the year, Lindgren racked up 21 wins and 10 losses in 40 starts, 2.48 ERA and struck out 171 batters in 301 innings. In the postseason Lindgren has started three games with an 0-2 mark, but has compiled a fine 2.70 ERA. He will be severely missed by Belair Beach. It will be very difficult for the Sunbirds to compete in the Pro Cup Series without him.

Eugene Church · 10-22-2009, 04:18 PM

The Islandian Times

Friday, September 30, 2005

Ruthlandian Union 2005 Final 4 Series

Ranford Beats Belair Beach 4-1, Heads to Final 4
Chris Bernhoffer led Ranford to a 4-1 triumph over Belair Beach at Bayside Park to capture the Elite 8 Series in five games, advancing the Bulls to the Pro Cup Final 4 against Middlefield.

Bernhoffer (2-0 1.38) was superb, stopping the Sunbirds on just three hits, while fanning six and issuing only one base on balls. CF Warren Gravois (.364) slammed a bases-loaded double in the third inning to send the Bulls to a 2-0 lead. That gave Gravois 9 RBIs for the playoffs. 3B Colin Fairclough (.323) also had an RBI ground-out in the inning and made it 3-0. In the fourth frame Ranford tacked on another score when RF Sherman Waters (.267) doubled, stole third and came in on C Walt Horvath (.258) ground-out to first base. It remained 4-0 until the ninth when a double by pitcher Lanyon Yarbrough (.500) and a single by RF Matty McDermott (.167) put runners on first and third. Yarbrough then scored on CF Billy Martz's (.263) sacrifice fly.

In a losing effort Ray Watson (1-1 2.14) started for Belair Beach and worked eight innings, yielding four runs and seven hits. Watson had 9 strikeouts and walked none.

Ranford, which won the RU North pennant, will oppose the Middlefield Roosters in the RU Final 4. The winner will advance to the Pro Cup Finals. The Roosters finished second to TU West champion, the Volusia Vigilantes, in the regular campaign.

Tycobbian Union 2005 Final 4 Series

Sunsets Rally, Whip Hurricanes in Elite 8 Finale
Summerland came in second to Cape Coral in the TU South in the regular season, but gained revenge in the postseason by rallying in the late innings to take a 5-3 decision in game five of the Elite 8 Series. The big blow of the game was a three-run clout by RF Nickie Troxell (.269) in the top of the eighth.

Hurricane starter Jeff Salow shut them out 2-0 for the first five innings, but the Sunsets came back with the help of home runs by 1B Karl Van Kooten (.289) and C Glen Tracy (.226) to tie the score at 2-2 after seven innings. Alex Alessi (2-1 4.24) hurled a complete-game victory, stopping Cape Coral on five hits, while striking out seven and giving up one walk. Salow (0-1 4.09) was the loser as he allowed four runs and nine hits in seven and one-third innings.

Summerland had the edge in hits 11-5 with Tracy getting three of them and Troxell two. C Fats Dalton (.200) paced the Hurricanes with a two-run homer.

The Sunsets will now head to the TU Final 4 and take on the powerful Denton City Redbirds for the right to advance to the Pro Cup championship. It will be a best-of-five series. Denton City won 98 games in the regular season and ran away with the TU West title, winning by 10 games over runner-up Bay St. Clair. Summerland finished two games behind Cape Coral in the TU South.

Eugene Church · 10-22-2009, 06:19 PM

The Islandian Times

Saturday, October 1, 2005

Ruthlandian Union 2005 Final 4 Series

Bulls Top Roosters 4-2 in Final 4 Opener
Manager Page Satcher got another standout hill performance as his Ranford Bulls tamed the Middlefield Roosters 4-2 in game one of the RU Final 4 Series at Middlefield Park. This time it was 35-year-old Leland Shaddock dazzling Middlefield on a four-hitter. Ranford was locked up in a 1-1 tie going into the top of the ninth as Rooster starter Jamie Hicks was just as tough as Shaddock. But Hicks couldn't make it out of ninth when CF Warren Gravois (.378) went deep on him to give Ranford a 2-1 lead. The Bulls got to Hicks for two more runs on an RBI single by 1B Jordy John (.263) and a triple by RF Sherman Waters (.294). That made it 4-1. Middlefield rallied in the last of the inning on a walk to LF Cecil Clark (.294) and an RBI double by RF Bailey Norcross (.441), but Shaddock (3-0 1.44) retired the last three batters to nail down the verdict. Hicks (2-1 2.73) suffered the loss as he allowed four runs on seven hits with five Ks and two walks.

Ranford took the lead in the opening frame on Gravois' double and a run-scoring single by SS Rick Fargnoli (.263). Shaddock made it stand up until the sixth when the Roosters evened it up 1-1 on SS Earl Reeves' (.286) two-bagger and 2B Timmy Gage's (.333) RBI single. It remained that way until the decisive ninth.

Tycobbian Union 2005 Final 4 Series

Summerland Stuns DC 12-2 in Final 4 Opener
It was a stunner at Douglas Denton Field as hometown Denton City was demolished by the underdog Summerland Sunsets 12-3 in the first game of the TU Final 4 Series. Manager Will Hackett's Sunsets teed off on the Redbirds rotation for 16 hits and Paul Felkner (3-2 4.60), going on just two days' rest, went the route and stopped Denton City on a seven-hitter and hit a home run. Hackett said, "It was a matter of necessity. Either I use Felkner on short rest or I go with a secondary starter. So I decided to go with my workhorse and ace and he came through for us." Hackett had used Felkner just two days ago in relief in a crucial extra-inning win over Cape Coral in the Elite 8 Series.

Sparking the Sunsets at bat were Schuyler ten Haken, who is hitting a gaudy .619 (13-21) in the postseason after taking over left field. ten Haken had a perfect 4-for-4 day with a triple and three singles. He scored three times and batted in two runs. ten Haken had plenty of help from rookie 3B Randy Rudelmeier (.231) with two hits and three RBIs and 1B Karl Van Kooten (.317) with two hits, three runs scored and a run batted in. SS Zee Overbeek (.368) and CF Hank Hamilton (.308) also contributed two hits each and scored twice. Even Felkner (.182) went 2-for-5 with two RBIs and a homer.

Denton City starter Hank Taylor (2-1 4.74) got charged with the loss as he was drummed for five runs in three innings.

Eugene Church · 10-24-2009, 11:09 AM

The Islandian Times

Sunday, October 2, 2005

Ruthlandian Union 2005 Final 4 Series

Roosters Rough Up Ranford 8-4, Even Final 4
Formula for success - 3 homers and strong relief pitching. Middlefield skipper Smitty Michaels used it to down Ranford 8-4 and even up the RU Final 4 at one game apiece in the best-of-five affair. CF Ty DeWitt (.279) swatted his 3rd of the postseason in the third inning and RF Bailey Norcross (.421) and LF Cecil Clark (.324) went back-to-back in the eighth to finish off the Bulls. It was Norcross' 6th and Clark's 3rd of the playoffs.

Starter Jamie Gilchrist (3-1 3.64) labored through six innings, but had a 6-4 lead in spite of walking six batters and giving up six hits. Gilchrist got the win with a lot of help from Delton Crawford (0-0 0.00), who closed out the game with three innings of one-hit ball, striking out three and walking nobody. Crawford has two saves in the postseason and has not given up a run in 9 innings and three games. Bulls starter Jean-Claude Scivicque (1-1 3.21) was ripped for six runs in four innings for the loss.

Both teams came out swinging with Ranford chalking up two runs in the first frame on LF Jose Castillo's (.225) home run. Middlefield came right back in the bottom of the inning and evened the score on a triple by Clark and an RBI ground-out by Norcross. In the second the Roosters took a 3-2 edge on a base hit by 3B Timmy Gage (.350). 1B Jordy John (.293) made it 3-all with a four-bagger in the Bulls top of the third. In the last of the third Middlefield went up 5-3 when DeWitt hammered one out and SS Earl Reeves (.281) singled in a run. The Roosters increased it to 6-3 in the fourth on a DeWitt single. CF Warren Gravois (.390) went deep for Ranford and cut the lead to 6-4.

Hit-wise Midllefield prevailed 11 to 7. Gage, Clark and DeWitt all had a pair of hits each for Middlefield, while Gravois, 3B Colin Fairclough (.342) and John collected two hits apiece for Ranford. RBI-wise in the playoffs Norcross has 12 and DeWitt 10 for the Roosters and Gravois has batted in 11 for the Bulls.

Tycobbian Union 2005 Final 4 Series

Redbirds Rebound, Rap Sunsets 12-6 in Game 2
The Summerland-Denton City Final 4 Series is all even now after the Redbirds ripped the Sunsets 12-6 in game two at Douglas Denton Field. Denton City drilled 16 hits and were led by 3B Jay Petit (.243), C Lawton Lee (.343) and 2B Darrion Ramsdell (.500) all with three hits each. CF Paul Coniglio (.324) had two hits and 3 RBIs, while 1B Rod MacCormack (.231) and Petit plated two runs each. LF Danny Nash (.429) had the Redbirds only roundtripper. Denton City ran up a 7-3 lead after five innings, but then Summerland shaved it to 7-6 with a three-run seventh, only to have the Redbirds jolt them for three in their half of the inning and wrap the game up with two more in the eighth.

The Sunsets walloped 13 hits, paced by 1B Karl Van Kooten (.378) with four hits and C Glen Tracy (.231) with two RBIs and Schuyler ten Haken (.538) with two RBIs. Not a whole lot of pitching in the game. Starter Daniel Fitzmorris (3-1 6.84) was gifted with another victory, although he was tagged for six runs in six innings. Kenyon MacKenzie and Bubba Lear blanked Summerland on two hits over the final two and two-thirds innings. Sunset starting pitcher Bill Taft (2-1 3.76) was pelted for six runs in four innings for the loss.

Eugene Church · 10-24-2009, 06:17 PM

The Islandian Times

Monday, October 3, 2005

Ruthlandian Union 2005 Final 4 Series

Jackson Hurls Middlefield Past Ranford 6-1
Middlefield's Joshua Jackson stymied Ranford 6-1 on six hits to give the Roosters a two-to-one edge in the best-of-five Final 4 Series. Except for 3B Colin Fairclough's (.341) solo homer in the fourth frame, the Bulls got nothing from Jackson, who issued two bases on balls and fanned six for the win. He outpitched Chris Bernhoffer (2-1 2.12), who allowed four runs and seven hits in eight innings of work.

Middlefield got a pair of runs in the third, sixth and ninth. CF Ty DeWitt (.255) had an RBI ground-out and rookie 3B Charlie Gamble (.233) singled in another in the third. 1B Allie Ludlow (.311) tripled and scored on C Mike Kanjorsky's triple in the sixth. 2B Timmy Gage (.341) doubled in Kanjorsky. In the ninth Gamble walked to force in a run and Ludlow had a sac fly to complete the scoring.

Tycobbian Union 2005 Final 4 Series

Sunsets Tracy's 3-Run Smash Beats DC 4-3
Denton City's Bruce Baird was breezing along with a 3-1 lead over Summerland until C Glen Tracy (.238) stepped up to the plate in the seventh with two aboard and promptly broke his heart with a three-run smash to give the Sunsets a 4-3 victory over the Redbirds and a two-one edge in the TU Final 4 Series. Winning pitcher Alex Alessi (3-1 3.90) worked a complete game, permitting just five hits and three runs with six Ks and four walks. Baird (0-1 5.63) lost it as he was touched for four runs and six hits in six and two-thirds innings. Baird walked two and fanned five.

Denton City jumped in front 3-0 in the opening inning. 3B Jay Petit (.231) walked with the bases loaded and forced in a run, CF Paul Coniglio (.317) drove in another run with a ground-out and C Lawton Lee (.359) singled in the final one. In the bottom of the inning Summerland got one of them back when CF Hank Hamilton (.292) hit into a double play and 2B Tucker Hill (.288) scored from third.

Eugene Church · 10-24-2009, 06:20 PM

The Islandian Times

Tuesday, October 4, 2005

Ruthlandian Union 2005 Final 4 Series

Middlefield Outmuscles Ranford 16-12, Wins Series
Smitty Michaels and his Middlefield Roosters are going to the IPA Pro Cup Finals. The Roosters overpowered the Ranford Bulls 16-12 to eliminate them in the RU Final 4 three games to one. It was a topsy-turvy game as Ranford started out a ball of fire and ran up a 4-0 lead after three innings, but couldn't hold back the potent Rooster offense. Middlefield mauled them for eight runs in the fourth, four in the fifth and four more in the sixth to pile up a 16-4 lead. Page Satcher's crew didn't give up. They fought back but came up four runs short. The Bulls outhit the Roosters 19-14, but left too many runners on base.

Pinchhitters pace the Rooster attack with two three-run homers. Lonnie Dixon got one in the fifth and Harvey Morris cracked another in the sixth. CF Ty DeWitt (.264) also had a solo roundtripper for Middlefield. 1B Allie Ludlow (.313) and C Mike Kanjorsky (.213) also contributed with two RBIs each. Ranford's top bats were 3B Colin Fairclough (.362) with three hits, a single, double and home run, and four RBIs, LF Jose Castillo (.229) with a three-run homer, 2B Johnny Fenroy (.279) with two hits and three runs batted in and CF Warren Gravois (.412) with four hits and three runs scored.

Middlefield finished second to Volusia in the RU West. Now the Roosters will play for all the marbles in the Pro Cup Finals. They will play the victor between Denton City and Summerland for the Islandian Pro Alliance championship.

Tycobbian Union 2005 Final 4 Series

Taylor-Made Win, DC Redbirds Even Final 4 Series
If Denton City didn't win today, there would be no tomorrow. The Redbirds would be eliminated from the Pro Cup playoffs and have to call it a season. However Hank Taylor saved the day and tossed a masterful 4-0 shutout victory over Summerland to even up the Final 4 Series at two games each. Taylor (3-1 3.21) fired a four-hitter, struck out four and walked two batters. RF Lavon Gooch (.286) gave Taylor all the runs he would need with a first-inning homer. In the seventh CF Pat Coniglio (.318) belted a two-run shot, making the score 3-0 and in the eighth 1B Rob MacCormack (.217) doubled in the final run.

Denton City only got five hits in the game. Summerland starter Paul Felkner (3-3 4.66) suffered the defeat as he permitted four runs and four hits in his seven-plus innings.

Game five will be tomorrow afternoon at Douglas Denton Field in Denton City. The winner will move on the Pro Cup Series against the RU champions, the Middlefield Roosters, who defeated Ranford in four games.

Eugene Church · 10-24-2009, 06:25 PM

The Islandian Times

Wednesday, October 5, 2005

Tycobbian Union 2005 Final 4 Series

DC Pro Cup Bound, Edges Sunsets 3-2 in 12 Innings
The Denton City Redbirds are Pro Cup bound, but it took them five games and 12 long, hard innings to subdue the tough Summerland Sunsets in the TU Final 4 Series. CF Paul Coniglio (.300) blooped a base hit to center to give the Redbirds a 3-2 extra-inning victory and a spot in the IPA Pro Cup Series against the RU titlist, the Middlefield Roosters. Denton City won the series three games to two, but had to rally from a two games to one deficit.

Both ball clubs received excellent pitching in the series finale. The starters Daniel Fitzmorris for Denton City and Bill Taft for Summerland worked the first seven frames and allowed only two runs each. Two of the best closers in the league, Bubba Lear and Bobby Winwood, came in and did their jobs to perfection. Lear went four scoreless innings and Winwood worked three scoreless innings. Winning pitcher Tom Delancelay (2-0 0.00) relieved in the twelfth and blanked the Sunsets in his one inning, while Phillip Westerveldt (0-1 1.35) suffered the loss. Westerfeldt had come on in the eleventh inning.

Denton City had the advantage in hits 9 to 8 and was led by 1B Rob MacCormack (.240) with 2-for-4, two RBIs and two runs scored. MacCormack accounted for the Redbirds two runs in the opening inning with his 3rd homer of the postseason. He also scored the winning run. 1B Karl Van Kooten (.321) paced Summerland with a two-run homer that knotted the score at 2-2 in the sixth.

The Islandian Pro Cup Series will get underway tomorrow at Douglas Denton Field in Denton City. It will be a best-of-seven series. The first two games will be hosted by the Redbirds, while games three, four and five will be in Middlefield. Games six and seven are slated for Denton City.

Eugene Church · 10-24-2009, 06:30 PM

Sorry, I forgot to post several days of games.

Begin reading Sunday, October 2, 2005 Games to get caught up.

Eugene Church · 10-24-2009, 07:51 PM

The Islandian Times

Thursday, October 6, 2005

2005 Pro Cup Series Opens in Denton City, Redbirds Host Middlefield
In April the IPA started the season with 64 teams, all of which had some hopes winning the much-coveted Pro Cup, emblematic of professional baseball supremacy in the Islands. Now teams are down to the last two - the Denton City Redbirds and the Middlefield Roosters - one of them will be crowned champions in just a few days from now.

The baseball experts say this year's Pro Cup Finals is a toss-up, citing the loss of Denton City's number one pitcher Gino Carmazzo as the decisive factor. Carmazzo was involved in a brawl and suspended for the season during the playoffs. He won 24 games during the regular season and will be greatly missed. Without Carmazzo in the rotation, Denton City's pitching rotation only has a slight edge over Middlefield's. The two ball clubs sport powerful offenses and just average pitching.

Denton City is managed by Ford Whiteman and Middlefield is skippered by Smitty Michaels... Whiteman was a great left-handed hurler during the amateur days of Islandian baseball, while Michaels was a slugging third baseman... they are in the Islandian Amateur Federation Hall of Fame.

Here is a statistical comparison of the two challengers:

Denton City Redbirds
Record: 97-57 (1st Place TU West)
BA: .286
HR: 181
Runs: 839
ERA: 3.52
HRA: 130
FA: .975

Middlefield Roosters
Record: 85-70 (2nd Place RU South)
BA: .264
HR: 221
Runs: 808
ERA: 4.31
HRA: 205
FA: .981

Manager Ford Whiteman's Redbirds have an awesome batting order with four .300 hitters, led by LF Danny Nash (.354), RF Lavon Gooch (.336), 1B Rod MacCormack (.308) and CF Paul Coniglio (.302).

Three players have over 30 homers: Gooch 34, Coniglio 32 and 3B Jay Petit 32.

Three players have driven in over 100 runs: Coniglio 120, Gooch 114 and Petit 102.

Five players have scored over 100 runs: MacCormack 117, Gooch 110, SS Trevor Tomlinson 110, Petit 107 and Coniglio 103.

On the mound Denton City's starters will be Hank Taylor (13-4 3.13), Daniel Fitzmorris (21-10 3.20) and Bruce Baird (6-1 3.07). Whiteman's middle relievers will be Tom Duroncelay (9-9 3.54) and Mike Danek (1-3 1.93). The Redbird closer is Bubba Lear (7-6 2.99), who made 69 appearances and saved 24 games.

Smitty Michaels also has a potent offense, but only two .300 hitters in rookie 3B Charlie Gamble (.324) and LF Cecil Clark (.300).

But the Roosters can go deep with five players with 26 or more home runs: Gamble 51, CF Ty DeWitt 39, RF Bailey Norcross 32, Clark 28 and 1B Allie Ludlow 26.

Three Middlefield players drove in more than 100 runs: Gamble 120, DeWitt 113 and Norcross 111.

Four of Michaels players scored 100 or more runs: Norcross 112, DeWitt 107, Gamble 103 and Clark 102.

On the hill Middlefield will depend on a starting rotation consisting of Jamie Hicks (17-8 3.36), late season acquistion Julian Gilchrist (7-3 2.07) and Joshua Jackson (16-15 3.52). Michaels really needs them to go deep in the game as his bullpen is sparse. His only dependable relievers are Delton Crawford (7-3 3.44) and Abner Wright (1-0 1.72).

In a poll of The Islandian Times beat writers, they gave a slight edge to Denton City because of better contact hitting and a better bullpen.

Eugene Church · 10-25-2009, 05:07 PM

The Islandian Times
Thursday, October 6, 2005

2005 IPA Pro Cup Series - Game One in Denton City

Middlefield Power Prevails 7-4, Beats DC with 3 HR
Middlefield continues to power it way past the opposition as the Roosters slammed three homers to take the first game of the IPA Pro Cup Series 7-4 at Douglas Denton Field in Denton City. The Roosters snapped a 4-4 tie in the eighth on SS Earl Reeves' (.238) sacrifice fly. Reliever Delton Crawford got himself two more insurance runs when he unloaded a home run. Crawford (1-0 0.00) picked up the victory with two and one-third spotless innings. Tom Duroncelay (2-1 0.00) was the loser in relief. All three runs off him were unearned.

Middlefield pounded out 12 hits to 9 for the Redbirds. RF Bailey Norcross (.408) hit his 7th postseason homer, a two-run shot to put the Roosters ahead in the opening inning. Denton City made it 2-1 in the third on an RBI single by Lavon Gooch (.283). Middlefield increased it to 4-1 in the fourth frame when 1B Allie Ludlow (.327) got his 5th playoff clout on an inside-the-park homer and 2B Timmy Gage's (.353) RBI ground-out. The Redbirds narrowed it to 4-2 in the fifth when 1B Rob MacCormack (.245) tripled and was driven in on Gooch's ground-out. In the seventh Gooch evened it at 4-all with a two-run blast. Gooch drove in all four Redbird runs.

Both starters encountered rocky outings. Middlefield's Jamie Gilchrist (3-1 3.96) allowed four runs on eight hits in six-plus innings, while Bruce Baird (0-1 6.75) gave up four runs on seven hits in just four innings.

Eugene Church · 10-25-2009, 05:38 PM

The Islandian Times
Friday, October 7, 2005

2005 IPA Pro Cup Series - Game Two in Denton City

Redbirds Taylor Cools Off Red-Hot Roosters 4-0
Denton City's Ford Whiteman lost his ace Gino Carmazzo due to suspension, but he has found another in Hank Taylor, a 21-year-old rookie right-hander. Taylor pitched his second successive 4-0 shutout. This time he cooled off the red-hot Middlefield Roosters to deadlock the IPA Pro Cup Series at one game apiece. Taylor limited them to just four singles with his 97 mph fastball. In another outstanding performance Taylor (4-1 2.43) numbered five Ks and walked a couple. He outtwirled Joshua Jackson (2-2 2.65), who surrendered four runs and seven hits in seven innings.

The Redbirds had eight hits in the ball game and were led by SS Trevor Tomlinson (.379) with 3-for-3 and a sac fly, 3B Jay Petit (.264) with an RBI single and CF Paul Coniglio (.316) with a two-run homer. it was Coniglio's 4th playoff clout and his 17th RBI. He lead all players in the postseason in RBIs.

Eugene Church · 10-25-2009, 06:17 PM

The Islandian Times
Saturday, October 8, 2005

2005 IPA Pro Cup Series - Game Three in Middlefield

Hicks Halts DC 5-1, Roosters Lead Pro Cup 2-1
At Middlefield Park, stylish lefty Jamie Hicks shot down Denton City 5-1 to grab a two-to-one lead in the best-of-seven Pro Cup Series. Hicks (3-1 3.05) sparkled in a complete game, permitting just five hits, all singles, with three strikeouts and only one base on balls. The Roosters backed him up with three double plays.

LF Cecil Clark (.288) got Middlefield off on the right foot in the first inning with his 4th playoff home run, good for a 2-0 lead. Two singles, an error and Danny Nash's (.268) sac fly cut the margin to 2-1 in the second frame. The Roosters tallied two more in the seventh when Hicks (.133) batted in a run and 2B Timmy Gage (.345) singled in another one. In the last of the eighth 1B Allie Ludlow (.322) finished the scoring for the day with a two-run roundtipper, his 6th of the playoffs. With it Ludlow now has the most postseason RBIs with 18, one more than Phil Coniglio (.322) of Denton City.

Daniel Fitzmorris (3-2 5.36) left after seven innings, trailing 3-1. He was the losing pitcher and gave up three runs on seven hits.

Eugene Church · 10-26-2009, 01:13 PM

The Islandian Times
Sunday, October 9, 2005

2005 IPA Pro Cup Series - Game Four in Middlefield

Gamble HR Puts Roosters Up 3-1 Over DC Redbirds
Home run power made the difference in game four of the IPA Pro Cup Series. Middlefield fell behind 5-1 after six and a half innings, then Rooster bats came alive. RF Bailey Norcross (.410) unloaded his 8th homer in the playoffs and cut the margin to 5-3 in the last of the seventh, then in the bottom of the ninth rookie 3B Charlie Gamble (.219) hit a walk-off three-run blast to give Middlefield a come-from-behind 7-5 victory over the Denton City Redbirds. The win gave the Roosters an overwhelming three games to one edge in the series. One more victory and Middlefield will take home the championship trophy.

The Roosters outhit the Redbirds 13 to 9 and outhomered them three to one, led by Gamble with two hits and three RBIs, Norcross with three hits and three RBIs and LF Cecil Clark (.344) with five hits and two runs scored. 1B Allie Ludlow (.323) also homered for Middlefield. 3B Jay Petit (.279) went deep for Denton City, while CF Paul Coniglio (.349) collected three singles and SS Trevor Tomlinson (.369) got a single and a triple.

Reliever Abner Wright (1-0 0.00) gained credit for the win with a scoreless ninth and Mike Danek (0-2 5.14) gave up the game-winning homer and took the loss.

Eugene Church · 10-26-2009, 07:35 PM

The Islandian Times
Monday, October 10, 2005

2005 IPA Pro Cup Series - Game Five in Denton City

Middlefield Roosters 2005 Pro Cup Champions
The 2005 IPA Pro Cup champions are the Middlefield Roosters, who easily disposed of favored Denton City four games to one in the finals. Again using the long ball, the Roosters slammed four out of the ballpark for an 8-1 triumph in game five. C Mike Kanjorsky (.258) ripped a pair and drove in three runs, rookie 3B Charlie Gamble (.235) hit a three-run shot and LF Cecil Clark (.333) had a solo homer. Middlefield hit 34 roundtrippers in the postseason games.

Manager Smitty Michaels also got a standout performance from Joshua Jackson (3-2 2.30), who held the Redbirds to just four hits and one run. SS Trevor Tomlinson's (.362) first-inning home run was all the offense Denton City could muster today. Losing pitcher Hank Taylor (4-2 3.38) was sent to the showers early as he gave up five runs in the first and left after three innings trailing 5-1,

Middlefield got 11 hits all total with everyone but Jackson getting at least one hit.

Michaels told the press after the game, "We really hit the ball well in the postseason. I think we hit better and pitched better in the playoffs than we did in the regular season. My guys are fantastic. At one time or another during the playoffs all of them were heroes. I couldn't pick one of them as the MVP - they all were."

Ford Whiteman, skipper of the Redbirds, chimed in saying, "I thought I had the best hitting team in the entire IPA. The Roosters proved me wrong. Congratulations to them. They are a very fine ball club and are truly deserving of the title."

In its five years of existance no team has ever won the IPA Pro Cup more than once. Previous winners were Volusia in 2001, High Mesa 2002, Turon 2003 and Red Bluff 2004. Middlefleld broke a string of three straight losses to the Tycobbian Union. Ruthlanian Union teams have now won the Pro Cup crown twice.

Eugene Church · 10-26-2009, 08:13 PM

The Islandian Times
Tuesday, October 11, 2005

Roosters Norcross Pro Cup MVP
In a blaze of glory the Middlefield Roosters captured the 2005 Pro Cup by besting the Denton City Redbirds four games to one. RF Bailey Norcross led the team to the Island championship and has been named the Most Valuable Player in the playoffs. Norcross was named on 50 ballots. 1B Allie Ludlow was the number two votegetter with 40 votes, followed by pitcher Jamie Hicks with 12 votes, pitcher Joshua Jackson 10 and reliever Delton Crawford 8. Two Denton City Redbirds received some support with SS Trevor Tomlinson named on 7 ballots and CF Paul Coniglio on 5.

Norcross hit .400 in the postseason with 8 homers, 17 RBIs and 17 runs scored. Ludlow batted .318 with 7 roundtrippers, 19 RBIs and scored 16 times. Hicks had a 3-1 record and a 3.05 ERA, Jackson was 3-2 with a 2.30 ERA and Crawford was 1-0 with two saves in six relief appearances. Crawford did not allow a run in 13 innings.

Tomlinson led Denton City with a .362 batting average, scored 20 runs, drove in 11, stole 7 bases and hit two home runs. Coniglio hit for a .348 average with 4 homers, 17 RBIs and five stolen bases.

Eugene Church · 10-27-2009, 03:27 PM

The Islandian Times

Wednesday, October 12, 2005

Tycobbian Union

Zitek TU's Top Hitter for 2005
What a way to finish off the year -- being honored with the 2005 Golden Bat Award in the Tycobbian Union. It had already been a very special season for High Mesa's standout left fielder Adam Zitek, but today's announcement really put the icing on his cake. The 27-year-old Zitek established a new record for RBIs with 170 this season, easily smashing the old mark of 146 set by East Point's slugger Karol Zodoka in 2002. Zitek also blasted 51 homers this season, the second-most ever in the IPA. Only Zodoka has ever hit more. Zodoka walloped 54 in 2002. All season long Adam Zitek gave opposing pitchers fits by hitting .305 as he collected 171 hits, 21 doubles, 4 triples, 51 home runs, 108 runs scored and 170 RBIs.

Ranking second in the balloting was 26-year-old first sacker Mac Faulkner of the Hartsdale Hellcats, who hammered out a .344 batting average with 30 home runs, 130 RBIs and 106 runs scored.

Third baseman Joe Courtney of the Oxford Red Caps finished third in the voting. The 31-year-old Courtney batted .322 with 39 roundtrippers, 113 RBIs, scored 109 runs, walked 125 times and compiled a .448 on-base percentage.

Eugene Church · 10-28-2009, 06:08 PM

The Islandian Times

Thursday, October 13, 2005

Ruthlandian Union

Carducci Chosen RU Premier Hitter
The 2005 Ruthlandian Union Golden Bat Award has been given to 32-year-old Johnny Carducci, the hard-hitting first baseman for the San Dimas Rancheros. Carducci had a great year with a .305 batting average, 44 homers and 145 RBIs. He led the RU in RBIs and sparked the Rancheros to a second place finish in the South Division.

Middlefield third baseman Charlie Gamble was second in the balloting. The 31-year-old Gamble paced the Roosters to second place in the West Division with 51 home runs, the second highest total in IPA history. He also batted .324 with 120 RBIs.

Coming in third place in the RU Golden Bat Award voting was 34-year-old Taranto Tars left fielder Dominic Zuccaro. He put up a .329 batting average with 45 home runs and 135 runs batted in. The Tars were the runner-up in the North Division.

Eugene Church · 10-29-2009, 06:34 PM

The Islandian Times

Friday, October 14, 2005

Tycobbian Union

Cape Coral Stopper Wins Golden Arm Again
For the second straight season young Cody Burg of Cape Coral has been named the Golden Arm winner in the Tycobbian Union. The 23-year-old Hurricanes star fashioned a 25-8 won-loss record in 2005 with a 1.90 ERA and 15 complete games. Burg had the best ERA in the IPA. In 312 innings of work and 39 starts, Burg also topped the IPA with 281 strikeouts while giving up 243 hits and 37 walks. He held opposing batters to a .215 average and tied for the most shutouts in the Tycobbian Union with four. Cape Coral won the TU South pennant for the second consecutive year.

Burg's biggest competition for the award came from Jimmy Simmons of the Colchester Elites. The 30-year-old southpaw led the IPA with 26 victories and suffered only 8 defeats with a 2.78 ERA. Simmons led the Elites to a third place finish in the TU South. He tossed 12 complete games and struck out 142 in 301 innings. Simmons also tied for the TU lead with four shutouts.

Boomerang Hines of the Mahaska Haymakers had a sterling season and came in third in the balloting for the Golden Arm Award. Hines went 22-9 with a fine 2.48 ERA and remarkably he did it playing with a last place team that won only 63 games. Hines hurled 17 complete games, sixth best in the IPA, and fired four shutouts, tied for first in the TU.

Eugene Church · 10-30-2009, 01:00 PM

The Islandian Times

Saturday, October 15, 2005

Ruthlandian Union

2005 RU Golden Arm Award Winner Announced
Belair Beach's 26-year-old right-hander Slim Mosley is this year's Ruthlandian Union Golden Arm Award selection. Mosley wowed fans, peers and sportswriters with a fabulous performance and led the Sunbirds to a first-place finish in the RU South. It's the second year in a row Belair Beach has won the pennant. Mosley compiled a 23-6 record in 38 starts with four shutouts and 9 complete games, tallied 160 strikeouts in 282 innings and recorded a 2.43 ERA. Other clubs managed a .253 batting average against him.

Beechwood's Dek Jumonville was second in the balloting. In spite of playing with a fifth-place club the 29-year-old Bobcat right-hander chalked up a 23-11 mark with a strong 2.66 ERA and 15 complete games. Jumonville struck out 250 batters in his 315 innings.

In the third spot in the voting was another Belair Beach hurler, 22-year-old righty Tiny Lindgren. The diminutive 5' 6" star was 21-10 for the season with a standout 2.48 ERA. He had 10 complete games with 3 shutouts and 171 strikeouts in 301 innings to lead the Sunbirds to the division title for the second successive year.

Eugene Church · 10-30-2009, 01:34 PM

The Islandian Times

Sunday, October 16, 2005

Tycobbian Union

McCarthy Top TU Rookie This Year
The Tycobbian Union Rookie of the Year Award honoree has been picked for 2005 and the winner is Arroyo Grande shortstop Jared McCarthy. The talented Suns shortstop took the trophy by hitting .328 in 138 games this season and finishing with 184 hits, 43 home runs, 122 RBIs and 94 runs scored.

It took a while for the teams in the IPA to recognize the talents of the 34-year-old rookie. McCarthy thanked the media for voting for him and also gave a special thanks to his manager Jean-Luc Marchand. "He went out on a limb for me and didn't go by the common philosophy of the scouts, who want younger, faster and quicker shortstops. Skip made a good decision and it paid off for him and me, too. I only stole four bases, but I think I made up for that shortcoming with 43 homers and 122 RBIs." Arroyo Grande was sixth in the standings. It is the highest the Suns have ever finished.

Red Bluff's prototypical shortstop Julio Aguilar ran number two in the voting. The 20-year-old speedster hit .318 with 17 homers, 82 RBIs, stole 29 bases and scored 96 times. Aguilar was an important part of the Red Sox second straight TU East championship.

Another "old" shortstop came in third place in the Rookie of the Year balloting. Hillsboro's Barry Bassett is 32, but outplayed most of his younger peers this year. Bassett batted .311, walloped 39 roundtrippers, drove in 110 runs and scored 103 times for the last place Blazers.

10-21-2009, 06:12 PM	#1261
Eugene Church Hall Of Famer Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 35,695 Blog Entries: 1	The Islandian Times Friday, September 30, 2005 Ruthlandian Union Sunbirds Lindgren Injured, May Miss Playoffs Belair Beach fans will be disappointed to learn that Tiny Lindgren suffered an injury in today's game. Doctors told manager Marty Pedroza that Lindgren would miss one to two weeks with a pulled hamstring muscle. Pedroza said, "This is a terrible loss, but we'll worry about this later. Right now the Ranford Bulls are my most immediate concern. We've got to beat Ranford today to stay in the playoffs or we can all go home for the winter." The Sunbirds have signed Lou Zanelli as a roster replacement for Lindgren. Zanelli was 19-25 with a 3.74 ERA with Belair Beach from 2001 to 2003. However Joe Schmidt will take over Lindgren's spot in the rotation. Schmidt was 9-7 this season with a 3.29 ERA. He made 13 starts and appeared in 42 games. Checking out his stats for the year, Lindgren racked up 21 wins and 10 losses in 40 starts, 2.48 ERA and struck out 171 batters in 301 innings. In the postseason Lindgren has started three games with an 0-2 mark, but has compiled a fine 2.70 ERA. He will be severely missed by Belair Beach. It will be very difficult for the Sunbirds to compete in the Pro Cup Series without him. Last edited by Eugene Church; 10-22-2009 at 04:23 PM.

10-22-2009, 04:18 PM	#1262
Eugene Church Hall Of Famer Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 35,695 Blog Entries: 1	The Islandian Times Friday, September 30, 2005 Ruthlandian Union 2005 Final 4 Series Ranford Beats Belair Beach 4-1, Heads to Final 4 Chris Bernhoffer led Ranford to a 4-1 triumph over Belair Beach at Bayside Park to capture the Elite 8 Series in five games, advancing the Bulls to the Pro Cup Final 4 against Middlefield. Bernhoffer (2-0 1.38) was superb, stopping the Sunbirds on just three hits, while fanning six and issuing only one base on balls. CF Warren Gravois (.364) slammed a bases-loaded double in the third inning to send the Bulls to a 2-0 lead. That gave Gravois 9 RBIs for the playoffs. 3B Colin Fairclough (.323) also had an RBI ground-out in the inning and made it 3-0. In the fourth frame Ranford tacked on another score when RF Sherman Waters (.267) doubled, stole third and came in on C Walt Horvath (.258) ground-out to first base. It remained 4-0 until the ninth when a double by pitcher Lanyon Yarbrough (.500) and a single by RF Matty McDermott (.167) put runners on first and third. Yarbrough then scored on CF Billy Martz's (.263) sacrifice fly. In a losing effort Ray Watson (1-1 2.14) started for Belair Beach and worked eight innings, yielding four runs and seven hits. Watson had 9 strikeouts and walked none. Ranford, which won the RU North pennant, will oppose the Middlefield Roosters in the RU Final 4. The winner will advance to the Pro Cup Finals. The Roosters finished second to TU West champion, the Volusia Vigilantes, in the regular campaign. Tycobbian Union 2005 Final 4 Series Sunsets Rally, Whip Hurricanes in Elite 8 Finale Summerland came in second to Cape Coral in the TU South in the regular season, but gained revenge in the postseason by rallying in the late innings to take a 5-3 decision in game five of the Elite 8 Series. The big blow of the game was a three-run clout by RF Nickie Troxell (.269) in the top of the eighth. Hurricane starter Jeff Salow shut them out 2-0 for the first five innings, but the Sunsets came back with the help of home runs by 1B Karl Van Kooten (.289) and C Glen Tracy (.226) to tie the score at 2-2 after seven innings. Alex Alessi (2-1 4.24) hurled a complete-game victory, stopping Cape Coral on five hits, while striking out seven and giving up one walk. Salow (0-1 4.09) was the loser as he allowed four runs and nine hits in seven and one-third innings. Summerland had the edge in hits 11-5 with Tracy getting three of them and Troxell two. C Fats Dalton (.200) paced the Hurricanes with a two-run homer. The Sunsets will now head to the TU Final 4 and take on the powerful Denton City Redbirds for the right to advance to the Pro Cup championship. It will be a best-of-five series. Denton City won 98 games in the regular season and ran away with the TU West title, winning by 10 games over runner-up Bay St. Clair. Summerland finished two games behind Cape Coral in the TU South. Last edited by Eugene Church; 10-24-2009 at 06:22 PM.

10-22-2009, 06:19 PM	#1263
Eugene Church Hall Of Famer Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 35,695 Blog Entries: 1	The Islandian Times Saturday, October 1, 2005 Ruthlandian Union 2005 Final 4 Series Bulls Top Roosters 4-2 in Final 4 Opener Manager Page Satcher got another standout hill performance as his Ranford Bulls tamed the Middlefield Roosters 4-2 in game one of the RU Final 4 Series at Middlefield Park. This time it was 35-year-old Leland Shaddock dazzling Middlefield on a four-hitter. Ranford was locked up in a 1-1 tie going into the top of the ninth as Rooster starter Jamie Hicks was just as tough as Shaddock. But Hicks couldn't make it out of ninth when CF Warren Gravois (.378) went deep on him to give Ranford a 2-1 lead. The Bulls got to Hicks for two more runs on an RBI single by 1B Jordy John (.263) and a triple by RF Sherman Waters (.294). That made it 4-1. Middlefield rallied in the last of the inning on a walk to LF Cecil Clark (.294) and an RBI double by RF Bailey Norcross (.441), but Shaddock (3-0 1.44) retired the last three batters to nail down the verdict. Hicks (2-1 2.73) suffered the loss as he allowed four runs on seven hits with five Ks and two walks. Ranford took the lead in the opening frame on Gravois' double and a run-scoring single by SS Rick Fargnoli (.263). Shaddock made it stand up until the sixth when the Roosters evened it up 1-1 on SS Earl Reeves' (.286) two-bagger and 2B Timmy Gage's (.333) RBI single. It remained that way until the decisive ninth. Tycobbian Union 2005 Final 4 Series Summerland Stuns DC 12-2 in Final 4 Opener It was a stunner at Douglas Denton Field as hometown Denton City was demolished by the underdog Summerland Sunsets 12-3 in the first game of the TU Final 4 Series. Manager Will Hackett's Sunsets teed off on the Redbirds rotation for 16 hits and Paul Felkner (3-2 4.60), going on just two days' rest, went the route and stopped Denton City on a seven-hitter and hit a home run. Hackett said, "It was a matter of necessity. Either I use Felkner on short rest or I go with a secondary starter. So I decided to go with my workhorse and ace and he came through for us." Hackett had used Felkner just two days ago in relief in a crucial extra-inning win over Cape Coral in the Elite 8 Series. Sparking the Sunsets at bat were Schuyler ten Haken, who is hitting a gaudy .619 (13-21) in the postseason after taking over left field. ten Haken had a perfect 4-for-4 day with a triple and three singles. He scored three times and batted in two runs. ten Haken had plenty of help from rookie 3B Randy Rudelmeier (.231) with two hits and three RBIs and 1B Karl Van Kooten (.317) with two hits, three runs scored and a run batted in. SS Zee Overbeek (.368) and CF Hank Hamilton (.308) also contributed two hits each and scored twice. Even Felkner (.182) went 2-for-5 with two RBIs and a homer. Denton City starter Hank Taylor (2-1 4.74) got charged with the loss as he was drummed for five runs in three innings. Last edited by Eugene Church; 10-24-2009 at 06:22 PM.

10-24-2009, 11:09 AM	#1264
Eugene Church Hall Of Famer Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 35,695 Blog Entries: 1	The Islandian Times Sunday, October 2, 2005 Ruthlandian Union 2005 Final 4 Series Roosters Rough Up Ranford 8-4, Even Final 4 Formula for success - 3 homers and strong relief pitching. Middlefield skipper Smitty Michaels used it to down Ranford 8-4 and even up the RU Final 4 at one game apiece in the best-of-five affair. CF Ty DeWitt (.279) swatted his 3rd of the postseason in the third inning and RF Bailey Norcross (.421) and LF Cecil Clark (.324) went back-to-back in the eighth to finish off the Bulls. It was Norcross' 6th and Clark's 3rd of the playoffs. Starter Jamie Gilchrist (3-1 3.64) labored through six innings, but had a 6-4 lead in spite of walking six batters and giving up six hits. Gilchrist got the win with a lot of help from Delton Crawford (0-0 0.00), who closed out the game with three innings of one-hit ball, striking out three and walking nobody. Crawford has two saves in the postseason and has not given up a run in 9 innings and three games. Bulls starter Jean-Claude Scivicque (1-1 3.21) was ripped for six runs in four innings for the loss. Both teams came out swinging with Ranford chalking up two runs in the first frame on LF Jose Castillo's (.225) home run. Middlefield came right back in the bottom of the inning and evened the score on a triple by Clark and an RBI ground-out by Norcross. In the second the Roosters took a 3-2 edge on a base hit by 3B Timmy Gage (.350). 1B Jordy John (.293) made it 3-all with a four-bagger in the Bulls top of the third. In the last of the third Middlefield went up 5-3 when DeWitt hammered one out and SS Earl Reeves (.281) singled in a run. The Roosters increased it to 6-3 in the fourth on a DeWitt single. CF Warren Gravois (.390) went deep for Ranford and cut the lead to 6-4. Hit-wise Midllefield prevailed 11 to 7. Gage, Clark and DeWitt all had a pair of hits each for Middlefield, while Gravois, 3B Colin Fairclough (.342) and John collected two hits apiece for Ranford. RBI-wise in the playoffs Norcross has 12 and DeWitt 10 for the Roosters and Gravois has batted in 11 for the Bulls. Tycobbian Union 2005 Final 4 Series Redbirds Rebound, Rap Sunsets 12-6 in Game 2 The Summerland-Denton City Final 4 Series is all even now after the Redbirds ripped the Sunsets 12-6 in game two at Douglas Denton Field. Denton City drilled 16 hits and were led by 3B Jay Petit (.243), C Lawton Lee (.343) and 2B Darrion Ramsdell (.500) all with three hits each. CF Paul Coniglio (.324) had two hits and 3 RBIs, while 1B Rod MacCormack (.231) and Petit plated two runs each. LF Danny Nash (.429) had the Redbirds only roundtripper. Denton City ran up a 7-3 lead after five innings, but then Summerland shaved it to 7-6 with a three-run seventh, only to have the Redbirds jolt them for three in their half of the inning and wrap the game up with two more in the eighth. The Sunsets walloped 13 hits, paced by 1B Karl Van Kooten (.378) with four hits and C Glen Tracy (.231) with two RBIs and Schuyler ten Haken (.538) with two RBIs. Not a whole lot of pitching in the game. Starter Daniel Fitzmorris (3-1 6.84) was gifted with another victory, although he was tagged for six runs in six innings. Kenyon MacKenzie and Bubba Lear blanked Summerland on two hits over the final two and two-thirds innings. Sunset starting pitcher Bill Taft (2-1 3.76) was pelted for six runs in four innings for the loss. Last edited by Eugene Church; 10-24-2009 at 06:23 PM.

10-24-2009, 06:17 PM	#1265
Eugene Church Hall Of Famer Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 35,695 Blog Entries: 1	The Islandian Times Monday, October 3, 2005 Ruthlandian Union 2005 Final 4 Series Jackson Hurls Middlefield Past Ranford 6-1 Middlefield's Joshua Jackson stymied Ranford 6-1 on six hits to give the Roosters a two-to-one edge in the best-of-five Final 4 Series. Except for 3B Colin Fairclough's (.341) solo homer in the fourth frame, the Bulls got nothing from Jackson, who issued two bases on balls and fanned six for the win. He outpitched Chris Bernhoffer (2-1 2.12), who allowed four runs and seven hits in eight innings of work. Middlefield got a pair of runs in the third, sixth and ninth. CF Ty DeWitt (.255) had an RBI ground-out and rookie 3B Charlie Gamble (.233) singled in another in the third. 1B Allie Ludlow (.311) tripled and scored on C Mike Kanjorsky's triple in the sixth. 2B Timmy Gage (.341) doubled in Kanjorsky. In the ninth Gamble walked to force in a run and Ludlow had a sac fly to complete the scoring. Tycobbian Union 2005 Final 4 Series Sunsets Tracy's 3-Run Smash Beats DC 4-3 Denton City's Bruce Baird was breezing along with a 3-1 lead over Summerland until C Glen Tracy (.238) stepped up to the plate in the seventh with two aboard and promptly broke his heart with a three-run smash to give the Sunsets a 4-3 victory over the Redbirds and a two-one edge in the TU Final 4 Series. Winning pitcher Alex Alessi (3-1 3.90) worked a complete game, permitting just five hits and three runs with six Ks and four walks. Baird (0-1 5.63) lost it as he was touched for four runs and six hits in six and two-thirds innings. Baird walked two and fanned five. Denton City jumped in front 3-0 in the opening inning. 3B Jay Petit (.231) walked with the bases loaded and forced in a run, CF Paul Coniglio (.317) drove in another run with a ground-out and C Lawton Lee (.359) singled in the final one. In the bottom of the inning Summerland got one of them back when CF Hank Hamilton (.292) hit into a double play and 2B Tucker Hill (.288) scored from third. Last edited by Eugene Church; 10-24-2009 at 06:21 PM.

10-24-2009, 06:20 PM	#1266
Eugene Church Hall Of Famer Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 35,695 Blog Entries: 1	The Islandian Times Tuesday, October 4, 2005 Ruthlandian Union 2005 Final 4 Series Middlefield Outmuscles Ranford 16-12, Wins Series Smitty Michaels and his Middlefield Roosters are going to the IPA Pro Cup Finals. The Roosters overpowered the Ranford Bulls 16-12 to eliminate them in the RU Final 4 three games to one. It was a topsy-turvy game as Ranford started out a ball of fire and ran up a 4-0 lead after three innings, but couldn't hold back the potent Rooster offense. Middlefield mauled them for eight runs in the fourth, four in the fifth and four more in the sixth to pile up a 16-4 lead. Page Satcher's crew didn't give up. They fought back but came up four runs short. The Bulls outhit the Roosters 19-14, but left too many runners on base. Pinchhitters pace the Rooster attack with two three-run homers. Lonnie Dixon got one in the fifth and Harvey Morris cracked another in the sixth. CF Ty DeWitt (.264) also had a solo roundtripper for Middlefield. 1B Allie Ludlow (.313) and C Mike Kanjorsky (.213) also contributed with two RBIs each. Ranford's top bats were 3B Colin Fairclough (.362) with three hits, a single, double and home run, and four RBIs, LF Jose Castillo (.229) with a three-run homer, 2B Johnny Fenroy (.279) with two hits and three runs batted in and CF Warren Gravois (.412) with four hits and three runs scored. Middlefield finished second to Volusia in the RU West. Now the Roosters will play for all the marbles in the Pro Cup Finals. They will play the victor between Denton City and Summerland for the Islandian Pro Alliance championship. Tycobbian Union 2005 Final 4 Series Taylor-Made Win, DC Redbirds Even Final 4 Series If Denton City didn't win today, there would be no tomorrow. The Redbirds would be eliminated from the Pro Cup playoffs and have to call it a season. However Hank Taylor saved the day and tossed a masterful 4-0 shutout victory over Summerland to even up the Final 4 Series at two games each. Taylor (3-1 3.21) fired a four-hitter, struck out four and walked two batters. RF Lavon Gooch (.286) gave Taylor all the runs he would need with a first-inning homer. In the seventh CF Pat Coniglio (.318) belted a two-run shot, making the score 3-0 and in the eighth 1B Rob MacCormack (.217) doubled in the final run. Denton City only got five hits in the game. Summerland starter Paul Felkner (3-3 4.66) suffered the defeat as he permitted four runs and four hits in his seven-plus innings. Game five will be tomorrow afternoon at Douglas Denton Field in Denton City. The winner will move on the Pro Cup Series against the RU champions, the Middlefield Roosters, who defeated Ranford in four games. Last edited by Eugene Church; 10-24-2009 at 06:33 PM.

10-24-2009, 06:25 PM	#1267
Eugene Church Hall Of Famer Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 35,695 Blog Entries: 1	The Islandian Times Wednesday, October 5, 2005 Tycobbian Union 2005 Final 4 Series DC Pro Cup Bound, Edges Sunsets 3-2 in 12 Innings The Denton City Redbirds are Pro Cup bound, but it took them five games and 12 long, hard innings to subdue the tough Summerland Sunsets in the TU Final 4 Series. CF Paul Coniglio (.300) blooped a base hit to center to give the Redbirds a 3-2 extra-inning victory and a spot in the IPA Pro Cup Series against the RU titlist, the Middlefield Roosters. Denton City won the series three games to two, but had to rally from a two games to one deficit. Both ball clubs received excellent pitching in the series finale. The starters Daniel Fitzmorris for Denton City and Bill Taft for Summerland worked the first seven frames and allowed only two runs each. Two of the best closers in the league, Bubba Lear and Bobby Winwood, came in and did their jobs to perfection. Lear went four scoreless innings and Winwood worked three scoreless innings. Winning pitcher Tom Delancelay (2-0 0.00) relieved in the twelfth and blanked the Sunsets in his one inning, while Phillip Westerveldt (0-1 1.35) suffered the loss. Westerfeldt had come on in the eleventh inning. Denton City had the advantage in hits 9 to 8 and was led by 1B Rob MacCormack (.240) with 2-for-4, two RBIs and two runs scored. MacCormack accounted for the Redbirds two runs in the opening inning with his 3rd homer of the postseason. He also scored the winning run. 1B Karl Van Kooten (.321) paced Summerland with a two-run homer that knotted the score at 2-2 in the sixth. The Islandian Pro Cup Series will get underway tomorrow at Douglas Denton Field in Denton City. It will be a best-of-seven series. The first two games will be hosted by the Redbirds, while games three, four and five will be in Middlefield. Games six and seven are slated for Denton City. Last edited by Eugene Church; 10-24-2009 at 06:27 PM.

10-24-2009, 06:30 PM	#1268
Eugene Church Hall Of Famer Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 35,695 Blog Entries: 1	Sorry, I forgot to post several days of games. Begin reading Sunday, October 2, 2005 Games to get caught up.

10-24-2009, 07:51 PM	#1269
Eugene Church Hall Of Famer Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 35,695 Blog Entries: 1	The Islandian Times Thursday, October 6, 2005 2005 Pro Cup Series Opens in Denton City, Redbirds Host Middlefield In April the IPA started the season with 64 teams, all of which had some hopes winning the much-coveted Pro Cup, emblematic of professional baseball supremacy in the Islands. Now teams are down to the last two - the Denton City Redbirds and the Middlefield Roosters - one of them will be crowned champions in just a few days from now. The baseball experts say this year's Pro Cup Finals is a toss-up, citing the loss of Denton City's number one pitcher Gino Carmazzo as the decisive factor. Carmazzo was involved in a brawl and suspended for the season during the playoffs. He won 24 games during the regular season and will be greatly missed. Without Carmazzo in the rotation, Denton City's pitching rotation only has a slight edge over Middlefield's. The two ball clubs sport powerful offenses and just average pitching. Denton City is managed by Ford Whiteman and Middlefield is skippered by Smitty Michaels... Whiteman was a great left-handed hurler during the amateur days of Islandian baseball, while Michaels was a slugging third baseman... they are in the Islandian Amateur Federation Hall of Fame. Here is a statistical comparison of the two challengers: Denton City Redbirds Record: 97-57 (1st Place TU West) BA: .286 HR: 181 Runs: 839 ERA: 3.52 HRA: 130 FA: .975 Middlefield Roosters Record: 85-70 (2nd Place RU South) BA: .264 HR: 221 Runs: 808 ERA: 4.31 HRA: 205 FA: .981 Manager Ford Whiteman's Redbirds have an awesome batting order with four .300 hitters, led by LF Danny Nash (.354), RF Lavon Gooch (.336), 1B Rod MacCormack (.308) and CF Paul Coniglio (.302). Three players have over 30 homers: Gooch 34, Coniglio 32 and 3B Jay Petit 32. Three players have driven in over 100 runs: Coniglio 120, Gooch 114 and Petit 102. Five players have scored over 100 runs: MacCormack 117, Gooch 110, SS Trevor Tomlinson 110, Petit 107 and Coniglio 103. On the mound Denton City's starters will be Hank Taylor (13-4 3.13), Daniel Fitzmorris (21-10 3.20) and Bruce Baird (6-1 3.07). Whiteman's middle relievers will be Tom Duroncelay (9-9 3.54) and Mike Danek (1-3 1.93). The Redbird closer is Bubba Lear (7-6 2.99), who made 69 appearances and saved 24 games. Smitty Michaels also has a potent offense, but only two .300 hitters in rookie 3B Charlie Gamble (.324) and LF Cecil Clark (.300). But the Roosters can go deep with five players with 26 or more home runs: Gamble 51, CF Ty DeWitt 39, RF Bailey Norcross 32, Clark 28 and 1B Allie Ludlow 26. Three Middlefield players drove in more than 100 runs: Gamble 120, DeWitt 113 and Norcross 111. Four of Michaels players scored 100 or more runs: Norcross 112, DeWitt 107, Gamble 103 and Clark 102. On the hill Middlefield will depend on a starting rotation consisting of Jamie Hicks (17-8 3.36), late season acquistion Julian Gilchrist (7-3 2.07) and Joshua Jackson (16-15 3.52). Michaels really needs them to go deep in the game as his bullpen is sparse. His only dependable relievers are Delton Crawford (7-3 3.44) and Abner Wright (1-0 1.72). In a poll of The Islandian Times beat writers, they gave a slight edge to Denton City because of better contact hitting and a better bullpen. Last edited by Eugene Church; 03-05-2022 at 11:25 AM.

10-25-2009, 05:07 PM	#1270
Eugene Church Hall Of Famer Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 35,695 Blog Entries: 1	The Islandian Times Thursday, October 6, 2005 2005 IPA Pro Cup Series - Game One in Denton City Middlefield Power Prevails 7-4, Beats DC with 3 HR Middlefield continues to power it way past the opposition as the Roosters slammed three homers to take the first game of the IPA Pro Cup Series 7-4 at Douglas Denton Field in Denton City. The Roosters snapped a 4-4 tie in the eighth on SS Earl Reeves' (.238) sacrifice fly. Reliever Delton Crawford got himself two more insurance runs when he unloaded a home run. Crawford (1-0 0.00) picked up the victory with two and one-third spotless innings. Tom Duroncelay (2-1 0.00) was the loser in relief. All three runs off him were unearned. Middlefield pounded out 12 hits to 9 for the Redbirds. RF Bailey Norcross (.408) hit his 7th postseason homer, a two-run shot to put the Roosters ahead in the opening inning. Denton City made it 2-1 in the third on an RBI single by Lavon Gooch (.283). Middlefield increased it to 4-1 in the fourth frame when 1B Allie Ludlow (.327) got his 5th playoff clout on an inside-the-park homer and 2B Timmy Gage's (.353) RBI ground-out. The Redbirds narrowed it to 4-2 in the fifth when 1B Rob MacCormack (.245) tripled and was driven in on Gooch's ground-out. In the seventh Gooch evened it at 4-all with a two-run blast. Gooch drove in all four Redbird runs. Both starters encountered rocky outings. Middlefield's Jamie Gilchrist (3-1 3.96) allowed four runs on eight hits in six-plus innings, while Bruce Baird (0-1 6.75) gave up four runs on seven hits in just four innings. Last edited by Eugene Church; 03-05-2022 at 11:35 AM.

10-25-2009, 05:38 PM	#1271
Eugene Church Hall Of Famer Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 35,695 Blog Entries: 1	The Islandian Times Friday, October 7, 2005 2005 IPA Pro Cup Series - Game Two in Denton City Redbirds Taylor Cools Off Red-Hot Roosters 4-0 Denton City's Ford Whiteman lost his ace Gino Carmazzo due to suspension, but he has found another in Hank Taylor, a 21-year-old rookie right-hander. Taylor pitched his second successive 4-0 shutout. This time he cooled off the red-hot Middlefield Roosters to deadlock the IPA Pro Cup Series at one game apiece. Taylor limited them to just four singles with his 97 mph fastball. In another outstanding performance Taylor (4-1 2.43) numbered five Ks and walked a couple. He outtwirled Joshua Jackson (2-2 2.65), who surrendered four runs and seven hits in seven innings. The Redbirds had eight hits in the ball game and were led by SS Trevor Tomlinson (.379) with 3-for-3 and a sac fly, 3B Jay Petit (.264) with an RBI single and CF Paul Coniglio (.316) with a two-run homer. it was Coniglio's 4th playoff clout and his 17th RBI. He lead all players in the postseason in RBIs. Last edited by Eugene Church; 03-05-2022 at 11:36 AM.

10-25-2009, 06:17 PM	#1272
Eugene Church Hall Of Famer Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 35,695 Blog Entries: 1	The Islandian Times Saturday, October 8, 2005 2005 IPA Pro Cup Series - Game Three in Middlefield Hicks Halts DC 5-1, Roosters Lead Pro Cup 2-1 At Middlefield Park, stylish lefty Jamie Hicks shot down Denton City 5-1 to grab a two-to-one lead in the best-of-seven Pro Cup Series. Hicks (3-1 3.05) sparkled in a complete game, permitting just five hits, all singles, with three strikeouts and only one base on balls. The Roosters backed him up with three double plays. LF Cecil Clark (.288) got Middlefield off on the right foot in the first inning with his 4th playoff home run, good for a 2-0 lead. Two singles, an error and Danny Nash's (.268) sac fly cut the margin to 2-1 in the second frame. The Roosters tallied two more in the seventh when Hicks (.133) batted in a run and 2B Timmy Gage (.345) singled in another one. In the last of the eighth 1B Allie Ludlow (.322) finished the scoring for the day with a two-run roundtipper, his 6th of the playoffs. With it Ludlow now has the most postseason RBIs with 18, one more than Phil Coniglio (.322) of Denton City. Daniel Fitzmorris (3-2 5.36) left after seven innings, trailing 3-1. He was the losing pitcher and gave up three runs on seven hits. Last edited by Eugene Church; 03-05-2022 at 11:37 AM.

10-26-2009, 01:13 PM	#1273
Eugene Church Hall Of Famer Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 35,695 Blog Entries: 1	The Islandian Times Sunday, October 9, 2005 2005 IPA Pro Cup Series - Game Four in Middlefield Gamble HR Puts Roosters Up 3-1 Over DC Redbirds Home run power made the difference in game four of the IPA Pro Cup Series. Middlefield fell behind 5-1 after six and a half innings, then Rooster bats came alive. RF Bailey Norcross (.410) unloaded his 8th homer in the playoffs and cut the margin to 5-3 in the last of the seventh, then in the bottom of the ninth rookie 3B Charlie Gamble (.219) hit a walk-off three-run blast to give Middlefield a come-from-behind 7-5 victory over the Denton City Redbirds. The win gave the Roosters an overwhelming three games to one edge in the series. One more victory and Middlefield will take home the championship trophy. The Roosters outhit the Redbirds 13 to 9 and outhomered them three to one, led by Gamble with two hits and three RBIs, Norcross with three hits and three RBIs and LF Cecil Clark (.344) with five hits and two runs scored. 1B Allie Ludlow (.323) also homered for Middlefield. 3B Jay Petit (.279) went deep for Denton City, while CF Paul Coniglio (.349) collected three singles and SS Trevor Tomlinson (.369) got a single and a triple. Reliever Abner Wright (1-0 0.00) gained credit for the win with a scoreless ninth and Mike Danek (0-2 5.14) gave up the game-winning homer and took the loss. Last edited by Eugene Church; 03-05-2022 at 11:37 AM.

10-26-2009, 07:35 PM	#1274
Eugene Church Hall Of Famer Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 35,695 Blog Entries: 1	The Islandian Times Monday, October 10, 2005 2005 IPA Pro Cup Series - Game Five in Denton City Middlefield Roosters 2005 Pro Cup Champions The 2005 IPA Pro Cup champions are the Middlefield Roosters, who easily disposed of favored Denton City four games to one in the finals. Again using the long ball, the Roosters slammed four out of the ballpark for an 8-1 triumph in game five. C Mike Kanjorsky (.258) ripped a pair and drove in three runs, rookie 3B Charlie Gamble (.235) hit a three-run shot and LF Cecil Clark (.333) had a solo homer. Middlefield hit 34 roundtrippers in the postseason games. Manager Smitty Michaels also got a standout performance from Joshua Jackson (3-2 2.30), who held the Redbirds to just four hits and one run. SS Trevor Tomlinson's (.362) first-inning home run was all the offense Denton City could muster today. Losing pitcher Hank Taylor (4-2 3.38) was sent to the showers early as he gave up five runs in the first and left after three innings trailing 5-1, Middlefield got 11 hits all total with everyone but Jackson getting at least one hit. Michaels told the press after the game, "We really hit the ball well in the postseason. I think we hit better and pitched better in the playoffs than we did in the regular season. My guys are fantastic. At one time or another during the playoffs all of them were heroes. I couldn't pick one of them as the MVP - they all were." Ford Whiteman, skipper of the Redbirds, chimed in saying, "I thought I had the best hitting team in the entire IPA. The Roosters proved me wrong. Congratulations to them. They are a very fine ball club and are truly deserving of the title." In its five years of existance no team has ever won the IPA Pro Cup more than once. Previous winners were Volusia in 2001, High Mesa 2002, Turon 2003 and Red Bluff 2004. Middlefleld broke a string of three straight losses to the Tycobbian Union. Ruthlanian Union teams have now won the Pro Cup crown twice. Last edited by Eugene Church; 03-05-2022 at 11:39 AM.

10-26-2009, 08:13 PM	#1275
Eugene Church Hall Of Famer Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 35,695 Blog Entries: 1	The Islandian Times Tuesday, October 11, 2005 Roosters Norcross Pro Cup MVP In a blaze of glory the Middlefield Roosters captured the 2005 Pro Cup by besting the Denton City Redbirds four games to one. RF Bailey Norcross led the team to the Island championship and has been named the Most Valuable Player in the playoffs. Norcross was named on 50 ballots. 1B Allie Ludlow was the number two votegetter with 40 votes, followed by pitcher Jamie Hicks with 12 votes, pitcher Joshua Jackson 10 and reliever Delton Crawford 8. Two Denton City Redbirds received some support with SS Trevor Tomlinson named on 7 ballots and CF Paul Coniglio on 5. Norcross hit .400 in the postseason with 8 homers, 17 RBIs and 17 runs scored. Ludlow batted .318 with 7 roundtrippers, 19 RBIs and scored 16 times. Hicks had a 3-1 record and a 3.05 ERA, Jackson was 3-2 with a 2.30 ERA and Crawford was 1-0 with two saves in six relief appearances. Crawford did not allow a run in 13 innings. Tomlinson led Denton City with a .362 batting average, scored 20 runs, drove in 11, stole 7 bases and hit two home runs. Coniglio hit for a .348 average with 4 homers, 17 RBIs and five stolen bases. Last edited by Eugene Church; 03-05-2022 at 11:40 AM.

10-27-2009, 03:27 PM	#1276
Eugene Church Hall Of Famer Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 35,695 Blog Entries: 1	The Islandian Times Wednesday, October 12, 2005 Tycobbian Union Zitek TU's Top Hitter for 2005 What a way to finish off the year -- being honored with the 2005 Golden Bat Award in the Tycobbian Union. It had already been a very special season for High Mesa's standout left fielder Adam Zitek, but today's announcement really put the icing on his cake. The 27-year-old Zitek established a new record for RBIs with 170 this season, easily smashing the old mark of 146 set by East Point's slugger Karol Zodoka in 2002. Zitek also blasted 51 homers this season, the second-most ever in the IPA. Only Zodoka has ever hit more. Zodoka walloped 54 in 2002. All season long Adam Zitek gave opposing pitchers fits by hitting .305 as he collected 171 hits, 21 doubles, 4 triples, 51 home runs, 108 runs scored and 170 RBIs. Ranking second in the balloting was 26-year-old first sacker Mac Faulkner of the Hartsdale Hellcats, who hammered out a .344 batting average with 30 home runs, 130 RBIs and 106 runs scored. Third baseman Joe Courtney of the Oxford Red Caps finished third in the voting. The 31-year-old Courtney batted .322 with 39 roundtrippers, 113 RBIs, scored 109 runs, walked 125 times and compiled a .448 on-base percentage. Last edited by Eugene Church; 10-28-2009 at 05:16 PM.

10-28-2009, 06:08 PM	#1277
Eugene Church Hall Of Famer Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 35,695 Blog Entries: 1	The Islandian Times Thursday, October 13, 2005 Ruthlandian Union Carducci Chosen RU Premier Hitter The 2005 Ruthlandian Union Golden Bat Award has been given to 32-year-old Johnny Carducci, the hard-hitting first baseman for the San Dimas Rancheros. Carducci had a great year with a .305 batting average, 44 homers and 145 RBIs. He led the RU in RBIs and sparked the Rancheros to a second place finish in the South Division. Middlefield third baseman Charlie Gamble was second in the balloting. The 31-year-old Gamble paced the Roosters to second place in the West Division with 51 home runs, the second highest total in IPA history. He also batted .324 with 120 RBIs. Coming in third place in the RU Golden Bat Award voting was 34-year-old Taranto Tars left fielder Dominic Zuccaro. He put up a .329 batting average with 45 home runs and 135 runs batted in. The Tars were the runner-up in the North Division.

10-29-2009, 06:34 PM	#1278
Eugene Church Hall Of Famer Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 35,695 Blog Entries: 1	The Islandian Times Friday, October 14, 2005 Tycobbian Union Cape Coral Stopper Wins Golden Arm Again For the second straight season young Cody Burg of Cape Coral has been named the Golden Arm winner in the Tycobbian Union. The 23-year-old Hurricanes star fashioned a 25-8 won-loss record in 2005 with a 1.90 ERA and 15 complete games. Burg had the best ERA in the IPA. In 312 innings of work and 39 starts, Burg also topped the IPA with 281 strikeouts while giving up 243 hits and 37 walks. He held opposing batters to a .215 average and tied for the most shutouts in the Tycobbian Union with four. Cape Coral won the TU South pennant for the second consecutive year. Burg's biggest competition for the award came from Jimmy Simmons of the Colchester Elites. The 30-year-old southpaw led the IPA with 26 victories and suffered only 8 defeats with a 2.78 ERA. Simmons led the Elites to a third place finish in the TU South. He tossed 12 complete games and struck out 142 in 301 innings. Simmons also tied for the TU lead with four shutouts. Boomerang Hines of the Mahaska Haymakers had a sterling season and came in third in the balloting for the Golden Arm Award. Hines went 22-9 with a fine 2.48 ERA and remarkably he did it playing with a last place team that won only 63 games. Hines hurled 17 complete games, sixth best in the IPA, and fired four shutouts, tied for first in the TU. Last edited by Eugene Church; 10-30-2009 at 01:06 PM.

10-30-2009, 01:00 PM	#1279
Eugene Church Hall Of Famer Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 35,695 Blog Entries: 1	The Islandian Times Saturday, October 15, 2005 Ruthlandian Union 2005 RU Golden Arm Award Winner Announced Belair Beach's 26-year-old right-hander Slim Mosley is this year's Ruthlandian Union Golden Arm Award selection. Mosley wowed fans, peers and sportswriters with a fabulous performance and led the Sunbirds to a first-place finish in the RU South. It's the second year in a row Belair Beach has won the pennant. Mosley compiled a 23-6 record in 38 starts with four shutouts and 9 complete games, tallied 160 strikeouts in 282 innings and recorded a 2.43 ERA. Other clubs managed a .253 batting average against him. Beechwood's Dek Jumonville was second in the balloting. In spite of playing with a fifth-place club the 29-year-old Bobcat right-hander chalked up a 23-11 mark with a strong 2.66 ERA and 15 complete games. Jumonville struck out 250 batters in his 315 innings. In the third spot in the voting was another Belair Beach hurler, 22-year-old righty Tiny Lindgren. The diminutive 5' 6" star was 21-10 for the season with a standout 2.48 ERA. He had 10 complete games with 3 shutouts and 171 strikeouts in 301 innings to lead the Sunbirds to the division title for the second successive year. Last edited by Eugene Church; 10-30-2009 at 01:06 PM.

10-30-2009, 01:34 PM	#1280
Eugene Church Hall Of Famer Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 35,695 Blog Entries: 1	The Islandian Times Sunday, October 16, 2005 Tycobbian Union McCarthy Top TU Rookie This Year The Tycobbian Union Rookie of the Year Award honoree has been picked for 2005 and the winner is Arroyo Grande shortstop Jared McCarthy. The talented Suns shortstop took the trophy by hitting .328 in 138 games this season and finishing with 184 hits, 43 home runs, 122 RBIs and 94 runs scored. It took a while for the teams in the IPA to recognize the talents of the 34-year-old rookie. McCarthy thanked the media for voting for him and also gave a special thanks to his manager Jean-Luc Marchand. "He went out on a limb for me and didn't go by the common philosophy of the scouts, who want younger, faster and quicker shortstops. Skip made a good decision and it paid off for him and me, too. I only stole four bases, but I think I made up for that shortcoming with 43 homers and 122 RBIs." Arroyo Grande was sixth in the standings. It is the highest the Suns have ever finished. Red Bluff's prototypical shortstop Julio Aguilar ran number two in the voting. The 20-year-old speedster hit .318 with 17 homers, 82 RBIs, stole 29 bases and scored 96 times. Aguilar was an important part of the Red Sox second straight TU East championship. Another "old" shortstop came in third place in the Rookie of the Year balloting. Hillsboro's Barry Bassett is 32, but outplayed most of his younger peers this year. Bassett batted .311, walloped 39 roundtrippers, drove in 110 runs and scored 103 times for the last place Blazers.