ISLANDIAN PRO ALLIANCE (RUTHLANDIA and TYCOBBIA BASEBALL UNIONS)

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times

Tuesday, September 19, 2006

Tycobbian Union South Division 2006 Final Standings

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times

Monday, June 19, 2006

Tycobbian Union South Division

Turon Turned It On in Second Half, Takes TU South by 7 Games
The Tycobbian South pennant chase was close until mid-year with only four games separating the top five teams. At that point the Turon Typhoons excellent pitching got even better and its hitting did, too. Manager Ashton "Whitey" Richburn's club took off and put up a 45-28 record over the final three months and won the division title by 7 games over runner-up Cape Coral. The Colchester Elites were third in the standings 10 games off the pace with San Alejo coming in fourth, 15 games behind. Ginza, which was in the running at the All-Star break, ended up 16 games back and in fifth place. Colchester (36-37), San Alejo (35-38) and Ginza (33-40) slumped under .500 during the second half of the season and dropped out of the race.

Turon (89-65) led the TU with a 3.27 ERA. The Typhoons rotation included two 20-game winners in James Longstreet (22-7 2.50) and Scotty Boswell (21-12 2.22). Freddi Speigel (13-12 3.58) gave Richburn a good number-three starter. Middle reliever Ronnie Zetterberg (2-1 2.39) also provided solid work in 41 appearances. Turon only had average hitting, but it was enough to win the crown.

All-Star rookie C Todd Somerset led the club with 29 homers and 101 RBIs, while putting up a .296 batting average. 3B Eric Hix (.284) chipped in 17 homers and 75 RBIs, while scoring 80 times. Middle infielders John Paul Trevenot (.300/10 HR/43 RBI/95 R) and J. L. Lawrence (.309/11 HR/61 RBI/75 R) along with RF Andy Porter (.303/16 HR/70 RBI/73 R/19 SB) also provided some run support.

The second place Cape Coral Hurricanes (82-72), who won the division flags the last two seasons, came up short this year. Manager Marty Pedroza's club played poorly until July, but finally got it going and completed the second half of the year with a 45-28 mark. However, they could not catch the tough Turon Typhoons and wound up 7 games behind them. Still the Hurricanes made the postseason for the fourth consecutive season and could get another shot at the Typhoons in the Pro Cup playoffs. Cape Coral will have to beat the TU North champion Oxford in the Sweet 16 to get a shot at Turon. The Typhoons will tangle with Hartsdale of the North Division in the Sweet 16, which begins tomorrow afternoon.

Cody Burg (22-10 2.63) continued his dominance of IPA hitters as he won 20 games for the third straight season and led the IPA for the third time with 271 strikeouts. Doug Lyons (19-13 2.97) won 12 games in the second half to spark the Cape Coral revival. Newcomer Ron Blevins (7-4 3.54) will be the number-three man in Pedroza's playoff rotation. Leading the offensive attack will be RF Kippy Doyle (.308/44 HR/128 RBI/103 R), 2B Hoshi Sato (.298/27 HR/88 RBI/108 R/14 SB) and CF Bobby Josker (.272/10 HR/55 RBI/104 R/12 SB). The Hurricanes are only an average-hitting club, but can hit with power. They hammered 174 roundtrippers (7th) this season.

The third place Colchester Elites (79-75) easily outhit both Turon and Cape Coral, but didn't have the pitching to stay with them. The Elites batted .273 (6th) with 197 homers (4th) and scored 842 runs (3rd). Manager Robbie Wilbertson's hot-shot hitters were powered by All-Star rookie RF Teddy Blanton (.329/47 HR/134 RBI/106 R/12 SB), 1B Harlan Roscoe (.310/25 HR/98 RBI), CF Douglas Tilford (.305/16 HR/78 RBI/111 R/37 SB) and All-Star 2B Leland Curtis (.285/5 HR/50 RBI/100 R/45 SB). Fred Kimball (16-11 3.56) and Jimmy Simmons (15-13 3.11) were Colchester's best pitchers. They were pale in comparison to Turon's Longstreet (22-7 2.50) and Boswell (21-12 2.22) and Cape Coral's Burg (22-10 2.63) and Lyons (19-12 2.97).

After staying in contention, just four games behind at the All-Star Game, Manager Lando Peceda's San Alejo Montaneros (74-80) faltered after mid-season and ended up in the fourth spot in the TU South standings. The Montaneros are just mediocre in most things. Alberto Herrera (14-13 2.61) is the Peceda's only quality pitcher. San Alejo could use some quality batsmen, too. San Alejo's best batters are LF Bernie Valente (.266/21 HR/80 RBI/102 R/22 SB), 2B Denholm Carruthers (.283/10 HR/64 RBI/90 R) and 1B Roger Wooten (.262/23 HR/95 RBI).

Manager Huroko Uchiyama's mound corps let him down in the second half of the season and caused the Ginza Ninjas (73-81) to tumble from third place and two games out of first place at mid-season down to fifth and 16 games behind. The Ninjas only have average pitching and poor hitting, but are the second-best fielding club in the Tycobbian Union with a .979 percentage. South Fork of the TU East is the best in the IPA with a .981 fielding average.

Uchiyama has three capable starters in Alec Sasek (16-15 3.33), Toshiharu Ito (14-14 3.89) and Carl Trebek (15-17 3.95), but not much after this trio. Batting-wise Ginza has only two quality hitters in RF Lonnie Jacobson (.328/23 HR/87 RBI/88 R) and 3B Toshiro Nomura (.279/25 HR/95 RBI).

All the remaining teams in the TU South were tied for sixth place and the cellar. Arroyo Grande, Southport and Summerland all had identical 66-88 records and finished last in the standings 23 games off the pace.

The Arroyo Grande's best attribute is home run power. The Suns hit 219 roundtrippers (2nd) and can put runs on the scoreboard, but manager Jean-Luc Marchand's impotent pitching staff possesses a whopping .473 ERA (30th). Charley Boyer (14-15 3.45) and Ron Tartaglia (11-7 3.56) are the best Marchand has to offer. The Suns top sluggers are SS Jared McCarthy (.303/40 HR/105 RBI/100 R), 1B Cristian Avajos (.285/34 HR/101 RBI/86 R) and 3B Randy Knowles (.290/27 HR/93 RBI/93 R).

The Southport Sun Sox skipper Charley Oscar has only three decent players on his club: 1B Pat Mystryk (.282/27 HR/88 RBI) and pitchers Danny Rigdon (13-13 4.17) and Mark Mumford (14-19 4.07). The Sun Sox are hitting only .248 (32nd) and have the lowest team batting average in the TU and second-worst in the IPA. Only Fort Benton (.244) of the RU West is worse.

The Summerland Sunsets did not look like the same team this season. A year ago they were runner-up to the TU South champ Cape Coral and went all the way to the Final 4 in the Pro Cup Series. But not this year as most of the squad had down years all at the same time. They went from 91 victories to just 66 victories. Manager Will Hackett's best performers this season were pitchers All-Star Paul Felkner (16-17 2.66), Bill Taft (15-15 3.88), Toshiya Tomura (10-14 3.63) and 2B Tucker Hill (.322/4 HR/59 RBI/81 R) and RF Nickie Troxell (.276/29 HR/86 RBI).

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times

Tuesday, September 19, 2006

Tycobbian Union East Division 2006 Final Standings

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times

Tuesday, September 19, 2006

Tycobbian Union East Division 2006 Final Standings

Ozarka Wins TU East Title in a Breeze, Tuckanarra #2
The Ozarka Naturals coasted to the Tycobbian East title. It was a close race at mid-season with five teams in contention, but at season's end the Nats won in a breeze beating second place Tuckanarra by 8 games. Ozarka wrapped up the pennant by going 45-28 over the final three months of the season. The Midway Wolves came in third and trailed by 15 games with High Mesa fourth and 17 games back. South Fork was fifth finishing 21 games off the pace, while Red Bluff, which had won the last three division championships, went into a tailspin and dipped to the sixth spot in the standings, 22 games behind. East Point and Hillsboro tied for last place and were 31 games behind the leading Naturals.

The Ozarka Naturals (95-59) have a strong group of starters. Sid Hyder (21-8 3.35), Alec DiMaggio (15-11 3.37), Karl Kleinert (17-10 3.84) and Pat Schwartz (14-9) chalked up a 3.57 team ERA (3rd) and gave manager Joe Mac Carney one of the better rotations in the IPA. However, the Nats suffered a terrible loss as their ace Hyder is down for at least two weeks with a back injury. Ozarka will have to do without him in the Pro Cup playoffs that get underway tomorrow afternoon.

Not only does Carney have good pitching, the Naturals also pack an offense with a .278 batting average (3rd) and can score runs. Ozarka tallied 793 runs (3rd) during the season. Primarily Carney depends on 3B Nathan Ferrell (.266/25 HR/102 RBI/94 R), LF Vic Weinstein (.326/13 HR/77 RBI/80 R) and 2B Todd Chadwick (.302/15 HR/76 RBI/86 R) to produce the runs. Homer-wise Ozarka has decent power and collected 132 (21st) this year.

Manager Carlton "Lefty" Stevens of the Tuckanarra Blue Jays (87-67) has a pretty fair ball club, too. The Blue Jays have good pitching, good power and good defense. Stevens can match Ozarka's starters. His All-Star ace Titus Bristow (27-7 1.73) finished second in the IPA with 27 victories, topped only by Ernie Watkins (28-11 2.52) of Rocky Rapids in the RU West. Overall Tuckanarra registered a 3.69 ERA (5th), batted .271 (7th), went deep 150 times (14th), scored 778 runs (8th) and had a .977 fielding average on defense. Stevens also had three other steady mound performers in Roy Spence (18-8 3.38), Delaney Elliott (12-7 2.79) and Tommy Ruffin (12-10 3.73).

At the plate the Blue Jays have a strong line-up with CF Monty Draycott (.268/26 HR/105 RBI/84), LF Corey Tavington (.278/22 HR/95 RBI), 1B Cameron Kamara (.289/20 HR/82 RBI), 3B Duncan Renwick (.308/13 HR/65 RBI/99 R/48 SB) and 2B Owen MacArthur (.312/7 HR/61 RBI/102 R).

Third place in the TU East belongs to the Midway Wolves (80-74), who did an about-face in the second half of the season and fell far out of contention. It didn't help manager Cochise Chandler's chances when he lost his fine 2B Little Johnny Yuma in May and his standout CF Jan Szymanski in July. In half a season clean-up hitter Szymanski batted .288 with 17 homers, 55 RBIs and scored 58 times.

The Wolves do not have a lot of standouts, but Chandler does have a lot of hustlers and over-achievers that have blended well. Only 1B Don Piper (.263/21 HR/74 RBI/79 R) played with any regularity. Midway was heavily platooned. On the hill Chandler had two solid starters in All-Star pitcher Nosyt Sani (17-13 2.94) and Russ Cheasequah (14-11 3.95). The Wolves hit .269 (8th) as a unit, homered 137 times (19th), scored 755 runs (12th), notched a 4.22 ERA (25th) and fielded well with a .976 FA.

The High Mesa Cowboys (78-76) were in the middle of the pack most of the season and wound up in fourth place, 17 games out of first place. Skipper Frisky Franks doesn't have the offense he usually has. Many of his prime players did not produce for him. One of the all-time leading sluggers in IPA history LF Adam Zitek batted a lowly .231 with only 22 homers and 64 RBIs. In his first four seasons Zitek averaged almost 40 homers and 125 RBIs. Nonetheless, the Cowboys ranked high with a .273 BA (4th), 192 roundtrippers (5th), 779 runs (7th). And as usual Franks' pitching corps ranked low with a 4.71 ERA (28th). The culprit is Queen Ranch Stadium with its short fences - 306 feet in left and 312 feet in right.

High Mesa's top batters were rookie 3B Nat Thurlow (.306/28 HR/81 RBI), SS John Asbury (.266/26 HR/65 RBI/84 R), 1B Bobby Gunn (.287/25 HR/60 RBI/80 R) and 2B Ed Granberg (.297/19 HR/73 RBI/78 R). On the hill High Mesa was led by Joey Popovich (15-12 4.30), Marc Matherne (11-10 3.88) and Johnny Falcon (11-14 4.10).

The fifth place South Fork Stallions (74-80) piloted by DeRoche "Lips" Leon are just a mediocre ball club in most respects, but have a fine defensive team and rank number one in the IPA with a strong .981 fielding percentage. But it takes more than good fielding to win in the IPA. The Stallions are a poor-hitting team with a .254 BA (28th), little power (120 HR - 27th) and a less-than-average 4.18 team ERA (22nd). South Fork finished 21 games behind pennant-winning Ozarka.

Leon's best hitter is 2B Jim Helwig (.297/19 HR/74 RBI). There is no one worth mentioning after Helwig. On the mound South Fork features Al Davis (9-8 3.61), Ken Marsh (13=16 3.97) and Ken Olson (12-15 3.70).

The Red Bluff Red Sox's (73-81) string of three straight pennants came to a jolting halt with a sixth-place finish this year. Manager Mack Connery's crew took a turn for the worst as their batting average (.266 - 9th) and team ERA (4.14 - 19th) both plummeted. The only bright spots on the squad were pitchers Frank Beaudoin (17-16 3.29) and John Dougherty (19-14 3.20) and SS Jose Aguilar (.324/21 HR/95 RBI/92 R/24 SB). Beaudoin and Aguilar both made the All-Star team.

Two clubs tied for seventh and last place. The East Point Panthers and Hillsboro Blazers again finished deep down in the standings. The Blazers have been last four times in their five-year history.

All the East Point Panthers (64-90) do is hit home runs. They unloaded 190 (6th) this season and were paced by 2B Karol Zodoka (.259/31 HR/95 RBI/105 R) and RF Jerry Lee Presley (.286/27 HR/86 RBI/91 R). On the hill manager Griff Clarke's best is Jarred Robillard (16-13 4.44). Armed Forces Stadium is one of the IPA's smallest venues with 326-foot fences down the lines and only 388 in center.

Hillsboro (64-90) has an even smaller ball field than East Point. Hanford Stadium is just 318 down the left field line and 320 down the right field line. It's only 370 in straight-away center. So pitchers have an extremely tough time keeping teams off the scoreboard. Skipper Arky Spanderson has two pitchers that do well in spite of the cheap home runs. Ed Dupard (11-16 3.63) and Mike Larsen (11-13 3.72) had good seasons considering where they have to pitch. The Blazers are ranked 29th in the Tycobbian Union with a 4.72 ERA. Hillsboro best batters are SS Barry Bassett (.259/27 HR/96 RBI/82 R), CF Lonnie Snider (.310/12 HR/73 RBI/83 R/30 SB) and 3B George Longmire (.293/13 HR/63 RBI/101 R/46 SB)

[Dark Horse]

Originally Posted by Eugene Church

The managers' names are just placeholders. It would be good to use the managers' strategies, but this league is just too much for one person to administer. It was a HUGE MISTAKE to include 64 teams. I should have kept it to 16 and I could have really, really enjoyed it. Out of necessity I had to turn everything over to the AI. I want to play 30 years and then stop. I want to see how all of these players and teams evolve. Then I will create me a 16-team league and go back to controlling all teams and playing out the last three innings of every game. That is the way I can really get immersed in a league. I love to keep all the individual and league game records. I will do the new league after the final patch is released for OOTP10.

i’m hoping AI for managers and GMs will be expanded in future versions. The one thing i never liked about solo play is that the AI seems to play the same way for all the teams. They all want to same players. They all set their lineups the same way. So when i saw you manager’s names, i was hoping you knew something i didn’t.

i admire you playing out the end of all the games. But, i couldn’t do that. i always liked the way you reported the games. But i don’t want to use that style during the regular season. i want to save that for the post season.

And i was shocked when you chose to have so many teams in this league. That’s a lot to handle. i’m struggling with league size myself. i know i’ll want more than sixteen. i’m leaning toward 24.

Originally Posted by Eugene Church

Thanks for the offer concerning the great Laseron Baseball League. It is one of the best leagues ever. I have never played with finances, player contracts, waivers, etc. My lack of knowledge would slow you guys down too much and I probably wouldn't be much competition. I would be lost in your league, but I intend to follow it when you guys get it up and going. I don't know if you know it, but the Laseron and DreamTeams' Metro League are the ones that inspired me to create the Islandian Pro Alliance. I was fascinated by the creation of fictional worlds, maps and the great logos and uniforms.

It’s hard to go wrong with fictional worlds. i’m glad OOTP made room for them. i’m still a big fan of DreamTeams’ Metro League. i still have his site bookmarked even though he hasn’t updated in quite awhile. i’m hoping version 11 or 12 will get him interested in running his baseball league again. (His football league isn’t bad either.) When i do my solo league i’ll be modeling after Islandia and Metro.

Originally Posted by Eugene Church

I can't wait to see what the new Laseron will be like.

That makes two of us. i was lucky enough to get in on the ground floor with the original Laseron. A few of the originals are making plans for this one. Hopefully, the New Laseron can be around for as long (or longer) that the original.

Anyway KUTGW, your dynasty gives me something to read at lunch.

[Eugene Church]

Thanks for you nice comments, Dark Horse. You have been a good and faithful follower of my leagues. I appreciate it.

It is always good to get feedback from the viewers.

Good luck with your league. I'll be looking forward to it.

I always have controlled the line-ups and depth charts in my league, but this year I let the AI do it to save me a lot of time. But I was really disappointed to see it take star players and bench them for lesser players. It really platoons far too much. It doesn't seem to know anything but ratings. Apparently it can't take a player's performance into consideration. There must have been 15 or 20 star players that were relegated to the bench or platooned. And many of them hit both righthanders and lefthanders well. Many times the player they were platooned with had very poor stats. It also took successful starters and made them middle relievers. It broke my heart to see the AI decimate a team with the changes it made.

But I will just endure it and hope for the best. I still enjoy the playoffs as I control the teams and can play whoever I want.

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times

Tuesday, September 19, 2006

Tycobbian Union West Division 2006 Final Standings

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times

Tuesday, September 19, 2006

2006 Tycobbian Union West Division

Pitchers Hurl Arlon to TU West Championship, Bayview Runner-up
Manager Gary Louis and the Arlon Champions took charge of the Tycobbian West in May and never let up, winning comfortably by 10 games over runner-up Bayview. Last year's champion, the Denton City Redbirds, came out in third place, 17 games out. The Chicopee Braves and Kenwood Wildcats were tied for the fourth spot in the standings and trailed by 23 games. La Claire was sixth and 26 games back with Rolling Hills seventh and 27 games behind. The Bay St. Clair Buccaneers finished in the division basement 35 games off the pace.

Prior to this year, the Arlon Champions (99-55) best season was in 2001 when they ended up fourth with a 77-77 record. But all that changed this year when the Champs won more games than anybody in the IPA and they did it with excellent pitching. Manager Gary Louis' staff had a 3.37 ERA (2nd) and were led by three fine starters, including two 20-game winners: Kurt DeHaan (23-11 3.07), Andre Masson (20-8 3.04) and rookie Armando Cruz (16-7 3.00). While not overpowering, the Champs got enough run support to do the job. Louis' top hitters were All-Star LF Rocco Belasario (.324/31 HR/94 RBI/112 R/50 SB) and CF Steve Barnett (.286/24 HR/79 RBI/104 R/19 SB). Everybody on the roster contributed at one time or another during the year.

The second place Bayview Vikings (89-65) depended on their bats for success. Manager Walter Johanssen's Viks set a new IPA mark with a .287 team batting average. Not only did they hit for average, the Vikings also unloaded 242 homers (1st) and outscored everybody in the Tycobbian Union with 937 runs (1st). What a line-up card - six .300 hitters, four guys that hit 30 or more homers and three guys that drove in over a 100 runs apiece. Topping the list were rookie CF Tommy Riddle (.322/43 HR/132 RBI/90 R), All-Star 1B Chancey Quibedeaux (.298/33 HR/127 RBI/123 R), SS Kris Benson (.306/31 HR/107 RBI/86 R), All-Star C Hank Bethel (.302/33 HR/102 RBI/104 R), OF Wayne Latham (.338/14 HR/65 RBI/70 R), 2B Alan Hansen (.295/1 HR/39 RBI/110 R/31 SB) and OF Kelton Carpenter (.320/23 HR/66 RBI/75 R).

Despite a fairly high 4.34 team ERA (26th), Bayview does have a good set of starters in Norm Roy (17-14 3.19), Wally Tidwell (15-4 3.41) and Charlie Tubbs (15-11 3.74). In the Sweet 16 Series Bayview will host the TU East titlist, the Ozarka Naturals, while Arlon will travel to Tuckanarra to play the Blue Jays. Each series will be a best three-of-five. The Pro Cup Sweet 16 starts tomorrow afternoon.

The Denton City Redbirds (82-72), who won the TU West crown in 2005, dipped down to third this year. The Redbirds just were not the same ball club this season. Manager Ford Whiteman's squad has enough offense to do well, but failed dismally on the mound with a 4.37 ERA (27th). Last year the mound corps registered an impressive 3.52 ERA. Whiteman's best pitchers were Hank Taylor (17-12 4.01), Bubba Lear (11-10 3.76) and Daniel Fitzmorris (10-10 3.97). At bat it was All-Star 3B Jay Petit (.308/30 HR/87 RBI/89 R) and SS Trevor Tomlinson (.279/10 HR/50 RBI/111 R/77 SB) leading Denton City.

Things bode well for the Redbirds in 2007 since they made a big trade with Red Bluff for pitcher Mila Mohoski (15-18 3.95). Mohoski is 92-57 with a 3.19 ERA in his five-year career. Mohoski has won 20 games twice and led Red Bluff to the IPA Pro Cup title in 2004. He joined them in last July and was 5-5 in 13 starts for the Redbirds with a 3.68 ERA.

Chicopee and Kenwood tied for fourth. How the Chicopee Braves (76-78) could wind up in fourth place is remarkable. Manager Harry Fleetfoot's team hit only .253 (29th) and scored only 620 runs (32nd), but the Braves chalked up a solid 3.68 ERA (4th) for their highest finish ever. Desmond Quartermain (21-13 3.15) is the main reason. He could have easily gotten five more wins with better run support. He truly carried Chicopee on his own right arm. Alan Goodwin (10-8 2.65) and Wayne Blackwell (13-18 3.37) also had a hand in it, too. Fleetfoot's top batters were LF Big Stick Takala (.312/18 HR/53RBI) and RF Cornell Madigan (.275/20 HR/73 RBI/77 R).

Manager Aaron Hankins' Kenwood Wildcats (76-78) are just a fair ball club. Less than average in hitting and power, pretty fair at scoring runs and only average on the hill. Hankins' top hurlers were Tracy Kinsler (16-10 3.47) and Aydan Havilland (9-6 3.19), while at the plate his best hitters were CF Dayton Walker (.317/10 HR/86 RBI/96 R/17 SB), RF Aydan Winthrop (.281/25 HR/80 RBI), SS Bob Sanders (.291/11 HR/76 RBI/75 R) and 3B Floyd Collins (.279/7 HR/60 RBI/114 R/65 SB).

The La Claire Lynx (73-81) under skipper Rip Calkin concluded the season in the sixth spot in the TU West. Calkin had only one strong starter in Andy Murray (18-15 3.18). All the others had 4.00-plus ERAs. The Lynx do have one standout hitter in All-Star LF Zeppy Deshotel (.323/31 HR/101 RBI/104 R/44 SB). 2B Dale Pace (.298/15 HR/70 RBI/78 R) also put up some decent stats.

The Rolling Hills Reds (72-82) under manager Matty Christianson were seventh in the TU West and not a very strong team. Christianson did have a couple of good pitchers in Peter Brenneman (16-13 3.23) and Logan Atwood (15-13 3.75). In the batter's box it was All-Star CF Bob Havilland (.281/41 HR/118 RBI/88 R) doing the most damage with a little help from C Ned Channing (.304/12 HR/72 RBI), LF Frankie Holman (.316/12 HR/64 RBI) and 2B Spider Worley (.304/4 HR/70 RBI/82 R).

The Bay St. Clair Buccaneers (64-90) were a bewildering ball club. Last year the Bucs wound up second in the race, but this year the bottom fell out and they finished dead last. Guy Rondre had too many players go south on him this season. The Buccaneers really had problems scoring. They only scored 682 runs (26th) and Rondre's pitchers saw the team ERA soar to 4.01 (14th). Bay St. Clair was paced by pitchers Dennis Coulon (16-15 3.25) and All-Star Norm Gross (14-17 3.46). Sparking what little offense they had were 1B Gerry Fields (.299/32 HR/90 RBI), 2B Jimmy Sawyer (.317/16 HR/71 RBI/75 R) and veteran 3B Ed Albrecht (.276/11 HR/70 RBi).

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times

Wednesday, September 20, 2006

Ruthlandian Union 2006 Leaderboards

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times

Wednesday, September 20, 2006

Ruthlandian Union 2006 Leaderboards

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times

Wednesday, September 20, 2006

Tycobbian Union 2006 Leaderboards

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times

Wednesday, September 20, 2006

Tycobbian Union 2006 Leaderboards

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times

Wednesday, September 20, 2006

2006 Pro Cup Playoffs Start Today
With a championship to be decided, the Islandian Pro Alliance is filled with excitement. There's nothing like the thrill of the Pro Cup playoffs. There will be some career-defining moments played out in the coming days. There will be some heroes, some great plays, some blunders and some failures, but it will be a great time for fans. Playoff baseball is here and it gets underway today.

The defending Pro Cup champion, the Middlefield Roosters, are favored to win it again in a poll by The Islandian Times. The Roosters were picked to win the Ruthlandian playoffs, while the Ozarka Naturals are the favorites in the Tycobbian Union. Middlefield gets the nod over the Nats in the Pro Cup Finals.

The Islandian Times Pro Cup Poll

Ruthlandian Union
1. Middlefield Roosters (97-57)
2. Valka Blackhawks (97-57)
3. Valmara Vipers (89-65)
4. Claxton Diamonds (96-59)
5. Taranto Tars (91-63)
6. Elnora All-Stars (84-70)
7. Volusia Vigilantes (88-66)
8. Sugar Valley Rattlers (86-68)

Tycobbian Union
1. Ozarka Naturals (95-59)
2. Oxford Red Caps (93-61)
3. Arlon Champions (99-55)
4. Turon Typhoons (89-65)
5. Hartsdale Hellcats (89-65)
6. Tuckanarra Blue Jays (87-67)
7. Bayview Vikings (89-65)
8. Cape Coral Hurricanes (82-72)

The IPA Pro Cup Sweet 16 Series start today. All of them will be best-three-of-five. In the Ruthlandian playoffs it will be Valka at Valmara, Taranto at Claxton, Middlefield at Elnora, Volusia at Sugar Valley. Over in the Tycobbian Union the slate shows Turon at Hartsdale, Oxford at Cape Coral, Arlon at Tuckanarra and Ozarka at Bayview.

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times

Wednesday, September 20, 2006

2006 Islandian Pro Alliance Pro Cup Series - Sweet 16

Ruthlandian Union

Gibbs Stops Roosters 8-2, Elnora Takes Opener
23-game winner Taylor Gibbs put on a show at State Fair Park in Elnora. Gibbs stopped the mighty Middlefield Roosters 8-2 in the first game of the Pro Cup Sweet 16 Series. Gibbs (1-0) fired a seven-hitter, struck out eight and walked just one in a fine complete-game performance. The All-Stars backed him up with an 11-hit attack paced by 1B Gil Foster with 4 hits in 5 at-bats. Foster hit two doubles and a home run to drive across 5 runs. Rooster starter Dave Webb (0-1) was tagged with the defeat. He was whacked for four runs and six hits in just four innings.

Valka Victor Over Valmara 2-1, Karu Hurls 3-Hitter
On the road at War Memorial Stadium in Valmara, the visiting Valka Blackhawks rode the left arm of Bobby Karu to a 2-1 victory over the Vipers. The win put Valka up one game to none in the best-of-five Sweet 16 Series. Karu held them hitless for the first six innings and to three hits overall. Karu (1-0) had five Ks and six bases on balls, but kept Valmara off the scoreboard until the ninth. The Blackhawks got both runs in the second on an RBI single by C Lenny Shelton and a bases-loaded walk to LF Benny Colter. C Erich Adamczyk drove in the Vipers only run on a fielder's choice. Valmara used three pitchers with the loss going to starter Russell Greene (0-1), who worked seven innings and allowed two runs on six hits.

Claxton Wins Sweet 16 Opener, Tops Taranto 6-4
At home at Avalon Stadium, the Claxton Diamonds topped Taranto 6-4 in the opening game of the IPA Pro Cup Sweet 16 Series. Winning pitcher Terry Kuznetsov (1-0) in a gutsied performance held off the hard-hitting Tars for the victory and also hit a bases-loaded triple in the four-run second inning. The Diamonds collected 11 hits off Carlo Bianchi (0-1) and Lefty Paddison, while Taranto got 8 hits off Kuznetsov. C Allen Lemay led Claxton with three hits, while SS Jake Travanti and CF Lou Cutrer paced the Tars with two RBIs each. Bianchi suffered the loss as he allowed four runs and six hits in six innings. Only two of them were earned.

V's Edge Rattlers 3-1, Schmitz Fires 4-hitter
At the Jailhouse in Volusia, Carl Schmitz fired a four-hitter against Sugar Valley to capture game one in the Pro Cup Sweet 16 Series. Schmitz (1-0) outdueled Ted Farentino 3-1, fanned nine and walked one. Both pitchers went the route. Farentino (0-1) surrendered only one earned run and nine hits in defeat. The Vigilantes got the first run of the game in the opening frame on CF Ryan Raines triple and RF Briscoe Crowder's double. Volusia added two more in the second on an error by pitcher Farentino and an RBI groundout by SS Scooter Perez. The Rattlers got their only score on 2B Casey Leeburn's solo homer in the eighth.

Tycobbian Union

Bayview Blasts Ozarka 10-6 in Sweet 16 Opener
The best-hitting team in the IPA showed its stuff in the first game of the Pro Cup Sweet 16 Series. The Bayview Vikings blasted out 14 hits to outscore Ozarka 10-6 at Downtown Plaza Stadium. The triumph gave the Viks a one-game lead in the series. C Hank Bethel led the way with three hits and three RBIs. 3B James Scott and CF Tommy Riddle also added to the attack with two hits each, including a home run apiece. The Naturals chalked up 12 hits and were sparked by 3B Nathan Ferrell and RF Ronnie Patterson with two hits and two RBIs each. SS Gil Lantz also hit a solo homer for Ozarka. Norm Roy (1-0) got the win for Bayview. He worked seven-plus innings and allowed five runs. Georgie Fambreau got the save, but gave up a run in the ninth. The losing pitcher was Alec DiMaggio (0-1), who was slammed for five runs in six innings.

The Vikings scored in the first three innings to take a 4-0 lead. The Nats battled back and cut it to one run with a three-run sixth, but Bayview then put them away with a run in the last of the sixth and three more in the last of the seventh to go ahead 8-4.

Bristow and Blue Jays Beat Arlon 4-2 in Game 1
Titus Bristow stands only 5' 6", doesn't throw hard, doesn't strike many out, doesn't walk many, but he still baffles the batters. Bristow scattered 10 singles as his Tuckanarra Blue Jays took the Sweet 16 opener 4-2 from the Arlon Champions at Central Park Stadium. Bristow led the entire IPA with 27 victories this season. The diminutive righthander had three strikeouts and gave up only one walk in a complete-game performance. The Blue Jays got only seven hits, but it was sufficient. 2B Owen MacArthur led the way with three RBIs. He singled in two runs in the third inning for a 2-1 lead and drove in the winning run in the sixth with an RBI groundout. LF Corey Tavington also tripled in a run in the sixth to put Tuckanarra up 4-2. 20-game winner Andre Masson also went the distance in defeat, giving up four runs on seven hits. LF Rocco Belasario paced the Champions with three hits.

Boswell Blanks Hartsdale 6-0, Turon Takes 1st Game
Strong pitching is what got Turon to the postseason and it continued today at Pioneer Park in Hartsdale. Scotty Boswell blanked the Hellcats on just five singles in a 6-0 victory to take the first game of the Pro Cup Sweet 16 Series. Boswell, a 21-game winner, walked four and fanned three in a nine-inning outing. 2B J. L. Lawrence and RF Andy Porter topped Turon with two hits each and two RBIs apiece. Lawrence hit the only homer in the game. Ben Manderson was not effective and was the loser. He was ripped for six runs in six-plus innings.

Cape Coral Squeezes by Oxford 2-1, Burg Winner
Cape Coral's stopper Cody Burg held powerful Oxford in check to go 1-up in the Pro Cup Sweet 16 Series. Burg, a 22-game winner in the regular season, stopped the Red Caps 2-1 in the first game of the series at Seaside Stadium. He scattered eight hits, struck out seven and issued only one walk. However Burg (1-0) tired in the ninth and was relieved by Hadley Frasch after giving up a one-out double to LF Mack Spencer, putting the tying run on second base. Frasch promptly put out the fire by striking out the final two batters of the game. Burg outpitched Boomer Belinsky (0-1), who also hurled a strong game, yielding only four hits in seven innings and only one earned run. The Hurricanes were led at bat by RF Earl Giles with two RBIs. He singled in a run in the second inning and walked to forced in a run in the seventh.

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times

Thursday, September 21, 2006

2006 Islandian Pro Alliance Pro Cup Series - Sweet 16

The underdogs are having their day in the IPA Pro Cup playoffs so far. They have won 14 of the 16 games played. The only division champs to get wins have been Valka of the RU North and Turon of the TU South. They have split the first two games of the Sweet 16 Series. All the rest have fallen behind two games to none and are in danger of elimination in the best-of-five series.

Ruthlandian Union

Elnora Wins Game 2, Rips Roosters 10-5
For the second day in a row the underdog Elnora All-Stars ripped the Middlefield Roosters 10-5 to take an overwhelming two-game edge in the best-of-five Sweet 16 Series. The All-Stars only got eight hits, but they made them count. CF Sammy Marlaire got them going with a three-run shot in the opening inning to put them ahead 5-0. 3B Dmitri Vrotsos led Elnora with two hits and four RBIs. C Todd Simons also drove in a pair of runs. The victory went to starter Leland Shaddock (1-0), who allowed four runs in five-plus innings. Warren Paul bailed him out to preserve the win, permitting one run and two hits in his three and two thirds innings. The Roosters outhit the All-Stars with nine hits, paced by LF Zeb Baker and C Mike Kanjorsky with three hits each. 1B J. D. Earnshaw drove in three runs for Middlefield. Loser Denny Yarrow lasted only two-thirds of an inning and allowed five runs.

The RU West champion Middlefield Roosters are in a deep hole and are one game short of elimination. The Roosters were the overall favorites to take the Pro Cup crown this year. It is going to be quite a task to come back and win three games in a row.

V's Power Past Sugar Valley 9-5 with 3 Homers
The Volusia Vigilantes are not known for their home run power, but they showed it today at the Jailhouse. Three times the V's went deep to power past the Sugar Valley Rattlers 9-5 to go up two games to none in the best-of-five RU Sweet 16 Series. Volusia can finish them off with a win in Sugar Valley tomorrow afternoon. The Vigilantes were clinging to a 6-5 lead going into the bottom of the eighth when they erupted for three solo homers by SS Bobby Farias, CF Ryan Raines and 1B Bob Nash. Closer Harvey Hines was the victim of the blasts. Nash, 2B Scooter Perez and C Armando Villa all had two RBIs each. Hernando Espaderos (1-0) collected the win, going seven innings, allowing four runs on six hits, while fanning five and issuing no walks. Raul Sandoval picked up the save, but gave up a run in the eighth frame. Both clubs registered nine hits each. LF Austen Conover sparked the Roosters with two hits and two runs batted in.

Diamonds Drub Tars 10-3, Lead Series 2-0
The Claxton Diamonds are in the driver's seat. They drubbed the favored Taranto Tars 10-3 to take a two games to none lead in the best-of-five RU Sweet 16 Series. The Diamonds teed off on losing pitcher Anthony Nardone (0-1) and three other Taranto pitchers for 18 hits to easily win their second straight game. RF Jackie Allemand belted a grand slam in the third inning to put Claxton in front 7-0 and drove in five runs in all. CF Jackie Faust, 3B Bobby Ritter and 2B Mac Smith smacked three hits each for the victors. SS Jimmy Marciunas also homered. Charlie Murphy (1-0) got credit for the victory. He worked five and two-thirds innings before a rain delay forced him to head to the shower. Murphy fanned four, walked one and permitted two runs and three hits. Tetsunori Nakashima relieved him and went the final three and a third innings and gave up only one run. Taranto only got five hits in the game.

Vipers Booms 4 HR, Even Valka Series at 1-1
Valmara evened up its Pro Cup Sweet 16 Series with Valka at one game each in a best-of-five affair. The Vipers boomed four homers and 18 hits to crush the Blackhawks 11-1. 2B Floyd Vinson, SS Mike Ellefsen, RF Jet Kazmarek and C Erich Adamczyk walloped roundtrippers to lead the way. Kazmarek went 4-for-5 with four RBIs, Adamczyk had two hits and three RBIs and Vinson smacked three hits and batted in two in the romp. Andre Trepanier had a standout outing, holding Valka to just four hits and a run with four Ks and two bases on balls. Aato Neetar (0-1) was tagged with the loss after giving up four runs in just three innings. The series will now switch to Valka for games three and four. If needed game five will also be hosted by the Blackhawks at Cybertel Park.

Tycobbian Union

Bayview Nips Ozarka 3-2 for Second Win in Series
The big bats of Bayview were not needed today at Downtown Plaza Stadium as Wally Tidwell worked a strong game and nipped the Ozarka Naturals 3-2. It was the Vikings second consecutive win in the Pro Cup Sweet 16. One more victory and Bayview will move ahead to the Elite 8. Tidwell (1-0) was at the top of his game. He held the Nats to two runs on seven hits, while fanning four and walking only two. However, Tidwell needed ninth-inning help from Josh Glover, who got the last three outs of the game. LF Kelton Carpenter put the Viks in front 2-1 with a two-run two-bagger in the third inning and CF Tommy Riddle made it 3-1 with an RBI single in the fifth. RF Ronnie Patterson put Ozarka on the scoreboard first with an RBI single in the second frame and CF Kermit Wiggins doubled in the Nats last run in the seventh. Karl Kleinert (0-1) worked six innings in defeat and was touched for three runs and eight hits.

Blue Jays Bump Off Champs 4-1, Spence Winner
Tuckanarra pitching again was too tough for the Arlon Champions. Roy Spence spun a splendid three-hitter to bump off Arlon 4-1 and put the Blue Jays ahead two games to none in the TU Pro Cup Sweet 16 playoffs. Spence (1-0) walked nobody and fanned seven in an excellent performance. 2B Owen MacArthur led the way with three hits and an RBI. SS Lee Thomson chipped in two hits and also batted in a run. Kurt DeHaan (0-1) suffered the loss, allowing four runs - only two earned - on nine hits in seven innings. Tuckanarra had the advantage in hits 10-3.

Oxford Falls to Hurricanes Again, CC Up 2-0
For the second day in a row Cape Coral pitching has been too tough for the Oxford Red Caps. Doug Lyons went the distance in the 6-2 triumph to give the Hurricanes a 2-0 lead in the best-of-five TU Sweet 16 Series. Lyons (1-0) allowed eight hits, but only two runs with two walks and five strikeouts. His teammates backed him with a 14-hit attack, led by 3B Kenny Hall, who had a perfect 4-for-4 day, including a home run. Cape Coral bashed loser Gregg Neal (0-1) for five runs and 11 hits in four-plus innings. He departed with the Hurricanes ahead 5-1. Red Cap SS Timmy Binford paced them with four hits.

Hartsdale Ties Sweet 16, Edges Turon 2-1
After two games at Pioneer Park in Hartsdale, the Hellcats and Turon Typhoons are tied at a game apiece in the Sweet 16 Series. Two 20-game winners matched up and Phil Reed outpitched James Longstreet 2-1. Reed (1-0) limited Turon to five hits, fanned four and walked just one, while Longstreet (0-1) tossed eight innings, gave up seven hits and only one earned run. He whiffed six and issued four bases on balls. All the scoring came in the first three innings. The Hellcats drew first blood in the bottom of the first when SS Jud Turchin led off with a triple and came in on CF Mac Faulkner's grounder to short. Turon got its only run of the game in the top of the second on C Todd Somerset's home run. Hartsdale got the winning run in the third when RF Mark Buchanan doubled, reached third on an infield error and came home on a passed ball. From then on Reed and Longstreet matched zero for zero.

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times

Friday, September 22, 2006

2006 Islandian Pro Alliance Pro Cup Series - Sweet 16

Oops! Middlefield Is Gone! Swept By Elnora
The division winners are in trouble in the IPA Pro Cup playoffs. Many of them will not get past the first round. The pre-tourney favorite Middlefield has been eliminated by Elnora in a three-game sweep and six other division champs are trailing two games to one. The Turon Typhoons are the only pennant winner not in danger. Turon has a 2-1 edge in its series.

Ruthlandian Union

Elnora Upsets Middlefield, Outslugs Them 13-12
The Elnora All-Stars surprised the highly-favored Middlefield Roosters by upsetting them in the RU Sweet 16 Series three games to none. Middlefield was picked as the prime favorite to win the Pro Cup this year and the All-Stars were given little chance. Elnora did it with its bats. They unleashed five homers and 15 hits to subdue the Roosters 13-12 today. The All-Stars had to come back from a 5-2 deficit after three innings and 10-8 after six innings. A solo homer by LF Quincy Peterson and a two-run shot by 2B Joe Norris in the eighth gave them an 11-10 lead. Elnora added two more in the top of the ninth on 1B Gil Foster's RBI double and CF Rick Mulloy's RBI single. And they really needed them as Middlefield mounted a serious rally and almost tied it up in the last of the ninth, but they fell one run short. Manager Zoggy White pulled in one of his starters, Warren Paul, to get the final out of the game. With the tying and winning runs on second and third, Paul got CF Bailey Norcross swinging to end the game and to sweep the series.

Rooster manager Smitty Michaels commented on the sudden departure, "No, I didn't expect this to happen. But as you know, anything can happen in a short series. The league really needs to look at the playoff system. Too many good teams are getting eliminated too quickly. Maybe a best-of-seven might be better. But then again, maybe it's not such a good idea. we could have come out worse and lost four in a row."

Elnora had many heroes today. 3B Dmitri Vrotsos and LF Quincy Peterson both homered twice, had four hits and drove in four runs each and Foster and Norris batted in two runs apiece. Lou Horn (1-0) got the win with two scoreless innings. His work in the sixth and seventh allowed the All-Stars to get back into the game. It was quite a slugfest. Middlefield did not go quietly as the Roosters rattled the fences for four home runs and 16 hits. 2B Charlie Gamble, 3B Ken Aubert, SS Sammy Ragsdale and 1B J. B. Earnshaw all went deep. RF Cecil Clark had five hits and two RBIs and Norcross had three hits and pair of RBIs. Reliever Jamie Hicks took the loss as he surrendered three runs in two-plus innings, but only one was earned.

Winning manager Zoggy White told reporters, "We just hit the heck out of the ball and got decent pitching in two of the games. Vrotsos, Foster and Peterson had great series with the bats. Vrotsos had 9 RBIs, Foster 7 and Peterson 4. And we got a real fine pitching job from Taylor Gibbs in the first game. Middlefield is a very powerful ball club. We had to be at our best offensively to stay on the field with them. I think maybe our pitching was better than theirs." Vrotsos hit .533 (8-15) in the three games, while Foster had a .615 batting average (8-13) and Peterson batted .364 (4-11).

Elnora will meet the winner of the Sugar Valley-Volusia series in the Elite 8 round.

Claxton Sweeps Taranto, Wins Finale 10-3
Stacy Engel's Claxton Diamonds looked like a worthy contender in the IPA Pro Cup playoffs by sweeping the Taranto Tars in the Sweet 16 round. The Diamonds clobbered the Tars 10-3 in game three to wrap up the best-of-five set. Claxton crushed four homers and racked up 13 hits in the finale. RF Jackie Allemand had three hits, scored three times and batted in three runs to pace the Diamonds. Allemand, SS Jimmy Marciunas, 3B Bobby Ritter and LF Dixie Baker all cracked homers. Dennis Scott had a perfect game for six innings, but that went out the window with a seventh-inning walk. SS Jake Travanti broke up the no-hitter in the same inning with a double. Scott (1-0) allowed only four hits overall, struck out six and walked a couple of batters. A three-run eighth spoiled his shutout, highlighted by homers by CF Lou Cutrer and C Norm Polochak. Sal Pascioni (0-1) was dealt the loss. He was smacked for five runs and seven hits in six innings.

Speaking to BNN after the game Diamond skipper Stacy Engel told them, "I don't think anybody could have beaten us the last three days. When you have six guys batting .385 or better, they are tough to beat. We just had great hitting and solid pitching. I think the pitching made the difference. Kuznetsov, Murphy and Scott really came through for us and stopped an excellent hitting team. Taranto has some awesome sluggers and we kinda held them in check." Yeah, kinda... the Tars hit only .181 in the three games series. Claxton hit an amazing .382 in the series.

Taranto manager Tommaso Lazzorda was inclined to agree with the Old Perfesser and told the press, "Stacy is right. Our pitching could not compete with his. We never had a chance in any of the games. The Diamonds outhit us and outpitched us. They played so well, they made us look like mediocre ball team, which we aren't."

Claxton advances to the Elite 8 and now awaits the winner of the Valka-Valamara series.

Vipers Smash Valka 10-3, Lead Sweet 16 Series
Visiting Valmara busted up a 3-3 tie with a big five-run fifth and went on to smash the Valka Blackhawks 10-3 in game three at Cybertel Park to take a game lead in the Sweet 16 Series. The Vipers need one more victory to take the best-of-five series. Valmara's 11-hit output was led by RF Jet Kazmarek with three hits, three runs scored and one run batted in. He is hitting .667 so far in the postseason. SS Mike Ellefsen contributed three RBIs to the Viper cause. On the hill Valmara got a good outing from Vanya Vasylenko, who went the distance and throttled the Blackhawks on seven hits with seven Ks and three walks. Loser Daryl Vannoy caught the brunt of the Viper attack as he allowed eight runs in four-plus innings.

Rattlers Still Alive, Wallop V's 11-7
Sugar Valley staved off elimination from the RU Sweet 16 Series by outslugging Volusia 11-7 in game three and cut the Vigilantes lead to two games to one. Topping the Rattler hit parade were RF Dennis Kernell with two roundtrippers and three RBIs and C Hal Stevenson with one homer and three RBIs. The score was tied three times at 5-5 after two, 6-6 after five and a half innings and 7-7 after six and a half. 1B Ron Armstrong drove in the winning run in the sixth with a single and Kernell put it out of reach with a two-run blast in the seventh. Sugar Valley got excellent work from its bullpen. Val Watford held the V's to one run in three innings and winning pitcher Dale Bixler (1-0) stopped them on one run in his four innings. Volusia starter Todd Wolfe was the loser. He was banged around hard for eight runs in six innings. CF Ryan Raines clouted two out of the park and drove in five runs to spark the Vigilantes.

Tycobbian Union

Turon Trips Up Hartsdale 5-2, One Game Up
The Turon Typhoons tripped up Hartsdale 5-2 at Typhoon Stadium in game three of the Sweet 16 Series to take a 2-1 edge in the best-of-five series. A strong start from Freddi Spiegel (1-0) put them in a good position, needing only one more victory to advance to the Elite 8. Spiegel permitted only three hits in a complete-game effort. He had a no-hitter until LF Rob Welch led off the fifth with a solo homer and evened the score at 1-all. Turon took charge in the fifth on 1B Boots Dubois' two-run triple and boosted it even further in the seventh on LF Bruce Boatman's RBI double and Spiegel's sac fly. That made the score 5-1. Mark Sakelaris (0-1) was the losing pitcher. The Typhoons got to him for five runs in six innings.

Nats Stay in the Hunt, Schwartz Blanks Bayview 6-0
Ozarka got back to the comfort of Ellie Ewing Stadium and got back in the hunt for the IPA Pro Cup. Pat Schwartz hurled a masterful 6-0 shutout over Bayview in game three of the Sweet 16 Series. The 28-year-old righthander mezmerized the Vikings on three hits to cut Bayview's lead to a game in the best-of-five series. Ozarka needs two more wins to move on to the next round, while the Viks need just one more victory. Ozarka stroked nine hits off three Bayview pitchers with 2B Todd Chadwick belting two triples and driving in two runs. LF Vic Weinstein, RF Ronnie Patterson and pitcher Schwartz also batted in a run apiece. Charlie Tubbs (0-1) was nailed with the loss. He was clipped for six runs in his five-plus innings.

Champs Trim Blue Jays 7-2 on Cruz's 3-Hitter
Arlon got back into the Sweet 16 Series with a strong outing by Armando Cruz. He limited Tuckanarra to just three hits and two runs in a 7-2 victory. The Champions faced elimination with a loss and Cruz (1-0) really came through for them. He no-hit the Blue Jays until the seventh when LF Corey Tavington singled. Tuckanarra finally got to him for two unearned runs in the ninth, but by then it was too late as Arlon had a seven-run lead. 3B Nicky Sweet was the Champs big bat with five RBIs, including an eighth-inning grand slam. Blue Jay starter Delaney Elliott (0-1) did a good job in defeat. He held Arlon to two runs and six hits in his seven innings, but left trailing 2-0. The Champions collected nine hits with Sweet, CF Steve Barnett, RF Chucky Gilton and 1B Jay Dunbar all getting two hits each.

Oxford Holds Off 'Canes 4-3, Trails 2-1 in Series
The Oxford Red Caps jumped out to a 4-0 lead after four innings and held on to edge Cape Coral 4-3 in game three of the TU Sweet 16 playoffs. The win cut the Hurricanes lead to two games to one and kept the Red Caps alive in the postseason. Dan Phillips (1-0) went eight innings for the victory, yielding two runs on seven hits. Cape Coral threatened in the top of the ninth. With two outs, one run in and runners on first and second, reliever Ramsey Thacker got SS Raoul Betencourt swinging to put a stop to the rally. CF Wayne McDonald and 2B Carl Graeme both had two hits and two RBIs to pace the Red Caps. McDonald homered in the first with one aboard. The Hurricanes outhit Oxford 9-6 and were led by 3B Kenny Hall with 2 runs batted in. Ronald Blevins was tagged with the defeat, allowing four runs in his four innings. He walked five and gave up three hits.

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times

Saturday, September 23, 2006

2006 Islandian Pro Alliance Pro Cup Series - Sweet 16

Three more division winners were eliminated today from the IPA Pro Cup playoffs. Volusia topped the RU East champs, the Sugar Valley Rattlers, while over in the Tycobbian Union Bayview upset the TU East titlists, the Ozarka Naturals, and Cape Coral knocked off the Oxford Red Caps, who won the TU North crown.

Ruthlandian Union

Schmitz Hurls V's Past Rattlers, Elite 8 Bound
At Farmers Memorial Park in Sugar Valley, the Volusia Vigilantes eliminated the hometown Rattlers from the Pro Cup playoffs behind the strong pitching of Carl Schmitz (2-0 1.50), who stopped them 4-2 on six hits, while striking out four and walking one. The V's won three of the four games to advance to the Elite 8 Series. It was Schmitz's second win in the postseason. The tall and lanky 6' 6" southpaw also won the series opener 3-1. LF Winky Rush (.545) gave Schmitz all the runs he needed with a three-run clout in the second inning. Volusia only got six hits off losing pitcher Ted Farentino (0-2 2.25), but they tagged him for four runs in his eight innings. Sugar Valley got its runs in the second on 2B Casey Leeburn's (.417) single and on 1B Ron Armstrong's (.385) solo smash in the fourth inning.

The Vigilantes will now go up against the Elnora All-Stars, who upset the Pro Cup favorite, the Middlefield Roosters.

Valka Rallies, Beats Vipers 9-4, Series Even 2-2
In the fourth game of the Elite 8 Series, Bobby Karu was not at his sharpest and after four innings Valka trailed Valmara 3-1 and were in danger of being knocked out of the Pro Cup playoffs. The Blackhawks even got further behind in the top of the fifth, falling behind 4-1. Then the Valka bats went to work and battered Russell Greene for six runs to take a 7-4 lead. Valka added single runs in the sixth and seventh to make the final score 9-4. That was good enough to tie the series at two games apiece and set the stage for tomorrow afternoon's fifth and decisive game at Cybertel Park.

The Blackhawks pounded out 12 hits and were sparked by LF Benny Colter (.188), SS Donnie Allgood (.273) and 3B Bobby Stroud (.333), who drove in pair of runs each. Colter and Stroud both blasted home runs. Karu (2-0 2.81) notched the victory, but labored with his control. He walked six in seven innings, allowed four runs and six hits, but managed to hang on for the win. Valka's superb closer Kaido Oras held the Vipers scoreless for the last two innings to seal the verdict. Greene (0-2 6.17) was the loser, giving up seven runs in his four-plus frames.

Tycobbian Union

Vikings KO Ozarka 3-2, Advance to Elite 8
Bayview scored early and then had to hold on for dear life as the Ozarka Naturals made a desparate rally in the ninth. When it was all over the Vikings escaped with a 3-2 win and a berth in the TU Elite 8 Series. Bayview knocked Ozarka out of the postseason with its third win in four games. Norm Roy (2-0 3.78) hurled a standout game, yielded just six hits, while walking two and fanning five.

Bayview ran up a 3-0 lead after two innings against Alec DiMaggio. 1B Chancey Quibedeaux (.125) and SS Kris Benson (.375) singled in runs in the first inning and LF Kelton Carpenter (.167) drove in the other one in the second frame with a flelder's choice. DiMaggio (0-2 3.97) worked into the seventh and suffered the defeat. He allowed three runs on five hits with four strikeouts and five walks.

The Nats made Bayview sweat in the bottom of the ninth. 3B Nathan Ferrell (.467) doubled in one run and 1B Augie Risdahl (.188) single in another. Roy then walked two batters to load the bases with two outs. Bayview skipper Walter Johanssen went to the mound to relieve the tiring Roy, but was talked out of it. Johanssen left him in and he finished off the Naturals by getting pinchhitter Karl Claussen on a groundout to end the game and send the Vikings to the next round against the Arlon-Tuckanarra victor.

Cape Coral Edges Oxford 4-3, Wins Elite 8 Series
Another division champ fell to the wayside today. At Winchester Park in Oxford, the Red Caps were poised to even up their Pro Cup Elite 8 Series with the Cape Coral Hurricanes at two games each. They were ahead 3-1 after seven innings in game four and had gotten rid of the Hurricanes 20-game winner Cody Burg - but it wasn't to be - Cape Coral rallied in the late innings and edged the Red Caps 4-3 with the winning score coming on 2B Hoshi Sato's (.235) ninth-inning home run. Sato's solo blast off losing pitcher Ramsey Thacker (0-1 6.75) sent the Hurricanes to the Elite 8 and the Red Caps home for the winter. 1B Marvin Randow (.467) had tied it up 3-3 with a two-run double in the last of the eighth.

Burg (1-0 2.51) started for the Hurricanes and worked six innings. He allowed only four hits, fanned four and walked none, but was touched for three runs. 3B Joe Courtney (.429) got to Burg for a double in the second and rode in on LF Mack Spencer's (.125) grounder to second. Sato evened it up at 1-1 in the third with an RBI single, only to have Courtney rip a two-run roundtripper in the last of the fourth to give the Red Caps a 3-1 margin. Oxford had its ace on the mound, but Boomer Belinsky couldn't hold it, mainly due to his wildness. Belinsky worked seven innings, gave up four hits and three runs, while walking eight batters. The victory went to Hadley Frasch (1-0), who held the Red Caps hitless over the final three frames. The Hurricanes had the advantage in hits 6 to 4 over Oxford.

Cape Coral will tangle with the winner of the Turon-Hartsdale in the TU Elite 8 Series.

Masson Blanks Blue Jays 4-0, Arlon Evens Up Series
The Arlon Champions are back in business. They have won two straight to even up the Sweet 16 Series with Tuckanarra. Andre Masson twirled a seven-hit shutout and kept the Champs in the running for the Pro Cup. Masson (1-1 2.12) easily outpitched 27-game winner Titus Bristow, who suffered a rare off-day. Masson ended the day with seven Ks and four walks and kept the Blue Jays off the scoreboard. Arlon got rid of Bristow (1-1 5.06) in a hurry, shelling him for four runs and six hits in one and two-thirds innings. LF Rocco Bellasario (.600) doubled in two runs in the opening inning, while in the second C Juanito Luque (.267) had an RBI double and CF Steve Barnett (.353) an RBI single. Belasario and Barnett socked three hits each and Luque got two to top the Champs.

Game five will be held tomorrow afternoon at Derby Downs in Arlon. The winner will advance to the Elite 8 against Ozarka or Bayview.

Hellcats Edge Turon 6-3 in 14th, Series Tied 2-2
At Typhoon Stadium in Turon, Hartsdale tied the Sweet 16 Series at two games each. The Hellcats edged the Typhoons 6-3 with a back-to-back homer barrage in the 14th inning. RF Mark Buchanan (.294) walloped a two-run blast and 3B Kendry Moulton (.429) followed it with another solo shot to upend Turon. Manager Zim Donner got a superb relief job from Danny Griffin (1-0 0.00), who shut down Turon on one hit over the final four frames for the win. The loss was chalked up to Jeb Pickett (0-1 5.40), who went five innings and permitted three runs on five hits. The hitting hero was Moulton with three RBIs. He cracked six hits in seven tries to lead the Hellcats.

Hartsdale almost gave the game away. Starter Ben Manderson was on cruise control with a two-hit shutout until the last of the ninth. He had a 3-0 lead, but got smacked around and allowed the Typhoons to tie it up and send it into overtime. 3B Eric Hix's (.063) groundout plated the first run and LF Bruce Boatman (.300) tied it with a two-run single. The Hellcats racked up 14 hits to Turon's five.

It will be settled tomorrow afternoon with game five to be played in Turon. The winner will get a spot in the Pro Cup Elite 8.

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times

Sunday, September 24, 2006

2006 Islandian Pro Alliance Pro Cup Series - Sweet 16

Finally, Division Winners Win

A few division winners finally showed their muscles and won a Sweet 16 Series. Valka of the RU North and Arlon of the TU West came back from deficit to win their series. Turon of the TU South also prevailed in its series. All of them will now move on to the IPA Elite 8 and join five second-place finishers in the battle for the 2006 IPA Pro Cup. Former winners still in the running are Volusia, which won in 2001 and Turon, which was the champ in 2003. Last year titlist Middlefield and this year's favorite lost out to surprising Elnora in a three-game sweep. The Elite 8 Series are slated to start tomorrow afternoon.

Ruthlandian Union

Valka Wins Sweet 16, Eliminates Valmara 8-1
The Valka Blackhawks roared back from a two games to one deficit and won the Sweet 16 round with the Valmara Vipers. They got a strong start from Aato Neetar (1-1 3.75), who made up for a poor start in game two by stopping the Vipers 8-1 in the fifth and decisive game. Neetar allowed eight hits, fanned four and walked one and went the distance. The Blackhawks backed him up with three homers. RF Vic Gelder (.214) had a two-run shot in the second, 1B Marlin Kiefer (.364) a three-run homer also in the second and LF Benny Colter (.200) hit one out in the seventh, good for the last two runs. Taking the loss was Andre Trepanier (1-1 5.06), who was slammed for five runs in the second. 2B Floyd Vinson (.294) accounted for Valmara's only score with a solo roundtripper in the fourth frame.

Valka will have to play its RU South rival Claxton in the Elite 8 Series. The Diamonds swept Taranto in three games in the opening round. The best-of-five series will begin tomorrow afternoon in Valka at Cybertel Park.

Tycobbian Union

Champs Rebound, Beat Blue Jays 9-7 in Game 5
The Arlon Champions were down two games to none, but Tuckanarra couldn't finish them off. Gary Louis' Champs bounced back and took the last three games to win the Sweet 16 and advance to the Elite 8. Arlon also had to rally in game five. They trailed 6-3 going into the last of the fifth, narrowed the gap to 6-5 with two scores, then erupted for four more runs in the sixth and finally won out 9-7. The Champs top bats were 1B Jay Dunbar (.389) with five hits and five RBIs and C Juanito Luque (.300) with two hits and two RBIs, while CF Steve Barnett (.350) and LF Rocco Belasario d(.500) each scored twice in the game.

Arlon also needed bullpen help and got it. Connie Gavagan (1-0 1.93) came on in the fifth and pretty much blitzed the Blue Jays the rest of the way. Gavagan got credit for the victory and held Tuckanarra to one run in four and two-thirds innings. The losing pitcher was Roy Spence (1-1 4.50), who was battered for nine runs in his five innings.

Both teams piled up 12 hits each. Pacing Tuckanarra were 1B LF Corey Tavington (.316), 3B Duncan Renwick (.350) and SS Lee Thomson (.375), all with three hits and a pair of runs batted in. Tavington scored three times and Thomson twice. Tavington jacked the only homer in the game.

Arlon will entertain the Bayview Vikings at Derby Downs with the Elite 8 Series beginning tomorrow afternoon. The Viks eliminated Ozarka in four games. The Naturals were favored in a poll to play Middlefield for the Pro Cup this season.

Longstreet Fires 6-0 Shutout, Turon Tops Hartsdale
In game two of the Sweet 16 Series James Longstreet came out on the short end of a 2-1 score against Phil Reed, but not in the crucial fifth and deciding game of the series. Longstreet fired a six-hit shutout to spark the Turon Typhoons to a 3-0 triumph over the Hartsdale Hellcats. Longstreet (1-1 0.53) walked no one and struck out two and went the distance to salvage the series. Reed (1-1 2.25) pitched well, but not good enough. He surrendered three runs on six hits, struck out five and issued two bases on balls. Turon scored in the opening inning on a single by lead-off hitter 2B J. L. Lawrence (.250) and an RBI double by CF Mac McCurnan (.286). The Typhoons added two more in the sixth on 1B Boots Dubois' (.176) RBI single and a groundout by 3B Eric Hix (.056).

Turon, managed by Ashton "Whitey" Richburn, will now move on to the Elite 8 and take on Huggy Miller and his Cape Coral Hurricanes. Turon will host the first two games at Typhoon Stadium. The Hurricanes whipped powerful Oxford in four games. The Red Caps had won 93 games this season and claimed the TU North Division crown.

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times

Monday, September 25, 2006

2006 Islandian Pro Alliance Pro Cup Series - Elite 8

Ruthlandian Union

Claxton Clobbers Valka 11-4 In Elite 8 Opener
At Cybertel Park in Valka, the Claxton bats continued to sizzle in the opener of the Elite 8 Series. The Diamonds rattled the boards for 18 hits on the way to an easy 11-4 victory over the hometown Blackhawks. Everyone in the Claxton line-up got at least one base hit. 2B Mac Smith (.471) was the leader with 3-for-4 and four RBIs. SS Jimmy Marciunas (.533) hit his third postseason homer and scored three times. C Allen Lemay (.500) and 1B Mike Luzzatti (.563) also chipped in three hits apiece in the rout. Terry Kuznetsov (2-0 4.24) notched the win, allowing four runs and nine hits with seven Ks and two walks. Losing pitcher Daryl Vannoy (0-2) was victimized for five runs in his three innings.

Volusia Batters Elnora 8-0, Espaderos Blanks 'Em
The Volusia Vigilantes and Hernando Espaderos took care of business at the Jailhouse in Volusia. The V's copped game one in the best-of-five Elite 8 Series as Espaderos blanked Elnora 8-0, giving up only five singles, while walking three and fanning six batters. The Vigilantes battered the All-Stars for 15 hits and were led by RF Briscoe Crowder (.286) with three hits and three RBIs and 2B Scooter Perez (.368) with two triples, a single, two runs scored and two runs batted in. CF Ryan Raines (368) went 2-for-4, scored twice and batted in one run. Volusia bombed 23-game winner Taylor Gibbs (1-1 4.20) for five runs in six innings and sent him down to one of his few defeats this year.

Tycobbian Union

Arlon Nips Bayview 4-3 in First Game
In the first game of the Elite 8 Series, Arlon got the best of Bayview 4-3 at Derby Downs in Arlon. The Champs ran up a 3-0 margin after six innings, then had to stave off the Vikings. Armando Cruz (2-0 1.20) was the winning pitcher, but he needed help from Jim Davis. Cruz worked six strong innings, yielded six hits and two runs with four strikeouts and a pair of walks. Davis labored in his three innings, but got the save. He was tagged for four hits and one unearned run. With one out in the ninth and runners on first and second, Davis induced a double-play ball to wrap up the win.

Arlon collected nine hits and were paced by SS Connie Landers (.200), LF Rocco Belasario (.500), 3B Nicky Sweet (.238) and C Juanito Luque (.333), all who drove in a run. The Vikings had 10 hits in the game and were led by 1B Chancey Quibedeaux (.150), who doubled and scored a run and CF Tommy Riddle (.389) with two hits, an RBI and a run scored. SS Kris Benson (.350) also tripled and scored a run for Bayview.

Typhoons Blow Away Hurricanes In Elite 8 Opener
In the first game of the Elite 8 Series at Turon, the Typhoons blew away the Cape Coral Hurricanes 12-2. Freddi Spiegel stopped the Hurricanes on six hits to collect his second postseason win. Spiegel (2-0 2.00) went all the way, whiffed six and walked three. Turon's bats were also booming. They socked 15 hits with CF Mac McCurnan (.385) getting four of them and LF Bruce Boatman (.278), RF Andy Porter (.304) and C Todd Somerset (.333) chipping in a pair apiece. Somerset had a three-run homer, McCurnan tripled in two and Porter singled in a pair of scores. 3B Eric Hix (.100) also had two sac flies for the victors. In a dismal performance Doug Lyons (1-1 3.60) took the loss, surrendering nine runs in six innings. However, only five were earned.

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times

Tuesday, September 26, 2006

2006 Islandian Pro Alliance Pro Cup Series - Elite 8

Ruthlandian Union

Baker's Homers Lead Claxton by Valka 4-3
It was a perfect game for RF Dixie Baker. He went 4-for-4, homered to tie the scored at 3-all in the eighth, then won it 4-3 in the tenth with another four-bagger, his third of the playoffs. It was Claxton second consecutive triumph over Valka in the best-of-five Elite 8 Series. The Diamonds came back from a 3-1 deficit after five innings. Manager Stacy Engel got excellent work out of his bullpen as Pat Grange and Tom Dahl blanked the Blackhawks over the last four innings. Dahl (1-0 0.00) got the victory with a scoreless ninth and tenth. Closer Kaido Oras (0-1 2.25) absorbed the loss when he gave up Baker's game-winning blast. Claxton outhit Valka 11 to 7 led by Baker's (.350) four hits. The Blackhawks best bats were 3B Bobby Stroud (.370) with two RBIs and CF Jimmy Tremayne (.296) with one run batted in.

Claxton will now head home to Avalon Stadium and try to wrap up the series. One more victory will send the Diamonds to the Pro Cup Final 4.

V's Shut Out All-Stars Again, Up 2-0 in Elite 8
Manager Alfonso Feliz got outstanding pitching for the second game in a row as Carl Schmitz shut out Elnora 1-0 in game two of the Elite 8 Series. It was Schmitz's (3-0 1.00) third win in the playoffs. He stumped the All-Stars on just two hits. CF Sammy Marlaire (.333) had a first-inng double and pitcher Leland Shaddock (.167) got another double in the second inning. That was it. Schmitz fanned four and issued three walks in a sparkling performance. Shaddock (1-1 3.38) also pitched quite a game. He only allowed five hits. The only run in the game came in the fourth frame when RF Briscoe Crowder (.292) doubled with one away, advanced to third on a groundout and scored on 3B Warren McDaniel's (.261) RBI single.

The best-of-five series will now switch to Elnora for game three. It will be played at State Fair Park. One more win for Volusia will send the All-Stars home until next year and put the Vigilantes in the Pro Cup semi-finals, the Final 4 Series.

Tycobbian Union

Bayview Bops Arlon 6-3, Elite 8 Even at 1-1
On the road in Arlon at Derby Downs, the Bayview Vikings claimed a costly victory and evened the series at one game each. The Viks defeated the Champions 6-3 in game two of the Elite 8 Series, but in the process lost their ace starter Norm Roy. He went out with a bad back in the sixth inning, leading 6-0. Roy (3-0 2.86) got credit for his third postseason win with five and a third shutout innings. Roy stopped Arlon on just two hits in his stint. His relief was not as effective, but they did save the game for him. Johnny Cole gave up three runs in his two-plus innings, while closer Josh Glover pitched a scoreless ninth.

The defeat was charged to Andre Masson (1-2 4.05), who allowed five runs in three innings. RF Ted Karno's (.211) bases-loaded double accounted for three runs in the four-run fourth. CF Tommy Riddle (.409) had a solo salvo in the second inning for Bayview. The Vikings had the edge in hits 9 to 8.

The site of games three and four will be Downtown Plaza Stadium in Bayview.

Cape Coral Splits with Turon, Belts Typhoons 8-4
Cape Coral 22-game winner Cody Burg stemmed the tide and stopped Turon 8-4 to gain a split in the first two games of the Elite 8 Series at Typhoon Stadium. Burg went the distance, but was touched for 11 hits. He struck out eight and issued on two bases on balls. Luckily the Hurricanes bats came out in force and supported him with lots of runs. LF Paul Phelps (.286) and 3B Kenny Hall paced them with two RBIs apiece. Hall (.450), 2B Hoshi Sato (.240) and SS Raoul Betencourt (.280) led Cape Coral with two hits each. C Todd Somerset (.387) was Turon's top bat with three hits and two RBIs. Somerset slammed his 3rd playoff homer. The losing pitcher was Scotty Boswell (1-1 3.43), who hit the showers early after giving up seven runs in the first four innings.

Games three and four will take place in Cape Coral at Seaside Stadium tomorrow and Thursday.