DIVISIONAL SERIES

Blue Wave Come Crashing Down On Defending RTCBL Champs

Game 1
    Having to use staff ace Hendrix in the wildcard playoff, SC's rotation throws Christy Mathewson against HB 32 game winner and dominator Hoss Radbourn. HB crosses the plate first without a hit as in the first Eddie Collins walks, steals second, ground-out advances him to third, and scores on a Honus Wagner groundout. SC ties it in the 4th when Crimedog McGriff and Richie Ashburn rip a double and a triple respectively off of Hoss.
     Although tied at 1-1, Mathewson takes a no-hitter into the 5th! In the 6th Wagner knocks a triple to right and scores to break the tie on a groundout by Arky Vaughan. After a walk and a fielder's choice, Joe Jackson doubles to make it 3-1 and chase Mathewson although he only gave up 3 hits.
     Radbourn settles down and cruises until the 8th when Rickey Henderson smacks a dinger to close the gap to 3-2. In the bottom of the frame Vaughan answers with a blast of his own off of reliever Montgomery to keep the 2 run edge. Holland makes it stand up in the 9th to get the save and give HB the first game despite only getting 4 hits. Mathewson's downfall was his 5 walks, and a couple of timely double-plays by the much maligned BlueWave defense.
SC: 2r 6h 1e
HB: 4r 4h 0e
W- Radbourn; L- Mathewson; S- Holland
HR- Henderson; Vaughan

Game 2
     HB sends to the mound Lefty Grove in hopes of keeping up the pitching dominance to face moved-up starter Tiny Bonham for SC. There would be no dominance from the hill in this game as 10 total pitchers were paraded out. SC strikes in the first as Henderson singles, is advanced by Tony Lazzeri and scores on a double by Ted Williams.
     HB takes their turn in the 2nd with 2 outs as Harry Stovey walks and Frank "HR" Baker strokes one deep for the lead. A Ted Simmons double and Jackson single make it 3-1 BlueWave. In the 3rd Baker gives one back as he commits an error at 3B allowing Eric Young to get on base, and then scores on a Henderson double (but Rickey is thrown out at third). Teddy Ballgame ties it with his own dinger to add to the unearned total.
     HB uses their trademark speed to untie it in the bottom of the frame as Collins singles, Willie Keeler executes a perfect hit&run, and then steals second. Honus brings both ducks in with his own single to go up 5-3 and chase Bonham and bring in Ovral Overall. A Munson HR in the 4th bringd SC closer, and a lead-off triple by Young and walk to Henderson in the 5th look promising for SC. The Strikers attempt a h&r with Lazzeri at the plate, but he lines out to right and Joe Jackson doubles Henderson off of first. The run scores to tie it, but the big inning is prevented.
     In the bottom of the 5th, HB mounts another 2 out rally. Wagner doubles, Vaughan singles him in, Jimmy Sheckard doubles Arky in and Stovey clears it all with a 2-run shot and put HB up 9-5. In the 7th HB strolls out relievers to try and hold the lead, but Pete Alexander walks Lou Boudreau. In comes Rube Waddell in relief but Mark Grace singles off of him. Dazzy Vance then relieves and is greeted by a Young single to load them up. Manager Holbrook decides to stay with Vance, but grows a few gray hairs as Dazzy uncorks a wild pitch to make it 9-6 and bring the winning run to the plate with no outs. Keeping faith in Vance's 4-0 record and 1.24 ERA in relief during the regular season, he bears down and strikes out Henderson, enduces Lazzeri to pop-up, and then Collins races out at 2B and robs Ted Williams of a texas-leaguer to end the threat.
     Johnny Allen and Clem Labine finish off the pitcher merry-go-round for HB in the 9th with a 1-2-3 inning to give them the game and a 2-0 series lead. The HB defense turned another 3 double plays to keep the SC offense in check.
SC: 6r 9h 2e
HB: 9r 12h 1e
W- Grove; L-Overall
HR: Baker; Williams; Munson; Stovey

Game 3
     3 finger Brown throws a complete game 3 hitter, allowing only 1 unearned run for the HB victory, but they lose sparkplug Eddie Collins for the rest of the series to an injury.
HB- 7r 9h 1e
SC- 1r 3h 2e
W- Brown; L- Hendrix
HR- Baker

Game 4
     The score was 3-1 in favor of HB in the 3rd, and that was all the scoring as Radbourn earns his 2nd win, with the support of 2 hits each by Medwick and Wagner.
HB- 3r 9h 0e
SC- 1r 6h 0e
W- Radbourn; L- Higuera; S- Holland
HR- TWilliams

     South Carolina, after backing its way into the playoffs, gladly passes its crown on to the Blue Wave, suffering a four-game sweep and unable to write about it because of a case of run-on sentence-itis. Good luck to whomever must face these beasts.

     Honus Wagner hit .375 in the series with 6 RBI, but Hoss Radbourn takes the series MVP tossing 16 1/3 IP, 2-0 record and 1.65 ERA. Overall HB pitching had a 1.50 ERA, with 22 Ks and held SC to .189 BA.
(B. Holbrook)

Elizabethtown Quickly Eclipses Rebels First Playoff Appearance

Game 1...

     A tightly pitched duel between Noodles Hahn(SSR) and Jack Taylor. Billy Hamilton(ELE) goes 4 for 4, 3 Runs, and 3 SBs...Paul Waner knocked in Hamilton twice. The Final...
Sunset 2
Elizabethtown 3

Game 2...
     Sunset is ahead 2-0 through 5innings. E-town gets to Bill Hoffer in the 6th tying the game at 2-2. Sunsets three relievers give up 3 more runs over the last 3 innings of the game, final...
Sunset 2
Elizabethtown 5
(B. Martin)

Game 3 at the Rebels field opened with bats, with the Eclipse getting 3 runs on their first 4 hits and the Rebels getting 4 runs on their first 4 hits. Eclipse tie the game in the 5th with a Cepada blast. Both teams get runs in the 6th to keep it evened up. In the 8th, with Waner on second one out, Berra pushes it into the left field corner for a double scoring Waner and taking the lead. The Eclipse send Walsh to the mound in the 7th, Harvey in the 8th and Franco in the 9th, blanking the Rebels and giving the Eclipse game 3.

Game 4 was a long nail biting game. The game is quiet until the 4th where Cepeda blasts a homerun scoring Waner from second. The Rebels try to catch up but score only one in the bottom of the fourth. It was a real pitching duel through 7. In the bottom of the 8th, the Eclipse decide to put in their closer, Harvey, to stop the Rebels dreams and is greeted by a one out pinch hit homerun by Stuart. Harvey, haven been shaken, allows another run in and gives up the lead. The Rebels feel confident in the 9th and send in their closer, Littell, to try and close the door on the Eclipse. With one out Waner sent one to left toward the corner, Flick fields it then boots it! Waner is waved in around third for a double and 2 base error to tie it up.
     We go to the 10th and both teams muster up a run by hit and runs and sacrificing. Morris comes in for the Rebels and Gossage for the Eclipse in the 10th to close the door on any more runs. Both pitchers go 4 innings without a run. In the top of the 15th the Eclipse score with 2 outs when Waner singles scoring Davis from second. The Eclipse send in Walsh against the Rebels to close the door and does. Walsh has had a great season against the Rebels getting 2 wins in the regular season with a relief win and save in post season. The Eclipse used all of their non-benched pitchers in the game and the Rebels used all but one offensive player from the bench.
(RJ Holbrook)

     So the Eclipse take 2 and sweep the series. Great and close games. Sunset hit an enimic .163 in the series, and the EE bullpen were the true heroes, tossing 14 IP, getting 2 wins, 4 saves, 11 stikeouts and a 1.84 ERA. But series MVP goes to EE Billy Hamilton with a .556 BA, 10 hits, 5 Runs and 5 SB.

Phoenix Is Still Living After Outlasting Trail-weary Pioneers

Game 1

     Utah gets 3 runs in the top of the 8th, 2 unearned from Pinson's error in the OF, to win the opener on the road. Sisler and Herr get 3 hits each for Utah.
UT- 4r 11h 1e
PH- 3r 8h 1e
W- Feller; L- Kremer; S- Narleski
HR- Rosen

Game 2
     Phoenix gets 4 in the first, 3 off a blast by Fisk, and Pinson adds 3 hits in the victory. Vaughn tosses a complete game, striking out 10 Pioneers.
UT- 1r 6h 2e
PH- 6r 9h 0e
W- Vaughn; L- Lemon
HR- Fisk; Minoso

Game 3
     Another 3 run 1st inning blast by Fisk put this one away early for Phoenix, Millwood tosses the PFL's 3rd straight complete game, striking out 8.
PF- 6r 6h 0e
UT- 1r 5h 0e
W- Millwood; L- Kroh
HR- Fisk; Rosen

Game 4
     A slugfest, Fisk hits another HR but it can't overcome 15 Pioneer hits, 3 each by Minoso, Gedman and Vosmick (who also had 5 RBI) as Tanana only goes 2 2/3.
PF- 5r 8h 0e
UT- 11r 15h 1e
W- Hutchison; L- Tanana
HR- Fisk; Vosmick; Gedman

Game 5
     Series tied 2-2, and in this pivitol game Phoenix scores 2 in the 9th off of Narleski to eek out the win.
PF- 4r 7h 1e
UT- 3r 7h 0e
W- Kremer; L- Narleski; S- Rivera
HR- Rosen; Veach; Speaker

Game 6
     Lemon is sharp for Utah as he tosses a 4-hit shutout to keep Utah alive in the series.
UT- 2r 5h 0e
PF- 0r 4h 1e
W- Lemon; L- MIllwood

Game 7
     In the deciding game, walks by Kroh and 2 of his own errors in the 3rd lead to 6 unearned runs for Phoenix. That and 3 hits by Gehrig would be all they would need to move on.
UT- 3r 9h 3e
PF- 9r 9h 1e
W- Kremer; L- Kroh

     Minoso hits .381 and Vosmik .379 with 7 RBI for Utah, but Carlton Fisk takes the series MVP for Phoenix despite hitting .222 due to 3 HR, 6 runs and 8 RBI in only 18 ABs.

Wildcard Dragons Shanghai Ticket To Next Round From Divisional Rival Bobcats

     Well, Game 1 began as a scoring orgy, 5-4 Dragons after 2. But Reulbach was escorted out of the premises after yielding 9 runs (4 earned) after 4. Davis, Carew, Caruthers and Thomas went deep for Shanghai. COA was forced to use 5 pitchers. Dragons' Wood rather reeked, but Pappas and Joss bailed his butt out. The Bobcat cause wasn't helped when Berger crashed into the wall spearing Davis' liner in the first, costing the slugger 2 games lost.
Final: SHA 11, COA 5.

     In Game 2, Key and Schupp pitched rather well, thank you. Willie parked one. Bobcats certainly had their chances, but:
Final: SHA 6, COA 3.

     Game 3 was a true hammerfest. COA trotted out 6 Ps, and SHA an uncharacteristic 4. Both starters King and Drysdale (whom SHA has been attempting to acquire since creation) bit the crank. This one went "down to the mat", with Coastline leading early, Dragons rallying late then holding off a late Bobcat surge.
Final: Dragons 9, Bobcats 7.

     So what was left but a pitchers' duel for Game 4? And Wood, who rather "owed us one" authored a 3-hit, 9-K masterpiece. Reulbach wasn't bad his ownself, but a pair of errors by ss(6) Hornsby made it:
Final: SHA 1, COA 0.
(S. Morgan)

     Wood had 2 wins, but Bob Caruthers garners the series MVP for Shanghai with a .400 AVG, 4 runs, 5 RBI a HR, 2 BBs and the threat to get on the mound.