World Baseball Classic 27- Everything Thread (IC)

[New Montreal States]

BULLPEN TORCHED AGAIN

McIlroy gives up four runs in ninth to bury Expos; catches on fire during postgame press conference

BLOOMINGTON, NMS - A close game turned in to a blowout late, as the Reformed Expos' bullpen disintegrated in the final two innings, giving up 6 runs and turning what had been a close 3-2 game into a 9-3 Serbian Empire blowout.

Nabil Mansour, making his first start for the Reformed Expos, and the first-ever appearance of a monophysite on the team, struggled in the early going of the game, but rallied to complete seven innings and keep the Expos within striking distance.

That ended in the 8th, when Ulysses Johnstone left runners on the corners for André Laroche, who allowed both runners to score before getting out of the inning. This was just a preview of the ninth, when Quentin McIlroy gave up a leadoff walk, a stolen base, an RBI double, a balk, a HBP on the hindquarters of Momcilo Alenic, and a soaring three-run homer from Marijo Vucevic, the hero of the day for the Serbian visitors. Patrice Pommier was hustled in after that and got three quick outs to stop the bleeding for the Expos.

Things went from worse to catastrophic for McIlroy during the postgame press conference. Already struggling to explain everything that went wrong during his outing, McIlroy's microphone began shooting sparks into his face, igniting the copious amounts of aftershave he had apparently rubbed on his chin in an effort to prolong the time he had in the shower and avoid facing the media. McIlroy's facial conflagration was extinguished by a panicked intern from the PR department who beat down the flames (and McIlroy's face) with a large three-ring binder. He was taken to nearby Le Gardeur hospital, and remained overnight in stable condition.

It will be a long bye day for the Reformed Expos, already mired at the bottom of what's shaping up as a much tougher group than advertised, and with three teams ahead of them having a game in hand. The Expos are, realistically, one loss against Costa Luna away from playing out the string in the second half of qualification.

[Sicoutimont]

Radio-750 Sport Sicoutimont Morning Show.....With Jacques and Fidel!

"Hey....I'm Jacques, this is Fidel, and we're here to talk baseball!"

"Yeah!"

"Now, Fidel, last night, we appeared on a late night talk show!"

"Yeah. It was OK."

"Fidel, it was awesome! Didn't you have fun?"

"Yeah, I mean, it was cool, but I'm no better than I was before I did it."

"That's the wrong attitude to have about these things, Fidel. Look on the bright side: we had fun, and we got paid a decent amount to talk baseball for 5 minutes."

"That is true."

"And now we're going to talk baseball again. While we were interviewing away, Les Royales were playing their hearts out in New Texaco. What exactly went down last night, Fidel?"

"Right. Carlos Santa Maria got the call from Maurice Sorotane, fueling to rumours that he's saving Yves Canton for Estope. Either way, Santa Maria is still a good choice. The first inning was scoreless, with 3 up 3 down for both sides early on. Loic St-Ignace would change that, however, doubling, and setting up Jose Colognon for the 2 run homer to give Les Royales the 2-0 lead in the 2nd."

"It would be smooth sailing from there. Alfonso Soriano was RBI'd by a Pedro Santana line drive in the 4th inning to make the score 3-0, and that would be it for awhile. Santa Maria came out of the game in the 6th inning after throwing a great shutout. Fernard Dantes came into the game, and went to the 8th inning."

"In that eighth inning, he was replaced by renowned closer Claude Perrault, who shut New Texaco down. There were times it looked like the home side would come back, but quick defensive plays from Les Royales ended those threats quickly. And finally, in the 9th inning, Victor Santana sealed the game with a sac fly ball to the warning track, scoring Boullion Carvier and Xavi Esquinardes."

"That made it 5-0, and that would be all Sicoutimont needed for victory. Perrault completed the 9th inning going perfect through that inning, as Sicoutimont took victory 5-0."

"In other Group 8 action, Skeckoa took their home field advantage to defeat Myeeria 7-2. Estope had a bye today. Sicoutimont and Estope are tied for 1st in the standings, with Sicoutimont holding the tiebreaker there. Next, Sicoutimont take on that winning side Skeckoa, at home at Field PowerEternite. Javier Perreois will get the call for that game, as Sicoutimont look to hold the group lead."

"This is the part of the group stage where the team can't get too cocky. They've defeated 2 unranked teams, and now they will take on the ranked teams, who have experience at this tournament. We'd love another undefeated first half, but it'll be difficult to do."

"Definitely. So, I was up fishing at Lake Lakeford the other night...."

"Wait....I thought you said that you had family there as a kid?"

"Yeah, well, after our talk show the other night, I decided to go fishing. I did catch myself a nice perch though, it was huge."

"Did you get a post card? I hear you can get postcards with the town name on them."

"Yeah, but why would I do that?"

"For....sentimental value?"

"There is no sentimental value in a picture of a tree that says 'Lake Lakeford' on it."

"Where is that place anyway?"

"It's up in cottage country in Valhalla Province."

"You drove all the way to Valhalla Province for fishing for perch?"

"No, it's on Valhalla's Drouin Shore."

"Ah. It's the same distance to the South Shore lakes, you know, and there's better fishing there."

"Bob can tell ya all about that....he's from St-Bruno-de-Monts, largest city in the South Shore."

"Wait, Bob from the Fishing Hour?"

"Yeah."

"Oh, I was wondering what you were talking about."

"We should go down there one time fishing."

"Yeah, sure....but not right now, cause, we kinda have to watch a baseball tournament?"

"Who's gonna know if we just leave the radio station and go fishing?"

"Everyone......?"

"How?"

"Listening to this broadcast?"

"Oh....we better end this than. Up next, it's Bob's Fishing Hour! Tell 'em bout those lakes, Bob!"

[San Jose Guayabal]

Lets go Guayabal, we must win WBC 27, Lets go SJG. Wake up Curdahalas (Baseball Players in Guayabalian).

-Akurestigitgyn: We're ready to beat our next rival

-Arias: Who is?

-Akurestigitgyn: Who cares, we must be ready to win

-Camilletti: We're greaters, we are Legends (Team Name) we must write history in WBC 27

-Marcsian: URAAAAA! URAAAAAAA! We must win, Rivals, get ready we gonna beat you!

-Arias: We're rookies but not childs

-Camilletti: talkng about that, we're having a great first international tournament.

-Arias: Zwanzug is difficult but we can beat them without problems

-Akurestigitgyn: Yes but we must kept unite and with humillity, we must give thanks to God for all our victories.

[New Edom]

1 COPPER

THE FINEBERG TIMES

---

---

CITY FINAL WEDNESDAY AUGUST 21, 2013

---

---

Road to Peace

by Annabelle Barca
BAD HEILIGPLATZ, Etruria The end of the territorial disagreement of 1865 has come to a close, with agreements between the Kingdom of Nordkrusen and the Allied States of New Edom that have resulted in a declaration of agreement over territorial boundaries. The 148 year border dispute is at last at an end with the Treaty of Bad Heiligplatz.

General Pahath-Moab and Count Thomas Lalery were present at a ceremony where the territorial boundaries and agreements were signed. While some witnesses were sad or angry, none can disagree that this potential conflict is at last at an end.

Among the results that will sadden people will be the 2nd Etruria Majoran Legion finally going to reserve status, with a cadre remaining for training purposes. The 2nd Legion has been in service since Cornellian veterans decided to fight for their birthplace rather than their original homeland in 1864, pledging loyalty to Queen Adah I.

Some dissenters have suggested that the government has sold out New Edomite heritage. However the general mood of the country has been positive, as the country is weary of war and hopeful of a more peaceful and prosperous future under the union of the youthful Queen and President of the Council.

---

Beak to Beak, 2-1 Diatrymas!

Olympic Stadium, Fineberg, New Edom— In one of the toughest games they played, against Equestrian States’ Phoenixes. The Phoenixes have been the top teams’ roster five seasons in a row, and so there was a lot of apprehension studying a very unusual playbook with a variety of impressive skills.

Each team scored only in their third inning at bat. With Columba Bagoon demonstrating a versatile pitching that kept even this veteran team on their toes, the Diatrymas proved a surprising match that Bagoon said later “Kept us on the watch constantly. It was a very near thing.”

The Diatryamas have been focusing heavily on their pitching game. What has made the Diatrymas number one in New Edom is that the training camp has developed a ‘military intelligence’ approach to studying known playing styles. “Against a team like Equestrian States, you’re up against a lot. For one thing they have a variety of very talented and skilled players, there’s a love of the game in the fan base that encourages them heavily, and they frankly look weird out there, it’s very distracting.”

[Super-Llamaland]

Group 1
Super-Llamaland 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 3
Cyborg Holland 0 0 0 4 0 1 0 3 X 8

Equestrian States 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
New Edom 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 X 2


Pld W L RF RA RD Win %
1 Super-Llamaland 3 2 1 10 12 −2 0.667
2 New Edom 3 2 1 11 8 +3 0.667
3 Alitaba 2 1 1 7 9 −2 0.500
4 Cyborg Holland 2 1 1 10 7 +3 0.500
5 Equestrian States 2 0 2 3 5 −2 0.000


Mendello opened a suitcase. A piece of paper fell out, a small blue plastic tag attached to it. The tag began to beep, shrill and annoying. A note attached read apologetically:

If you can hear this shrill and annoying beep, press the tag.

Mendello looked at the tag, then the note, then the tag. The beep beeped, louder and louder.

Mendello pressed the tag. It continued to shrill loudly.
Mendello pressed it again.
Mendello pressed it for a third time.

The tag exploded.

"In other news, National B-Team Pitcher David Mendello died when a fire in his hotel room incinerated the room and his body. Police reports say: "David Joesph Mendello was killed when his hotel room caught fire and exploded...police are investigating Mendello's recent activities."

-New Llama Daily

Onwards to the Game!
Well, we had to lose sometime

Group 1
Super-Llamaland 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 3
Cyborg Holland 0 0 0 4 0 1 0 3 X 8

(L, 0-1)Davis: 4 2/3 IP, 4 ER, 2 H, 5 K/5 BB, 117 Pitches
Raymond: 2/3 IP, 1 ER, 2 H, 0 K/0 BB, 16 Pitches
Daye: 1/3 IP, 0 ER, 0 H, 0 K/0 BB, 3 Pitches
Irving: 1/3 IP, 0 ER, 0 H, 1 K/0 BB, 14 Pitches
(RF, 1)Bowden: 2/3 IP, 3 ER, 3 H, 0 K/2 BB, 30 Pitches
Lee: 1/3 IP, 0 ER, 0 H, 1 K/1 BB, 13 Pitches

Note: A new stat called "Reliever Fails" happens when:

-A pitcher gives up 2+ runs when the game is tied, they have a lead of one or two, or they're down by one.
-OR WHEN A pitcher gives up 3+ runs in any inning later than the fifth inning.
-OR WHEN A pitcher gives up 5+ runs in any appearance.
-OR WHEN a reliever allows 3+ baserunners and doesn't finish the inning.

Nick Bowden recorded the first-ever documented Reliever Fail. It was right there:
Bowden (2 Saves, 0 Blown Saves); his ERA, his WHIP, and...his RF, which now read one.

How they Scored: Tigers First
Max Danks hit the first pitch of the first at-bat of the first inning, a fastball, six feet.
Max Danks hit the second pitch of the first at-bat of the first inning, a fastball, negative twenty feet.
Max Danks hit the fifth pitch of the first at-bat of the first inning, a change up, four hundred and seven feet.
Foul ball, Foul back, ball (slider), ball (two seamer), home run.
Cyborg Holland Fourth
Leo Davis ran into some control issues. Serious, Ankielian, control issues.

Ball (92 mph cutter), Ball (95, Fastball), Ball (91 CU), Ball (97, FB).
Runner on first, one out:
Ball (95 mph fastball), Hit By Pitch (96 mph, FB)
Runners of first and second, one out:
WILD PITCH (89 mph cutter), Hit by Pitch (92 mph Cutter)
Bases juiced, one out:
Called Strike (84 mph change up), Called strike (91 mph fastball), Ball (95/Fast), Ball (91/cut), Ball (81/change), Ball (97/Fast)
First and second, two out, 2-1 Cyborg Holland:
Ball (82/Change), Two-run triple.

Tigers Sixth
Hope! Brett Rochester reaches on a bizarre error. The third baseman tripped over the ball but easily recovered it. He threw to first, but the throw hit the pitcher in the stomach. The pitcher picked it up, and threw it a bit too far to the left. The pitcher got the error, ironically. Jake Addams singles Rochester to third, and then, BOOM, Bryant Moreno continues his hot tournament with a two-run double.

Cyborg Holland Sixth
Doubles are annoying.

Cyborg Holland Eighth
HOW TO FAIL LIKE NICK BOWDEN.
Walk
Groundout
Single
Walk
TWO RUN DOUBLE
Walk
RBI SINGLE
Strikeout

Tigers Ninth

Darren Bradley and Max Danks both single! Alex Cameron walks! HOPE CITY! TYING RUN ON DECK AS THE CROWD GOES WILD!
"The 3-1 to Mills: rapped on the ground to shortstop! Throw home to Bradley and they get the out-THROW TO SECOND IS IN TIME-THROW TO THIRD TRAPS BRADLEY IN THE RUNDOWN, there's the tag and the GAME IS OVER! A 6-2-4-5-9-1 Triple Play as Cyborg Holland hands the Tigers their first WBC27 defeat!"

[Welsh Cowboy]

The Search for a Nickname: Part III
Part I
Part II

Humdeia Post

Welsh Cowboy Loses Again as World Chuckles Slightly

Last night, it was another game and another loss for Welsh Cowboy's national baseball team, as the team who has ignited some international conversation about their lack of a nickname fell 2-1 to another unranked team, San Jose Guayabal.

"I've been surprised at the talk that's been going on, after my announcement. But unfortunately, it's really not about how much social media buzz you're receiving, or how many sports pages you're on. It's about wins, and at this point, whatever you want to call us, you can't call us one thing: winners," said closer Mark Flynn who initiated the nickname buzz, in a news conference after the game, which he did not play in.

After the team's first game, a 7-5 loss to Zwangzug, the opponents decided to offer their suggestions on nicknames: they varied from versions of "cow", to "Whales", and one player even started talking about Quintessential Dust. Throughout Welsh Cowboy, fans have submitted their ideas; the Welsh Cowboy Baseball Association says its offices have received more than 3,500 emails from dozens of countries with ideas; they would not comment on specifics, but one unnamed source said that "Beefeaters" was among the top suggestions.

While the nickname issue has turned heads, the play on the field last night was none too impressive. It was a pitcher's duel throughout the night, with San Jose Guayabal managing only 5 hits, with WC left with only 4, although they were able to earn 3 free passes on balls.

Starter Martin Brodvik took to the mound, and although he looked shaky at times throughout his entire appearance, he gave the home side a strong 6 innings of work, using a changeup interspersed with a powerful 2-seam fastball to strike out 8 batters, while walking only one. He gave up one earned run, an RBI triple in the top of the 4th, when SJG's 1B Lucio Marquez caught a changeup that hung over the plate and sent it deep into right field in Humdeia Baseball Park, bringing home shortshop Sendar Julisevich.

Although the starting pitching was strong for Welsh Cowboy, the offense did not produce in the same way. SJG starting pitcher Juan Argueta was strong, but as manager Karl Schelner said: "We were swinging at bad pitches; we were trying to hit for power instead of contact, and frankly, we were just terrible at the plate tonight."

Until the bottom of the sixth, Welsh Cowboy had been held hitless, with only one baserunner; Pierce Brosen had been walked in the first inning. Then, in the sixth inning, second baseman Luke Burchett ripped a line drive that bounced just ahead of the SJG left fielder. After Devon Clarke was walked on four pitches, Pierce Brosen stepped to the plate and knocked home the team's only run, on an infield single; Burchett was on third base due to a passed ball.

The game went scoreless until the top of the ninth, with both teams still struggling to find offense. Welsh Cowboy center fielder James Madsen knocked a single up the middle in the seventh, Chris Robelm walked, but Bradley Lakeland could not keep the inning alive, swinging and missing on a curveball that hit the dirt two feet in front of the plate. "That was pretty darn embarrassing," he said after the game, disappointment written in his half-smile.

In the top of the ninth, manager Schelner elected not to bring in closer Mark Flynn, who had lost the previous game against Zwangzug, giving up a two run home run without recording a single out. Instead, he brought in lefty reliever Wilson Capps to face a left-handed batter, right fielder Macario Vargas. Instead of sending him back to the dugout, though, Vargas hit a stand-up double. Schelner scratched his chin, but did not make a move to take out Capps. He appeared to be vindicated, as Lucas Paulino grounded out to short, keeping Vargas at second.

Capps, though, could not keep the game tied, though. The next batter, Cherpakta Akurestigitgyn, took a belt-high fastball into the left-center hole, bringing home Vargas, giving SJG the edge. The next two batters flew out to right, but Welsh Cowboy's offense could not bring a runner home in the bottom of the ninth. Shortstop Robelm hit a two-out single, but he was stranded.

The team needs a nickname, but their manager put it succinctly: "Winning matters here." Indeed, Robelm went off on a small rant after the game, when a reporter asked him his preferred nickname. "Shut the **** up about our nickname!"

Whether the Anonymous Athletes can win a game remains to be seen. They will play away at Thatius next.

Win: Nefertiti Juárez (San Jose Guayabal)
Loss: Wilson Capps (Welsh Cowboy)

2B Luke Burchett: 1-4, R
RF Devon Clarke: 0-3, BB
3B Pierce Brosen: 1-3, RBI, BB
LF Anders Thurgen: 0-4
CF James Madsen: 1-4
1B Rodney Larrick: 0-4
SS Chris Robelm: 1-3, BB
C Bradley Lakeland: 0-3
P Martin Brodvik: 0-2
PH Sherman Bannister: 0-1

SP Martin Brodvik 6 IP, ER
RP Andrew Charlton 1.1 IP
RP Ben Gasconta 0.2 IP
RP Wilson Capps IP, ER

[Equestrian States]

Blog: Phoenixes Struggles not Uncommon
by Fast-Pitch

NEW EDOM - Things haven't quite gone as planned for the Equestrian States national baseball team. The loss to Super-Llamaland was bad enough, but with last night's defeat at the hands of New Edom, team morale is quickly sinking to a low. Many Equestrian fans have found a scapegoat in manager Firefury, but is the well-liked pegasus really to blame.

The Equestrian States is not alone in its team's struggles. Of the 12 top-seeded teams, just two are leading their groups, and seven have a record at or below the .500 mark. Why are so many of the world's best teams doing so badly?

One explanation, and perhaps the most logical one, is complacency. It's not unusual for a high-ranked team to have difficulties against mid-level squads, it happens all the time in the Classic. Most of the time, the team turns things around, making a stellar rebound back into the playoffs and beyond. But other times, the woes spiral out of control, leading to a swift decline in performance and a parallel plunge to the bottom of the standings (if the team did not already hold that position). In my opinion, complacency is the challenge facing the Phoenixes. They have all the talent they need, they just need to get their act together.

Another possible reason for the top-ranked teams underperforming thus far is this Classic's different schedule. With the addition of bye days, teams will have to cope with longer breaks in the schedule where they did not exist before. This can lead to a decline in fitness, and in team performance as well. Some Equestrian baseball analysts have criticized the hosts for using the current format, unnecessarily forcing teams into positions where they are at a disadvantage. The majority, however, remains apathetic on the issue, blaming the above-mentioned complacency for teams' struggles.

Finally, there is a distinct possibility that the top teams' struggles could be an "act of god" to strike them down for their arrogance, and allow teams with superior moral character to take their place. Surely such ungodly heathens will be forced to repent or suffer in the hellfires of the lower rankings! Those blasted Sanctii were right all along, everypony! Oh wait, that's just plain stupid... Unless Celestia and Luna have taken an uncharacteristic interest in baseball, which neither has shown in the past, the possibility that this is "god's revenge" or whatever is basically zero. Deities do exist which could wreak havoc on the mortal world, but most are either benevolent or imprisoned in stone.

In conclusion, the problem with the Phoenixes is that they weren't ready to face their opponents. Now that they've been cleanly knocked off the top of their high horses (pun intended, as always), they can focus on getting their game back together and get back to the playoffs for the third-consecutive World Baseball Classic.

[Ko-oren]

So the Lord scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city.
That is why it was called Babel—because there the Lord confused the language of the whole world.
From there the Lord scattered them over the face of the whole earth.

Presenting a new flag for Ko-oren!

And this occasion also marks the fifth incarnation of the nation of Ko-oren: the Babelic Meritocracy of Ko-oren! The previous centralized model was deemed unfit for the nation, and it was dropped yesterday evening by president Akiranar Nembus. Instead of the previous system, there are 40 political entities that will run the country from now on. 31 of these are on Ko-oren, 7 are colonies that already were autonomous to some extent, 1 is the 'Tower of Babel' from where the central government oversees its 39 'states', and the last is the Union of Ages. The last body is there to control the Ko-orenites that have moved permanently to Ages (books about worlds, written by Age writers, that have become inhabitable. More about this here and here).

The new coat of arms has been positioned over the old flag to make it clear that something has changed. The book in the center stands for the Bible, from which the Tower of Babel came, but it also stands for the books that hold the Ages. The shape around the middle is a 40-pointed star, one point for each of the 40 parts of the Meritocracy.

The government will still be meritocratic. The nation will still be led by the national government. The 31 states of Ko-oren, however, can hold their own elections, if they so wish, for governors (which still have to be approved by the meritocratic counsel of the government). The 31 states will have more autonomy than the previous 15 states where they were derived from, though they will always stay under the national government.

The reason for the 'Babelic' in the title: the fact that the 31 breakaway states have declared their own languages. Ko-oran, the language featured at the top, was designed as national language for all Ko-orenites. While this language will stay the national language, all 31 states (but one) have decided to keep the language that is most spoken in that state as regional official language. This means that the Eastern region, with the four islands, all chose Japanese. For this reason, however, several cities and coastal regions have decided to split from the four original states, to declare their own languages as official (Korean and Chinese). Icelandic will be official in the northern state of Vnoskjulung. Then the northernmost island broke off to start its own state with Faroese as its official language, and so on. In 31 states, there are 18 different official languages: Japanese, Icelandic, Irish, Welsh, French, Dutch, Mongolian, Turkish, Swedish, German, Spanish, Hebrew, Chinese, Faroese, Portuguese, Arabic and Korean. Ko-oran (unrelated to Korean by the way) will remain official in the city-state of Ko-oren City). To compare the 18 languages: Dutch, English and Japanese will be spoken by most people. Faroese, Irish, Swedish, Chinese and Korean will be used relatively sparsely.

The 31 governors first declared that they wanted to do an extensive census in their states, as they felt that the old government was not thorough in their questioning.

Lastly: not much will change. Just the fact that 15 states turned into 31 and that most have their own official language, the flag and the title of the nation will be different from now on. And the fact that the Meritocracy again got a little more complex in its political system...

[Sakurakoku]

Errors Costly for Levivania as Wolves Roll

Sakurakoku             0 0 4 0 2 1 0 1 0  8 11 0
Levivania              1 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0  3  8 2

W - Namiya (1-0)
L - Hernandez (0-2)

Scoring Summary

Bottom 1st: Goorman flied out to left. Goldman singled to center. Ballmer doubled to right-center, Goldman scored. Robinson grounded into double play, shortstop Dojima to second baseman Uemura to first baseman Horie. Levivania, 1-0.

Top 3rd: Uemura walked. Uemura stole second. Dojima struck out swinging. Katou singled to right, Uemura scored. Yasuzumi grounded into fielder's choice, shortstop Goldman to second baseman Olinsky, Katou out at second. Horie singled to left, Yasuzumi to second. Yamagishi homered to right, Yasuzumi scored, Horie scored. Kaneko doubled to left-center. Kimihara popped out to shortstop. Sakurakoku, 4-1.

Bottom 4th: Bukcton homered to left-center. Olinsky flied out to right. Wajorowski struck out looking. Zeltz grounded out to shortstop. Sakurakoku, 4-2.

Top 5th: Katou singled to left. On passed ball, Katou to second. Yasuzumi flied out to center, Katou advanced to third. Horie walked. Yamagishi grounded into fielder's choice, shortstop Goldman to second baseman Olinsky, Horie safe at second on error by second baseman Olinsky, Katou scored. Kaneko doubled to left, Horie scored, Yamagishi out at home. Kimihara struck out swinging. Sakurakoku, 6-2.

Bottom 5th: Hernandez popped out to first. Goorman walked. Goldman grounded into fielder's choice, first baseman Horie unassisted, Goldman out at first, Goorman to second. Ballmer singled to right, Goorman scored. Robinson struck out swinging. Sakurakoku, 6-3.

Top 6th: Suzuki singled to right. Uemura grounded into fielder's choice, third baseman Zletz to second baseman Olinsky, Suzuki out at second, Uemura safe at first. Uemura stole second, advanced to third on throwing error by catcher Ballmer. Dojima sacrifice flied out to left, Uemura scored. Katou lined out to shortstop. Sakurakoku, 7-3.

Top 8th: Kaneko walked. Saitou pinch hit for Kimihara. Saitou struck out swinging. Suzuki singled to right, Kaneko to second. Uemura walked, Kaneko to third, Suzuki to second. Dojima grounded into fielder's choice, third baseman Zletz to catcher Ballmer, Suzuki out at third, Kaneko safe at home, Kaneko scored, Uemura to second. Katou flied out to left. Sakurakoku, 8-3.

[Nova Anglicana]

Lions' Hitting Woes Continue, Drop Bizarre Game to Karditan

Allen Talos, Londinium Courier

Nova Anglicana's WBC squad had their first road game yesterday, traveling to face the largely equine side of Karditan. In the capital city of Neighpon's National Park, the Lions managed a mere 5 hits and 1 run in a three-run loss and are now batting .177 in the Classic. NABL MVP Roman Jennings, given the sobriquet, "Emperor", has been distinctly plebeian so far, batting just .167, though he did score the only run yesterday. He was driven in by the man who has been the only bright spot for the Lions so far, 1B Kareem Al-Aniz, responsible for two of Nova Anglicana's four runs in the tournament. Clearly the blame for this dismal performance must be laid at the feet of hitting coach Dante Woodward for their batting and manager Graig Lowman for not adequately preparing his team for this prestigious world event.

On the pitching side of things, young hurler Felix Murphy looked overmatched and was pitching in and out of trouble all day long. He permitted ten baserunners and four runs in six innings. In the first, he faced runners on third and second with none out and was only bailed out when Wild Kard RF Batl Skard lined into an exquisite double play turned by Chris Fletcher and Jarrod Novak. In the third, the Wild Kards scored their first run following a picture-perfect hit and run executed by 2B Ricky Hormuz and RF Aaron Aaron, putting runners on the corners with one away. One would have thought that Lowman, considered by many to be a master strategist after his team's victory in last year's playoffs, would have predicted this and adjusted for it, but apparently not. Skard followed with a sacrifice fly. But the big blow came from young LF Gale Wind, who poked a 2-2 fastball on the outside corner over the extremely short (290 feet) porch in right. The blast traveled an approximate 298 feet, a mere fly out in most parks, but good for a three-run homer in Neighpon. I can only imagine what playing against a team of equines must have done for the team's psyche.

Wild Kard SP Cliff Leaper baffled the national team's hitters all day long, busting right-handers in with cut fastballs, and getting left-handers to lunge at sliders low and away. He struck out seven and walked two in eight innings.

At 0-2, the Lions' next game will be against fellow unranked opponent Super Bwitain, 1-1 with a 5-4 10-inning win over #49 Kerblaekistan and a 5-3 13-inning loss to #6 Maklohi Vai. This appears to be Nova Anglicana's best chance for a win, but if Woodward cannot get the hitters to respond, it could be another disappointing loss. The junkballer, or off-speed specialist, Noah Hawkins will take the hill tomorrow for the Lions looking to stop the streak. OOC Note: Talos is a respected baseball journalist, but he's a bit of a curmudgeon and a pessimist.

Boxscore: http://novaanglicana.blogspot.com/2013/08/nova-anglicana-lions-at-karditan-wild.html OOC Note: Reeves should have 4 AB in the boxscore.

*****Interlude*****

Manager Graig Lowman, hitting coach Dante Woodward, and bench coach Marcellus Maloney sat around Lowman's desk in Archbishop Stadium's underbelly.

"Have you seen what Talos wrote? He's busting us for the guys struggling to hit and for Murphy having trouble yesterday." Woodward pointed to Talos' column in the Courier.

Lowman snorted. "Aw, Talos doesn't know shit. He was saying the same things when we were 2 games under .500 with 24 to play. Then we batted .292 for the rest of the season and won 18 of 24 and the Series. Trust me, it'll turn. Look, Super Bwitain's sending out another damn lefty against us tomorrow. With all of the righty bats we have on this team, we ought to crush him. A third starter from an unranked team? We'll handle him. Plus, Talos is conveniently ignoring the fact that we've played two highly ranked teams. We weren't expected to win anyway; two straight wins and he'll be singing our praises."

"I hope you're right," said Maloney. "It's getting tougher and tougher to control these guys on the bench when they're not hitting. Roman and Austin are taking it the worst. They're both stone-faced about it, but you can tell they're furious. Roman takes a hundred extra swings after the games. He feels the pressure, and so does Austin. He just won't talk to anyone, more so than usual."

Just then a stadium intern timidly knocked on the door and poked her head in. "Mr. Lowman? The Minister of Sport wants to talk to you upstairs."

[Maklohi Vai]

Part 1
Part 2

"Hello?"

"Hey, Kumalo, it's Nuko!" Nuko Womarakapalai was the fifth member to join OAM after Kumalo.

"Hey, how are you doing?"

"I'm great, I'm great. Say, do you have any plans for this Classic?"

"What do you mean?"

"Like any changes with OAM? I know we still have our meetings and stuff, but any changes?"

"Well, I was thinking of somehow making us more visible."

"Like PR outreach?"

"Yeah, like that."

"There's a PR guy in the membership. Olakao, I think his name is."

"Oh really? We might ask for his help."

"Oh no no no no, you don't want to do that. He's a loose cannon."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, he has a temper."

"That's not an issue within itself."

"It is with him. Like one time he flipped, man."

"Flipped?"

"Like he literally flipped in the air because he was so mad."

"What the heck? I've never heard of anyone doing that."

"Yeah, I know, it was weird. Anyways, about PR, I think I can help out a bit."

"Really? That would be great."

"No problem, man. I'm glad to help a brother."

"I appreciate it. Do you have any ideas?"

"I think we should try talking to TV people."

"Ok, media exposure. How would we get a deal?"

"We'd contact them, say we're interested on coming on the show."

"Sounds good, do you think it work?"

"I don't know, it depends how we frame it. Any particular channel?"

"I'd probably go with PBC."

"Safe choice, yeah. We don't want to go onto Wolf News and listen to those crazy conservatives."

"Right, right. Any precautions I need to take?"

"Make sure your microphone doesn't mess up. Some pitcher for NMS had his face light on fire cause his microphone sparked."

"That's nuts, is he ok?"

"Besides being from NMS, yeah. Hahahaha!"

"Haha, I know what you mean. Damn good team though."

"True, yeah. Hey, Kumalo, what did you think about that 13 inning game, huh?"

"Too damn worrying. Almost lost it, thank goodness for Arnao. Margaret surely had her hand in that one."

"Oh yeah, she was there throughout those rallies. She's been good lately."

"Well we've been praying hard."

"Hey man, I have to go, nice talking to you."

"Always the same. See you around, Nuko."

"See you."

---

Maklohi Vai            0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 0 0 0 2  5
Super Bwitain          0 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0  3

Scoring Summary:
8th: With two outs and Ap'uto Roma'ai on first after a single, Iao Laina drove him in with a long double to right.
9th: Mae'ao led off the inning with a solo shot to center field. Two hitters later, Arnao got a double to left. Moalna’akai Lai then walked, allowing Wolo Rakinalmanai to drive in Arnao with a single to left-center.
13th: With two outs and Iao Laina on second, Mae'ao hit a monster home run that nearly left the park.

HR: Mae'ao 3
RBI: Mae'ao 6, Wolo Rakinalmanai 3, Moalna’akai Lai 2, Iao Laina 1

[Callumackbar]

Two wins in two for Callumackbar!

After a very successful start for Callumackbar, leaving them with a 100% win rate from two games, Head Coach George Flowers decided to reward the team with a meal out, having previously been under strict curfews.

The players seemed to be enjoying it, mingling with each other, locals from Maklohi Vai and Callumackbarian fans. It was a calm, relaxed atmosphere and the players kept a professional attitude throughout, unlike the Infamous Callumackbar squad at the Di Bradini Cup, when Head Coach Wayne Burbridge went on a drunken rage after Callumackbar were knocked out (He has still not been found, rumoured to be now wandering the wilderness of Wight).


At around 9:30PM, Flowers ordered the boys to return back to the hotel, which they did with little to no fuss after an enjoyable evening out. The squad gave out autographs to fans as they left, and Flowers had time to give this interview:

"We have Unolia up next, and they just beat Saugeais by 4 so they will definitely be strong oppenents. I'll always back my Boys, but this will be a very difficult encounter."

[Alitaba]

Part 1
Part 2

Weeks have passed since Ansemio's mother passed away, and she was given a proper burial seven days after her death. Ansemio, still saddened by her loss, tried to remember what her mother said in her deathbed. He remembered something.

He went to the room of his mother, which he was forbidden to enter when her mother was not around. There he saw a box, an unknown one, and he opened the box. He could not believe what he saw.

His father's memorabilia including pictures of him and his mother, the Mandaragat team in the past, and a piece of cloth. Then, he grabbed the cloth from the box, and he was shocked at what he saw.

His father's jersey, in the fornt, it was printed "ALITABA" in block letters along with the number 89, and the back printed as "DIMATAKAW" with the large number 89 on it. It was colored red. What his mother's last words were true.

He searched the box for more memorabilia, and he saw a bunch of VHS and audio tapes, and a notebook. He went to their TV room, turned on the seldomly used television, set up the VHS player and played a tape he randomly chose. It was showing Alitaba's game against a local side in Malibog. His father was the starting pitcher, and pitched strike after strike after strike. It was impressive.

His father did not allow a single run until he was relieved at the sixth inning, when the Mandaragat have taken an insurmountable lead. At that point on, Ansemio ejected the tape. He returned to his mother's room and read the notebook, which was his father's diary.

He was shocked at what he saw.

[Strawbee]

Strawbee Hoping to Bounce Back
After a chance to rest and reflect, team looks to end losing ways vs. Kriegiersien

The confidence and excitement surrounding the Strawbee WBC team has all but evaporated completely in the days following their loss to unranked Callumackbar, slapping Strawbee with an 0-2 record and a trip to the group's cellar to start off the classic. (Callumackbar, meanwhile, has shown that it might be alot more dangerous than people gave them credit, as they are now undefeated going into their game against Unolia.)

While many fans are already calling for a massive shapeup of a roster that has been completely untouched through 3 classics, the players seem happy with the bye day yesterday and seem confident, seeing the time off as a chance to refocus and put the losing streak behind them.

They will need to prevail over Kriegiersien to save their WBC campaign from early disaster, it is a low ranked team and one Strawbee should presumably be able to handle, but Kriegersien has proven itself to be a strong sports nation in general, particularly in basketball, so a win is by no means guaranteed should their baseball team prove to be the type of sleeping giant that it seems Allinlia was if the empire to the east's performance thus far is any indication.

The pressure will be intense, for if the team loses this one they could find themselves all but eliminated in a group where they were practically a lock to take 2nd place before the group stage began, a collapse far larger and less forgivable than the game against Darmen or their playoff series against Sicountimont. The always strong young pony pitcher, Carbon, will be doing what he can to keep that from happening. Good luck Strawbee!

[Southwick]

Southwick Blown Out At Home

Allinlia               0 0 4 1 0 1 0 0 2  8
Southwick              0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0  1

Southwick's dreams of an easy run through the group stage came to a crashing end, with the Candlemakers losing to Allinlia by a score of 8 to 1 in Southwick. Luke Lawrence's knuckler was not on today and Allinlian hitters were all over it. The game started off slowly with both teams scoreless through the first two innings. Allinlia slugger Paul Majuwitz was hit on the hand by an errant knuckleball from Lawrence in the third, forcing him to leave the game. He was replaced by Conor Levins. Majuwitz's status is unknown for the next game, but early reports indicate that he will be ready to play. The next batter, Ferris Silver, have Allinlia a bit of revenge, hitting a grand slam into the center field bleachers. Allinlia added one more in the fourth inning, with Allinlian leadoff man Joey Bezzio Jr. scoring on a double by shortstop Andy Capps. Capps had a very good day for the All Stars.

Southwick got one back in the fifth inning when reserve outfielder scored on a single by Alan Williams after stealing second base. Manager Ernest Grant apparently saw how the game was going, so many reserves got playing time starting in the middle innings to the end of the game. Allinlia struck right back with catcher Toby Abbott scoring on a single by Bezzio. Long reliever Alex Lane looked like he was going to escape with only the one run scored, but in the ninth inning, Capps crushed a home run to left field, scoring himself and Conan Marteen. Marteen, the designated hitter for Allinlia when they play at home, made only a short cameo at the end as a pinch-hitter, but looked very good against Lane.

After the game, Manager Grant complimented the All Stars on their play. "If you look at it, I think our offenses were pretty even in terms of getting on base. They were just able to advance those runners and score them, while we were not." Asked about Lawrence's poor performance, Grant replied, "All players have bad days and the knuckler just wasn't on today. He'll be ready for his next start." The team has a bye for the next matchday before taking a road trip to play Tarrigan.

Scoring Summary

3 - ALL - F. Silver homers to center field, J. Bezzio scores, A. Capps scores, C. Levins scores. - 4-0
4 - ALL - A. Capps doubles to right field, J. Bezzio scores. - 5-0
5 - SWK - A. Williams singles to center field, N. Harvey scores. - 5-1
6 - ALL - J. Bezzio singles to left field, T. Abbott scores. - 6-1
9 - ALL - A. Capps homers to left field, C. Marteen scores. - 8-1

Play-by-Play

First Inning
ALL - J. Bezzio grounds out to third base.
ALL - A. Capps lines out to shortstop.
ALL - A. Stairs flies out to center field.

SWK - C. Chandler grounds out to second base.
SWK - J. Gordon singles to center field.
SWK - A. Williams flies out to center field.
SWK - J. Gordon steals second base.
SWK - A. Clark strikes out looking.

Second Inning
ALL - P. Majuwitz strikes out swinging.
ALL - F. Silver flies out to right field.
ALL - N. Fasano doubles to center field.
ALL - D. Kearns singles to left field, N. Fasano to third.
ALL - T. Abbott walks, D. Kearns to second.
ALL - J. Bowler strikes out looking.

SWK - A. Campbell walks.
SWK - D. Curry strikes out looking.
SWK - M. Holloway sacrifice bunts, A. Campbell to second.
SWK - A. Hill flies out to right field.

Third Inning
ALL - J. Bezzio singles to center field.
ALL - A. Capps singles to right field, J. Bezzio to third.
ALL - A. Stairs strikes out looking.
ALL - P. Majuwitz is hit by a pitch, A. Capps to second.
*C. Levins enters as a pinch-runner for P. Majuwitz*
ALL - F. Silver homers to center field, J. Bezzio scores, A. Capps scores, C. Levins scores.
ALL - N. Fasano walks.
ALL - D. Kearns grounds into a 4-6-3 double play.

SWK - L. Lawrence grounds out to pitcher.
SWK - C. Chandler singles to right field.
SWK - C. Chandler steals second base.
SWK - J. Gordon lines out to first base.
SWK - A. Williams is hit by a pitch.
SWK - A. Clark flies out to right field.

Fourth Inning
ALL - T. Abbott flies out to right field.
ALL - J. Bowler grounds out to third base.
ALL - J. Bezzio singles to center field.
ALL - A. Capps doubles to right field, J. Bezzio scores.
ALL - A. Stairs strikes out looking.

SWK - A. Campbell grounds out third base.
SWK - D. Curry flies out to left field.
SWK - M. Holloway triples to right field.
SWK - A. Hill strikes out looking.

Fifth Inning
*H. Harris comes in at left fielder for Southwick*
*B. West comes in at third base for Southwick*
ALL - C. Levins strikes out swinging.
ALL - F. Silver singles to center field.
ALL - N. Fasano grounds into a 5-4-3 double play.

*N. Harvey pinch-hits for L. Lawrence*
SWK - N. Harvey singles to catcher.
SWK - N. Harvey steals second base.
SWK - C. Chandler grounds out to first base, N. Harvey to third.
SWK - J. Gordon flies out to center field.
SWK - A. Williams singles to center field, N. Harvey scores.
SWK - A. Clark walks, A. Williams to second.
SWK - H. Harris singles to left field, A. Williams to third, A. Clark walks.
SWK - B. West pops out to catcher.

Sixth Inning
*A. Lane comes in to pitch for Southwick*
ALL - D. Kearns flies out to right field.
ALL - T. Abbott singles to left field.
ALL - J. Bowler strikes out looking.
ALL - T. Abbott advances to second on a passed ball.
ALL - J. Bezzio singles to left field, T. Abbott scores.
ALL - A. Capps flies out to right field.

SWK - M. Holloway grounds out to pitcher.
SWK - A. Hill flies out to right field.
SWK - A. Lane grounds out to first base.

Seventh Inning
ALL - A. Stairs grounds out to second base.
ALL - C. Levins grounds out to third base.
ALL - F. Silver flies out to left field.

SWK - C. Chandler singles to right field.
SWK - J. Gordon pops out to first base.
SWK - A. Williams strikes out swinging.
SWK - A. Clark strikes out swinging.

Eighth Inning
ALL - N. Fasano strikes out looking.
ALL - D. Kearns grounds out to pitcher.
ALL - T. Abbott flies out to center field.

SWK - H. Harris lines out to first base.
SWK - B. West grounds out to third base.
SWK - M. Holloway grounds out to first base.

Ninth Inning
*C. Marteen pinch-hits for J. Bowler*
ALL - C. Marteen doubles to right field.
ALL - J. Bezzio grounds out to first base, C. Marteen to third.
ALL - A. Capps homers to left field, C. Marteen scores.
ALL - A. Stairs strikes out swinging.
ALL - C. Levins grounds out to second base.

SWK - A. Hill flies out to right field.
*J. French pinch-hits for A. Lane*
SWK - J. French singles to right field.
SWK - C. Chandler flies out to center field.
SWK - J. Gordon grounds out to third base.

Players of the Game

1. Alan Williams, RF, 1-3, RBI, HBP
2. Marcos Holloway, SS, 1-3, 3B
3. Noah Harvey, PH, 1-1, R, SB

Southwick Statistical Leaders

Hitting
PA: Curtis Chandler, 15
AB: Curtis Chandler, 14
H: Alan Williams, 6
R: 2 tied with 3
RBI: Alan Williams, 5
1B: Curtis Chandler, 4
2B: Alan Williams, 3
3B: Marcos Holloway, 2
HR: Adrian Clark, 1
XBH: Alan Williams, 3
BB: James Gordon, 3
HBP: Alan Williams, 2
K: Darin Curry, 4
SF: 2 tied with 1
SH: 2 tied with 1
TB: Alan Williams, 9
SB: 4 tied with 2
AVG: Ronnie Gomez, .667
OBP: Ronnie Gomez, .667
SLG: Alan Williams, .818
OPS: Alan Williams, 1.434

Pitching
W: 2 tied with 1
L: Luke Lawrence, 1
IP: Woodrow Paul, 8.0
G: 7 tied with 1
GS: 3 tied with 1
GF: 3 tied with 1
SV: Alan Hansen, 1
SVO: Alan Hansen, 1
R: Luke Lawrence, 5
ER: Luke Lawrence, 5
H: Luke Lawrence, 5
HRA: 5 tied with 1
BB: 2 tied with 1
HB: Luke Lawrence, 1
SO: Woodrow Paul, 9
ERA: Sean Morris, 0.00
WHIP: Woodrow Paul, 0.50

Fielding
GP: 7 tied with 3
INN: 3 tied with 27
TC: Adrian Clark, 31
A: James Gordon, 9
PO: Adrian Clark, 29
PB: Alex Hill, 1
DP: Adrian Clark, 5
FP: 15 tied with 1.000
RF: Adrian Clark, 10.333

[Allinlia]

Sitting Pretty
Blow out win at Southwick Makes Allinlians the Kings of Group 9 (For Now)

Group 9

Taeshan                2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  2
Tarrigan               0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 2  4

Allinlia               0 0 4 1 0 1 0 0 2  8
Southwick              0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0  1

Group 9               Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD    Win % 
1 Allinlia                2    2   0    12    3   +9    1.000
2 Southwick               3    2   1    16   13   +3    0.667
3 The Fair Republic       2    1   1     4   11   −7    0.500
4 Tarrigan                2    1   1     5    4   +1    0.500
5 Taeshan                 3    0   3     7   13   −6    0.000

Allinlian baseball fans have got to be feeling real good now. The Allinlian team had the unfortunate luck of playing what are perhaps their two most dangerous opponents in the group early, however by beating them both in convincing fashion they now appear to be strong favorites to win the group and get a very high playoff seed. Things can change quickly in the WBC Group stage, especially one this short, but for now Allinlia looks to be big a step above the other teams in their group and as of now, it looks like no one can stop them.

Taeshan and Southwick will get another chance to knock the Allinlians down a peg in the second half of the group stage, and the team's next opponent, unranked Tarrigan, showed alot of life in their victory over #12 ranked Taeshan, (the favorites to win the group) so perhaps we should not be getting ahead of ourselves just yet. Though at the moment things are looking very bright and it would seem that Allinlia is on their way to their first dominant group stage campaign.

The game looked to be very evenly matched as the Allinlians did not get their first hit against the home team until the second inning when Nick Fasano doubled to center field, nothing would come of it though as the pitcher, Jerry Bowler, struck out to strand 2 runners in scoring position and Allinlian fans everywhere once again cursed the foreign notion of pitchers having to hit, something that Allinlian pitchers have never had to do and Allinlian fans have never heard of before we jumped into the WBC for the first time.

The Allinlians would strike first blood with a towering grand slam by Ferris Silver, scoring Bezzio, Capps, and Levins to create a 4-0 advantage. Capps would later hit a double to score Bezzio to bring the score up to 5-0

Southwick would try and strike back in the bottom of the 5th inning as Harvey scored on a Williams single to keep the game close at 5-1. Bezzio would continue his hot hitting by scoring Toby Abbott on a single to left the next inning to make it 6-1.

In the top of the 9th, Jerry Bowler would finally be taken out of the game after a solid performance, allowing only 1 earned run on 8 innings pitched. Power hitter Conan Marteen would manage to hit a powerful double as the pinch hitter and would be driven in by an Andy Capps homer to put the game out of reach 8-1, the final score.

Aiden Stairs, who has seemed to single handily carry the team's offense in past WBCs, had an uncharacteristically rough time against Southwick, going 0-5 with 3 strikeouts. "I'm just happy we won the game, that is really all that matters, frankly" said Stairs after the game, adding "They had a knuckle ball pitcher out there, who was smart and really good at hitting his spots against me, so it was pretty frustrating."

Allinlia's next match is against the Fair Republic, it's a game where Allinlia is heavily favored to win . Veteran pitcher Buddy Cox is scheduled to take the mound to try and give Allinlia a commanding 3-0 start to group play.

[Saintland]

Matchday 4 Results for Groups 7-12

Group 7
Super Bwitain          0 0 2 0 1 0 0 0 0  3
Nova Anglicana         1 0 1 1 0 0 1 1 X  5

Kerblaekistan          0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  1
Maklohi Vai            0 0 0 0 0 0 2 4 X  6


  Group 7               Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD    Win % 
1 Maklohi Vai             4    3   1    18   10   +8    0.750
2 Karditan                3    2   1    11    8   +3    0.667
3 Nova Anglicana          3    1   2     9   12   −3    0.333
4 Kerblaekistan           3    1   2    10   15   −5    0.333
5 Super Bwitain           3    1   2    11   14   −3    0.333

Group 8
Skeckoa                0 0 0 0 0 0 4 2 0  6
Sicoutimont            0 0 0 0 0 2 1 0 0  3

Estope                 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0  2
Myeeria                2 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 X  4


  Group 8               Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD    Win % 
1 Sicoutimont             3    2   1    16   11   +5    0.667
2 Estope                  3    2   1    14   12   +2    0.667
3 Skeckoa                 3    2   1    15   10   +5    0.667
4 New Texaco              3    1   2    13   17   −4    0.333
5 Myeeria                 4    1   3    16   24   −8    0.250

Group 9
Tarrigan               1 0 2 1 0 1 0 0 0  5
Allinlia               0 0 1 0 5 1 0 0 X  7

The Fair Republic      1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 4  6
Taeshan                0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 2  4


  Group 9               Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD    Win % 
1 Allinlia                3    3   0    19    8  +11    1.000
2 Southwick               3    2   1    16   13   +3    0.667
3 The Fair Republic       3    2   1    10   15   −5    0.667
4 Tarrigan                3    1   2    10   11   −1    0.333
5 Taeshan                 4    0   4    11   19   −8    0.000

Group 10
Britonisea             1 2 0 1 5 0 0 0 0  9
Western Cuba           1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  1

The Sova Empire        0 1 0 2 0 0 0 0 0  3
Gregoryisgodistan      0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0  1


  Group 10              Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD    Win % 
1 The Sova Empire         3    3   0    17    8   +9    1.000
2 Britonisea              3    2   1    21   10  +11    0.667
3 Western Cuba            3    1   2     5   12   −7    0.333
4 West Guiana             3    1   2    11   12   −1    0.333
5 Gregoryisgodistan       4    1   3     9   21  −12    0.250

Group 11
Callumackbar           1 0 0 0 2 0 0 1 0  4
Unolia                 3 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 X  5

Strawbee               0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0  1
Kriegiersien           0 2 1 0 0 0 0 2 X  5


  Group 11              Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD    Win % 
1 Callumackbar            3    2   1    11    9   +2    0.667
2 Unolia                  3    2   1    13   11   +2    0.667
3 Saugeais                3    2   1    13    9   +4    0.667
4 Kriegiersien            4    2   2    15   13   +2    0.500
5 Strawbee                3    0   3     3   13  −10    0.000

Group 12
Welsh Cowboy           0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  0
Thatius                2 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 X  5

Zwangzug               1 0 2 0 0 1 2 0 2  8
San Jose Guayabal      0 0 1 0 3 1 0 1 1  7


  Group 12              Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD    Win % 
1 Zwangzug                3    3   0    21   17   +4    1.000
2 Thatius                 3    2   1    11    6   +5    0.667
3 San Jose Guayabal       4    2   2    13   14   −1    0.500
4 Carasatoga              3    1   2    10   10    0    0.333
5 Welsh Cowboy            3    0   3     6   14   −8    0.000

Karditan, New Texaco, Southwick, West Guiana, Saugeais and Carasatoga had byes today. The nations that won their games today have their linescore bolded.

[Vaugania]

Confessions of a Catcher

by Marty Bzibziak

The reason I thought this journal would be the proper medium to let the world know I'm a robot is because perhaps in 30 years when this will be read, the world will be able to understand me just a little bit better, I promised you that I would talk about how I work and function as a robot. I'm going to follow up on that right now.

While my innards are all robotic, my muscle structure in made of lab grown muscle fibers and that is also where my skin came from. It is a rather long and arduous process that my AI was not graced with the knowledge of. Ian is the one man who would have been able to tell you how it all worked, but even if he were here, I doubt that he would be willing to spill the beans. That means we'll all be left in the dark on that one. To sum it up, I am a robot with a human-like and fleshy musculature. Very much like a cyborg, though I was a robot before I was a person rather than the other way around. It is really strange how the muscle fits in with my robotics. I can go to the gym and build up my muscles and make them stronger or I can be lazy and allow them to be flabby. I have maintained my current muscle mass for quite a while because I wouldn't want something unfortunate to happen to the moving parts inside of my because my muscles didn't fit with it.

I am not however, all fleshy on the outside, Around my hips there is a plug that I have to pop open after I drink something. Ian figured that it would be rather odd if I never ate or drank anything, but since I have no need for any of it, I can just dispose of any fluids I drink into a toilet via that plug. My battery life is of course not unlimited. I have a panel in my abdominal area that opens up to reveal solar panels with which I use to charge. Those don't last forever either, so I will have to figure out how to change them at some point.

It is truly awkward being a robot. While the team might have a steak dinner, I just drink wine to fit in. I unfortunately do not have taste buds, so I can't even taste whatever I am eating or drinking. I suppose it is a blessing in disguise because that also means I don't have to suffer through the taste of lutefisk whenever Stian Losnedahl forces the team to eat it. Another point I'd like to hit on is religion. I was raised in a Catholic household just like 90% of Vauganian children. It always seemed odd to me because my life is artificial. Is there a heaven for robots? While many people ask where their conscience goes when they die, I suppose I don't really have one. Where does your soul go? I wouldn't know. I'm a robot. This is not to say that I am irreligious. I am still a Catholic. But it just seems that everything about heaven and hell and death just don't apply to me.

Whenever I am myself these questions, I always think that "my father" would know the answer. After Greta died, I'm fairly certain that the Bzibziak home was left alone. It is certainly in shambles, but perhaps something is there. It could be research, a letter, a computer, or really anything that would have anything to do with me. I have decided to spend the off day following our game at Landvik against Hardwinter in the outskirts of Abel searching in my childhood home. I really don't know how the neighborhood looks now, but it was in a more suburban area, outside of the bustling city of over 1.1 million people.

I will report back with my findings and my answers at a later time.

[New Wolfopolis]

Wolfpack Routed by Vaugania, 9-3
by Marc Baker, International Baseball Correspondent, Lupinia Times

The Wolfpack had a tough one at home today, losing to Vaugania 9-3. Leo Jacobson (0-1) earned the loss today, pitching 5 innings and giving up 4 runs. Felix Brauer (1-0) pitched 7 innings and gave up none, earning a clear win for Vaugania. Bradley Weber of the Vaugania bullpen gave up 3 in the eighth and ninth, two on a Parrish home run in the eighth and the other on a Richardson single in the ninth. Warren Kelly (0-1) gave up 3 runs in the 6th, and Jaime Roman (0-0) gave up two throughout the last three innings.

"This was a disappointing loss for the Wolfpack," says manager Javier Best, "but it was a bit expected. Vaugania has a lot of international experience and we don't. It would've been nice to get a win in front of the home crowd, but I'm sure we will by the end of the classic. Obviously our pitching could need some work, and we will no doubt be working our pitchers in the bullpen before our next game."

The Wolfpack travels to Cassadaigua tomorrow, with a game at 5:05 NWT. You can catch the game on NWSN.

[Cowardly Pacifists]

Sandpipers Baseball Report

August 21st - Phyrtton, Majestic Freeholds of Cowardly Pacifists

---

'PIPERS DROP HOME OPENER TO NORTH FRANKLIN; RUIZ INJURED

 North Franklin                   0 2 0 0 0 1 0 3 0  6
 Cowardly Pacifists               1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 1  4

Coming off a pleasantly surprising win over Saintland in MD1, the Sandpipers experienced a let down in MD2: losing their WBC 27 home opener to newcomers North Franklin 4-6. Adding injury to insult, the Sandpipers lost star center fielder Terence Ruiz to a sixth inning ankle sprain. There's no timetable yet on his recovery, though team management hopes that rehabbing during the Sandpiper's MD3 bye will help speed Ruiz's recovery.

Ruiz had opened the game with a bang, belting a base hit in his first at bat and scoring the first run of the match when he was brought home by Lynn Shaw. The Sandpipers quickly surrendered that lead, giving up two runs in the top of the second to Marc Curtis - who hit a home run and brought David O'Neil in with him. But the CP team responded with two runs of their own: one in the second and one in the third.

A pitcher duel ensued; one that held until the sixth inning when Marc Puriene scored the tying run for the Wasps. Then, in the bottom of the sixth, disaster stuck the Sandpipers when Terence Ruiz hit the top side of a low BJ Hamilton curveball. Ruiz took off to beat the ball to first, and as he touched the bag his ankle folded under him. The brutal injury sent gasps through the CP crowd. Fortunately, Ruiz managed to get up and leave the field under his own power, much to the relief of Sandpiper fans.

The Sandpipers were clearly not the same after losing Ruiz, giving up three runs in the very next inning. The team rallied late in the ninth, but the effort was not enough to overcome the deficit. "It's a tough loss," said Ian Wagner after the match, "And to lose a guy like Ruiz in the process... it's going to take a lot from this team. We'll make do somehow, but it won't be an easy..."

The Sandpipers will have a bye week to figure out how to make do without Ruiz, who is day to day with no set return date. The team plays the RKQ in MD4 and signs point to Curtis Chandler starting for Ruiz while he's out. Let's hope he won't be gone long.

FULL SCHEDULE
MD 1: August 20 @ Saintland₂₇ WIN (3-0)
*MD 2: August 21 HOME vs North Franklin_UR LOSS 4-6
MD 3: August 22 ***BYE***
MD 4: August 23 @ The Royal Kingdom of Quebec₅₄
MD 5: August 24 HOME vs Darmen₇
MD 6: August 25 HOME vs Saintland₂₇
MD 7: August 26 @ North Franklin_UR
MD 8: August 27 ***BYE***
*MD 9: August 28 HOME vs The Royal Kingdom of Quebec₅₄
MD 10: August 29 @ Darmen₇
*indicates home opener; *indicates homecoming game

NEXT MATCH @ The Royal Kingdom of Quebec
Sandpipers Starting Pitcher: Seth Soto
RKQ's Starting Pitcher: Imman Cloutier-Shin

THE SANDPIPERS AT A GLANCE

WBC # 27          Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD   Current Rank   Current Place in Group
                    2    1   1     7    6   +1   43rd           3rd Place*
                                                                *reflects rank prior to MD3 bye week

Lifetime Win/Loss:  6-6

[Maklohi Vai]

Matchday 4 Results for Groups 1-6

Group 1
Cyborg Holland         0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0  2
Equestrian States      0 0 0 0 0 2 0 1 X  3

Alitaba                0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0  2
Super-Llamaland        0 0 2 2 0 0 0 1 X  5


                        Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD    Win % 
1 Super-Llamaland         4    3   1    15   14   +1    0.750
2 New Edom                3    2   1    11    8   +3    0.667
3 Equestrian States       3    1   2     6    7   −1    0.333
4 Alitaba                 3    1   2     9   14   −5    0.333
5 Cyborg Holland          3    1   2    12   10   +2    0.333


Group 2
North Franklin                   0 0 0 0 0 0 2 3 0  5
Darmen                           0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0  2

Cowardly Pacifists               1 1 3 0 2 0 0 0 0  7
The Royal Kingdom of Quebec      1 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 1  5


                                  Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD    Win % 
1 North Franklin                    3    2   1    14   11   +3    0.667
2 Cowardly Pacifists                3    2   1    14   11   +3    0.667
3 Saintland                         3    2   1    12    9   +3    0.667
4 Darmen                            3    1   2    18   16   +2    0.333
5 The Royal Kingdom of Quebec       4    1   3    13   24  −11    0.250


Group 3
New Wolfopolis          0 1 0 0 0 1 2 0 0  4
Cassadaigua             1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  1

Hardwinter              1 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 1  4
Vaugania                1 0 1 4 0 0 0 0 X  6


                         Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD    Win % 
1 Vaugania                 4    3   1    24   24    0    0.750
2 Free South Califas       3    2   1    17    9   +8    0.667
3 Hardwinter               3    2   1    14   10   +4    0.667
4 New Wolfopolis           3    1   2    11   15   −4    0.333
5 Cassadaigua              3    0   3     8   16   −8    0.000


Group 4
Qazox                  0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0  2
Sakurakoku             0 0 3 0 0 0 1 0 X  4

Lymantatia             0 4 0 0 0 0 0 2 1  7
Milchama               2 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 2  6


                        Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD    Win % 
1 Sakurakoku              3    3   0    19    7  +12    1.000
2 Qazox                   3    2   1    10    7   +3    0.667
3 Lymantatia              3    2   1    14   15   −1    0.667
4 Milchama                4    1   3    17   21   −4    0.250
5 Levivania               3    0   3    11   21  −10    0.000



Group 5
Kinzar                    1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1  3
Aardenland                1 0 0 4 0 2 0 0 X  7

Ko-oren                   2 4 0 0 0 3 1 3 0 13
The Sovan Antithesis      0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0  1


                           Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD    Win % 
1 The Sovan Antithesis       4    3   1    22   20   +2    0.750
2 Aardenland                 3    2   1    16    9   +7    0.667
3 Ko-oren                    3    1   2    21   11  +10    0.333
4 Kinzar                     3    1   2    14   20   −6    0.333
5 Imota                      3    1   2     4   17  −13    0.333


Group 6
Kingdom of Costa Luna      0 2 0 0 0 2 0 1 0  5
The Serbian Empire         1 0 1 1 0 3 1 0 X  7

Ukrainya                   0 0 3 0 0 0 0 1 1  5
Sangti                     0 4 0 2 3 0 5 0 X 14


                            Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD    Win % 
1 Sangti                      4    3   1    30   17  +13    0.750
2 The Serbian Empire          3    2   1    19   14   +5    0.667
3 New Montreal States         3    1   2    11   13   −2    0.333
4 Kingdom of Costa Luna       3    1   2    15   20   −5    0.333
5 Ukrainya                    3    1   2    12   23  −11    0.333

[Nova Anglicana]

Lions Strike Gold, Earn First WBC Win

Allen Talos, Londinium Courier

Manager Graig Lowman went with the alternate white and gold jerseys yesterday at Archbishop Stadium, and it appeared to strike a chord with players and fans alike. They stood in stark contrast to the black and red of Super Bwitain, white knights in a battle against a corporate police state. From the first pitch to the last, the fans were generous with their applause and seemed to will the Lions to victory. And win they did, for the first win in the WBC and first win in a major sporting competition for Nova Anglicana. Lowman was rumoured to have had a meeting with Minister of Sport Brian Austin before the game, and one has to think that he would be in deep trouble if the Lions did not win yesterday.

The national team's bats woke up in this one, especially the bat of Roman Jennings. Jennings batted 2-3, scoring two runs and driving in one, as well as drawing a walk. One of his hits was a triple, 415 feet out to right-center. All in all, the Lions more than doubled their run total for the tournament, scoring 5 runs and rapping 10 hits.

The game was back and forth for a while, as Super Bwitain's Elmo Lum hit a two-run homer and Kaleb Phillips doubled in pitcher Ian Mercer, who himself had doubled. This matched Nova Anglicana's run total after five innings, as Jennings singled in center fielder Martín Torrés, young shortstop Jarrod Novak hit a sacrifice fly to score Jennings, and catcher Josh Heckman singled home second baseman Chris Fletcher. Both Super Bwitain starter Ian Mercer and Lions starter Noah Hawkins lasted five innings and surrendered three runs. The difference would be the bullpens. Six Nova Anglican relievers combined to pitch four no-hit innings. Lowman mixed and matched his relievers based on the Super Bwitain batters, and fearsome closer Eddy Cavazos set down the last two batters of the game to seal the victory.

For Super Bwitain's bullpen, however, outs were harder to come by. They surrendered five hits and two runs in three innings. In the bottom of the seventh, right hander Vern Alvin faced off against Lions 3B Brice Napier. Napier had been hitless and tormented by the strikeout in the tournament, but he crushed a 2-1 fastball 413 feet to straightaway center to give the Lions a lead they would not relinquish. Alvin could have surrendered another run, but was bailed out when Torrés lined into a double play, one of three double plays turned by Super Bwitain on the day. In the eighth, Jennings tripled off of Ayden Mandel and lefty specialist Barrett Beverly was brought in to face Kareem Al-Aniz. However, Al-Aniz smacked a hanging changeup into right to plate the insurance run.

The stars of this game were the Lions bullpen and team leader Roman Jennings, a trend that Lowman would like to see continue in the next game, on the road against the 49th-ranked Wolves of Kerblaekistan. Two things Nova Anglican fans should look for: can starting pitcher Kip Fischer break the 5+ ERA streak of Nova Anglican starters, and how will Phil Carter perform defensively at first, as well as Al-Aniz at DH when he is not playing defense? The Lions will take on right-hander Zuko Suzuki.

The first win for the national team couldn't have come at a better time, stopping them from falling to 0-3 and virtually out of contention. Lowman showed his penchant for strategy in this game, but can he guide the Lions to a win over a higher-ranked opponent on the road? Only time will tell. For now, enjoy the win, Lions fans.

Boxscore: http://novaanglicana.blogspot.com/2013/08/super-bwitain-at-nova-anglicana-lions.html

[Sakurakoku]

Qazox                  0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0  2  4 1
Sakurakoku             0 0 3 0 0 0 1 0 X  4  6 1

W - Izanagi (1-0)
L - Buller (0-1)

Play-by-Play Summary:

Top 1st:
Charles popped out to third.
Miles grounded out to second.
Northfield struck out swinging.

Bottom 1st:
Katou grounded out to shortstop.
Yasuzumi singled to center.
Horie flied out to left.
Yamagishi grounded out to pitcher.

Top 2nd:
Pachuga flied out to center.
Mathews struck out swinging.
Langdon grounded out to second.

Bottom 2nd:
Kaneko singled to left.
Kimihara grounded into double play, second baseman Antony to shortstop Charles to first baseman Langdon, Kaneko out at second, Kimihara out at first.
Suzuki struck out looking.

Top 3rd:
Antony walked.
Green lined out to second.
Cauldwell grounded into fielder's choice, third baseman Kaneko to second baseman Uemura, Antony out at second, Cauldwell safe at first.
Charles struck out swinging.

Bottom 3rd:
Uemura walked.
Dojima struck out swinging.
On passed ball, Uemura to second.
Katou doubled to left-center, Uemura scored. (1-0 Sakurakoku)
Yasuzumi reached first on fielding error by second baseman Antony, Katou to third.
Horie doubled to right, Katou scored, Yasuzumi scored. (3-0 Sakurakoku)
Yamagishi struck out swinging.
Kaneko singled to left, Horie to third.
Kimihara grounded out to first.

Top 4th:
Miles grounded out to shortstop.
Northfield walked.
Pachuga homered to right, Northfield scored. (3-2 Sakurakoku)
Mathews struck out swinging.
Langdon popped out to third.

Bottom 4th:
Suzuki grounded out to catcher.
Uemura struck out swinging.
Dojima foul popped out to first.

Top 5th:
Antony struck out looking.
Green grounded out to pitcher.
Cauldwell grounded out to second.

Bottom 5th:
Katou flied out to right.
Yasuzumi grounded out to shortstop.
Horie struck out swinging.

Top 6th:
Charles lined out to shortstop.
Miles singled to center.
Northfield grounded into double play, shortstop Dojima to second baseman Uemura to first baseman Horie, Miles out at second, Northfield out at first.

Bottom 6th:
Yamagishi flied out to right.
Kaneko lined out to pitcher.
Kimihara walked.
Suzuki popped out to first.

Top 7th:
Pachuga reached first on error by center fielder Katou, Pachuga to third.
(Pachuga injured. DEFENSE: Saitou in center field.) Mathews intentionally walked.
(PITCHING: Odawara) Langdon grounded into fielder's choice, second baseman Uemura unassisted, Mathews out at second.
(PITCHING: Hanamura) Antony flied out to center, Pachuga out at home (center fielder Saitou to catcher Suzuki).

Bottom 7th:
Uemura singled to right.
(PITCHING: Crenwick) Uemura stole second.
Dojima grounded out to first, Uemura to third.
Saitou sacrifice flied out to left, Uemura scored. (4-2 Sakurakoku)
Yasuzumi grounded out to second.

Top 8th:
Green grounded out to first.
Cauldwell infield singled to third.
(PITCHING: Junji) Charles walked, Cauldwell to second.
Miles grounded into fielder's choice, shortstop Dojima to first baseman Horie, Miles out at first, Cauldwell to third, Charles to second.
Northfiled struck out looking.

Bottom 8th:
(PITCHING: Bruno) Horie grounded out to shortstop.
Yamagishi struck out swinging.
(PITCHING: Jobs) Kaneko flied out to right.

Top 9th:
(PITCHING: Minamoto) Pachuga grounded out to first.
Mathews struck out swinging.
Langdon singled to left.
(PINCH HIT: Bramble) Bramble struck out looking.

[Ko-oren]

Ko-oren                   2 4 0 0 0 3 1 3 0 13 R  14 H  0 E
The Sovan Antithesis      0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0  1 R  5 H   2 E

@Sraltlur, Ko-oren. A: 24,081. T: 3:23

PITCHING
Name		IP K  BB H  ER ERA
Yoritomo	9  10 4  5  1  1.00

HITTING
1B - Minamoto (1), Hidetada (2), Nobunaga (2), Shotoku (7), Yoritomo (8)
2B - Godaigo (1), Ashikaga (2), Shotoku (6), Jinmu (7)
3B - Shotoku (1), Nobunaga (8)
HR - Minamoto (2), Fujiwara (6), Hidetada (8)

WBC 27 overall
Ko-oren                   3 4 0 0 0 7 1 4 2
Not Ko-oren               2 3 1 2 1 1 1 0 0

Base-stealing, walks, the Ko-orenite team was something different yesterday. The team never relied on those areas of the game that much, but against the Sovan Antithesis, they surely helped out. Against a painfully weak defense, the Greenblues managed to run home a whopping 13 times in their first WBC 27 victory. We were a bit suspicious of having a bye day after two unnecessary losses, but apparently the team crawled out of the bad vibes in a day, and won 13-1 to move up to third place in the ranking. Another fun statistic is the RD: +10. But didn't we lose two? And only win one? Yes. Both losses were by one run difference, so winning by 12 means the RD is +10 despite two losses. There shouldn't be many teams that can boast this kind of numbers, and even with one victory, we have the best RD of the group. The Sovan Antithesis, on the other hand, suffered a loss after three straight wins. This also was their last game in the first half of the group stage, which means they'll have to wait and see what team comes closer to them: Aardenland or Ko-oren (who play each other on day five). Kinzar and Imota have some problems in fourth and fifth place, but they play each other as well to see who will be the better of the two for now.

Somehow, the current Greenblues team seems different from earlier WBC's. Of course, the same players are on the team, but they still seem to have improved. Improved? With two opening losses? Maybe. This game was the first in which the players relied on stealing bases and earning walks, and at the same time they were rewarded with three home runs. From these, the latter two each had a player steal bases. One did not even bat himself in. As far as the overall WBC 27 standing is concerned: this might be the first time that the team has a positive record over the last two innings. Usually, the team managed to distance itself from the opponent, only to give up the game or the lead in the last minutes of the game. While Ko-oren still lost more than ever, the problem finally does not seem to be the last two innings.

On the other hand, Yoritomo had the night of his life, pitching all nine innings while still only allowing one run. Unfortunately not many people chose to head to Sraltlur for his best performance and the biggest win in quite some while, following the bad results earlier this WBC. Only if Ko-oren beats Aardenland tomorrow, we'll have a decent record going, and then people might even show up for national team games. But back to the pitchers: Yoritomo was by himself. In the previous games, the coaching staff chose to use more than one pitcher, and even had 5 pitchers against Kinzar. Yoritomo can expect some more time on the mound: maybe it is not such a good idea to use so many pitchers.

The players also seemed unfazed after the political turmoil and its conclusion: "We don't see it as such a problem. We're from the same state anyway, speaking the same language. I'm glad the linguistic situation gets some attention, but I think it's gotten too far. Still, I hope everyone's happy now, and we'll just get back to baseball. Maybe we'll see the consequences of all this later. But does that mean we can answer these questions in any language I want again?".

[Super-Llamaland]

Group 1
Cyborg Holland 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 2
Equestrian States 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 1 X 3


Pld W L RF RA RD Win %
1 Super-Llamaland 4 3 1 15 14 +1 0.750
2 New Edom 3 2 1 11 8 +3 0.667
3 Equestrian States 3 1 2 6 7 −1 0.333
4 Alitaba 3 1 2 9 14 −5 0.333
5 Cyborg Holland 3 1 2 12 10 +2 0.333

Reyes called Marshes five minutes before the explosion. The deadline had passed. Mendello had not come.

"What are you talking about?" asked Marshes. "He came a while a go to you."
"No, he didn't." said Reyes.
"Mr. Reyes, what are you talking about?"
"He didn't come here."
"Mendello said he came over here."
"He didn't." BOOM!
"What was that?"
"I don't know."
They went to bed a bit disgruntled, but they were shocked to see the headlines.

Onwards to the Game!
Alitaba 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 2
Super-Llamaland 0 0 2 2 0 0 0 1 X 5

Alitaba:
Dimangan (L, 0-1): 6 IP, 4 ER, 7 H, 4 K/2 BB, 105 Pitches
Panimogan: 2 IP, 1 ER, 2 H, 2 K/0 BB, 35 Pitches
Super-Llamaland:
Roswell: 4 2/3 IP, 1 ER, 6 H, 2 K/2 BB, 87 Pitches
Lee (W, 1-0): 3 1/3 IP, 1 ER, 3 H, 3 K/1 BB, 45 Pitches
Bowden (SV, 3): 1 IP, 0 ER, 0 H, 2 K/0 BB, 16 Pitches

Today, no "How they scored"!

Something was not right with Allan Roswell.

Something was off the last WBC26 too, but this time it was obvious. The thirty eight year old was declining fast. After Alitaba squandered a scoring chance in the first, Panagbuhi of the opponents hit a towering solo shot into left center field, 426 feet.

The Alitaba team, inexperienced at WBC play, squandered another two scoring chances.

In the third inning, the Tigers struck back. Bryant Moreno doubled, Roswell sacrificed him to third, and Max Danks singled him in. An out later, Alex Cameron's double scored Danks.

The Tigers weren't finished. The next inning, Brett Rochester and Jake Addams both singled, and Bryant Moreno's double scored them both.

Finally, Roswell was taken out in the fifth, an early hook. Knuckleballing Chris Lee got ten outs for the win. Nick Bowden closed it out.

Bryant Moreno had been great this tournament. The Tigers were still in first.