World Baseball Classic 16: Everything Thread (FINALS)

[Quintessence of Dust]

Yafor 2               043 000 001 - 8
Newmanistan           010 122 03X - 9

Zwangzug              200 100 000 000 012 - 6
Quintessence of Dust  100 001 100 000 010 - 4

Semifinals:
Newmanistan v Tocrowkia in Tarrentum (Newmanistan home for Game 1)
Cassadaigua v Zwangzug in Quintessence of Dust (Cassadaigua home for Game 1, meaning DH will be used then)

[Newmanistan]

THE ROCKET REPORT

SEMIS HAVE FAMILIAR LOOK

MegOil Imperial Stadium, Tarrentum- Jessica Brasfield has been confident, and talked about how much she wanted to bail out her bullpen after the way the team lost the second game of the series. The end result though, had Jessica needing to get picked up, but she would be, and the Rockets are heading to the semifinals for the 9th time in 10 tries following an amazing 9-8 victory over Yafor 2. Newmanistan will now play a familiar foe Tocrowkia, with two other common semifinalists, Cassadaigua and Zwangzug, awaiting in the other bracket. So even with all of the unexpected results early in qualifying that created a stir in the world, the final four are the same nations as we often see, just with some general roster turnover, unless you are Tocrowkia, who’s roster always seems to be about 95% the same.

You would not have known that Brasfield was going to have a bad start with the way she mowed down the Firebug batters in the first inning, but things turned quickly in the second. It was there that Yafor 2 hit five doubles in a row with the first five batters to come to the plate, to jump out to the 4-0 lead. Yaforite baseball at its finest, no doubt. Still, Brasfield settled back and got out of the inning without any further damage, and an RBI single by Rachel Cuyler in the bottom of the inning meant that coach Christina Sanders still felt confident in putting her back out there for the third. After getting the first batter out, Brasfield allowed three more runs on four hits, three singles sandwiching a double, before Sanders went to the bullpen. Christina says however that she did not make the wrong decision. “I never make the wrong decision in anything,” said Sanders in a common phrase she will use, “I make moves that sometimes don’t work out. Doesn’t mean that it was the wrong decision.” Brianna Bruce, who was the teams 1E starter (or #5 starter if you prefer that verbage) during the group stage was summoned to relieve Brasfield and she did just that. And then she did more, tossing in total 5 1/3 innings of relief, allowing just one hit. Brianna would be an unexpected hero, but isn’t that what always seems to happen with these Rockets? Somehow, someway, they seem to get it done.

Newmanistan did not come back and win this game by virtue of one big inning, but instead gradually chipped away at the Yafor 2 advantage. In the top of the 4th, Meghan Butler delivered a one out single into right-centerfield gap to score Danielle Scott, who had singled and then advanced to second on a wild pitch during the Butler at bat, but it would not be until an inning later where the Rockets really began to capture the momentum and have the Firebugs supporters begin to worry if the Rockets were going to, again, come through when they seem out of it. Julie Sexton started the inning off innocently enough, with a single, and Jessica Sorenson did the same. Brianna Bruce then came up and did as she was called upon to do, move the runners over. Yafor 2 elected to walk Stacie Meadows to set up a potential inning ending double play, and they got the ground ball to do that. Meadows was retired, but a high throw (forced by an aggressive slide by Meadows into second) pulled the first baseman off the bag, allowing Danielle Scott to reach safely, and for Sexton to score the run. Pitcher Orlando Delgado, who can be a true “Fire”bug at times, gave a long stare to first baseman Jamran Nalhamed even though Delgado knew, deep down, it wasn’t his fault. The next batter, Butler, looped an RBI single into left to make it 7-4. Yafor 2 momentarily stopped the bleeding, but there would be more in the sixth. Rachel Cuyler and Julie Sexton led the inning off with singles, but Jessica Sorenson struck out. Up came Brianna Bruce, again. Who, again, did her job, and moved the batters over. The Firebugs, with two outs, opted to walk Stacie Meadows again to set up a force play at any base. This time, Danielle Scott’s ground ball found room up the middle, and it enabled Cuyler and Sexton to score to make it 7-6. Yafor 2 got out of it, but now the fans wearing the sky blue were loud and the Yaforites nervous. They’ve seen the Rockets pull off this script before.

Trailing by a run in the bottom of the 8th, Newmanistan didn’t seem that concerned by time winding down to make the comeback. Julie Sexton was going to lead the inning off again, and things had gone well when she had the bat in her hands. Again, Sexton singled, but a double play on Jessica Sorenson’s grounder gave Yaforites a moment to be excited. They were also probably glad it would mean Brianna Bruce would be pulled from the game as Courtney Stafford stepped up to the plate as the pinch hitter. What they didn’t think would happen is that Courtney would hit the ball a long way. To the tune of 426 feet over the left field for the solo home run to tie the game up at seven runs a piece. Now, it was a brand new ball game! Keeping on the momentum, Stacie Meadows legged out an infield single, and game MVP Danielle Scott singled herself. Then it was Meghan Butler, who doubled to left, scoring the two runs and put the Rockets ahead for the first time in the game. And would Christina Sanders have any reservations about putting Erica Barrett on the mound in the 9th? Not at all, and she kept her there too when Algerin Makuur hit a solo HR to make it 9-8. Just a brief conference on the mound to calm her down, and Erica retired the next three batters with the ball not leaving the infield.

The team knows there is more work to do, but is relieved to have pulled out this game in the way that Rockets teams know how. There is never a quit in this team, and it showed. But if Newmanistan is to win another WBC, everyone knows that the other three teams in the semifinals are just as powerful. The kids have gone home, metaphorically speaking. Only the big girls and boys are left. Newmanistan, Tocrowkia, Cassadaigua, and Zwangzug. Let’s play ball! Kaitlyn Ahearn will get the game 1 start.

[Cassadaigua]

Jennifer’s Space

The World Baseball Classic now enters it’s semifinal stage, and if you hadn’t been following the tournament at all and I told you to guess the four semifinalists, I’m sure you would have nailed three of them, at least. Some people like upsets, while other people might be sick of them. Either way, there are no sleeper stories amongst the teams remaining. We will battle Zwangzug, who may be feeling a little sleepy after having to play 31 innings combined in the last two games, but we are sure they will have been over it by the time we meet. Certainly, we will try to take advantage of that fact by working the pitch count in each in at-bat, and making the Zebras starter throw a lot of pitches. Since we are not playing Newmanistan, having the opponent work up a pitch count is something that would be favorable to us if we can make them get to a bullpen that has been used a lot in the last two games. It really makes game one an important one for us. You want to jump on anyone early in a short series, but when you have an opponent in a situation as they are in, you want to take advantage. I have had a few people suggest that we should defer our DH preference in game one and have the pitchers hit, because they could further incite the Zebras to go to their bullpen. This is something that we have considered, but have opted against it. The reason for that is because while you want to play this advantage, you don’t want to beat yourself by overthinking or exaggerating it’s potential benefit. Meaghan Billington is an important bat in our lineup, and she has played really well so far. We want to keep it in the lineup, and we will for the games in which we are the unofficial home team.

The mood of the team is good. We are healthy, which is a big difference to where we were during the last Classic, and we are in great form, I think. We want to win that second championship, and are excited about playing either Newmanistan or Tocrowkia in the championship if we are able to get there. For different reasons, both would be a special series for us. Zwangzug is also one of the best teams in the world and known for getting to this stage time and time again, but it seems that in most cases, we have been in opposite brackets. We are excited to have this shot at them, and they possess a good lineup. If you are not as familiar with Zwangzug baseball, they are not a team that relies on star power, not to say their players are anything less. It’s a balanced team who tends to be very patient at the plate. They don’t have a ton of power but they more then make up for it with their ability to hit it where the fielders aren’t. To beat a team like Zwangzug, your defensive positioning is very important. Our Game 1 starter, Samantha Thatcher, is ready for the challenge of facing their lineup and its patient style, and knows that she will have to be cognizant of what they are trying to do out there. I guess we could be looking at a long game today. They’re patient, and we’re gonna be working pitching counts. Hopefully the umpires will leave their cowboy hats at home and are ready!

[Zwangzug]

Getting off to a relatively fast start didn't seem to be enough for the Zebras before, so what do they do? Get off to an even faster one, of course. Craga's still batting third, but he rips another single; Keigenbey flies out, but Throop lashes one into the outfield to bring in Craga and Pratt. (They'd call it a bases-clearing double if the bases had been loaded, even though they're not really clear in the end because she wound up on second. Does this count as "bases-clearing"? What's their rationale?)

And Quintessence of Dust add another run, even more quickly. It's a solo homer from Anna Alaja, but Vaughan settles down and retires Sanderson. And the next few innings aren't too dramatic. Zwangzug scores an insurance run (a concept you still, in spite of everything, have) in the fourth; Throop singles, Turner draws a walk, and Blitch pokes a single beyond Li.

Sanderson's double brings in Kivistö in the sixth. Grudgingly, Gina Croes calls the bullpen, and a moment later Carrano is throwing. Mostly changeups. Vaughan does get Wakabayashi to fly out, though, and Spade fouls out to Turner.

But then comes the seventh. Ptarmigan walks and Grubenšek belts a deep double to score him. Carrano enters, Nyman pinch-hits, she works the count for a while but they eventually get her. Carrano gets out of the inning--how many more to go?

They leave her in the game. What else can they do? It's no easier for Quintessence of Dust, of course; yeah, Tal Isaachar used to be a starter, but he was sort of busy the previous night. Morning, maybe. Is this all still the same day?

The graphic on the TV suggests that the new pitcher is someone named Wei Hsia. At least in Zwangzug, there is some information that TV is genuinely better at providing than radio. Anyway, the Zebras can't get anything off of him. Carrano works the eighth, but fitfully, and they keep cutting to Croes muttering into the phone.

Who's the bullpen coach? Someone who can understand Gina Croes. Narrows it down, really.

Spade reaches to lead off the ninth, and steals, and Carrano is trying to hide her frustration. No, not frustration, she can let that through. She just wants the chance to keep going--she is strong enough, this is what she's worked for--but she's also exhausted, and Croes sees. Helmsley comes in with little warmup, though at this rate she'll hardly need it. The ninth itself might be the warmup for the tenth and...

No, you stop yourself. No, you can't...can't think of the future, really at all, can't assume anything if you want to be safe. Have to live in the moment. It's just so difficult.

Well, they do leave Helmsley in for the tenth, and she does okay. Gets the first out of the eleventh, too, though they put in Smalls when Spade comes up again. And she, too, succeeds for once. The Things' bullpen does their part as well; there are pinch-hitters, double switches on both sides.

There is no room for subterfuge, for sending someone up just to pull them back; perhaps Jun Zhou, with two more players to work with, could have gotten away with it, but Croes has no room. The only names they talk about are the players there on the field. It's not even like other rivalries might be, what this might look like to those who might not know any better, where cycling and skiing and football would be whispered about, remembered. Not tonight. Not for "nations" really, when you get right down to it, just two baseball teams. Two teams that maybe don't make drama like others do, but to whom fate has given this series whether they ask for it or not.

Lose tonight, and there is no tomorrow. (Or lose this morning and there's no today--exactly what time zone are Quintessence of Dust in? Could you look it up? Would you? No.) But who do the Zebras go to now? You disparaged the bullpen to begin with, and now--is this too some sort of recompense? Back in the day they had four-person rotations, couldn't they do that again?

They cut to the Zebras bullpen. Sure enough, there's a number fifty-five.

If Loomis wears himself out now, because you...Bleepit.

The fourteenth. They're using every player they've got, Zwangzug, and it's hardly surprising anymore that it's Mercer's turn now. A drive to right, not deep enough.

Maybe it's deep enough. You shouldn't assume. When you assume "no" it's "no", when you assume "yes" it's "no". That's what you meant, that too much is as bad as not enough. Shouldn't the conclusion be that things will always backfire, not that you shouldn't assume? Or do you like believing yourself to be somehow mattering?

This is enough for this! A ground-rule double! Zebras lead for the first time since the seventh, it is the fourteenth now, a pattern. Of course it would be Mercer. That's how stories work--symbolism, synchronicity--and sometimes reality is its own story too.

Now they just have to close it out.

Ha.

It's a standing double for Sanderson that brings Alaja in. Loomis enters then. Well, he has had four days of rest.

Maybe if you're not really a nation, you should enjoy this. This is great baseball, maybe it's baseball's greatness, to not even be done even then. Are other fans just rooting for a tie game, to keep going? (What time is it in other places? The rest of the LAZY?)

Other fans. Shouldn't there be other fans, influencing things? Or are you really just strange? And with respect to what?

Well, by that hypothesis, at least the Things shouldn't walk off. And they don't.

So to the fifteenth. Throop walks. Zhou maybe fuming, is it better to throw it over the plate at this point? Don't wear out your arms walking people. Except, so little room for error either way. It's still "just" fifteen, after all. Pisciott singles, and Oates grounds into a fielder's choice, second to short, but he beats the throw to first.

Meg Hietala is still there, they just sort of stuck Mercer in at first. She takes a strike called, a ball high, a ball inside. And singles into left-center. Throop comes in.

So what now? Let Loomis bat for himself and try to close out the lead again? Pinch-hit and hope for more runs so it won't be that much work?

No. It's Cynthia Derly's turn in the batting order. There'd been a double switch. You're not paying attention, you don't deserve a win.

Derly rips one down the left-field line, just foul. Another foul, to right, the catch made for out number two. Aleplow's double drives in Oates, and then Loomis strikes out looking.

They get one on with two outs, but it is not enough, and a pop to the mound ends the game.

Zebras win.

Okay, wait, so you sort of jinxed having Mercer's double win it but not really, because they still won, or what? You've been trying not to think about it until after the game is over with one way or another, but now the only thing you want to do is sleep. You turn off the TV and computer first, though, before climbing up to bed, because you don't want to waste electricity.

OOC: Back to the normal lineup for the rest of the tournament.

[Quintessence of Dust]

RP cutoff for the first semifinal games.

[Quintessence of Dust]

Tocrowkia             201 210 000 - 6
Newmanistan           100 020 000 - 3

Zwangzug              041 000 120 - 8
Cassadaigua           102 107 01X - 12

[Tocrowkia]

NordicNation.net

World Baseball Classic 16 coverage

Code: Select all

TEAMS        1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9   R H E
TOC          2 0 1 2 1 0 0 0 0  6 9 0
NEW          1 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0  3 7 0


WIN:
Sofie Behm (2-2)
HRs:
Michael Hammer 1 (6)

The rather pedestrian linescore betrays what was an unusual game for the Nordics. No, there wasn't any unassited triple play, or a cycle, or anything else flashy. But what did happen was that for the first time in team history, three members of the team were ejected, and five combined for the Rockets and the Nordics. It's been mentioned by other nations, and we're going to come out and say it too: The umpiring in last three Classics has gone progressively downhill, and it's all coming to a head in the 16th. The ridiculous shortening of the strike zone being but one of many complaints. It all started in the first, when after Kitten Dyfuse lead off the ball game with a single, and Adam Marksworth followed suit. During Stryker's at bat, the Nordics performed a double-steal on a 2-1 count. When the count got to 3-1, Ahearn hit the low outside corner. Stryker was in the process of tossing his bat and undoing his ankle guard when the Qazoxian homeplate umpire called it a strike.

"Seriously?" Stryker could be heard saying as he stepped back into the box. It turned out to be a good thing, because Stryker lined the next pitch from Ahearn up the middle and scored both runners. In the next at bat, Stryker attempted a steal of second and was called out on a bang-bang play. Though he clearly wasn't happy with that call either, Johnny proceeded back to the dugout with nothing more than a harsh glare. The Rockets got out of the inning without further trouble. The players from Newmanistan also questioned the strike zone in the bottom half, especially veteran Courtney Weinman, whom with Danielle Scott at second had an odd call similar to Strykers, in that the count was 3-1 and she thought she got a base on balls. No such luck. Weinman came through for her team, though, and knocked in Scott anyway.

It was in the third with Jill Haviland on second after a double and a groundout by Dmitri Rykov to the left side that we saw our first ejection. Kevin Monroe, whom had been dealing with the umpires erratic strikezone behind the plate was called out on a pitch WAY inside, and had some parting comments for the umpire on his way back to his dugout. Obviously not impressed, the ump tossed him. Monroe came back over to argue, and Paul Rudolf came out to back his player up. He was tossed as well before he even reached the top step. In his 9-year career as a WBC manager, Rudolf had never been ejected and it insighted a slew of comments from the Nordics dugout.

Eventually, Rudolf and Monroe made their way off the field, but not before both men said their peace. Monroe's peace was, of course, much more vulgar. In the bottom half of the inning, Newmanistan lost one of it's own players when Weinman, in her second at bat was rung up on a bitch around her CHIN. She too had some parting comments, which got her tossed as well! In the very next inning the Nordics got two more runs when Kathrin Jordan led off with a single, was bunted over, and was driven in by a Kitten Dyfuse double, and Kitten came round' on an Adam Marksworth RBI single. In the bottom half of the inning, there was yet ANOTHER ejection when Jessica Sorenson, Rockets catcher, was ALSO wrung up on a questionable pitch had some things to say very similar to her opposite number, Kevin Monroe.

The rest of the game proceeded relatively okay for awhile, Michael Hammer destroyed an offering from the Rockets pitcher and sent it 420+ feet into the stands for insurance. Behm coughed up two more runs, but was lights out after. In the seventh, Johnny Stryker had yet another tense at bat in which he thought he should have gotten a free pass, but was called a strike. It ended with a hard hit grounder to third. On his way back to the dugout, Stryker pointed to the umpire and had some pretty triple-x rated things to say about his strike zone. That earned him a toss, too.

Other than that, the game proceeded nicely in the late going. Behm pitched eight strong, and the bullpen held down in the 9th. Now the Nordics once again assume a commanding position in the series, and need only win one of two possible games to send them to the finals for only the second time in team history.

[Newmanistan]

THE ROCKET REPORT

WORLD CLASS UMPIRING? NOT HERE

Tarrentum- The first topic up for discussion following the Rockets 6-3 loss to the Nordics of Tocrowkia was not the dire situation that Newmanistan now finds themselves in if they want to find their way to another championship. Nor was it whether or not putting Brittany Castelli on the mound for game two would be a risky proposition given the last time she started a playoff game against the Nordics. It was the umpiring crew. And if you watched the game, you know exactly way.

It is a shame that we have to talk about this. Here we are in Tarrentum, with a series that sees the undisputed best four baseball playing nations in the world remaining, giving fans in both host nations the chance to see some amazing baseball. We should be talking about a strong pitching performance on the mound by Sophie Behm, a strong half-game by Courtney Weinman, or a key blast by Michael Hammer, but we are not. You can accept one bad call as a part of the game. Two, well maybe it’s just a bad day. A few called on one team but not the other can at least lead to people wondering if they accepted a bribe. But it when it is consistently bad, and both teams are victimized by bad calls, then it’s time to criticize. Maybe in a group stage game you can tolerate it, but not here. This Qazian crew was terrible. It started for the Rockets in the bottom of the first inning, with the first batter, Stacie Meadows, who was ruled to have gone around on a check swing on a 3-1 count that would have been ball 4. And knowing Stacie, that may have been a 3-base walk. Johnny Stryker also had an earned walk taken away. In the 3rd, Nordics catcher Kevin Monroe was ejected for arguing a ball four, and his manager, Paul Rudolf was ejected because he must have looked like he was about to argue. Rudolf had never been ejected in a WBC game before, and even Christina Sanders was seen lip syncing the word “wow” then it happened. If Rockets fans were enjoying this and thinking that it would only be Nordics getting tossed they soon were quieted as well after Courtney Weinman was absurdly rung up on a high ball four. Her rage could not be contained and she shouted out several obscenities to the umpire after she was tossed following a stare down. Christina Sanders moved towards the field before she was restrained by hitting coach Allyson Payne. Payne likely reminded her of the quick ejection to Rudolf. Later, Jessica Sorenson was ejected again for questioning a call. As a catcher, and see what happened to her opposing backstop, Jessica went ballistic. Screaming, yelling and kick up a loud of dirt. Since the umpires face mask had fallen to the ground, she picked it up and threw it halfway across the infield. Both Rocket and Nordic fans seemed to enjoy the tirade. Sanders had briefly gone out on the field, but then was turned back by Payne. The umpire, given the cloud of dirt that Sorenson had kicked up, probably did not notice it. Then late in the game, even Johnny Stryker was tossed for screaming at the umpire, drawing him applause from a few Rockets fans as well. Amazingly, Sanders never found herself ejected, and likely has the restraint of Allyson Payne to thank for that. The game, when the teams were allowed to play baseball and settle it between themselves, was won by Tocrowkia 6-3, as we mentioned. Kaitlyn Ahearn went 6 innings in the defeat.

As we’ve mentioned, we can only talk about the umpiring at this point, and Christina Sanders openly stated her opinion, “We’ve been saying for so long now about the umpiring going downhill, about the terrible strike zone, and it really showed today. I don’t know if there is a strike zone with some of these guys. It’s as if they pre-determine what they are going to call the pitch before it is even thrown. This is a semifinal, and there is no excuse for this. It’s a disgrace to the fans and to the players that a game gets decided like this.” Sanders also defended Paul Rudolf saying, “He did nothing, and he’s always good at keeping his emotions in check. When you look at his history, and lack of ejections, he deserves the benefit of the doubt. I wish we could eject the umpires.” Kaitlyn Ahearn said focus became an issue quickly, “Sophie reacted to it better. It was just terrible, like coach says it’s like he made up his mind what to call it before I even threw it.”

With all of that behind us, the Rockets look to game two, and it will be Brittany Castelli on the mound. Tocrowkia tore her apart in her start against them in the playoffs of the last Classic, but then the next day, Castelli came out of the bullpen in extended extra innings and did not allow a baserunner and got herself a win. It makes for an interesting matchup given that history. Hopefully, Castelli and company, and the Nordics will determine who wins the mini best-of-three within the bigger best-of-three, and not the umpires.

[Tarrentum]

WBC 16 Tournament Update

Tarrentum Championship Series
Newmanistan vs. Tocrowkia - Tocrowkia leads Newmanistan 1-0 (Best of Three)

Quodite Championship Series
Cassadaigua vs. Zwangzug - Cassadaigua leads Zwangzug 1-0 (Best of Three)

[Zwangzug]

Rachel Weston's solo homer in the first doesn't seem to get to Cordemoy too much; he gets Katie Mancuso to pop to Throop and that ends the inning.

Cordemoy is starting, and Croes has said Cieger will pitch game two. What is she up to? You guess knowing there's going to be another series gives you a little more flexibility, but you don't know how long it will be.

But anyway, the Zebras erupt again in the top of the second for four runs. Keigenbey leads off with a double down the line, and Throop sends another off the fence. Now it's Pisciott's chance; he fouls off a couple before finding a pitch he likes and sending it too into the outfield. Craga walks, though Turner strikes out looking. Blitch singles to left to bring in Pisciott, and all of a sudden it's back up to Aleplow! Wow. This really feels like a different team--it's not really back to the old lineup as much as it is ahead to a new one.

Aleplow pops out.

They score again in the next inning, though; Mercer walks on a full count and Keigenbey drives him in. Meaghan Billington leads off the bottom half with a single. (You don't watch enough Liventian/Ad’ihani games to know where DHes usually hit--with the Zebras it's in the middle or bottom of the order, when pressed, but is ninth that common? Something to look into...)

But then it's back to Anderson, again, and she gets a hit. Driver grounds into a double play but Billington goes to third. Weston drives her in, and Katie Mancuso works the count before getting another RBI. The next inning, one more. Deanna Hudson fouls off a bunch before finally singling and Billington connects on the first pitch she sees, into center to score Poulin. She looks so young.

Scoreless in the fifth.

Poulin gets a hit to lead off the sixth for Cassadaigua. Hudson gets another. Billington connects and sends one deep into right field. Keigenbey's backpedalling--

Just don't tie it up.

Bleepit.

It doesn't tie it up. It gives Cassadaigua the lead, the cutoff not in time to get Hudson. And the hits just keep coming. They start swinging earlier, not wanting to wear Cordemoy out so much as knock him out of the game. Did Croes save Loomis so he could mop up this, too?

Cassadaigua's fourth and fifth starters were relievers on the national team before. Maybe the Zebras should just bring starters and ask some of them to pitch relief. Maybe that's how it worked before. Maybe they will someday and hopefully you'll have forgotten you thought of it first, just in case it backfires.

But after Billington pops out to end the debacle, the Zebras come up to bat with new energy. Maybe they just want to give the pitchers time not to pitch. Whatever the case, Blitch is taking all the way, working the count, and eventually draws a walk. Pisciott fouls off a few, then gets a hit. Aleplow takes her time between pitches, strikes out looking. Pratt's pitch is the second of the at-bat, but that's okay, it's a single and Blitch scores. But Mercer and Keigenbey can't get any more.

Still, there's time, and you're not concerned about other things to do because, let's face it, they're down by five, it takes time to come back from that. Throop doubles and almost looks like she wants to go for three, but she holds up, and Pisciott drives her in anyway. Then Craga (sixth...seventh now, he is hard to remember) grounds into a fielder's choice, but Turner walks. Blitch strikes out, but Aleplow singles.

That's all, though, and Cassadaigua even get another run in the eighth off Smalls when Hudson drives in Branston. The Zebras get two on and two out in the top of the ninth, but don't score.

"How are you feeling?"

You can't tell whether the right answer is "Great! No migraines today!" or "Ever since Harry Kowallis died it's the same things over again, only worse, and now I'm analyzing them," so you split the difference with "Okay."

The follow-up questions imply that it was the latter.

[Tarrentum]

RP Cut-Off for Game 2 in the Championship Series'

[Tarrentum]

Tarrentum Championship Series

Newmanistan           121 020 000 - 6
Tocrowkia             000 008 00X - 8

Quodite Championship Series

Cassadaigua           101 100 220 - 7
Zwangzug              120 000 000 - 3

Cassadaigua vs. Tocrowkia in the World Baseball Classic 16 Championship Series (Best-of-5)

• Cassadaigua home for Games 1-2 and (if necessary) Game 5
• Cassadaigua uses the DH when Home
• Games will take place at MegOil Imperium Stadium, Napoliroma, Tarrentum

Newmanistan vs. Zwangzug in the WBC 3rd Place Series (Best-of-3)

• Newmanistan home for Game 1 and (if necessary) Game 3
• Games will take place at Krozile State Ballpark, Krozuy, Krozile

[Tocrowkia]

NordicNation.net

World Baseball Classic 16 coverage

Code: Select all

TEAMS        1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9   R H E
NEW          1 2 1 0 2 0 0 0 0  6 13 0
TOC          0 0 0 0 0 8 0 0 x  8 11 0


WIN:
Julius Kalden (1-0)
Save
Jamie Von Tipker (4)
HRs:
Kathrin Jordan 1 (1), Dmitri Rykov 1 (5)

For six innings, Nordic Nation was in laconic silence. The Rockets had bent Matthew Shaporio over and given it to him hard. No lubricant. Was it the ghosts of Nordics past coming back to haunt them again? Or just a bad outing? Either way, Nordic Nation was sure that defeat here meant defeat in the series. This was the misery that the fanbase felt, the misfortune the team had been dealt with, all come to head in one terrible, terrible game. Down six-zip in the sixth, it looked like it would go to three games. On to eventual defeat. Brittany Castelli pitching well, and the Nordics hadn't rapped out any extra base hits to that point.

Then it happened.

Kathrin Jordan lined a Castelli fastball on the first pitch over the wall in right for a homerun. Then Domino Mazdrick hit pinch-hit single up the middle. Then Kitten Dyfuse doubled down the right field line. Adam Marksworth flew out to scored Mazdrick. Stryker lined up the middle to score Dyfuse. Dmitri Rykov hit one that still hasn't landed in all likelihood to center, a mammoth 479+ foot blast. Kevin Monroe singled. Jill Haviland walked. Michael Hammer drove them both in with a double. In the blink of an eye, they Nordics had ripped Castelli a new one and the complexion of the game had changed entirely. Kathrin Jordan doubled Hammer in, and Mazdrick drove her in for a shocking eight run inning. The bullpen of both nations held up after that, but the Nordics punched their ticket to the finals for the second time in history when Jamie Von Tipker struck out Stacy Meadows.

Now, they take on the Dagans. Hopefully the forfeit-gate stuff is behind both teams now. Both teams are undefeated in their play-off runs, it will be two freight straights heading straight for one another. An immovable object against an irresistible force. Nordic Nation wants that second title bad, but so too must the Dagan fan base. The Zebras, The Stars, The Rockets, The Millionaires have all been swept into the dustpan leaving only these two titans. Both have over come so much adversity to reach this point, neither will back down. Both will give it everything they have left in the tank.

Scalp the tickets. Apply the pine tar. The shows about to begin.

[Zwangzug]

Cassadaigua are visitors, nominally--Bates has to bat but they do start first. And they strike early, Weston's drive pulled down the right-field line bringing in Anderson. It's the first and it still feels like there's time; Throop's single drives in Pratt, after all, and the game is soon enough tied.

Then the Zebras go ahead. Turner walks; Blitch grounds into a fielder's choice at second, but Cieger helps his own cause with a single into short left. Aleplow pokes one into longer left and Blitch comes in, and after Pratt strikes out, Mercer drives in Cieger though they get Aleplow at the plate.

But he can't hold the lead for long. Driver is...driven, as it were...in by Mancuso. (The TV announcers miss the pun. You don't, because you've grown up on WTB, but their style is sort of old-fashioned these days and you're not quite sure what the metaphor means, just that it's what you say when someone gets an RBI.)

And then the next inning, Hudson up with two on and one out to get the single that scores Branston. The next few half-innings pass slowly, and it feels like both teams are waiting for something, a half-formed something that you try not to flesh out too much in your mind.

The announcers tell you that Cassadaigua have never lost a semifinal series. You turn the sound off.

Maybe it happens in the seventh. Mancuso's stance seems compact, but all of a sudden she turns and unleashes the ball ten rows up into the stands, and Weston too comes in.

Cieger gives way to David Nelson, who gets out of that jam.

It feels quiet. You turn something on, something to listen to.

"Butendler steps to the plate."

Of course. Out of the blue and yet somehow unsurprising. Some sort of confirmation bias, you tell yourself, it's got to be.

Wait, no, they're starting again. You pause the replay and come back to it between half-innings.

In the eighth, Nelson has his turn to give up runs. Murphy walks and Hudson singles. Billington pinch-hits and doubles to make it 7-3.

"He's oh for two so far."

Eventually Gordon Chane of all people comes in, and, of all people, does fine.

"And the rain is really coming down now."

The bottom halves bring their own desperation.

"They're waving the players off the field, there's going to be a delay."

And after Hudson settles under Aleplow's popup and makes the catch, you're not sure whether you feel tired or what.

"I just don't know how it opened up so fast, it looked so beautiful before. Harry, have you ever seen anything like this?"

"Once."

And maybe he could have left it like that--ask a simple question, get a simple answer--but it's a rain delay and there was nothing else to do, so he asks. "What happened?"

"I wanted a hot dog."

"What?"

"I had tickets to this game, this is back when I was just a fan, and I'd been looking forward to it. The day came, and all of a sudden I found myself looking forward to--not the game, not even the game, just getting one of those ballpark hotdogs. I was so hungry, so excited to get there and start eating, and we went...and it was rained out. Clear skies like this, then all of a sudden it opened up.

So, we went back, and stopped at this little restaurant and I got my hotdog. Worst one I ever ate."

"Sorry to hear that, Harry," says Marshall. "Well, it's 6-0 Mustangs here..."

And that's it. No screams, no glory, nothing happens in the game at all. It's not the type of thing you'd think people would start quoting. Maybe the tone in Avilez' voice when he goes "...What?" as in "What have I gotten myself into?" "What's with this guy?" "What do we have to do to bide this time?" Yeah, okay, people can copy that.

Maybe it was just the timing. You're not into history, of course, but that might have been the first full season when Zwangzugians were trying to downplay that that was what they were. The first full season they were more careful than ever about what they wished for because they'd gotten it and look how that turned out. It might have been the season where the Senators lost thirteen in a row.

The Mustangs, you know, went on to win just 6-2. So the rain cleared. They finished. The Senators even scored. But it wasn't enough for them.

Did Kowallis try hard enough? Did you?

[Cassadaigua]

Jennifer’s Space

In my last blog, written prior to the start of the Zwangzug series, I talked about how our game plan for the first game would be to work the pitch counts long. We were able to do this quite well, both when we briefly held the lead after Rachel Weston’s home run, to after giving up four runs in the top of the second. Our focus remained the same: in the long run, by doing this, it would play to our advantage. We gained confidence as the innings passed by, and even though Samantha Thatcher had a short start today, we knew that our bullpen was going to step it up. In the sixth inning, we just went on a roll. Julie Poulin’s single seemed innocent enough, as did the one form Deanna Hudson, both coming on a full count, and they would start a string of hits, even a few times swinging early in the count since we knew Cordemoy had been rattled. I had an RBI single myself in this inning, which saw us plate seven runners and take an 11-5 lead. How great was that? Well, the excitement was a little short lived since the Zebras did put forth a valiant comeback bid, but in the end we celebrated the 12-8 victory. We should be proud of this win, and let us not lose sight of the great job done by the bullpen. Earlier in the Classic, I responded to a Tarrentum reporter questioning whether or not it was better to form a bullpen at this level by bringing in pure relievers, or transforming starters. We are very happy with the way we do it, transforming starters for all but the short relief roles. Those short relief spots are indeed, pure relievers.

With the 1-0 lead, we had the opportunity to put the series away quickly, and we did just that. There will be no game three today, and we have a little extra time to prepare for our next opponent, even though we can just use our notes from the last Classic since it appears to be the exact same Tocrowkia roster. We will face them thanks to our 7-3 win in the second game, scoring four runs in the final two innings to break open what had been a 3-3 deadlock. Brianna Bates gave us a good start, even though she will tell you she could have done a little better. The big hit in this one was the 2-run home run off the bat of Katie Mancuso in the seventh inning to pull us in front, and then the two runs of insurance we picked up on the 2-RBI double by Meaghan Billington in the next inning. Kiersten Murphy deserves praise for drawing a walk in an 11-pitch at-bat in which she had gone down 0-2 in the count. Again our bullpen, this time the short relievers in the 8th and 9th, were clutch and the Zebras were unable to put a dent in the lead. The victory sends us now to the final, where Tocrowkia will await. We’ve gotten used to playing them, having knocked them out in the last two semifinals, and this time it will be for a championship. History has been our side against them! Marissa Leahey starts the first game, and it will be Sarah Cerutti and Rachel Friedman in games 2 and 3.

[Newmanistan]

THE ROCKET REPORT

NOT THE SERIES WE WANTED

(but we're not going to forfeit)

Quintessence of Dust- The series that the world cares about will be taking place in Tarrentum between Tocrowkia and Cassadaigua, and it should be a good series. The Rockets will be a long way away from Napoliroma, and instead be in Krozuy for the third place series against Zwangzug. For a nation that has made frequent trips to the final, this is certainly a letdown, and you can say the same thing for the Zebras as well. I (Shannon Spencer) had a brief exclusive interview with coach Christina Sanders about the upcoming third place series and the attitude of the team heading into it.

SS: I would like to thank Christina for taking the time to do this interview. Even though we would rather be doing this in Tarrentum, I still see the competitive fire in her eyes.

CS: You’re right, Shannon. We’re certainly not about to forfeit.

SS: Still, I know it will be tough to be here.

CS: It will. Congratulations to Tocrowkia though. They get another crack at it and someone will win their second title, so there is nothing wrong with that. We would have loved the chance to play Cassadaigua, because it would have been a chance to avenge fourteen. (WBC 14). The Nordics did what they needed to do and you can’t take that away from them.

SS: What happened in game two. Everything was going so well, and then and eight run outburst against you.

CS: That’s baseball. Things can fall apart in a hurry, and certainly we didn’t see it coming. It started with the home run, but the back-breaker was the double by Kitten Dyfuse that followed the pinch hit single. That got their juices flowing, the momentum rolling, and what begins the snowball effect. It changed an inning from getting one back with the home run, to a potential big inning. The Rykov home run will be on the highlight shows, but the Dyfuse hit made the inning.

SS: The umpiring was better. They seemed to listen to the complaints about the first game.

CS: Yeah it was better but not perfect. I’m convinced that Meghan Butler drew that eighth inning walk that would have loaded the bases with one out. Instead it was called strike two, and she then grounded into a double play. It does look like ball four, every time you look at it. But ya know, it’s really the only real bad call of the game, and I can’t get too upset about it. It didn’t strike Meghan out and she still had a chance. And I don’t want to detract from what the Nordics did, they certainly earned their win. They got the out they needed too.

SS: Do you do anything differently in the third place series? Such as play younger players?

CS: That’s a great question, Shannon. Obviously we are not as experienced with third place series’ as other teams. While you want to win every game you play, let’s face it, the Empire doesn’t really care if we win or lose this series. To them, we’ve already lost, and that’s all the matters. And I can understand them thinking that What it does do is provide a tremendous opportunity, so it is something I plan on doing. For instance, Rachel Cosgrove is starting game one.

SS: Cosgrove starting game one on the mound. Any other plans?

CS: Brianna Bruce pitches game two. Tara Rulison is going to start behind the plate in each, and I might mix and match a little bit. (OOC: Zwangug, if you RP first, feel free to "Mix and match" in our lineup at your will, just keep people in the same position).

SS: Making the most of the series then.

CS: You have to, and it’s something the rest of the team can rally around. Zwangzug will bring it too, so even though this isn’t the series our fans wanted, I suggest they watch it anyway. It will be good baseball.

SS: Indeed. Thank you for you time.

CS: You’re welcome, Shannon.

[Tarrentum]

Everybody was Kung-Fu fighting!!

And busy being Cut-Off.

Because those boys were fast as lightning!

And had to see the results for the first games of the WBC Championship Series and 3rd Place Series (we really need a new name for that).

[Tarrentum]

World Baseball Classic Championship Series

MegOil Imperium Stadium (Napoliroma, Tarrentum, Tarrentum)

Tocrowkia             002 000 001 - 3
Cassadaigua           100 000 40X - 5

Cassadaigua leads 1-0 in Best of 5 Series

WBC 3rd Place Series

Krozile State Ballpark (Krozuy, Krozile, Tarrentum)

Zwangzug              000 000 000 - 0
Newmanistan           000 000 001 - 1

Newmanistan leads 1-0 in Best of 3 Series

[Lycrabon]

OOC: Maybe the 3rd place series should get corporate sponsorship?

[Tocrowkia]

NordicNation.net

World Baseball Classic 16 coverage

Code: Select all

TEAMS        1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9   R H E
TOC          0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 1  3 8 0
CAS         1 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 x  5 8 0


LOSS:
Alexandria Dassow (5-1)

Alexandria Dassow, after pitching six strong innings was a tough-luck loser and now the Nordics look to become the exception, not the rule, to the "He who blinks first blinks last" school of thought.

From looking at the linescore, you might think that Marissa Leahey was lights out, which was simply not the case. The umpires were at it again with their fluctuating strike zone. Leahey registered only three strikeouts all game long, Dassow two. They both registered six walks. The difference is that the Dagans cashed in when they had runners on base, especially in the seventh after Dassow had departed and the bullpen took over. The Nordics left ten men on base in game one. The Dagans left eight. Those two runners were the difference in the game.

So now, a team with one of the most magical playoff runs in history has to make one more. Three more games to win. They believe they can. "No one in the clubhouse doubts we can do this. No one is thinking about losing." Johnny Stryker said after the game. "We all believe we can get this done. To think anything else, well, that's incomprehensible to us."

[Zwangzug]

The one nice thing about elimination is that the third-place series really isn't as stressful as the championships. You would be watching the latter if the TV wasn't in use, but it is, so you find yourself "watching" on the computer once again.

It's a fast-moving game. Craga and Wheeler provide singles for both teams in the second, so nothing to worry or grow excited about that way, but neither team can really get their attack together and the game moves on. You don't recognize a lot of the Rockets, and they're not doing anything to become recognizable--bar Rachel Cosgrove who mows down batter after batter.

Eventually the TV frees up, and you half-watch, half shiver as the Nordics and Dagans draw walks. (You're not nervous about the outcome of this game, you're just really cold.) It doesn't really hold your attention, though, so you go back to the computer. Middle of the ninth. Still no score. Great. Extras again.

Ooh, news--they're trying to get the BUBL set up again. "Baseball is just what Zwangzug needs right now!" crows its would-be president. Well, he's sort of right. "Think about it: soda, popcorn, hot dogs..."

You think about it. You like popcorn, but don't like the other two. Maybe that was Kowallis' problem.

You're not missing anything in the game...no, nothing's happening, they're changing pitchers after Lutrick walked Scott to lead off the ninth.

Great. Chane.

Jillian Sanderson pops out, but then it's Meghan Butler. She rips one down the line, just foul, takes the next high, and the next one hits the wall in right-center. Scott comes in and that's it.

[Tarrentum]

Banana!

Cut-Off!

[Tarrentum]

World Baseball Classic Championship Series

MegOil Imperium Stadium (Napoliroma, Tarrentum, Tarrentum)

Tocrowkia             200 001 000 - 3
Cassadaigua           000 000 010 - 1

Best-of-5 WBC Championship Series Tied 1-1 (first team to win three games)
Tocrowkia "Home" team for Games 3 and 4

WBC 3rd Place Series

Krozile State Ballpark (Krozuy, Krozile, Tarrentum)

Newmanistan           000 000 110 - 2
Zwangzug              700 000 00X - 7

Best-of-3 Third Place Series Tied 1-1
Newmanistan "Home" team for Final Game

[Tocrowkia]

NordicNation.net

World Baseball Classic 16 coverage

Code: Select all

TEAMS        1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9   R H E
TOC         2 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0  3 5 0
CAS         0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0  1 6 0


WIN:
Tommy Thunder (4-1)
save
Jamie Von Tipker (5)
HRs:
Johnny Stryker 1 (7)

The Nordics took an early lead when Johnny Stryker blasted a two-run shot over the right field wall after a one out Adam Marksworth single to left, and they never looked back as they evened up the series one game a piece. The umpires weren't being as wonky with their strike zone as the night before, and Tommy Thunder was his old self for one more night. The aging ace tossed a complete game with seven strikeouts, one walk, and one earned run in game 2. Sarah Cerutti, his opposite number, didn't pitch a bad game with five strikeouts and zero walks, but just like in game one, there had to be a tough luck loser. Tonight thankfully that loser was on the Dagans.

The Nordics managed to put pressure on Cerutti when it counted, and that was early in the game. Thunder faced adversity in a couple of innings him self, including a bases loaded, one out jam in the sixth but managed to escape it with back-to-back strikeouts. The Nordics tacked on one more run in the fifth, too, thanks to a Michael Hammer RBI double. The win has galvanized Nordic Nation, and the clubhouse. "We needed to win out there tonight, and we did." Paul Rudolf remarked "Now we're going to be the home team for the next two games, and we have Sven on the mound tomorrow. We have every reason to believe." Indeed we do. We believe, because, well,, ya gotta believe.

[Cassadaigua]

Jennifer’s Space

A best-of-five has become a best-of-three. After two games, we are even with the Nordics after they were able to even things up with a 3-1 win yesterday, but let’s start with the happy news! Of course, that was game one, a well played game in which Marissa Leahey dominated Tocrowkia. I know that there are Nordics fans out there, including their Nordicnation.net website who have chosen to diminish what Marissa was able to do, but we don’t. When you consider that the home plate umpire was calling a very tough game for pitchers, the fact that most of their outs were soft ground balls, leading to routine put outs for us in the infield, that’s just as good as a strikeout. Sure, she did walk six batters, but three of them were erased on a double play by the next batter. Johnny Stryker, who has been 27 for many World Baseball Classics in a row now, hit into two of them, showing that Leahey was able to get clutch outs. Tocrowkia, in total, left ten men on base. So I suppose whether or not you think Marissa had a dominating outing depends on whether or not you value the strike out, or you value getting key outs. Unfortunately, this did not carry over into the second game, when the ageless one got his team on the board early. Sarah Cerutti did a fantastic job after the wind-assisted home run, and only allowed two hits after the first inning. It doesn’t mean much to her, though, a loss is still a loss.

Now then, it becomes a best-of-three series and that’s just fine with us, although we have a bit of history that is working against us. Ever since World Baseball Classic 7, when Newmanistan did not win the championship, the team that eliminated them, did; except for number eight. Now before Tocrowkians get all excited about that statistic, it’s pretty much a silly stat considering their finals appearances. But whatever works, let’s buck history. Rachel Friedman is on the mound and she told me that she is bringing over 500 friends from East Brattleboro (Where she plays at the club level in Cassadaigua) in the eastern part of the country. “Rachel’s Rooters” as she calls them will be sitting along the first base line, and they are a group of handicapped children facing life-threatening illnesses, and their parents and other family members. It wasn’t cheap for Rachel to do this, but it means a lot to her and she really wants to have a big game for them. She also donated her year long supply of Yuppers Breakfast Cereal to this group, and several of us joined in and also donated our pre-Classic gift from the corporate sponsor of our qualifying group. I really hope they can see us win tomorrow, but really it is so great that Rachel does this, she really is a class act, and especially for someone so young (just 20 years old still!) I know the rest of you will be rooting for us loudly as well, weather you have been able to make it to Tarrentum, or whether you will be watching from home.