World Baseball Classic XXV - Everything Thread

[Equestrian States]

Group 1

Free South Califas               0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0  2
Raxillion                        3 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 X  6

Ko-oren                          0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0  2
Saintland                        0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  0

Central North America            0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0  1
Byfugland                        0 2 0 2 0 1 0 0 X  5

  Group 1                Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD    Win % 
1 Raxillion                5    4   1    17   13   +4    0.800
2 Central North America    5    3   2    30   14  +16    0.600
3 Byfugland                5    3   2    20   14   +6    0.600
4 Free South Califas       5    3   2    23   31   -8    0.600
5 Ko-oren                  5    2   3    17   20   -3    0.400
6 Saintland                5    0   5    15   30  -15    0.000


Group 2

Darmen                           0 0 0 3 0 0 1 0 0  4
Birolika                         0 0 0 1 0 3 0 2 X  6

Elykyellek                       0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  0
West Guiana                      0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 X  1

Songhia                          0 1 2 0 2 0 0 1 1  7
Shadowbourne                     0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0  1

  Group 2               Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD    Win % 
1 Birolika                5    4   1    23   20   +3    0.800
2 Elykyellek              5    3   2    19   15   +4    0.600
3 West Guiana             5    3   2    14   12   +2    0.600
4 Songhia                 5    3   2    25   18   +7    0.600
5 Shadowbourne            5    1   4    14   27  -13    0.200
6 Darmen                  5    1   4    19   22   -3    0.200


Group 3

Cyborg Holland                   0 2 1 0 0 3 0 0 1  7
Bloodbath Generation             0 1 0 0 0 1 0 3 0  5

Quebecois Acadiana               1 0 0 1 1 1 2 0 0  6
Yesopalitha                      0 0 0 0 3 0 5 0 X  8

Super-Llamaland                  1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1  2
Skeckoa                          2 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 X  4

  Group 3               Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD    Win % 
1 Yesopalitha             5    4   1    28   15  +13    0.800
2 Cyborg Holland          5    3   2    26   25   +1    0.600
3 Quebecois Acadiana      5    3   2    29   29    0    0.600
4 Skeckoa                 5    3   2    26   30   -4    0.600
5 Bloodbath Generation    5    1   4    21   22   -1    0.200
6 Super-Llamaland         5    1   4    13   22   -9    0.200


Group 4

Parsee Mizuhashi                 1 0 3 1 0 0 0 0 0  5
Taeshan                          1 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0  3

Powersith                        0 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 0  4
Sicoutimont                      1 2 1 1 0 1 1 0 X  7

Rodard                           0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1  1
Karditan                         2 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 X  4

  Group 4               Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD    Win % 
1 Sicoutimont             5    5   0    31   17  +14    1.000
2 Karditan                5    3   2    27   18   +9    0.600
3 Powersith               5    3   2    28   28    0    0.600
4 Parsee Mizuhashi        5    2   3    18   29  -11    0.400
5 Taeshan                 5    2   3    19   13   +6    0.400
6 Rodard                  5    0   5    14   32  -18    0.000


Group 5

Lycrabon                         0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1  2
Aardenland                       0 2 3 0 0 2 0 1 X  8

Komodo Dragon                    0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 2  5
New Montreal States              0 0 0 0 0 1 3 0 0  4

Estope                           1 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0  3
The Serbian Empire               0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 3  4

  Group 5               Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD    Win % 
1 Aardenland              5    4   1    31   18  +13    0.800
2 Komodo Dragon           5    3   2    24   24    0    0.600
3 The Serbian Empire      5    3   2    20   18   +2    0.600
4 Lycrabon                5    3   2    16   20   -4    0.600
5 New Montreal States     5    2   3    15   15    0    0.400
6 Estope                  5    0   5     9   20  -11    0.000


Group 6

Thatius                          0 2 0 2 0 0 1 0 0  5
Grandterre                       0 1 2 1 0 0 0 0 0  4

The Alphabet Letters             0 1 0 0 0 1 0 2 2  6
Slembana                         0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 1  4

Michael VII                      0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 2  3
Saugeais                         0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  0

  Group 6               Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD    Win % 
1 Thatius                 5    4   1    29   21   +8    0.800
2 Saugeais                5    3   2    15   16   -1    0.600
3 The Alphabet Letters    5    3   2    21   17   +4    0.600
4 Slembana                5    3   2    21   14   +7    0.600
5 Grandterre              5    1   4    12   20   -8    0.200
6 Michael VII             5    1   4     7   17  -10    0.200


Group 7

Schmiegelland                    1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  1
Tyneala                          1 1 1 0 0 1 4 0 X  8

Equestrian States                0 1 4 2 6 0 0 0 1 14
Kintratar                        1 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0  3

New Matawan                      1 0 0 7 0 0 1 0 2 11
Strawbee                         0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1  1

  Group 7               Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD    Win % 
1 Tyneala                 5    4   1    25   10  +15    0.800
2 Equestrian States       5    4   1    40   16  +24    0.800
3 Strawbee                5    3   2    25   34   -9    0.600
4 New Matawan             5    2   3    26   16  +10    0.400
5 Schmiegelland           5    1   4    17   38  -21    0.200
6 Kintratar               5    1   4    20   39  -19    0.200


Group 8

Kinzar                           0 1 0 3 0 0 0 0 0  4
Qazox                            0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  0

Pretty Awesome Persons           1 0 2 2 1 0 0 1 0  7
Mapletish                        0 0 0 0 2 0 1 0 3  6

The Royal Kingdom of Quebec      0 0 0 0 0 2 1 1 0  4
Milchama                         0 1 2 0 0 2 0 0 X  5

  Group 8                      Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD    Win % 
1 Kinzar                         5    4   1    24   14  +10    0.800
2 Qazox                          5    3   2    19   19    0    0.600
3 Milchama                       5    3   2    24   22   +2    0.600
4 Mapletish                      5    2   3    19   16   +3    0.400
5 The Royal Kingdom of Quebec    5    2   3    15   18   -3    0.400
6 Pretty Awesome Persons         5    1   4    16   28  -12    0.200


Group 9

Lymantatia                       0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 1  3
The Sova Empire                  0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  0

Thrilledge                       0 0 4 1 0 0 1 0 0  6
Zwangzug                         2 3 1 2 1 0 0 0 X  9

Backyard Sports                  1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0  2
Vaugania                         0 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 X  4

  Group 9               Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD    Win % 
1 Vaugania                5    4   1    30   22   +8    0.800
2 Zwangzug                5    3   2    24   20   +4    0.600
3 Lymantatia              5    3   2    17   13   +4    0.600
4 The Sova Empire         5    3   2    15   16   -1    0.600
5 Backyard Sports         5    2   3    20   22   -2    0.400
6 Thrilledge              5    0   5    21   34  -13    0.000


Group 10

ViZion                           0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0  1
The Priory of St. Luc            0 0 1 1 2 0 0 0 X  4

Western Cuba                     0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0  1
Allinlia                         0 0 0 0 1 2 0 0 X  3

Kerblaekistan                    0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0  2
Maklohi Vai                      0 2 0 0 0 2 0 5 X  9

  Group 10               Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD    Win % 
1 Western Cuba             5    4   1    24   13  +11    0.800
2 Maklohi Vai              5    4   1    31   13  +18    0.800
3 Kerblaekistan            5    3   2    22   18   +4    0.600
4 Allinlia                 5    2   3    21   19   +2    0.400
5 The Priory of St. Luc    5    1   4    11   35  -24    0.200
6 ViZion                   5    1   4    13   24  -11    0.200

This is a friendly reminder that tomorrow is your off day (no scorination), so the next cutoff will be in ~48 hours.

[Aardenland]

Aardenland Ahead!

Win against high-ranked Lycrabon puts national team alone atop the Fifth Group

Four days ago, Aardenland's national team was an ordinary first time WBC team with a 0-1 record. Now Aardenland is a serious contender for the playoffs, leading the fifth group going into the second half of preliminary play by having won their last four games. In their most recent game, Aardenland put the stamp on its first half success by defeating the Lycrabonian national team 8-2. The Lycrabonian team is a world ranked team; the highest ranked in the fifth group, at 8th worldwide. Ally Valiant, Aardenland's lone female rotation member, pitched eight great innings. "Don't forget that this was a team effort," said Valiant when asked about her performance. "If not for the rest of the team, we would have lost two-nothing." Silver Wouda drove in four of Aardenland's eight runs. (Translated from Dutch) "I said that I didn't think we would win last week," said team captain Desmond de Waal. "Well, anything can happen, maybe we will win the entire competition. [laughs] With players like Wouda and Valiant, not to mention the thirty other excellent players, it seems almost as if nothing could stop us." Anything can happen with five more games yet to play, but Aardenland seems optimistic that its team will continue with its success in the second half. Friday is an off day, so Aardenland will wait until Saturday, when the team is scheduled to venture into Serbia. The Serbian Empire's national team is the only team yet that has defeated Aardenland, and is a game behind her in the standings, along with Lycrabon and Komodo. So that the pitchers aren't facing the same teams again, Silas van Hoven has been moved to the fifth spot, so Iddo Dietrich will take the mound for Aardenland when they come to call in Serbia. According to Silver Wouda? "We are ready, and we are coming."

GAME SUMMARY

Second Inning

Aardenland: With Tom Benson pitching, Desmond de Waal hit a home run into right field. Odessa Kroon grounded to short. Ricky Bruijn tripled to right field. Crijn Legierse hit a sacrifice fly to center field, scoring Bruijn. Aardenland leads, 2-0

Third Inning

Aardenland: Zef Veek walked. Sally Karlsson singled, moving Veek to third. Karlsson stole second. Silver Wouda doubled into the center-left field gap, scoring Veek and Karlsson. de Waal flied out to center, moving Wouda to third. Kroon grounded out to the pitcher. Bruijn singled to center, scoring Wouda. Aardenland leads, 5-0

Fifth Inning

Lycrabon: With Ally Valiant pitching and with one out, Cliff Mayo Singled. Carl Maynard doubled into the right-center field gap, scoring Mayo. Aardenland leads, 5-1

Sixth Inning

Aardenland: With Leroy Harrison pitching, Karlsson singled to center field. Silver Wouda doubled to center-right field, scoring Karlsson. De Waal flied to center field. Kroon singled to right field, scoring Wouda. Aardenland leads, 7-1

Eighth Inning

Aardenland: With Clifford Nash pitching and with one out, Silver Wouda hit a home run to left field. Aardenland leads, 8-1

Ninth Inning

Lycrabon: With Hayri Kleingeld pitching, Sean McCormick singled to center field. Jeremy Kramer hit into a fielder's choice at second. Dave Cummings pinch hit for pitcher Nash. Cummings doubled into the right-center field gap, scoring Kramer. Aardenland leads, 8-2

AARDENLAND WINS, 8-2

Player of the Game:

SILVER WOUDA, ALLY VALIANT -
Wouda led the offensive charge with two RBI doubles and a home run, while Valiant held the fort by allowing only one run through eight innings pitched.

[Estope]

Estope                           1 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0  3
The Serbian Empire               0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 3  4

This disaster of a tournament just took another turn for the worse as manager Felipe Sweigart was fired following a 9th inning collapse that was the teams five loss of the tournament. This is unacceptable for a team to be performing so poorly after showing such promise last year. Estope is current 0-5 and last in their group, and this is supposed to be the 33rd best baseball team in the world. Longtime pitching coach Nicolas Carr will be taking over manager duties on an interim basis until the end of this Classic. This team just keeps getting worse each game even though they are playing easier opponents. There really is no excuse for such underachieving. Sweigart was the second coach to be fired from the team after the batting coach was fired earlier in the week in a desperate attempt for Sweigart to keep his job. In his final press conference, Felipe Sweigart said that he is disappointed in the decision to let him go and wen through all of his achievements. For some this seems a bit premature as the team has one a smaller tournament and qualify in last year's WBC under Sweigart. They considered forfeiting the remainder of the games but decided that it would be best for the team to continue on. Carr was hired only on an interim basis but is considered the frontrunner for the job. If he can successfully navigate Estope out of the bottom of the group, the job should be his. Estope must win their remaining five games to finish with a .500 record. Seems highly unlikely. For now though, the team just needs to win a single game.

[Qazox]

Kinzar upsets Qazox, take over top spot in Group 8.

Kinzar 0 1 0 3 0 0 0 0 0  4
Qazox  0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  0

In a battle of lefties, Wang Zhu pitched a shutout, allowing just 5 hits, as newcomers Kinzar took over the group 8 lead, beating Qazox 4-0. Deidre Hammond lasted 7 innings herself, but allowed 4 runs, including a 3 run blast in the 4th to Brett Alexander. Qazox, after the 2 day break, resumes play at Milchama, with both teams needing a win to keep their playoff hopes alive.

WIN: Wang Zhu
LOSS: Deidre Hammond
SAVE: None
MVP of Game: Wang Zhu (KNZ): 9 IP, 0 R, 0 ER, 13 K, 2 BB

[Super-Llamaland]

Group 3

Cyborg Holland 0 2 1 0 0 3 0 0 1 7
Bloodbath Generation 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 3 0 5

Quebecois Acadiana 1 0 0 1 1 1 2 0 0 6
Yesopalitha 0 0 0 0 3 0 5 0 X 8

Super-Llamaland 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2
Skeckoa 2 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 X 4

Group 3 Pld W L RF RA RD Win %
1 Yesopalitha 5 4 1 28 15 +13 0.800
2 Cyborg Holland 5 3 2 26 25 +1 0.600
3 Quebecois Acadiana 5 3 2 29 29 0 0.600
4 Skeckoa 5 3 2 26 30 -4 0.600
5 Bloodbath Generation 5 1 4 21 22 -1 0.200
6 Super-Llamaland 5 1 4 13 22 -9 0.200

Comments on the Llamabaseball Sports Thread last night included, in order of Recs:

"Are you serious?" -eLITE447 (1 Rec)
"No. You have to be kidding." -Llama123 (3 Recs)
"Wat?" -HYperdude (6 Recs)
"No. Wait! What happened? Did Masorka just...er...what?" -Llama123 (8 Recs)
"Where is the Skeckoa team instead of these WBC-Champ Impostors? Maybe they're posing as the Llamas!" -C.Ritic94 (14 Recs)
"Are you sure these are unranked teams?" -Jimothy00 (17 Recs)
"We're ranked twenty-five...out of twenty-six, possibly." -HYperdude (20 Recs)
"Watching this game against Skeckoa makes me want to cry." -Jimothy00 (24 Recs)
"Masorka. Bike racks. 3:30. NOW!" -AwesomeKidd997 (28 Recs)
"Skeckoa, right? Not Yesopalitha?" -007:D (30 Recs)

and, setting the new record for Most Recs Ever on a sports website of any kind...

"This is like a videogame. Only hacked. And not in our favor." -HeyThere101 (191 Recs)

To the game!

Evan Masorka failed-he gave up 2 runs in 1 1/3 innings and was then injured.
The defense failed-they gave up the other 2 runs.
The offense failed-really? Two? Total?

That's about it. More quotes tomorrow!

[Pretty Awesome Persons]

Amelia and Luka storm into the PAP locker room.

"Happy birthday, team!"

"Amelia, c'mon."

"What? I'm only congratulating them..."

"Yeah, but, a little less sarcasm, yes?"

"What's life without a little sarcasm? But fine. Be that way. Hey Muller, good game tonight!"

Muller looks up from his equipment bag and gives Amelia a thumbs up. "Thanks Presidenta. It's really nice that you come to all our games...we need the fans."

"It's great, actually! I didnt know they sold buckets of popcorn larger than my head..." Amelia and Luka kept waking around the locker room and saw the closer, Jeff Novik, sitting on a bench with a towel over his head and arms covering his eyes.

"Why so glum, dude?" Amelia pats his shouler. "We got our first W tonight. You should be celebrating! We won't go without a win after all!"

Novik takes the towel off and looks up. "Yeah well, I nearly blew it. One more run and we would be talking about a completely different outcome." Novik allowed 3 runs in the ninth, shrinking PAP's lead from 4 runs to 1 run.

"Yeah well. You didn't blow it, and that's what matters. And hey, first Awesomite to get a save in an international competition...that's good..."

"You know, maybe you should've called up Tajloro." Jeff stands up and looks at Luka. "I'm sure he would be able go out there and you know...actually be a decent pitcher." He walks away and exits the locker room without saying anything to anyone.

Amelia looks at Luka. "Well Luka. Looks like you might a head case on your hands."

[THRILLEDGE]

"0 and 5!? Are you kidding me!?"

"This is complete buns man. It's not even like these games are close either."

"Dude, we suck. Remember when we were actually decent?"

"What, you mean last year?"

"Well, yeah, but seriously what's going on?"

"Who knows? That manager swap did nothing. I hope he gets axed along with the whole team. Nobody wants to watch loss after loss."

"And you know we virtually have no shot at the playoffs so I mean why even tune in anymore?"

"And to think we had a breakthrough last year. This is so sad."

"I could pitch better than these guys. They're just serving up meatballs. Dude, Arthur sucks. If they put him on the team next year I just might move to Byfugland."

"Well all we can do now is wait for hockey."

"Can't wait. But I can't give up hope, I need to keep watching the Classic."

"Nah, screw that. I'm going to watch the Campionato. Apparently there's a huge banana craze going on with it."

[Saintland]

Saintland No-Hit by Ko-oren

(SP) A half-empty Royal Park watched as the National Team supposedly representing the Kingdom of Saintland disgraced the name of our Kingdom once again. Although things were already bad for this team, they got even worse today when they were no-hit by Ko-oren. Iemitsu threw the game of his life for the visitors. "This was a total disgrace. Not only has this team failed to win a game so far, but now they can't even get a hit! I am officially declaring that the next game against Central North America is a must-win game. If this team disgraces my Kingdom with a 6th straight loss, I am banning their games from being televised in my Kingdom and I will order them to play their final 2 home games in front of an empty stadium. Should this prove necessary, I will also be mandating that all of their games, should somebody upload them to Sanctustube, must be region-blocked. This level of performance is not acceptable. Losers do not deserve to represent my Kingdom and I will not tolerate a national team disgracing my Kingdom." - King Paulus XV

Ioannes Bebius had a solid performance today, allowing just 2 runs in a complete game performance. Unfortunately, he had his great performance on a day when the Sanctii offense could not even get a single hit. Iemitus struck out 14 Sanctii batters en route to a no hitter. The new team captain, Petrus Tragus did draw a walk, but that was the only baserunner of the day.

The half-empty Royal Park booed the team claiming to represent Saintland out of the building and deservedly so. This is a truly atrocious performance. As if that wasn't bad enough, there are rumors that the team trashed a number of hotel rooms in Free South Califras. Tomorrow will be a day off as the World Baseball Classic is now halfway through the group stage. 2 days from now, the team that supposedly represents our Kingdom will host Central North America at Royal Park. That game will be televised on Royal Five. Royal One through Royal Four will be televising the opening round of the annual high school basketball tournament at the same time. If the alleged Sanctii lose yet again, they will be banned from television and will play their final home games in front of an empty stadium. Either they will start winning or we won't have to watch them disgrace us anymore.

[The Serbian Empire]

The Serbian Empire wins again and is now in 3rd place overall in Group 5, the shocker is that the three run home run of Zdenko Mihalic was costly to Estope's manager Felipe Sweigart who has been fired from the #33 ranked team for having gone 0-5 in this tournament. The other run scored by the Serbian Empire was a sacrifice fly by Zdenko Mihalic and was a failure of Estope's bullpen and relief pitching and the strength of the long relief pitch Crtomir Damirovic who pitched five innings of relief, striking out nine batters while only walking two.

Tomorrow is a day off and will be spent preparing for the team from Aardenland who leads the standings of Group 5 and the only other team beside the Serbian Empire with a positive run scored over runs allowed total. Of course, their total is quite a bit larger due to the Serbian Empire's team having lost an additional game and having smaller win margins. The good news is that both teams are unranked and proving to be the shockers in this group explaining Estope being winless and New Montreal States in 5th place. It's the strongest group the only team out of the picture of advancing is Estope and that is because the other teams have been beating them around like a raft in a maelstrom and the fact that the other teams have beaten each other in a rock paper scissors sort of way where four teams are within a game of second place.

Three Stars of the Game for the Serbian Empire
1. Zdenko Mihalic, 2-3 SF, 3 R home run and 4 RBIs
2. Crtomir Damirovic for his five innings of work allowing no runs
3. Jure Klemenic and Darijo Sreckovic for being on base when Zdenko hit his home run

[Kinzar]

Zhu Gotta Believe!

Wang Zhu has never been one for the media spotlight. A soft-spoken lefty who’s content to let his breaking pitches do the talking for him, Zhu will deflect the credit of any good game to his catcher with the Garden City Patriots, Brett Chizinski. No matter the question, the answer would be that Chizinski called an amazing game for him behind the plate. So when Brett was made the backup catcher to starter Curtis Carreon, it seemed like a no-brainer that Zhu and Chizinski would team up again, but this time in the nation of Qazox, against one of the better national teams of all time. Manager David Rogers certainly planned it out to work this way: when the rotation was put together, Zhu and Chizinki could began studying Qazox immediately, while the rest of the pitching staff, and regular starting backstop Carreon would focus on the first four opponents the Wildcats would face. Safe to say, the battery-mates get themselves a 100% on this homework assignment!

Going up against a pitcher like Wang Zhu (due to variety of pitches he has mastered) for the first time can be a difficult chore for any opponent, and the way the Qazox was flailing at all his pitches in this game, made the golden uniforms of Qazox look worn out and appear like some cheap knock-off shade of yellow. According to Bruce Strong of the Garden City Gazette, “Qazox wanted no part of Wang Zhu tonight. They were unprepared to face him and even though Wang won’t admit it, he prepared brilliantly for this game and got better as the game went along.” Strong alludes to the fact that of the five hits that Zhu did allow, four of them came prior to the three-run homer in which lofted deep to center-field in the 4th inning. Zhu retired the final 13 batters he faced, overall. As the 5th man of the rotation, Zhu may have also felt as though he needed to prove himself to Kinzites, that he was deserving of that final spot. After all, no matter what national baseball league you follow, if ten people are asked to submit the list of the five best starting pitchers of their league, you’re likely to end up with differing names on different lists. Therefore, many felt as though Zhu didn’t belong on this team, and may have preferred others. Some may have felt that the fact that Brett Chizinski was part of the team enabled Zhu to have preference over other pitchers. Then, with Zhu having to pitch against Qazox, those doubters were likely to jump all over his inclusion to the roster. In a sense then, Zhu’s biggest obstacle against Qazox was not the history of the opponent, the hostile crowd, or the pressure of the World Baseball Classic itself. It was proving himself against doubters at home, in Kinzar. Now, those haters find themselves swinging and missing the way that Qazox did, and are unable to score any argument that Zhu should not be representing his country. What does Wang think about this? It was all Brett Chizinski’s doing, of course, for the great game that was called behind the plate.

We are halfway into qualifying now, and it is nice to look at the group eight table. At present, the Wildcats are in sole possession for first place with their 4-1 record. Though, this is baseball, and you don’t make the playoffs at the all-star break. Milchama, after an 0-2 start, has been playing well of late and look again like the nation that won a World Baseball Classic title just a short time ago. Qazox, despite the result of this game, is still very much a threat, and there will still need to be one more game against them to be played as well. The three other nations in this group, Pretty Awesome Persons, The Royal Kingdom of Quebec, and Mapletish are not going to go down without a fight, either, and the Wildcats cannot afford to think that just because they beat them before, and now after a shut out of Qazox on the road, that they will be able to beat those three nations again. Kinzar is still an underdog, and early successes do not mean continued results over the second half. As fans, we are now wanting to set the bar a little higher. At the beginning, we threw out some records that would be seen as acceptable, and 5-5 seemed like something to shoot for. Now, 5-5 will be a failure, based on this start, as unfair as that may be to the players, at least in the short term. Another important thing to remember as the second half is set to begin, is that we are not going to be sneaking up on anyone this go-around. The five nations we will play again have scouting material that they can use that directly corresponds to the strengths and weaknesses of their team, and the world-class managers that exist at this level will be able to make the needed adjustments. David Rogers now has the chance to prove he too belongs in that category of managers, and the way that the Wildcats adapt to the adjustments the groupmates will made is what will show that.

Soak in, on this off day, Kinzar’s place in the standings, but all we have accomplished so far is that we are capable of playing this game at the highest level.

[Ko-oren]

Ko-oren                          0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0  2
Saintland                        0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  0

--reader submitted column---
So there IS stopping the loser train

The Greenblues won yesterday. Objectively, we're not even that bad, considering we won two versus three losses. It's not like we're 1-4, or even 0-5. Speaking of 0-5... The only reason we're not 1-4 is because we put another team in even further misery. Poor Saintland...

I'm quoting their news sources here when I say they didn't see the no-hit coming. They were not the only ones, our team seems so out of form it's probably even a bigger surprise to us that we can even get a no-hit when the outlook does not seem very positive. Though it has to be said that even the greatest pessimists could see Ko-oren doing well during this match. Now there are a few roads from here: up and up, taking this win as a starting point. Another road is that this is just statistics working perfectly: even a terrible team has some good day once in a while. Or even that Ko-oren can win matches, but only if the opponent does not score more than 1 run.

That said, the 0-2 win over Saintland is far from convincing. Defensively, this was absolutely amazing though this was all the work of just Iemitsu. The rest of the team could have been as bad as always, though we'll never know. The most important statistic is maybe that it was only a 0-2 win. Just two runs scored. Even we have an average of >3. (Like Raxillion in first place: they've only got 17 runs so far too). That brings me to another possibility: maybe this group is just terrible from beginning to end. Maybe every team in Group A is underperforming, and it is just the least bad team that gets the points. How else can you justify having an 83rd ranked team as top of your group...

---

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[Lymantatia]

Lymantatia                       0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 1  3
The Sova Empire                  0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  0

Lymantatia 3-0 The Sova Empire
The Lymantatian baseball team has defeated The Sova Empire. It was just easy. All we had to do is trick our opponent.
Runscorers:
Lymantatia: Laurent Gonzalez (1), Mario Raymond (1), Mario Nicholas (1)

[Aardenland]

Aydin Out

Manager mixes up rotation for second half

Rowan Aydin left his game against Estope with mild pains in his throwing hand. In a short statement made today by manager Batari Sastrowardoyo, she said that Aydin would be out at least for his next scheduled start against New Montreal. "Aydin put a lot of physical stress on his right hand during his last start," said Sastrowardoyo. "According to Erik Dirks, this hasn't been a problem previously. Aydin will have to sit out for about a week, but we're hopeful that he'll return if we make it to the play-offs." Erik Dirks is the manager of the Liefdestad Hearts, Aydin's team. As for the line-up, Iddo Dietrich, Ernie Porter, and Ally Valiant seem to be in the spots announced yesterday; first, second, and fourth. Silas van Hoven has been moved to third spot. As for the fifth spot, Sjoerdtje Schensema, also known as "Wolf", will fill in for Aydin. Schensema, the team's back-up starter, is the ace of the only all-female team in the APBL, the New Lorraine Saints. She towers over her teammates at 6'7", and has a reputation for aggressiveness in her pitching and attitude, which made the manager reluctant to have her start instead of Aydin. "She'll be fine," said Hubertina Kors, manager of the Saints, and an assistant manager of the national team. "No matter what happens, cool heads will prevail when it comes to arguments. When it comes to winning the game, however, I doubt cool heads will do much good against Sjoerdtje."

[Zwangzug]

So, Aminda was actually healthy today, looked fantastic in warm-ups, and pitched well enough to keep us in the lead all day. Starting with Maugher's double in the first, Ross-Meyer's two-run homer in the second, Nibey-Bute walked in a run in the fifth, we were fantastic.

Aminda also got knocked out of the box in the fourth inning, and did not pick up the win.

Another Zebra-style finish. Goran came in and got through the sixth, Peter gave up a run in the seventh when Duncan Armstrong singled in Davis McKinley, Janvier let him work through that, and then Sano-Rith closed it out. Which would have been fine--we have a winning record and are somehow in second place!--except then the official scorer had to come up with the "winning pitcher of the day," because Aminda didn't make it through five innings.

Went with Goran, I guess no big surprise, but...still, is this a fair stat? Straw poll of the bench here: Hiroto thinks the loophole is silly and should be deleted, Tikva thinks it's fair but would have gone with Cholpon (that's Sano-Rith, I need to get on a first-name basis with the newcomers), Boipelo thinks it's fair as it stands, Peter thinks it's just messed-up in general, Hiroto now tends to agree with him. I haven't asked Danny yet but he'd probably say something about how flawed statistics just create financial imbalances in arbitration systems

I'm honestly leaning towards Peter and Hiroto's "this is dumb" viewpoint at the moment. Suppose I should ask the rookies just so I'm more comfortable with them. Irving likes that the official scorers have some say, gives them the chance to make an impact, Cynthia thinks they should be able to pick and choose but that Aminda (or whoever) should be a viable choice in that case.

Maybe she's being humble, but Aminda genuinely doesn't seem to care, pointing out that we won, and that's what matters, and that also it's a WBC not the regular season, so it's not like the sample sizes are large enough to matter anyway in terms of records. Not even for whatever statistical gibberish they're going to make up for the silver anniversary.

I keep forgetting her first language is Esperanto. Wonder what she made of Cynthia's notes from Lymantatia...

[Maklohi Vai]

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5

A rebound had occurred. A rebound of great proportions. Not only had OAM survived, but it had thrived and grown. Not only that, the prayer appeared to have been successful. Margaret apparently took favor to it.

With his grandmother in check and the government not yet knocking, Kumalo's only concern was in growing OAM. The meetings could clearly not continue at his house, so another location must be chosen. Maybe Nomolo could help out with a community center or a church.

"Hello?"
"Nomolo, it's Kumalo."
"Ah, good day. How may I be of assistance?"
"I am looking for a new meeting place for my group. This is growing faster than my house can accomodate."
"I see. How many people do you wish to have room for?"
"I would like space for 1000 for now. There may need to be another change later."
"1000 would require a relatively sizable area. You may have to rent an area larger than one building."
"Do you know of a convention center of sorts?"
"There is a 1500 person auditorium in the Ulakamani neighborhood. I have used it for local sermons."
"That sounds great! Why isn't it in use now?"
"Some have reported odd disturbances in the building."
"Ghosts? Paranormal beings? Ha! I don't believe in that."
"Neither do I. But there are tales that are enough to scare people away."
"Nonsense, we'll take it. Thank you for your help."
"You're welcome. Good luck."

Things were definitely on the upswing. The website had now garnered over 1,000 views, and it seemed that OAM would be destined for national exposure at a date not too far in the future. Kumalo was excited to be the one that had this idea in the first place. He had to pause now and then to set his perspective, that's how big it was.

Of course, the prayers had to be the focus of the meetings. Kumalo typically has some sort of idea going in, but coming up to this meeting he was fresh out of ideas. Hopefully something would come to him as he greeted the guests.

But that was a timespan longer than most. For Kumalo had to greet 842 guests, and accomodate 1853 chickens. This was no duty for one man, but luckily the original couple members helped with greeting. This was no longer a small group of similar believers, it was clearly something much larger. Kumalo had no choice but to deliver a performance.

"Ladies, gentlemen, and associated persons, thank you for coming tonight to our meeting. As of now, OAM has over 800 participants. We meet because we have belief in Margaret, and we intend to create an environment in which we can worship freely. I will start the prayer now."

"Margaret, your deeds are great and your talents mighty, but we pray to you tonight in observance of your power.
We have observed over many games and many fortnights that it is your power alone that controls the fate of the team.
There are those who cite practice, or coaching, or some other factor, but they have not seen your power.
For you, Margaret, are the sole determiner of this team's fate, and no amount of mortal work can change this.
This is why we pray to you, in respect of this power and humble before it.
Margaret, we pray to you to beg of you that you use this power for good, for the good of our beloved people.
These people rise and fall with this team, and as you are the power behind this team, you control the people.
Let it not be for the success of sport, but for the effect it has on people, and that the ultimate determinant.
We give you as well a sacrifice to show you where our hearts lie: with the people we pray for you to help. Thank you, Margaret."

Time would tell as always. Time would tell.

---

Game Recap

Kerblaekistan                    0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0  2
Maklohi Vai                      0 2 0 0 0 2 0 5 X  9

Scoring Summary
2nd: Mae'ao led off the inning with a double to left. Koilani Ruputuo hit a double to score Mae'ao, and then Arnao hit a triple to drive him in.
6th: Mae'ao hit a two run blast that scored Iao Laina as well as himself.
8th: After Wolo Rakinalmanai hit a solo shot to lead off the inning and the pitcher struck out, the top three hitters in the order hit back-to-back-to-back singles, loading the bases. Mae'ao delivered once again, this time with a grand slam that cleared the wall in center by a good 30 feet.

Stat update:
HR: Mae'ao 11, Arnao 2, Wolo Rakinalmanai 1
RBI: Mae'ao 22, Arnao 5, Iao Laina 1, Moalna’akai Lai 1, Wolo Rakinalmanai 1, Koilani Ruputuo 1

[Allinlia]

Shocking Upset!
Allinlians defeat #1 in the world Western Cuba at home 3-1

 Western Cuba                     0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0  1
 Allinlia                         0 0 0 0 1 2 0 0 X  3

There is very little dispute that Western Cuba is the #1 team in international baseball in this era of the WBC. Not only have they won multiple WBCs but their recent dominance has been so complete that they only lost a single game, a playoff defeat to fellow baseball powerhouse Qazox, going 10-0 in groups last year and sweeping the WBC finals. Western Cuba started out 4-0 this WBC and was predicted by sports authorities as the most likely team to go 10-0 in the group stage, despite being placed in what has widely been referred to by many as a "group of death". This is a team that is used to winning, to say the least.

The 10-0 prediction will not come to pass. The Allinlian all-stars, in front of a sold out home crowd at AggriCorp. Field in Harvestvalley Province have done something very special that will be remembered for quite some time in the empire. The final score declared it so: Western Cuba was defeated, 3 to 1 in a thrilling pitching duel that left the crowd in suspense from start to finish.

The Allinlians packed AggriCorp. in anticipation to see the word's best team in action. They were in for a legendary game as celebrated veteran Pargo Tritons player Bonser Aidrun took to the mound. Aidrun has long been near the very top of the discussion over which players should be replaced on the struggling Allinlian team to make way for younger and perhaps hungrier players. Not only that he will soon hit 40 and has been involved in retirement rumors as he has expressed a reluctance to play for a team other than the Tritons, who may very well be seeking to get younger after two disappointing seasons in the ABL.

Aidrun has cast off his doubters and showed why he will sit in the hall of fame when his career ultimately comes to an end. The Dralin pitcher would put in a solid 7 inning performance without allowing a single run against the visting #1 ranked squad. The Western Cuba team would not give up easily, forcing him to well over 100 pitches and sending in Aidrun's teammate Wall Largo and Catfish closer Bobby Lecroy who would hold down the fort to ensure the win.

"These are without a doubt the best, most impressive hitters I have ever faced in my entire career. They really fought and pushed me to my limit, after I closed out the 7th I went straight to the nearest chair in the clubhouse and was just dying with exhaustion." laughed Aidrun. Indeed, every plate appearence was a battle as Western Cuba's hitters would routinely force a full count and would proceed to seemingly endlessly fight off and foul off pitches before going down. When informed that he will likely be called up to face Western Cuba again in Allinlia's final game of groups Aidrun smiled wide and groaned "Oh, Cael help me!"

The teams would remain scoreless in a tense faceoff for 4 innings before Aiden Stairs drew first blood with an RBI double to put the Allinlians up 1-0. Aidrun and the defense would continue to hold off Western Cuba and in the next inning, Ferris Silver, the star of the hometown team, the Harvestvalley Dragonflies would delight the crowd with a 2 run homer to extend the lead further. "What can I say? I love this stadium." said Silver when asked about the hit.

Western Cuba's hitters would continue to battle and ultimately force an exhausted Aidrun out of the game in the 7th, bringing in his friend and Tritons teammate Wall Largo. Western Cuba jumped on the opportunity and immediately scored a run off the famous Pargo closer. Largo would dig deep and bounce back however, ending the inning without any other runs were scored. Bobby Lecroy would once again demonstrate his resolve in important games. The crowd erupted in enthusiastic celebration as he recoreded the final out.

Manager Ron Gardner, who was also in very hot water due to Allinlia's poor performance and supposed issues with a lack of chemistry and drive seemed to feel vindicated when he discussed the upset victory. "Everything went well for us this game. Our Defense was phenomenal, our pitching was fantastic, and our offensive effort, considering the pitcher they had to face tonight, was also very solid. This is a huge win for us and for Allinlia. We just have to keep working hard and make sure we play like we did tonight every inning of every game from now on. We showed what we are capable of when we do what we need to be doing, now we just have to continue it." said the Vultures skipper post game.

The emperor and his family were in attendance at the game and Tomni seemed among the most enthusiastic of them all. "Games like this are what make sports great." said the emperor. The bar owners of Marlboro are sure to be happily opening up their doors to celebrating fans but the quiet peacefulness of the city and region are sure to allow for calmer and perhaps more meaningful reflection for the players and those in attendance at this event.

"For me this moment is right up there with winning the ABL championship for the first time. I will remember this game and this feeling for the rest of my life." said the 39 year old veteran pitcher, Bonser Aidrun after the game.

Allinlia is now 2-3 in the group. They will play home games against Kerblaeckistan, St.-Luc, and ViZion and will take to the road against Western Cuba and Maklohi Vai. In some ways the worst is behind the all-stars as they have played the majority of their games on the road in the first half, but in others the greatest challenges have yet to come as their toughest opponents will have the home crowd on their side in the second half. This win however is sure to be something to build confidence and momentumn and bring an often criticized team of famous professionals together. The all-stars head into their off day happy and upbeat.

Good Luck Allinlia!

Game MVP: Bonser Aidrun 7ip, 0R, 6K, 107pitches

----
ABL.com poll: What will Allinlia's record be at the end of groups?

1. 7-3
2. 6-4
3. 5-5
4. 4-6
5. 3-7

results will be posted in our next WBC post game article

[Sicoutimont]

(OOC: This takes place after the Powersith game)

"Hey Pedro, you comin' out for batting practice today?"

"Carvs, you know I take the off-day off, so no"

"Ok, turn the light off when you leave the room"

"Why would I do that?"

"Uhh....conserve energy? Animals are dying in the north because of you!"

So the team, minus Pedro Santana, went for batting practice. When they were done, they set up for the prank.

2 minutes later, Pedro Santana walked into the room. The lights flicked on. When they did, all of the baseball bats appeared to be standing like ghosts up on the bench.

"Not funny guys,"

The prank continued, the bats moved around, and a recording of a chainsaw played in the backround. The lights repeatedly flicked on and off.

"You guys suck at practical jokes"

And then, the best part. One player jumped out and grabbed Santana, throwing him on the ground. He was tapped down. And then, from the roof, Victor Santana dangled, chainsaw in hand. Fidel Sanchez pulled him down with a rope, and he got closer to Pedro Santana, who was now screaming. He got to about an inch away before the lights came on, and he revealed:

"This chainsaw ain't real! Listen to da recordin' Pedro! You're safe!

"Screw all of you! You guys suck!"

Santana ran out of the room, swearing and yelling at the other players.

"Haahahaha, plan successful!"

"Yeah, but where's Pedro!"

Pedro Santana ran into his favourite stadium food shop, 'The Batball'. Inside, he found team equipment manager Jose Carboneau.

"Hi, Jose"

"Pedro, shouldn't you be at batting practice?"

"Yeah, but I'm reading a book"

"Oh really? There's no time to read, the WBC is on!"

"Yeah, but those guys I call teammates keep prankin' me and trying to scare me"

"Ah, what'd they do this time?"

"Made it seem like I'd get murdered by a chainsaw"

Jose walked over to the seats

"Yeah, I can still hear em laughing"

"So what? They had their fun"

"You see, they're only happy when they're ribbin' you!"

"Ya really think so?"

"And what do you get out of it? A lousy book!"

"Yeah!"

"See, you need to go out paradin'"

"What's that?"

"Go around town, forget about all of them"

"Yeah! I'll do that!"

"Go parading! Experiance life! When's the last time you ever gave a girl a pink-edged daisy?"

"Umm...never?"

"Go out and do that! Don't sit around here talkin' to me! Go parading!"

"Thanks, Jose. Ya know, for a guy who handles our dirty equipment all day, ya sure are a good clean young man!"

And with that, Pedro left. It was 6 hours till the practice tonight. He'd be back by then, of course. He was going parading first.


Royales Undefeated Through 5, Defeat Powersith in Thriller

7-4 was the final score, and 5-0 was the record, as Les Royales beat Powersith 7-4 in the final game of the first half of the group stage. The game began to pull away in the first inning. Pedro Santana hit a walkoff home run, and Trent Davis wouldn't give up a hit until the 4th inning, and a run until the 7th inning. In the second inning, Loic St-Ignace got home off of a Jose Colognon shot deep into the upper deck, making it 3-0 Les Royales. Next inning, Jaeg Nordstrum made it to second base, and Francis Boullion hit to get him home, before being left stranded when Pedro Santana was caught out. Next inning, Alfonso Soriono hit a walk-off home run to make the score 5-0, and Victor Santana almost hit an inside-the-park home run. The ball went deep, looking good enough for a double. The ball was fumbled by Steven Choi in the right field, and Santana took off for 3rd base. He kept going for home, but the ball came into the 3rd baseman who threw it home. Santana was still in diving range of 3rd base, and jumped back just in time to salvage his extra bases attempt. He was left stranded on 3rd base, as the next 3 batters either struck out, or were taken out in a double play attempt. In the 6th inning, Boullion Carvier reached home plate on a Victor Santana triple, making the score 6-0. But the game wasn't over yet. In the 7th, Powersith batter Guermo Mendrick ran home on a single from Charlie Kaz. Closer Fernard Dantes would strike out the next batter, and Alfonso Soriano would hit his second home run of the game to make the score 7-1. That would be the last Sicoutian scoring. In the 8th, Henry Links and Guermo Mendrick made it on bases, 2nd and 3rd. With 2 outs, Mendez Wilson came up to bat, and hit a home run. 7-4, and Dantes was pulled in favour of Ingham Reginald. Reginald struck out the next batter, Les Royales offense couldn't go, and the 9th inning began. Here's the call from Oscar de la Rovere as Powersith goes 3 up, 3 down in the final inning:

Ok, Ben Belmont is up now for Powersith. He's 0-4 in this game, with no hits yet. First pitch, breaking ball right, strike 1. Now for the second pitch, it's a curve a bit low, he swings....strike 2. Now here comes the next pitch, fastball....strike 3, Belmont strikes out. Now batting for Powersith, Steven Choi, who's not much better at 1-4. First pitch, no swing and ball one. Second pitch, fastball coming into the catcher's mitt....strike 1. Ingham Reginald keeps this fast pace going, and the next pitch is popped up...and into Jose Colognon's mitt for the out. And it's up to Henry Links. If he goes down, the game is over. Reginald with the first pitch, it's hit into the crowd for strike 1. Second pitch is also into the crowd, strike 2. Now it's a knuckleball Reginald's going with...swung at into the crowd. Now here comes the next pitch, this is a really intense pace thrown here by Ingham Reginald, I can barely keep up with his throws! And now the fastball.....swing and a miss! Links strikes out, and Les Royales have now won 5 straight games! Catch us here at Field PowerEternite for the next game, Sicoutimont-Rodard. I'll be on the air at 2:30pm, as Les Royales meet Rodard for a rematch of the 4-3 opening day win for Les Royales. Keep tuning in here to watch Sicoutimont Royales Baseball, with me Oscar de la Rovere!

Good call, Oscar. Rodard trot into the territory of the violet et bleu looking for a way to beat the only undefeated team in the tournament, your Sicoutimont Royales! Catch the game on TVSportSicoutimont, sicoutiansportsnow.scm, or of course, Radio-Baseball 750!

[Darmen]

"We're awful."

"Yes, yes we are. Four loses in five games and we're dead last."

"Ouch!"

"What?"

"This rubber chicken just landed on my head."

"Ouch!"

"What, you too?"

"Yup."

"Where'd they come from?"

"Up."

*Both men look up, and begin to hear a voice*

"Burn Them Burn Them Burn Them Burn Them Burn Them Burn Them Burn Them Burn Them"

"Huh?"

"You heard me, BURN THEM!"

"Oh, yes, sure, why?"

"Don't ask questions, just BURN THEM!"

"Ok, ok, we will."

*Both men set the rubber chickens on the ground and pull out lighters, setting the rubber chickens on fire. They watch for several minutes before nothing is left*

"What now?"

*silence*

"That was wierd."

"Lets go to the bar and get drunk."

"Sounds good to me."

*As they walk to their car, they hear laughing. Two young children are on a balcony above where the two men had been. They wave at each other, and the two men leave for the bar.*

"We fooled them didn't we?" asks one of the children.

"We sure did, now they think Margaret is real."

*they both laugh before being interupted*

"I AM REAL!"

[Vaugania]

VauganiaSportsToday

Second Half Preview

With Vaugania's win over Backyard Sports in a boring 4-2 game they sit at the top of Group 9 with a 4-1 record and Zwanzug, Lymantatia, and The Sova Empire sit behind them with a 3-2 record.

Group 9               Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD    Win % 
1 Vaugania                5    4   1    30   22   +8    0.800
2 Zwangzug                5    3   2    24   20   +4    0.600
3 Lymantatia              5    3   2    17   13   +4    0.600
4 The Sova Empire         5    3   2    15   16   -1    0.600
5 Backyard Sports         5    2   3    20   22   -2    0.400
6 Thrilledge              5    0   5    21   34  -13    0.000

Here's the breakdown of the second half of group play:

v The Sova Empire (UR): The Sova Empire is the only other unranked team in Group 9. They have a 3-2 record, but sit 4th in the group to to a run differential of -1. The Golden Eagles won this one 6-3 in the 10th inning in TSE. It is likely that we could get a win here at home since we have now found our groove and we've settled into it.

v Zwangzug (15): 15th ranked Zwangzug was defeated by Vaugania by a score of 7-5. This was a bit of a shocker especially since Vaugania had never participated in a WBC before and this was on Zwangzug's soil. This game is the least of a 4 day, 3 game stretch at home that included Backyard Sports and will also include TSE. The well rested hometown heroes are expected to win.

@ Lymantatia (29): Lymantatia is the only team to beat Vaugania in the first leg of the group round robin and they did so with a 4-5 score. Furthermore, they did it at Landvik Memorial Ballpark. Thelikely reason we lost is because we weren't yet into a runscoring rhythm. The Golden Eagles will have to go to Lymantatia for the game so this will be an uphill battle.

v Thrilledge (10): The first game against Thrilledge was a homerfest that Vaugania won 9-7 in Thrilledge. Coming back home now and hopefully with some better pitching, Vaugania will be able to replicate those 9 runs against the last place team in Group 9 at 0-5.

@ Backyard Sports (49): Vaugania beat Backyard Sports at home by a score of 4-2 in a rather boring game. The 4 runs they scored was their lowest total in a win, but thanks the godd pitching by Nikola Vlahovic, the Golden Eagles got the W nontheless. Going into Backyard Sports will have put a varying amount of pressure depending upon Vaugania's record and their opponents' record. However, the Golden Eagles are expected to get the win.

Vaugania certainly has the potential to go 9-1, but don't be too surprised if the final record is along the lines of 7-3.

[The Sova Empire]

A 3-0 loss to Lymantatia ended the first half of round robin play in WBC 25. The struggling offense of TSE enters the 2nd half tied for second, but with the lowest offensive run total in the group. Here is how is happened:

GAME 1: 3-6 10 inning loss to Vaugainia at home
Initially, this was expected to be the only team TSE would have a chance against, and while it certainly close, it was a dissapointing loss.

GAME 2: 5-2 victory at THRILLEDGE
This 10th ranked team certainly did not play like a top 10 team in the first half, as was evident in their loss to TSE 5-2. This stimulated the offense and for the first time, TSE felt like they could win.

GAME 3: 3-2 victory against Zwanzug at home
Despite travelling every single time, the home crowd saw TSE prove that the victory at THRILLEDGE wasn't just a flash in the pan. Although the game was dramatic, Zwanzug fell short, and TSE moved on, spirits high as they could be as they were tied for 1st in the group.

GAME 4: 4-3 victory at Backyard Sports
The 49th ranked Backyard Sports team couldn't stop the streaking TSE team, as Backyard Sports fell 4-3 with no scoring in the last 3 innings for either team.

GAME 5: 0-3 loss to Lymantatia at home
Travelling takes a toll on a team, and the offense could not get going at all, as Lymantatia took the win and forced a 4-way tie for 2nd in the division. The offensive numbers in the first half were low, and they were punctuated by the shutout in front of the home crowd.

Now, a preview of the 2nd half:

GAME 6: @ Vaugainia
If the offense shows any life in this game, this could be the battle of the Classic for TSE. Vaugainia is red-hot right now, and they are the home team. Vaugainia is unranked, but are at the top of the group, so this should be a thriller of a match. Prediction: 5-4 TSE in 13 innings

GAME 7: vs THRILLEDGE at home
Depending on the result of the Vaugainia game, TSE will either enter this game feeling indestructable or vulnerable. Despite the team virtually giving up after the diastrous first half, the THRILLEDGE team still is the 10th best in the world, so this will be an exciting match.
Prediction: 1-0 TSE

GAME 8: @ Zwanzug
This will be the turning point for TSE if they have any hope of a playoff berth. Zwanzug is almost as good as THRILLEDGE, and TSE barely beat Zwanzug in TSE's own field.
Prediction: 3-5 Zwanzug

GAME 9: vs. Backyard Sports at home
Backyard Sports has only posted a roster, while TSE has posted RP's for almost every match, so expect a big win in front of the home crowd. This game also might be a tune-up game for Lymantatia in the finale in the next week.
Prediction: 6-4 TSE

GAME 10: @ Lymantatia
Lymantatia showed TSE's offense up in TSE's own Temple Dome last time, and don't expect TSE to let that happen again. It is very possible that the playoffs might rest on this very game.
Prediction: 8-10 Lymantatia in 10 innings

Final prediction: Tied for 3rd with Zwanzug, Zwanzug taking the tiebreaker

[Skeckoa]

Crowds marched though the streets of El Eahon, and throughout Skeckoa City at the news of their baseball team's upset of #25 ranked Super Llamaland.

The Eskeckiis got off to a hot start scoring two runs off the starter, until he was injured in the second inning, after he clutched his lower back after only his 34th pitch. After that, the bullpen took over for the Llamas and would not budge until the later innings.

"It truly is incredible. We may not be the most star-studded team, or the most experienced for that matter, but when we play with heart and don't make stupid mistakes on the defensive side of the ball, we win. Simple as that." said Manager Geronimo CRUZ.

This marks the second time this tournament that Skeckóa defeats a ranked opponent, after opening the tournament with a win over #99 Bloodbath Generation.

Next game will be against Cyborg Holland. Expected starter will be the 39 year old right-hander Pual Jobs (1-0, 3.57).

[Taeshan]

"Well that was..."

"Yeah hw in the hell did you guys manage to lose this one?"

"This is complete bullshit."

"Tell me about it."

"Just when it seems like we got out of our funk, it pulls us back in."

"We need to use this break to our advantage and come back stronger."

"Yes, we could use that."

"Can't continue to lose to teams that don't deserve to be even near the same field as us, heck Sicoutimont is 5-0, that should be us. But no we aren't even leading the second place playoff race, we might just be headed home sooner rather than later."

"Yes we can't allow this bullshit to continue like this."

"We must strike and take back our rightful place."

"Yes, we will come back like a bad taco, and win this group."

"We are going to rock."

[Equestrian States]

The Pony Republic of Equestrian States
The 25th World Baseball Classic Visitors’ Guide

HOST CITY: MANEHATTAN

THE CITY

The most populous city in the Equestrian States, Manehattan is arguably the economic capital of the nation. Although the equine residents of the city might not be typical for foreign visitors, the city is the most normal of any Equestrian city when looking at its architecture and attractions. Most cities were reluctant to industrialize as the Equestrian States entered the modern world, but it was not the case with Manehattan, where industry and commerce are dominant.

One of the first settlements formed in the initial colonization of the ‘States over 1000 years ago, Manehattan has always been viewed as one of the most important cities in the Equestrian States. Home to a sophisticated upper class and a large, rougher, lower class group of laborers, the denizens of Manehattan are second only to Everfree when looking at diversity. Originally, when the Equestrian States was ruled only by a powerful aristocracy, Manehattan rivaled Canterlot for number of nobles, but was also a breeding ground for resentment. Advocating reform, the underprivileged lower classes eventually pushed the Equestrian government towards becoming a constitutional monarchy. The spirit of innovation and advocacy that caused those early reformers to act is still prevalent in the city’s inhabitants to this day.

For tourists, Manehattan offers a number of attractions. Foremost among them is the financial district in the downtown area, where a vast number of shops and eateries offer the finest of Manehattan culture.

THE VENUE

NEW HARMONY ARENA


Location: Manehattan
Capacity: 37,500
Tennants: Manehattan Supernovas
Will host: Round of 20 and Round of 16 games
It might not be the nicest-looking venue in the Equestrian States, but New Harmony Arena is certainly capable of comfortably hosting the large number of fans that are expected to descend on the Equestrian States for the World Baseball Classic group stage.

RP Cutoff for Match Day 6

[Equestrian States]

Group 1

Raxillion                        1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1  3
Byfugland                        0 0 0 1 0 1 2 0 X  4

Central North America            0 1 0 0 2 0 0 1 0  4
Saintland                        0 1 1 0 2 0 4 0 X  8

Ko-oren                          1 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0  3
Free South Califas               0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 2  4


Group 2

Birolika                         0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  0
Shadowbourne                     1 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 X  3

Songhia                          2 0 3 1 0 0 2 0 0  8
West Guiana                      0 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 0  3

Elykyellek                       0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 2  3
Darmen                           0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 3  6


Group 3

Bloodbath Generation             0 0 0 1 0 0 0 5 1  7
Skeckoa                          1 2 0 1 0 0 1 0 0  5

Super-Llamaland                  0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1  2
Yesopalitha                      0 0 2 0 0 0 3 1 X  6

Quebecois Acadiana               0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0  2
Cyborg Holland                   0 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 X  4


Group 4

Taeshan                          0 2 1 5 0 0 0 1 0  9
Karditan                         1 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0  3

Rodard                           0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0  1
Sicoutimont                      0 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 X  3

Powersith                        0 2 0 0 1 0 0 0 0  3
Parsee Mizuhashi                 1 1 2 0 0 1 2 0 X  7


Group 5

Aardenland                       0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0  1
The Serbian Empire               0 0 0 4 0 0 0 3 X  7

Estope                           0 0 0 2 1 1 0 0 0  4
New Montreal States              0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0  2

Komodo Dragon                    0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  2
Lycrabon                         1 1 0 0 3 0 0 0 X  5


Group 6

Grandterre                       2 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1  4
Saugeais                         0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  0

Michael VII                      0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0  1
Slembana                         0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 X  3

The Alphabet Letters             0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  0
Thatius                          1 1 2 0 2 1 0 0 X  7


Group 7

Tyneala                          0 0 1 0 2 0 0 0 0  3
Strawbee                         0 0 1 0 2 2 2 0 X  7

New Matawan                      0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 1  3
Kintratar                        1 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2  5

Equestrian States                0 1 0 0 1 1 2 2 0  7
Schmiegelland                    0 0 0 0 3 1 0 2 0  6


Group 8

Qazox                            0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 2  3
Milchama                         0 0 0 0 2 0 3 0 X  5

The Royal Kingdom of Quebec      0 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 0  3
Mapletish                        0 1 0 3 0 0 1 1 X  6

Pretty Awesome Persons           0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0  1
Kinzar                           0 0 1 0 3 0 0 1 X  5


Group 9

The Sova Empire                  1 0 1 3 0 1 0 1 0  7
Vaugania                         0 0 3 0 1 2 0 2 X  8

Backyard Sports                  0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  0
Zwangzug                         0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 X  2

Thrilledge                       0 1 0 2 0 0 0 0 1  4
Lymantatia                       0 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 0  3


Group 10

The Priory of St. Luc            0 3 1 0 0 0 0 1 0  5
Maklohi Vai                      0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 2  4

Kerblaekistan                    1 2 0 0 0 0 1 1 0  5
Allinlia                         0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0  2

Western Cuba                     0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  0
ViZion                           1 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 X  3

[Milchama]

"You ready for regression towards the mean!"

"Yes!"

"Woo hoo! Me too!"

"What do you mean by that by the way?"

"Meh, not worth explaining. We already did a RP based on those principles"

"Yeah going over old territory is boring"

"So we're going to do something new"

"Something exciting"

"Something inviting"

"Something for everybody!"

"A comedy tonight!"

"Except, not really"

"No, not really"

"Well then how about baseball?"

"Go baseball!"

"Yep, best sport ever!"

"Go baseball!"

"So then Milchama predictions?"

"4-1 second half, 7-3 overall"

"Place?"

"2nd"

"Who wins the group?"

"Qazox"

"Why them?"

"I like Oxen"

"You know that hasn't been their nicknames since like World Cup 30"

"Yeah, doesn't matter"

"Why not?"

"Because I don't remember their name now"

"Oh fair"

"Yeah, it might be the Phoenix or something but really I got nothing"

"Cool"

"Yep"

"Well anyway, they'll win the group"

"Most definitely"

"So then, Milchama to advance"

"And that's what's important"

"Yep"

"Come on You Warriors!"

"Let's Go Milchama!"