World Baseball Classic 27- Everything Thread (IC)

[The Serbian Empire]

Injuries and Great Balls of Fire
By Ales Gaborik

Yes, New Montreal States is the defending champion and they lost the game. However, there was a price paid by both teams and it came at the price of the Expos' Trent Baltimore receiving first degree burns by spontaneous combustion by friction. The sight of Clayton McMurdo-Labonté kicking up dirt to put out the fire was certainly not an everyday event in a ballpark. Many have heard Baltimore was a fireballer, but I didn't expect to him to live up to his title. He was removed promptly from the game for examination and the injuries. However, that was not the only injury in the game as Sangti's Erick Navarette was sent to the hospital with an injury as well. Navarette will likely make his return against the Vuk in a few days which is a positive development.

The injuries did alter the game as Ulysses Johnstone was brought out and produced a particularly costly error leading to the setup man Étienne Roy coming out giving up the game winning home run with the runner that Johnstone adding an extra run for the insult to injury.

Other Groups Activity
Someone from Qazox called Milchama Milkcharmer. What is a Milkcharmer anyways? Is it some guy playing a flute to lure milk out of a cow or something? Is it some sort of nationalist slur? Or is it just a funny name to make fun of one of the most powerful teams in the World Baseball Classic? If you aren't watching the Serbian Empire vs. New Montreal States then Qazox vs Milchama will be a good game to watch.

[Sangti]

OOC: Will return to my planned RPing at post-MD3.

EL DIARIO DEPORTIVO DEL SANGTI - BASEBALL - WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC

A win in sixteen innings
Indios victory over the Expos raises concerns about relief pitchers
by Rafael Sigua

Sangti finally got its revenge on the defending champions, the New Montreal States, in a long, long evening of extra innings, seven to be exact.

After sixteen innings, Sangti have finally beaten their round of 24 tormentor at the World Baseball Classic, champions New Montreal States. After the score was tied 1-1 at the end of nine innings, Deligero brought in Benigno Macadangdang to relieve Cyril Sumaoang from pitching duties. Sumaoang only allowed one run, from designated hitter Greg Hoagland when he hit a one-run homer at the fifth, along with three base hits from rightfielder Ben Yao in the second and third baseman Clayton McMurdo-Labonté in the seventh inning. Starting pitcher Lon Bentwell conceded one run from Romie Datu with Lorenzo Aboganda credited for a RBI at bottom of the fourth. Along with Datu and Aboganda, Benjamin Dimacuha got a basehit earlier at bottom of third.

In extra innings, relief pitcher Macadangdang had a no-hitter for six innings until he conceded yet another homerun from Hoagland in the top of the 16th. Meanwhile, Expos' relief Trent Baltimore had a no-hitter for five, no six innings also since Erick Navarette's hit by pitch was not considered a hit anyway, until that eventful 16th inning, where errors were made from the Expos and allowed Dale Decolongon to hit a walkoff 3-run homer to snatch the game away from the Reformed Expos.

The game was marred by injuries. First, closer Patrice Pommier was injured in the pregame drills, and Erick Navarette injured his elbow after the hit by pitch. The most bizarre of those was from Baltimore. He only suffered first degree burns after his fastball pitch and friction resulted to his jersey in flames, which an official statement from the doctor of the Ospital de Sangti in nearby Zalesgon confirmed. Meanwhile, Navarette will miss the next two games for the Indios, and will not be available until the Indios face the Serbian Empire. For now, Mar Tagay will replace Navarette for the next matches until Navarette returns.

Monico Deligero was more concerned on how his pitching rotation may have failed had the game extended further, rather than discussing the win. After the presscon, Deligero have activated three extra relievers in the Indios lineup. These changes have now been reflected in the roster submitted.

Pitching lineup for the Costa Luna away game: Lalamunan (starter), Maraan (long relief), Sespene (short relief/closer)

Player of the Game: Dale Decolongon (heroics in extra innings)

Homeruns
NMS: Hoagland (5th, 1-run homer; 16th, 1-run homer)
SGT: Decolongon (16th, 3-run homer)

RBIs
NMS: Hoagland (5th, single RBI/homer; 16th, single RBI/homer)
SGT: Aboganda (4th, single RBI w/Datu scoring the run) Decolongon (16th, triple RBI)

Winning pitcher: Benigno Macadangdang (1-0), 7 IP, 1 ER, 1.29 ERA
Losing Pitcher: Étienne Roy

Pitching Stats (Indios)
Cyril Sumaoang (0-0), 9 IP, 1 ER, 1.00 ERA
Benigno Macadangdang (1-0), 7 IP, 1 ER, 1.29 ERA

[Imota]

Imota Professional Baseball League (IPBL) Official Website: Your WBC 27 Headquarters!

Given You a Number and Taken Away Your Name (http://www.ipbl.im/wbc/news/821-1)

More than just culture shock in Imota’s second game

Perhaps yesterday’s win against Ko-oren had yet to completely set in (or had gone to their heads). Perhaps Imota’s best were overconfident and expecting an easy victory against an unranked team (related to the above). Or perhaps it was the shock of learning that citizens of The Sovan Antithesis have barcodes instead of names. Whatever the reason, it was enough to throw off the Sunwings’ game, as they posted just three hits and one run while being pounded for ten.

The rout started in the bottom of the first inning. Centerfielder 4-E-747366 started things with a double to center off of Sunwings starter Rinnosuke Natsume, who followed up by allowing a single and an unintentional walk to load the bases with nobody out for first baseman and cleanup hitter 6-W-374757. One mighty swing later, the ball was ten rows back in the left field stands, and TSA had a 4-0 lead.

Catcher 8-R-675736 got aboard with another unintentional walk, and Natsume nearly started a fight when he hit second baseman 3-Y-817383 on a 1-1 count. Natsume was able to strike out the seventh and eighth batters, but then third baseman 0-R-485777 knocked in a run with a single to shallow right field. With runners at the corners, manager Ken Urofuchi decided to keep Natsume in to close out the inning. 4-E again doubled to center, knocking in another two runs. A strikeout got the Sunwings back to the plate, but not before TSA had posted a 7-0 lead.

Natsume seemed to normalize from that point on, but the damage had already been done. Over the course of five innings, he gave up a total of 7 earned runs and 10 hits and issued 5 walks despite striking out 8. After a scary fifth inning that saw three men stranded but no runs score, relief pitcher Tomohiro Mamiya came in to pitch the sixth.

The home half of the sixth saw Mamiya give up a single and a two run homer, again to 6-W-374757, despite striking out two batters, and in the seventh, he allowed one more run to score on three hits. In the top half of the eighth, center fielder Akio Homura led off with a homer to left, but that would prove to be Imota’s only run. Mamiya pitched the eighth without incident. With two strikeouts in the top of the ninth, the Sunwings went down in defeat.

For a team that had only just defeated the best team in their group yesterday, this was a stunning defeat. Natsume completely failed to display his renowned power today, and Imota’s offense only made one run on three hits. The mood in the clubhouse after the game was very somber. On the other hand, on the plane ride back home, the song “Secret Agent Man” made the rounds among the players, prompting energetic debate over whether the lyrics actually said “secret Asian man”.

“That’s gotta be it,” said relief pitcher Arahiko Inui. “He doesn’t pronounce the “t” in “agent” at all!”

“True,” conceded designated hitter Kiyohiko Sakurai, “but the things he does in the song are definitely more evocative of a secret agent, and-“

“Why would an Asian man have to be secret, anyway?” wondered starting pitcher Makoto Kikuchi. “They have plenty of Asians in America, right?”

Manager Urofuchi has confirmed that Tengu southpaw Renji Hong will start tomorrow against Aardenland.

Imota                     0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0  1
The Sovan Antithesis      7 0 0 0 0 2 1 0 X 10

WP: 7-Q-294856 (1-0) LP: Natsume (0-1)

Batting

Imota             ab h rbi r  k bb

Shameimaru, ss     4 1 0   0  2 0
Touno, 3b          3 0 0   0  1 0
Chadani, 1b        3 0 0   0  2 0
Homura, cf         3 1 1   1  2 0
Takamachi, lf      3 0 0   0  2 0
Sakurai, dh        3 0 0   0  1 0    
Miura, c           3 1 0   0  2 0
Kamio, 2b          3 0 0   0  2 0
Houjou, rf         3 0 0   0  3 0

Natsume, p         0 0 0   0  0 0
Mamiya, p          0 0 0   0  0 0

Total             28 3 1   1 17 0

The Sovan Antithesis
                   ab  h  rbi r  k bb 

4-E-747366, cf     4  2  2   1  0 1
5-F-281746, ss     5  2  0   1  1 0
8-T-387263, lf     4  1  0   2  2 1
6-W-374757, 1b     5  4  6   2  0 0 
8-R-675736, dh     4  0  0   1  2 1
3-Y-817383, c      3  2  0   1  0 0
9-J-403918, 2b     2  0  1   0  1 2
1-U-059483, rf     4  1  0   1  2 0
0-R-485777, 3b     4  2  1   1  2 0

7-Q-294856, p      0  0  0   0  0 0    

Total             35 14 10  10 10 5

HBP: 3-Y-817383 (Natsume, 1)
DP: IMT (3), TSA (2)
HR: 6-W-374757 (4), 6-W-374757 (2), Homura (1)
SB: 1-U-059483 (2nd, Mamiya/Miura)

Pitching

Imota             ip  h er  k bb era this game
Natsume          5.0 10  7  8  5 12.60
Mamiya           3.0  4  3  2  0  9.00

The Sovan Antithesis
                  ip  h er   k bb era this game
7-Q-294856        9.0 3  1  17  0 1.00

Group 5 Standings

                          Pld   W  L   RF  RA  RD    Win % 
1 The Sovan Antithesis      2   2  0   15   4 +11    1.000
2 Kinzar                    1   1  0    8   7  +1    1.000
3 Imota                     2   1  1    3  11  −8    0.500
4 Ko-oren                   2   0  2    8  10  −2    0.000
5 Aardenland                1   0  1    3   5  −2    0.000

[Sicoutimont]

The Night Show With.......Alain Desroches!

*applause*

"Hey, what's up? It's Alain, from the Night Show! We've got some special guests here with us tonight, namely, uh Jacques and Fidel from Radio-750 Sicoutimont Sports' Morning show...isn't that interesting, morning and night? Haha.....well anyways, here we go. Steven, hit the drums!"

*drum-roll*

"Right, here we go! Here's our first guests of the evening, Jacques and Fidel!"

Jacques: "Hello, Alain. Good evening!"

Alain: "Good evening to you as well!"

Fidel: "Hi."

Jacques: "Don't talk much, do you Fidel?"

Fidel: "I do....just not to you!"

Alain: "I would beg to differ there, Fidel. Your podcast, it became famous last time around at the World Baseball Classic....what was your secret?"

Jacques: "Our secret...uh, well, we like baseball, and we like travelling. I think it did well because we're relatable people, you know....the cool, smart guy and his hapless assistant!"

Fidel: "Agreed. Thanks for the answer, Mr. Assistant."

Alain: "Haha, well, do you plan on doing it again this year?"

Fidel: "Definitely. It's been very fun so far, and we always look forward to going on the road. As long as we still are able to do it, I think we should."

Jacques: "Definitely. I mean, we've gotten to go all across the world. Equestrian States, Cassadaigua, Karditan and now either Saintland or Maklohi Vai. It's definitely a ride."

Alain: "What's your best experience from your travels so far?"

Jacques: "At a game? Game 6 of the Finals last year. Sure, the boys lost. But that atmosphere, and everything....that whole game was a Classic. I mean, 17 innings to take the title? I couldn't have been happier for the winners, and I could tell our guys were as well."

Fidel: "In alternative, the final game of the Copa Rushmori de Beisbol in Karditan. When Victor Santana crossed the plate after that home-run in the 8th inning and hugged Loic St-Ignace, you knew this was special. And when Claude Perrault collapsed to the mound and the team charged him, it was just so special."

Jacques: "Definitely."

Alain: "Now, let's talk baseball. You guys have seen all of the playoff games of this team and lots of other teams, what do you think will happen in this Classic?"

Jacques: "It should be good. New Montreal States will definitely be back in the hunt for the win, they may have started a bit slow, but they'll turn it up. Of course, Zwangzug and Milchama are always favourites. Hopefully Sicoutimont will go deep again, but they'll have to beat teams like Ko-oren and Maklohi Vai to do it. But there's always the underdogs, like last tournament. I can see a team like Saintland pulling that off."

Fidel: "I agree with Jacques, it's such great baseball to watch, and any team that gets into the playoffs has a chance of taking the glory. Look at last year, the finalists were ranked 11th and 29th in the world. This year, they're 3rd and 4th. Anyone of those teams Jacques has mentioned, plus a lot more we didn't mention, have shots to win."

Alain: "That certainly is true. Alright, we're going to reveal our Top-5 List for tonight!"

Jacques: "What's the list, Alain?"

Alain: "The Top 5 funniest Town Names in Sicoutimont!"

Jacques: "Here we go. I've been to a Seagullpudding, a Ste-Marie-du-Ha!-Ha!, and others."

Fidel: "I've been to that Seagullpudding place, but I think that's just a scam. I mean, 6 bucks for a postcard with the town's name on it? C'mon. Pull it together."

Alain: "Here's the list: 5. Avee."

Jacques: "Avee, never heard of that place before."

Alain: "4. Ste-Marie-du-Ha! Ha!"

Jacques: "Been there, done that."

Alain: "3. Villevil"

Fidel: "Pronounced Ville-Ville? That's actually pretty witty."

Alain: "2. Seagullpudding"

Fidel: "Glad that dump wasn't named Number 1"

Jacques: "Fidel, just because they overpriced something doesn't mean the town's a dump. It's probably very nice."

Alain: "1. Lake Lakeford"

Jacques: "It's actually called that!?"

Alain: "I guess...."

Fidel: "Ha! I had relatives there one summer!"

Jacques: "One summer? What happened to them after that?"

Fidel: "They moved."

Jacques: "How convenient for the Lake Lakeford visitors of your family, Fidel."

Fidel: "To Lakeford Lake, just across the bay."

Jacques: "Come on...."

Alain: "Sorry guys, but that's all the time we've got today! Catch these guys on the Morning Show on your way to work tomorrow, or download the podcasts once they come out! Thanks for being here with us guys, and we'll see you tomorrow night on The Night Show....."

*drum-roll*

"With Alain Desroches!"

[The Sovan Antithesis]

Sorry for the late roster guys. I didn't expect this team do do as well as they have so here is the official lineup (Credit: Imota)

1. 4-E-747366 (CF)
2. 5-F-281746 (SS)
3. 8-T-387263 (LF)
4. 6-W-374757 (1B)
5. 8-R-675736 (DH)
6. 3-Y-817383 (C)
7. 9-J-403918 (2B)
8. 1-U-059483 (RF)
9. 0-R-485777 (3B)

Pitcher:
7-Q-294856, p (no matter how bad he's doing, he always pitches. this guy has a lot of stamina)

Schedule:

1. @Aardenland (32)
2. Imota (UR)
3. @Kinzar (14)
4. Ko-oren (5)
5. Aardenalnd (32)
6. @Imota (UR)
7. Kinzar (14)
8. @Ko-oren (5)

RP permissions: Literally anything, as long as it follows the score line, and no innocents are harmed.

[Qazox]

Is greatness to being Wolfs yesterday's night! A winning of 4 points to 1 on away leg has Qazox unbeatenable so far!

Recap of who scores.

1st inning, Ezekiel Miles scored after doubles and came homeward on Pachuga single. 5th inning, May Mathews homersrun to left. 8th inning, Ryan Kolkata given up 3 hittings consecutive, lemontaeria get 1 point. In 9th innings, Pachuga batting in two runners, Miles and Alexa Charles to make 4-1 lead. Kylie Francisco get saver bonus by getting all 3 batters out. Kolkata getting victory celebration.

Now we face Milkcharmer at home. Brings the team on! For victory will being ours at house of ours!

[Welsh Cowboy]

OOC: It's not the same format, but the nickname is the overriding theme of the article.

The Search for a Nickname: Part II
Part I

Humdeia Post

Nameless National Baseball Team Falls to World #1

The Welsh Cowboy national baseball team, whose members have been instructed to try to decide on a nickname for their team by closer Mark Flynn, took to the field last night in their first-ever official game, which also served as their opener in World Baseball Classic 27.

The "Unnamed Sluggers" had a tough debut, squaring off against the top team in the world, Zwangzug. Their inexperience showed, as they gave up 2 runs in the bottom of the 9th, costing them the game, which ended 7-5 in Zwangzug's favor. After the game, manager Karl Schelner told assembled reporters that "tonight we learned many, many things."

"We didn't think we deserved to win; sure, we would have taken it, but Zwangzug is a fine, fine team. They play great baseball, and they played a solid game. I think we could learn much from them. In fact, every game should, and will be a learning experience for this team. They're a great bunch; I love every second I spend with them. But we need to learn some things during this tournament. And tonight, we learned many, many things."

WC starting pitcher Robert Gale took to the hill and pitched a solid 5.2 innings. surrendering three earned runs, including two on a double from Zwangzug center fielder Vesle Louash-Swea in the bottom of the fourth. In the sixth inning, his strong fastball and sinker began to fade, and he walked three straight batters with two outs in the inning, before being pulled. Reliever Andrew Charlton entered the game and only allowed one runner to score, before striking out an opponent on a curve that caught the outside corner.

While relievers Fernando Alonso and Bryan Pondexter gave up RBI singles to Sonia Ross-Meyer and Marc Ghasal-Mihaylov in the seventh and eighth innings, respectively, the Welsh Cowboy offense woke up in those same innings and brought home five runners.

The seventh inning opened with Peter Butel-Tiand, the Zwangzug lefty who had gone the entire way giving up only one hit, walking third baseman Pierce Brosen. Then after a flyout to right field by Anders Thurgen, the team scored their first runs in official competition when center fielder and switch hitter James Madsen left the park with a high, towering shot that easily cleared the right field fence. Butel-Tiand was pulled after this, and despite the next two batters striking out on three pitches, the "Nickname Seekers" came back in the eighth.

Down 4-2, catcher Bradley Lakeland led off the inning with a stand-up double. Pinch hitter Neil Harper, batting in the pitcher's spot, took a 2-2 fastball back up the middle, sending Lakeland to third. Leadoff hitter Luke Burchett swung and missed on a 1-2 pitch, but right fielder Devon Clarke stepped up to the plate and laced a hard grounder down the third base line, bringing home Lakeland, pushing Harper to third, and leaving him on second. Harper came home on a wild pitch. Clarke seemed not to notice the wild pitch, and was left on second. "I just wasn't paying enough attention," he said, laughing, after the game.

After another Zwangzug pitching change, the "Name Tag Wanted Ballers", tied with the best baseball team in the world, went further, taking the lead on a Anders Thurgen single to right after a Pierce Brosen groundout left Clarke on third, vindicating him for his carelessness on the wild pitch.

The small contingent of Welsh Cowboy fans who had made the trek to Zwangzug might have thought their team was on the brink of an amazing upset, taking a 5-4 lead into the bottom of the eighth. Even though it was 5-5 going into the 9th, chants of "Upset! Upset!" could be heard reverberating around the stadium. Momentum seemed to be with the visitors, but the side was mowed down 1-2-3 in the top of the inning, costing the Zwangzug pitcher, Irving Sandein, only 4 pitches.

Closer Mark Flynn, considered one of the leaders of the Welsh Cowboy squad, was called on in the bottom of the 9th, being entrusted to carry the game to extra innings. It was not to be, though, as he hit the opening batter, Vesle Louash-Swea, and then left a fastball over the heart of the plate for Marc Ghasal-Mihaylov. He sent the ball deep, clearing the center field wall by some 10 feet.

"I really didn't pitch well enough. That's it. I've got no excuses for how I let down this team, this bunch of guys. I'm disappointed."

Catcher Bradley Lakeland dismissed those comments: "We've got to do better than 5 runs to beat a superior team like them. You can't put that on Flynn."

Most of the players were asked after the game if it had inspired them to find a nickname. All but one of them declined to answer, but backup infielder Sherman Bannister, who did not play in the game, gave it a shot.

"The Battling Bats? We fought hard, I thought."

The whatchamacallits will play next against unranked San Jose Guayabal at home. It's sure to be a must-win game if the "No-Namers" wish to advance past the group stage of this tournament.

Win: Irving Sandein (Zwangzug)
Loss: Mark Flynn (Welsh Cowboy)

2B Luke Burchett: 0-4
RF Devon Clarke: 2-4, 2B, RBI, R
3B Pierce Brosen: 0-3, BB, R
LF Anders Thurgen: 1-4, RBI
CF James Madsen: 1-4, HR (1), 2 RBI, R
1B Rodney Larrick: 0-4
SS Chris Robelm: 0-4
C Bradley Lakeland: 1-3, 2B, R
PH Neil Harper: 1-1, R
P Robert Gale: 0-2

SP Robert Gale: 5.2 IP, 3 ER
RP Andrew Charlton: 0.1 IP
RP Fernando Alonso: IP, ER
RP Bryan Pondexter: IP, ER
RP Mark Flynn: 0 IP, 2 ER

[New Edom]

1 COPPER

THE FINEBERG TIMES

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CITY FINAL WEDNESDAY AUGUST 21, 2013

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Tigers Rake Diatrymas!

by Tim Stanton

In today’s game against the Llamaland Tigers, the Diatryma’s Martin Levy got into trouble as he hit Danny Mills and allowed Chris Harder to single in the second. With the bags loaded and one down, Bryant Moreno pounded a ground-rule double into left-center to score a pair, much to the relief of Chris Evans (who had mistakenly put on the "bunt" sign).While both teams are new to the international scene, the Tigers have an impressive starting lineup as demonstrated.

In the Tigers’ Third, Max Danks doubled to start the inning, stole third, and scored on an Alex Cameron flyout to deep center. Danks is known as a good stealer and lived up to his reputation in this case. Later, in the New Edomite Fifth, Joesph Bovee lead it off with a solo shot to right field, showing impressive power on the 420-foot blast. The Tigers’ Fifth followed with a solo shot from Bryant Moreno that in spite of anticipation of the Tiger’s lefty couldn’t be stopped.

In the 9th, New Edom showed life to load the bases, but a double play and a strikeout ended the threat with one run allowed. So in this game the Tigers managed to route the Diatrymas from their hunt—but the season is not over yet.

“We’re going to be up against some amazing teams,” said Levy, with his typical confident grin. “This is just motivating us to keep working hard. I love this game, and I’m over the moon—how many people get to do what they love every day? I just thank God for the opportunity.”

[Strawbee]

A Troubling Start
Strawbee's offensive slump puts team in 0-2 hole

In a WBC with less total games played in the group stage, making each much more significant for any team hoping to qualify for the playoffs, Strawbee has put themselves in an awful position already with their unexpected close loss to unranked Callumackbar. The loss comes on the heals of their game against Saugeais where the team only managed 3 hits. It was also the second game in a row where Strawbee had to take to the road, so there may be hope that the team picks up a bit more life later in the tournament

They will have to, and they will have to do it soon as it is hard to imagine a playoff appearance resulting from any record worse than 5-3, which means they can conceivably only afford 1 more loss if they want any hope of improving on past performance. The good news is they are favored to win in every remaining match with the strong exception of their 2nd game against Saugeais. The pressure is on more than ever as the Strawbeean athletic comittee has vowed to make major changes to the roster should it continue the current poor performance that has been displayed by a nation that has quickly become accustomed to winning most of it's games. Some are urging patience as the team has actually only lost 1 game they weren't predicted to lost by practically everyone outside the desert nation. The loss to Callumackbar was unexpected and disappointing but it may be inflated in people's minds due to the shorter schedule and it coming on the heels of the opening loss against Saugeais.

The team will have a chance to break the streak and shake off whatever is plaguing them as their off day is tomarrow, after the break they will face #50 Kriegersien, another game in which they are heavily favored, but in which a loss could result in Strawbee baseball plunging itself into panic mode surprisingly early in the tournament

[Zwangzug]

(OOC: The Kerlagrad Courier is a rather satirical publication, take this as you will. I do like this plotline, though! )

The Kerlagrad Courier
Learning experience for inexperienced...people

The Welsh Cowboy national baseball team rallied to take the lead in Spenson against Zwangzug, in their first-ever game. However, the Zebras were able to tie and eventually win the game, in the eighth and ninth innings respectively. Afterwards, Welsh Cowboy manager Karl Schelner was quoted as saying that "[his team] could learn much from [the Zebras]."

Most notably, how to have a nickname.

"Yeah, I mean, I guess it's one thing if your national animal happens to be something cute and alliterative," said Peter Butel-Tiand, Zwangzug's starting pitcher for the home opener and one of the few holdovers from the WBC 24 team. "Although considering what some actual zebras have gotten up to, that might have been a mistake. Too late to change it now, though, we're an institution. One doesn't mess with tradition. Well sometimes one does and...sorry, what were we saying?"

After disposing of several more of his characteristic sunflower seeds, Butel-Tiand continued. "Er, yeah, so if their national animal is...the platypus? Then they could be the platypuses? The platypi? Ew, irregular plurals. Yeah, okay, I can see the problem."

Other suggestions focused around the country's name itself. "I mean, you can be some version of the cows," suggested rookie Myra Ortlow. "The Buwches? Buchod? Or what about Whales? I have no idea where that came from it just sounds legit."

Vesle Louash-Swea pushed in two runs, and scored the winning run after getting hit by a pitch in the bottom of the ninth. "I thought the visitors were playing very well? I would never have guessed how inexperienced they were? So I think, if they keep improving like this, they can really be making progress in no time? They might even wind up better than, who was it? That tried to come up with a nickname and just called themselves the 'Things'? I think that was Quintessence of Dust? Nothing against Quodites but...you know?" Louash-Swea, while exuberant about the victory, persists in a really annoying version of the interrogative mood.

Zwangzug will visit Welsh Cowboy in five days. "They'll have built up some experience by then," manager Eileen Janvier agreed, "and who knows, maybe they'll be out for revenge. But how much they'll have done beyond that...well, thankfully, that's not my problem."

[Callumackbar]

Callumackbar World Baseball Classic 27 Squad announced!

P Calvin Fletcher
P Charlie Swanson
P Clifford Gomez
P Kelvin Mitchell
P Armando Williams

C Daniel Robertson
1B Ramon Wills
2B Oliver Gilbert
3B Corey Riley
SS Al Simpson
LF Victor Rice
RF Sherman Buchanan
CF Terry Taylor

Head Coach - George Flowers

[Allinlia]

Allinlians Prepare for Southwick
Team's next opponent undefeated coming into Match Day 3

Southwick may be a newcomer to the WBC but they are already looking like one of the most dangerous teams in the tournament, defeating group favorites Taeshan 5-3 on the heels of an impressive 10-2 victory against The Fair Republic. Southwick is now undefeated coming into their match against Allinlia, and with Taeshan in an early 0-2 hole, it could in fact be this match that proves to the most significant in deciding group 9, at least in the first half.

The Allinlians seem eager for the opportunity to hand the hot new team it's first WBC defeat and put themselves firmly on the fast track to take 1st place in the group. Though Allinlia is ranked much higher than Southwick by the internation rankings system, it is actually very hard to tell at this early point how the two teams really stack up against each other, as they both defeated Taeshan by similar margins and they both have been strongly favored by WBC analysts against The Fair Republic. Allinlia does not seem to be underestimating their opponents at all, as they have spent the bulk of their off day scouting Southwick specifically.

Eli Wells is expected to be Allinlia's starting pitcher for the match, the young Wells has proven to be among the most consistent and reliable of Allinlia's WBC starters, it's expected to be a good match against two of the most talked about up and coming teams thus far, it should be interesting to see which of these overhyped teams comes out on top.

Elsewhere in the group:

The Fair Republic gets a chance to celebrate it's victory against Tarrigan as they have MD3 off. Taeshan and tarrigan will try to snag their first win of the tournament against each other, Taeshan has a reputation for starting off the group stage badly and then recovering later on to make the playoffs, they are favored to win by most in the matchup despite their poor performance thus far.

[Southwick]

Southwick Defeats #12 Taeshan

Southwick              1 0 1 2 0 1 0 0 0  5
Taeshan                0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 1  3

Southwick won their second straight game yesterday, defeating Taeshan 5-3. Taeshan, the top seed in the group, is now 0 and 2 and is at the bottom of the group. Southwick remains at the top of Group 9 with a 2-0 record and an outstanding +10 run differential. "Our pitching and defense were really the key tonight," said manager Ernest Grant. "Our hitters weren't quite as good as in the last game, but Sean Morris had a very good game. And when your defense turns three double plays, you don't need and much hitting." Morris, the starting pitcher for the Candlemakers, pitched seven scoreless innings before being pulled for a pinch-hitter. Morris himself said, "The team played very well today against a tough Taeshan team. We'll just play it one game at a time and focus on our next matchup."

Southwick got on the board early again after Adrian Clark singled home Alan Williams. Williams has been on fire as of late, and Clark ad a very good game. Southwick scored again in the third inning when Clark hit a home run into the right field seats. Taeshan starting pitcher Tyler Fitzpatrick was pulled after the fourth inning, but not before he gave up to more runs, including one on a hit by pitch. Southwick scored again in the sixth when Ronnie Gomez scored on a single by Curtis Chandler. Taeshan added three runs late on home runs by catcher Jeff Zimmerman and left fielder Todd Addams, but Alan Hansen closed out the Purple Knights by striking out Tim Wasaver for his first save of the campaign.

Scoring Summary

1 - SWK - A. Clark singles to right field, A. Williams scores. - 1-0
3 - SWK - A. Clark homers to right field. - 2-0
4 - SWK - A. Hill flies out to center, D. Curry scores. - 3-0
4 - SWK - A. Williams is hit by a pitch, M. Holloway scores, C. Chandler to third, J. Gordon to second. - 4-0
6 - SWK - C. Chandler singles to right field, R. Gomez scores. - 5-0
8 - TAE - J. Zimmerman homers to right field, Z. Childs scores. - 5-2
9 - TAE - T. Addams homers to right field. - 5-3

Play-by-Play

First Inning
SWK - C. Chandler grounds out to third base.
SWK - J. Gordon lines out to second base.
SWK - A. Williams doubles to left field.
SWK - A. Clark singles to right field, A. Williams scores.
SWK - A. Campbell singles to center field, A. Clark to second.
SWK - D. Curry flies out to right field.

TAE - A. Fisher grounds out to second base.
TAE - K. Mywane flies out to right field.
TAE - T. Addams strikes out swinging.

Second Inning
SWK - M. Holloway walks.
SWK - M. Holloway steals second base.
SWK - A. Hill flies out to left field.
SWK - S. Morris strikes out swinging.
SWK - C. Chandler grounds out to third base.

TAE - I. Lewis flies out to left field.
TAE - T. Wasaver grounds out to second base.
TAE - Z. Childs walks.
TAE - K. Bleacher strikes out looking.

Third Inning
SWK - J. Gordon grounds out to second base.
SWK - A. Williams strikes out looking.
SWK - A. Clark homers to right field.
SWK - A. Campbell pops out to third base.

TAE - J. Zimmerman strikes out looking.
TAE - T. Fitzpatrick strikes out looking.
TAE - A. Fisher grounds out to shortstop.

Fourth Inning
SWK - D. Curry singles to right field.
SWK - M. Holloway singles to right field, D. Curry to third.
SWK - A. Hill flies out to center, D. Curry scores.
SWK - S. Morris sacrifice bunts, M. Holloway to second.
SWK - C. Chandler walks.
SWK - J. Gordon walks, M. Holloway to third, C. Chandler to second.
SWK - A. Williams is hit by a pitch, M. Holloway scores, C. Chandler to third, J. Gordon to second.
SWK - A. Clark flies out to left field.

TAE - K. Mywane singles to center.
TAE - T. Addams strikes out swinging.
TAE - I. Lewis grounds into a 4-6-3 double play.

Fifth Inning
*J. Pierre comes in to pitch for Taeshan*
SWK - A. Campbell grounds out to shortstop
SWK - D. Curry strikes out swinging.
SWK - M. Holloway flies out to center field.

TAE - T. Wasaver grounds out to third base.
TAE - Z. Childs flies out to center field.
TAE - K. Bleacher strikes out looking.

Sixth Inning
*R. Gomex pinch-hits for A. Hill*
SWK - R. Gomez singles to center field.
SWK - R. Gomez steals second base.
SWK - S. Morris grounds out to third base.
SWK - C. Chandler singles to right field, R. Gomez scores.
SWK - J. Gordon strikes out looking.
SWK - A. Williams flies out to right field.

*M. Dunn comes in at catcher for Southwick*
*R. Gomez comes in at second baseman for Southwick*
TAE - J. Zimmerman singles to left field.
*V. West pinch-hits for J. Pierre*
TAE - V. West grounds into a 5-4-3 double play.
TAE - A. Fisher lines out to first base.

Seventh Inning
*D. Mashkov comes in to pitch for Taeshan*
SWK - A. Clark flies out to center field.
SWK - A. Campbell lines out to shortstop.
SWK - D. Curry singles to left field.
SWK - M. Holloway grounds out to first base.

TAE - K. Mywane grounds out to shortstop.
TAE - T. Addams flies out to center field.
TAE - I. Lewis doubles to right field.
TAE - T. Wasaver strikes out looking.

Eighth Inning
SWK - R. Gomez grounds out to second base.
*J. French pinch-hits for S. Morris*
SWK - J. French flies out to center field.
SWK - C. Chandler grounds out to second base.

*S. Palmer comes in to pitch for Southwick*
TAE - Z. Childs doubles to center field.
TAE - K. Bleacher grounds out to first base, Z. Childs to third.
TAE - J. Zimmerman homers to right field, Z. Childs scores.
*T. Rissler pinch-hits for D. Mashkov*
TAE - T. Rissler singles to left field.
TAE - A. Fisher flies into a 8-3 double play.

Ninth Inning
*M. Smith enters the game to pitch for Taeshan*
SWK - M. Hill grounds to second.
SWK - A. Williams walks.
SWK - A. Clark strikes out swinging.
SWK - A. Campbell grounds out to shortstop.

*A. Hansen enters the game to pitch for Southwick*
TAE - K. Mywane grounds out to second base.
TAE - T. Addams homers to right field.
TAE - I. Lewis flies out to center field.
TAE - T. Wasaver strikes out looking.

Players of the Game

1. Sean Morris, SP, W, 7 IP, 7 K, 0.00 ERA
2. Adrian Clark, 1B, 2-5, R, 2 RBI, HR
3. Alan Williams, RF, 1-3, R, RBI, 2B, BB, HBP

Southwick Statistical Leaders

Hitting
PA: Curtis Chandler, 10
AB: 2 tied with 9
H: Alan Williams, 5
R: 2 tied with 3
RBI: Alan Williams, 4
1B: 2 tied with 3
2B: Alan Williams, 3
3B: Marcos Holloway, 1
HR: Adrian Clark, 1
XBH: Alan Williams, 3
BB: James Gordon, 3
HBP: Alan Williams, 1
K: Darin Curry, 3
SF: 2 tied with 1
SH: Sean Morris, 1
TB: Alan Williams, 1
SB: 3 tied with 2
SBA: 4 tied with 1.000
AVG: Ronnie Gomez, .667
OBP: 2 tied with .667
SLG: Alan Williams, 1.000
OPS: Alan Williams, 1.667

Pitching
W: 2 tied with 1
L: N/A
IP: Woodrow Paul, 8.0
G: 5 tied with 1
GS: 2 tied with 1
GF: 2 tied with 1
SV: Alan Hansen, 1
SVO: Alan Hansen, 1
HLD: N/A
R: Sylvester Palmer, 2
ER: Sylvester Palmer, 2
H: Woodrow Paul, 3
HRA: 3 tied with 1
BB: Sean Morris, 1
SO: Woodrow Paul, 9
ERA: Sean Morris, 0.00
WHIP: Woodrow Paul, 0.50

Fielding
GP: 10 tied with 2
INN: 5 tied with 18
TC: Adrian Clark, 22
A: Marcos Holloway, 6
PO: Adrian Clark, 21
E: N/A
DP: Adrian Clark, 3
FP: 12 tied with 1.000
RF: Adrian Clark, 11.000

The Knuckler Factory

"Andrews." It was day one of the Pitcher Reassignment Program and players were being assigned to the apartments that they would live in over the next few months. "Baker." James waited in the crowd. There were about thirty players waiting, and James only knew a few of them. They ranged in age from seventeen to twenty-three, so James was on the young end of the group. "Welbeck." James watched as players filed up to the desk to get their room keys. He only recognized a few faces, and saw none of his teammates or friends. "Lyon." James jumped forward with a start. He walked up to the desk and took his key from the woman handing them out. "Thank you," James said, turning and following the previously called players off to the side. He looked at his room key. It read A24.

The Southwick Baseball Complex was a state-of-the-art facility with various wings, apartments, and most importantly, baseball fields. At full capacity it could house over 400 players and coaches. And, it had over 20 diamonds across the estate. James moved over to a map of the grounds.

He glanced around the map, quickly gaining his bearings. He was in the Main Wing. He had to go first to the Equipment House to get his clothing and gear, and then to the A Building, a dormitory. James quickly found the path he was looking for and set off through the door towards the house.

When he got there, he found another line, this one about 10 players strong. The queue moved slowly through the house, pausing at the equipment desk. James shuffled forwards, nearing the desk. The room was almost all wood, except for the metal racks which held the suitcases and bags that each player got. "Hello. Name please?" said a cheery man. "James Lyon," replied James. "Nice to meet you James, I'm Art Dillon, the equipment manager," said the man, shaking James' hand. "I hope everyone here is this nice," thought James. Turning to the rack, Art found a red suitcase and a black bag. Both had "James Lyon" embroidered on the front in yellow thread. "Here you go," he said. "Have a nice day."

James took the bag and exited through a side door. Ahead of him was a player looking at his room key. "Need help?" James asked. "No thanks," said the man. He looked about James' age. "I am Matt, by the way. Matt Cameron." "James Lyon," said James shaking Matt's hand. "What room are you?" Matt looked at his key. "A21," he said. "That's right down the hall from me. O'm A24" said James. They grabbed their bags and started to walk towards the A Building. "So, how did you get invited here?" asked James. "Same as everyone," chuckled Matt. "I pitched for Layton last summer. Didn't go to well, but I guess I caught someone's eye." They continued walking towards the building. "I know a couple of the other guys here. They are all in the same boat we are. Just looking for a shot," Matt said, looking towards their destination. "Anyway, who did you play for last year?" he asked. "Southie," said James, referring to his home neighborhood, Southton. "We did pretty good, but we lost to Spartak in the playoffs." "I've seen a couple of Spartak players around," said Matt. "They had a good season." James nodded. They had reached the A Building. Slowly, James opened the door and they both entered.

[Maklohi Vai]

Part 1

"Hello?"

"Mom, it's Kumalo."

"Hi honey! How are you?"

"I talked to tama."

Kumalo sensed a pause before his mother spoke. "How did that go?"

"Considering the circumstances, it went very well. We're back to speaking."

"Good, good! Are you going to see her?"

"No, not yet. To be honest I'd rather just put it behind me."

"Well that's ok too. Do you want to talk about something else?"

"Yeah, kind of."

"Well what's been going on in the Classic?"

"The team's one and one. Lost to Karditan."

"They're a good team."

"Yeah, but not wonderful. We should beat them most days."

"I'm sure the team can come back."

"Yeah, I guess."

"What else has been happening around the tournament?"

"Well, a pitcher on New Montreal States's team spontaneously combusted."

"Must have been a bad performance."

"No, he literally caught on fire."

"Wait, was he good or bad? You're confusing me."

"No mom, he, the person, literally caught on fire."

"He..."

"Caught on fire."

"Wha--- How?"

"Nobody knows, that's why it's spontaneous to us."

"Is he ok?"

"Being treated for burns, but otherwise alright."

"Is there anything weirder?"

"There's a team without a name."

"Like no nickname?"

"Exactly. It's the Welsh Cowboy team."

"That's their nation name?"

"Yes."

"What sort of a lunatic came up with that?"

"Probably a politician, Prime Minister or something like that."

"Well I have an idea."

"Yeah?"

"How about the Husbandmen?"

"What is that?"

"A husbandman was like the early version of a vet, breeding and taking care of animals."

"Well how did you come by that?"

"Well, cowboys deal with all sort of animals, not necessarily breeding, but they have to look after them."

"Ok, I can see that. What about the Welsh part?"

"Well vets have to love their animals, right?"

"Yeah..."

"And the Welsh love their sheep."

"Mom."

"What?"

"Please tell me that wasn't a joke about bestiality."

"Oh no, honey, we only make those about Kiwis."

"Alright, if you say so. Look, Mom, I have to go. I'll talk to you later."

"Ok, bye honey!"

"Love you."

"Love you too."

---

Karditan               0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1  3
Maklohi Vai            1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  2

Scoring Summary:
1st: Mae'ao hit a monster shot to right field, but it bounced off the top of the wall, leaving him with a double and an RBI, coming from Iao Laina, who scored after a double of his own.
4th: After Mae'ao led off the inning with a single, Arnao, with one out, hit a double to put runners at second and third. Moalna’akai Lai then perfectly executed a squeeze play, bringing Mae'ao home.

HR: Mae'ao 1
RBI: Mae'ao 3, Wolo Rakinalmanai 2, Moalna’akai Lai 2[/quote]

[Saintland]

Matchday 3 Results for Groups 7-12

Group 7
Maklohi Vai            0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 0 0 0 2  5
Super Bwitain          0 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0  3

Nova Anglicana         0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0  1
Karditan               0 0 1 0 3 0 0 0 X  4


  Group 7               Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD    Win % 
1 Karditan                3    2   1    11    8   +3    0.667
2 Maklohi Vai             3    2   1    12    9   +3    0.667
3 Super Bwitain           2    1   1     8    9   −1    0.500
4 Kerblaekistan           2    1   1     9    9    0    0.500
5 Nova Anglicana          2    0   2     4    9   −5    0.000

Group 8
Myeeria                0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0  2
Skeckoa                0 2 0 3 1 0 0 1 X  7

Sicoutimont            0 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 2  5
New Texaco             0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  0


  Group 8               Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD    Win % 
1 Sicoutimont             2    2   0    13    5   +8    1.000
2 Estope                  2    2   0    12    8   +4    1.000
3 Skeckoa                 2    1   1     9    7   +2    0.500
4 New Texaco              3    1   2    13   17   −4    0.333
5 Myeeria                 3    0   3    12   22  −10    0.000

Group 9
Taeshan                2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  2
Tarrigan               0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 2  4

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


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

Group 10
Gregoryisgodistan      0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  1
Britonisea             1 0 2 4 0 1 2 0 X 10

Western Cuba           0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  0
West Guiana            1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 X  2


  Group 10              Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD    Win % 
1 The Sova Empire         2    2   0    14    7   +7    1.000
2 Britonisea              2    1   1    12    9   +3    0.500
3 Western Cuba            2    1   1     4    3   +1    0.500
4 West Guiana             3    1   2    11   12   −1    0.333
5 Gregoryisgodistan       3    1   2     8   18  −10    0.333

Group 11
Kriegiersien           1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0  2
Callumackbar           0 0 1 0 1 2 0 0 X  4

Unolia                 1 1 1 1 0 0 2 0 0  6
Saugeais               0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0  2


  Group 11              Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD    Win % 
1 Callumackbar            2    2   0     7    4   +3    1.000
2 Saugeais                3    2   1    13    9   +4    0.667
3 Unolia                  2    1   1     8    7   +1    0.500
4 Kriegiersien            3    1   2    10   12   −2    0.333
5 Strawbee                2    0   2     2    8   −6    0.000

Group 12
San Jose Guayabal      0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1  2
Welsh Cowboy           0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0  1

Thatius                2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  2
Carasatoga             1 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 X  4


  Group 12              Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD    Win % 
1 Zwangzug                2    2   0    13   10   +3    1.000
2 San Jose Guayabal       3    2   1     6    6    0    0.667
3 Thatius                 2    1   1     6    6    0    0.500
4 Carasatoga              3    1   2    10   10    0    0.333
5 Welsh Cowboy            2    0   2     6    9   −3    0.000

Kerblaekistan, Estope, The Fair Republic, The Sova Empire, Strawbee and Zwangzug had byes today. The nations that won their games today have their linescore bolded.

[New Wolfopolis]

New Wolfopolis 0 0 0 1 2 0 0 0 1 4
Hardwinter 0 0 1 0 0 0 3 1 X 5

Lillard: "Welcome to Wolfpack Postgame Live, brought to you by Louviere Telecommunications. My name is Rebecca Lillard, and I'm joined by Thomas Figueroa and Rafael Ramos. An exciting game for the Wolfpack, but ultimately, it didn't end well. Tom?"

Figueroa: "Well, one thing I have to say is Allen Marsh was on his game today. 6 innings of one run ball, two walks, nine strikeouts, only pulled because his pitch count was at 116. He was working batters and batters were battling him. Not sure whether or not he could've been effective after that, but the bullpen certainly wasn't."

Ramos: "Yeah, the one bright spot in the bullpen is the closer Hansen, but he didn't have an opportunity to pitch today. Once Marsh came out, the bullpen got rocked for four, and the offense just couldn't keep up."

RL: "And now let's take a look at the highlights.

"We'll pick this one up in the bottom of the third, runner on third for Hardwinter, and the shortstop hits a ground ball just past the outstretched glove of Parrish at third; the catcher scores easily.

"Next half-inning, Matsuoka on second with nobody out, Campos at the plate, and he lines it up the middle for a base hit. Matsuoka scores, Campos tries to advance on the throw but is gunned down by the Hardwinter catcher.

"Top 5, one on, one out for Reed Cabrera, here's the call from Richard Larmon:"

The 2-1 delivery. Swing and a LINE DRIVE, DEEP TO LEFT FIELD, THIS ONE WILL GO! A two-run shot for Reed Cabrera to break the tie, 3 to 1 Wolfpack!"

"They would keep that lead until the bottom of the 7th. With Warren Kelly on the mound, two men on base, and two outs, Kelly throws a curveball that hangs just too long, and the left fielder hits a towering deep home run to straightaway center field. 4-3 New Wolfopolis. Kelly would finish the inning, and Cody Goodman would pitch the eighth. He gave up a leadoff triple and then a sacrifice fly to the first two batters to open the inning, and retired the next three straight.

"Top of the ninth, and New Wolfopolis is looking for a comeback. The Hardwinter closer is on the mound now, and Katsunori Matsuoka is the first hitter. Here's the call from Richard Larmon:"

Matsuoka steps in, he's 2 for 4 today with a run scored back in the second inning. Matsu gets a good swing on this one, and it's high and deep to right-center, THIS ONE WILL GO! A solo homer for the Captain and it's a one-run ballgame, folks!"

"Fast-forward, man on second and third, two outs, and John Parrish at the plate. He hits a lined shot but it's snagged by the third baseman to end the game. 5-4 is the final, Hardwinter comes out on top, and is now in first place in Group 3. Reliever John Smith is the winning pitcher for Hardwinter, and Warren Kelly takes the loss for the Wolfpack."

RR: "Now it's time for the postgame interview with manager Javier Best. Javier, how are you today?"

JB: "I'm doing well, and yourself?"

RR: "I'm fine, thanks. Javier, what did you think of your team's performance today?"

JB: "Well, obviously I'd be happier with it if they could've gotten a win, but ultimately they performed well. Marsh was a battler out there, the defense was good, the offense was solid, but could've been a bit more clutch. This is a tough team. They upset the 13th ranked team in the world yesterday on the road. We battled and gave it all we got, but we ended up losing. That's baseball."

RL: "Obviously your relief pitching is something that was less-than-stellar today. How can you get the bullpen so that it will be ready for tomorrow?"

JB: "Well, one thing that was difficult for our bullpen was just the shock of performing on an international stage. It's a tough thing to deal with your first time. Warren just had one get away from him that Hardwinter took advantage of. They already had a game on the international stage, against the number thirteen team in the world at that, and they knew more about what they were doing. The initial shock was gone. I think our bullpen will be fine tomorrow, they were stellar in the ANWB leagues, and I think that will begin to show tomorrow now that they're over the initial shock."

TF: "Final question: How do you think you'll do tomorrow against 22-seed Vaugania?"

JB: "I talked to Leo and he's feeling good, he's ready for tomorrow, so I think we'll be fine. Plus we're in front of the home crowd, so it'll be a lot of fun and our team is pumped and up for the challenge."

TF: "Thanks Coach. That's all the time we have. Tune in to the game tomorrow against Vaugania, right here on NWSN. Leo Jacobson is on the mound for the Wolfpack. Pre-game coverage will begin 30 minutes before first pitch and post-game begins right afterward."

[Alitaba]

Part 1

Ansemio rushed to the hospital in the City Center to attend to his ailing mother, who had an accident according to his brother. He did not know the situation, since his brother didn't tell him how grave the situation is. He did not mind the New Edom game anymore, his mother's life was important to him. He recalled that every time he goes to a Mandaraqgat match, he does not follow his mother's errands.

His mother raised her family alone. His father had passed away when he was in his mother's womb, and he did not have a chance to see him. Now, in a matter of hours, he would experience a painful and horrible experience any grown up would not want to experience.

He entered the hospital, and the doctor approached him.

"Are you Anselmo Dimatakaw?"

"Yes sir."

"Come inside your mother's ward. She needs your presence there."

He was guided to his mother's ward and he saw his mother. She was pretty weak at that time and it looked like that she would not last longer. The one thing that was bizarre was the television set. It shows Alitaba's match in the eighth inning against the Diatrymas. They were losing, 3-7.

"Anak, do you know that your father used to play for the Mandaragat? He was the ace there." She said in an obviously weakened voice. "What I want for you is to follow your father's path, okay?"

"Ma, just don't speak now. Please. You must recover your energy. What about our sari-sari store? Who will manage it? I cannot do it alone."

"No, anak. I know that I wouldn't last longer. I want you to fulfill that dream. For me. Anak..."

He noticed the tears flowing from his mother's eyes. She was smiling, but her eyes started to close, a final closing that Ansemio knew that it would be the last time. She smiled as she passes away.

"MA!!!"

He could do nothing. His brother suddenly arrived, shocked at what he saw. His brother cried, a lot. He did not see his mother say her last words.

After some minutes, the room was silent, except for the television. It was two outs for the Mandaragat, with no runners on scoring positions, and it was 0-2. The DH could have given hope to the Alitabans, but the pitcher threw a fastball that Sultan Samudi Bakir cannot hit. A strikeout. And before the Diatrymas could even celebrate on TV, Ansemio shut the TV off.

"I will fulfill that dream."

[Equestrian States]

Equestrian Players Pledge Support and Solidarity

Saintland, Saintland, Saintland... Why must you be stuck in the dark ages of human history?

Prior to the start of the World Baseball Classic, which is being hosted in Maklohi Vai and the above-mentioned nation, Cassadagan coach Meghan Corrigan posted a blog stating that she and her players would behave, and expect to be treated, in the exact same way as they would in Maklohi Vai should they be assigned to play in Saintland for the playoffs. Several nights ago, Maria Polus (a controversial Sanctii figure known for her inflammatory words) posted a video on a video-sharing site that effectively threatened the team from Cassadaigua with arrest should they fail to follow Saintland's absurdly-strict dress code.

Earlier today, a number of female players and coaches on the Equestrian national baseball team vowed to stand alongside their fellow women from Cassadaigua in defying such restrictive Sanctii laws. "I, personally, don't have a problem with Saintland enforcing its laws amongst its own people," said left-fielder Ashley Hamilton, "though I know some of my colleagues feel otherwise. But insulting and threatening foreign players with imprisonment is absolutely unacceptable. I speak for all of us here when I say that we will not be made to play with those antiquated 'head-coverings' if we are to play in Saintland. Somehow, the Sanctii were elected to host this tournament. But if they follow through with this foolish plan, it will be their last. As an international-level player on one of the world's best teams I do expect there to be local laws that I'll have to follow when I'm travelling. But at the same time, I expect those laws to be fair, and for them to be fairly enforced."

Ashley Hamilton's speech was one of several given by prominent Equestrian players on the issue, all of which were similar in declaring defiance. The Equestrian States Baseball Association has yet to take an official position on the potential crisis, but is likely to take a stance similar to that of its players. With players and coaches from the host nations of the last two Classics opposing Sanctii laws regarding the dress of women, the pressure on Saintland's government from the international community appears to be building once more.

Additionally, the question as to whether or not Saintland's much-despised laws regarding female dress would apply to non-humans has yet to receive an official response. Public opinion in the Equestrian States on Saintland has plummeted to an all-time low of 0.92%, which surpassed the previous low of 0.96% set during the recent Cup of Harmony (hosted, of course, by the Equestrian States and Cassadaigua), which the much-mocked and disrespectful Sanctii media referred to as the "Cup of Disharmony". As expected, that particular move did not sit well within the Equestrian States, where the majority religion is Harmonism.

[Tarrigan]

Swordsmen Celebrate First Win in Walkoff Fashion, 4-2.
TOTTEN SPRINGS
Written by Ryane Curtis, Baseball Editor

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

Game Summary

↑1: Mywan, HR. Fisher scores from 1B. TAE 2 – 0 TAR
↓3: Buckingham, 1B. Jacobs scores from 2B. Guillory to 2B. TAE 2 – 1 TAR
↓3: Holmes out on FC. Guillory to 3B. Buckingham to 2B. TAE 2 – 1 TAR
↓3: Palmer, 1B. Guillory scores from 3B, Buckingham to 3B. TAE 2 – 2 TAR
↓7: Livingston K. Strands bases loaded. TAE 2 – 2 TAR
↓9: Palmer, BB. One out. TAE 2 – 2 TAR
↓9: Grenneville, HR. Palmer scores from 1B. TAE 2 – 4 TAR

Yet again, the offense was not prevalent in this game. Curtis Guillory was able to calm down after his first inning miscue, striking out 10 through 6.1 innings. Alec Madison came on in the seventh, and struck out two more. After that, Riannon Vaughn came out for the eight to setup the close. She was perfect, throwing four pitches to get three straight groundouts. Finally, Aria O’Donnell would come on to get the win in her first professional game. She gave up a one out single, but immediately turned a double play on a 3-2 pitch. Alex Palmer would walk on four straight pitches, to bring up power hitter Eli Grenneville. Dan Mashkov left a slider hanging in the middle of the zone, and Grenneville promptly sent it to the high wall in left. This would set off a large stream of fireworks behind the scoreboard in centerfield, as Mashkov left the field with his head hanging.

Notable Stats
Grenneville: 2/4, BB, HR. 2 RBI. Walkoff homerun hitter.
Buckingham: 3/3, 3 1B, BB. 1 RBI.
Guillory: 6.1 IP, 10 K, 6 H, 3 BB, 3.00 ERA. 10 strikeouts, 7 swinging, 3 called.
O’Donnell: 1.0 IP, 1 K, 1 H, 0 BB, 0.00 ERA. Earned Win in first professional game.

Quotes
“Palmer’s on first, having walked the previous at bat. Dan Mashkov could possibly be in trouble here with a full count. One out here in the bottom of the ninth inning, Eli Grenneville up at the plate. Mashkov digs in, kicks, and fires. Eli swings, it’s hit hard! Palmer has already rounded second, but this ball has a chance to go swimming in the bay! It’s up, it’s back, it’s over the wall! Eli Grenneville has won this game on a walkoff home run!” – Ethan Cale’s radio call of the walkoff homerun.

[Maklohi Vai]

Matchday 3 Results for Groups 1-6

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

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


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


Group 2
The Royal Kingdom of Quebec      0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 3  5
North Franklin                   0 0 0 0 1 2 0 0 0  3

Darmen                           2 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 0  6
Saintland                        1 0 3 0 0 0 1 1 2  8


                                  Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD    Win % 
1 Saintland                         3    2   1    12    9   +3    0.667
2 North Franklin                    2    1   1     9    9    0    0.500
3 Darmen                            2    1   1    16   11   +5    0.500
4 Cowardly Pacifists                2    1   1     7    6   +1    0.500
5 The Royal Kingdom of Quebec       3    1   2     8   17   −9    0.333


Group 3
Vaugania                0 3 0 0 1 3 0 1 1  9
New Wolfopolis          0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2  3

Cassadaigua             0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0  2
Free South Califas      0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 3  5


                         Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD    Win % 
1 Hardwinter               2    2   0    10    4   +6    1.000
2 Free South Califas       3    2   1    17    9   +8    0.667
3 Vaugania                 3    2   1    18   20   −2    0.667
4 Cassadaigua              2    0   2     7   12   −5    0.000
5 New Wolfopolis           2    0   2     7   14   −7    0.000


Group 4
Milchama               0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0  2
Qazox                  0 0 1 1 2 0 0 0 X  4

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


                        Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD    Win % 
1 Sakurakoku              2    2   0    15    5  +10    1.000
2 Qazox                   2    2   0     8    3   +5    1.000
3 Lymantatia              2    1   1     7    9   −2    0.500
4 Milchama                3    1   2    11   14   −3    0.333
5 Levivania               3    0   3    11   21  −10    0.000



Group 5
The Sovan Antithesis      0 0 1 0 2 0 2 1 0  6
Kinzar                    0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 2  3

Aardenland                1 0 2 2 0 1 0 0 0  6
Imota                     0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0  1


                           Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD    Win % 
1 The Sovan Antithesis       3    3   0    21    7  +14    1.000
2 Aardenland                 2    1   1     9    6   +3    0.500
3 Kinzar                     2    1   1    11   13   −2    0.500
4 Imota                      3    1   2     4   17  −13    0.333
5 Ko-oren                    2    0   2     8   10   −2    0.000


Group 6
Sangti                     2 0 0 0 0 1 3 0 0  6
Kingdom of Costa Luna      1 0 0 2 4 0 0 0 X  7

The Serbian Empire         0 1 2 0 0 0 0 2 4  9
New Montreal States        0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 1  3


                            Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD    Win % 
1 Sangti                      3    2   1    16   12   +4    0.667
2 The Serbian Empire          2    1   1    12    9   +3    0.500
3 Ukrainya                    2    1   1     7    9   −2    0.500
4 Kingdom of Costa Luna       2    1   1    10   13   −3    0.500
5 New Montreal States         3    1   2    11   13   −2    0.333

[Skeckoa]

Excerpt from the Skeckoa Free Journal

After the heartbreak that was Skeckoa's opener, today was a must win for the Eskeckii Baseball Selection.

Today, Skeckoa took out there number two man Willard Porris on the hill against unranked Myeeria at home at the Estadio Nacional in Skeckoa City in front of a sell-out krowd of 31,000.

Leading the stampede for the Bois was leadoff man Enrique Goméz, who went 4 for 5 with two stolen bases and an RBI. Enrique has been hot as the leadoff man being one of the leaders in both of the games played by the Bois.

Skeckoa struk first with 2 in the bottom half of the second off the small ball, which included a drag bunt single by Skeckoa clean-up man Herald Hedrada that caught the Myeerian Infield, and a nation full of people watching over Television, a great surprise.

The Myeerians would however responded in the very next frame with a homerun by third baseman 0021329013.

And that would be all she wrote...

The Eskeckiis would then proceed to skore five unanswered their next five innings at the plate to lock up an easy, and expekted win over an unranked team that failed to send a full 25 man roster to a top tier baseball tournament.

Portis went 7 innings of 2 run ball before giving the ball over to the bullpen, which finished the las two innings striking out four and walking one off the arms of Manley and Waternake.

Skeckoa now gets ready, as they are on a plane right know ready to take on by far the biggest name in group 8, the defending runner-ups in the previous installment of the World Baseball Klassik, Sicoutimont. The Quebekois have spotted a perfekt rekord so far, however, they are still playing below the level that people rightfully expekt of them. They have defeated Myeeria by a skore of 5-8, but requiring a late inning rally to do so. They then proceeded to defeat New Texaco by a score of 5-0, although good, a surprisingly light sentence for the unranked New Texaco facing a #3 ranked team.

"They are some good folk, those Quebecois, but, if we play our game, anything can happen. It won't be the first time we defeat a team seeded way above us" said catcher Benito Juarez.

The young 22 year old soft-throwing Francisco Peña will be expekting to take the hill tomorrow and if all goes to plan, sporting his vastly improved Swerve, the 12-6er and Slider that sweeps akross the plate.

Friday August 22 Skeckoa 1-1(Peña) @ Sicoutimont 2-0 (Perreois) 20.00

TV : Canal Revolución 28-1 ; Kolem Joporte 98 ; SBC 21, 7
Radio: Radio X 98.1 FM ; O Xyaila Metefo 1050 AM ; BOTB 680 AM

[Sangti]

Part 1

The State of Baseball in Sangti
Monico Deligero and the Estadio Beisbol

Who was Monico Deligero again?

For those who did not know Monico Deligero, he was the one responsible to the growth of baseball as a sport in Sangti. He was the one who requested to revive many sports, not just football and basketball to the land of the yellow eagles. He was born with a silver spoon, from parents who were owners of a sports goods company. He would always go to the factory, and see the baseball bats being manufactured. He stole one from the storage, and kept it under his bed. He would use it as he grows up to play in minor tournaments in Cencioino.

His parents wanted him to inherit the business, that was why he took up Business Management at the Universidad Nacional de Sangti at the Capital, one of the most prestigious business schools in the nation. But that wasn't the only reason he went there. It was because the school is one of the best baseball team in the country, winning numerous championships. He tried out for the team, being assigned as the backup third baseman. He would watch the matches of UNS-CS, but they started to lose its luster, as consecutive losses put them out of contention for the national championships.

The next year, he was known for being the school's cleanup hitter. He broke into the starting unit after the usual third baseman went AWOL. At his first year, he would perform well, and his team were almost on the way the the regional finals. At one of the games, he was on the bleachers of the Estadio Beisbol. He depicted it as the paradise of baseballers. The clean pitch, green meadows. He said to himself, "Someday, I will go to that stadium and play my very best."

It was the semifinals. One win away and his dreams of playing in the Estadio Beisbol will come true. It was his third at bat, with his school trailing by two runs. However, a wild pitch hit his ankle. It was not known whether the opposing team did it intentionally, but the pitch caused Monico to groan in pain. He cannot move his ankle - it was totaled.

With the team winning after a walk-off homer, he was confined for seven weeks, missing the trip to the Estadio Beisbol. His parents and the doctors forced him to retire from baseball, at such a tender age of 18. It was a greivance for Monico. He never visited the team again, due to stiff surveilance from his parents. He eventually inherited the company after his parents died.

However, baseball was starting to decline to lower grounds. The national championships were postponed for three consecutive years, until management decided to stop the league altogether. With the loss of interest at baseball, the stadiums started to wither, and all companies with connection to baseball folded one after another, including Monico's. However, he still had money, and he kept baseball's fire burning by organizing little leagues in Cencioino. He then assembled these players as the Sangti Indios.

They applied to join the Classic at the 26th edition, with the new chairman Wealthy Lozada approving it. But Monico realized one problem, the state of the Estadio Beisbol. Unlike the past years, Estadio Beisbol have started to lose its luster, with tall grasses growing all over the field, and the seats and bleachers covered in dust. They were fortunate, because of the luck of the draw.

Their first match was an away match at the German Spanish Empire, meaning they had time to renovate the stadium quickly before re-opening it at their home match against Ko-oren. If the stadium is not renovated quckly, they might even be forced to play outside Sangti, as the stadium in Cencioino does not meet requirements for the Classic.

---

Sangti 6, Kingdom of Costa Luna 7
Match Info

Both teams used respective DHs, as COS used theirs, Bagong-gahasa started.

Homeruns
SGT: Bagong-gahasa (top 6th, single), Dimacuha (top 7th, triple)
COS: 2nd in rotation (bot 1st, single), 4th in rotation (bot 5th, grand slam), 8th in rotation (both 4th, double)

RBIs
SGT: Dabu (triple RBI), Bagong-gahasa (top 6th, single), Dimacuha (top 7th, triple)
COS: 2nd in rotation (bot 1st, single), 4th in rotation (bot 5th, grand slam), 8th in rotation (both 4th, double)

Pitching Statistics
Teodoro Lalamunan (0-1): 7 ER, 5 IP, 12.60 ERA
Mac Maraan (0-0): 0 ER, 3 IP, 0.00 ERA

Player of the game: 8th in rotation (COS)
Winning pitcher: starting pitcher (COS, ?-?)
Losing pitcher: Teodoro Lalamunan (SGT, 0-1); 7 ER, 5 IP, 12.60 ERA

[Imota]

Imota Professional Baseball League (IPBL) Official Website: Your WBC 27 Headquarters!

Aardenland shoots down Sunwings (http://www.ipbl.im/wbc/news/822-1)

Anemic offense scores just one run on eight hits

Politeness is an important part of sportsmanship, but Imota could stand to be a bit more, shall we say, offensive on the diamond. Today, despite making eight hits (a team record so far) against Aardenland’s pitchers, Imota scored just one run, not enough to answer the six scored by Aardenland.

The damage started slowly, but surely. In the top of the first, with two on and one out, Aardenland first baseman Desmond de Waal knocked a double to center, scoring one. In the third, de Waal went even further, homering to deep center with a man on and two out to make it 3-0. Even the pitching staff got in on the act, with starter Iddo Dietrich singling to center in the fourth to drive in third baseman Barry Rillo, who himself reached base on an RBI double. Finally, catcher Odessa Kroon led off the sixth with a solo shot to deep center, becoming the first woman to homer at the Imperial Sun Dome.

By contrast, Imota’s only run came in the sixth, when center fielder Akio Homura singled to right to bring home shortstop Yoshifumi Shameimaru. Despite getting eight hits total and two three-hit innings (the fifth and the aforementioned sixth), Imota only succeeded in scoring once.

Aardenland’s two pitchers, starter Iddo Dietrich and reliever Aaron Spielman, combined for 16 strikeouts, including Spielman’s three straight in the ninth to close out the game.

After the game, Imotan starter Renji Hong told reporters that his eephus “seemed off”, and that he had tried to compensate with his slider, but wound up giving up six runs. Combined with yesterday’s 10-1 rout at the hands of The Sovan Antithesis, it appears that morale is at a low point. Manager Ken Urofuchi declined to speak directly to reporters after the game, only slipping a note under the clubhouse door saying “We did our best. Unfortunately, it wasn’t good enough.”

Imota has the next match day off, and on Saturday will travel to Kinzar for their first game against them. Makoto Kikuchi of the Akibahara Angels will start.

Aardenland                1 0 2 2 0 1 0 0 0  6
Imota                     0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0  1

WP: Dietrich (1-0) LP: Hong (0-1)
T: 2:58 A: 45,000

Batting

Imota             ab h rbi r  k bb

Y. Shameimaru, ss  4 2 0   1  0 0
A. Touno, 3b       4 0 0   0  1 0
Y. Chadani, 1b     4 2 0   0  1 0
A. Homura, cf      4 2 1   0  1 0
N. Takamachi, lf   4 0 0   0  2 0
A. Miura, c        4 1 0   0  2 0
H. Kamio, 2b       4 1 0   0  3 0
S. Houjou, rf      3 0 0   0  3 0

R. Hong, p         2 0 0   0  2 0
A. Inui, p         0 0 0   0  0 0

R. Aoba, ph        1 0 0   0  1 0

Total             34 8 1   1 16 0

Aardenland
                   ab  h  rbi r  k bb 

Z. Veek, ss         5  2  0   1  1 0
S. Karlsson, 2b     5  2  0   1  1 0
S. Wouda, rf        4  0  0   0  2 0
D. de Waal, 1b      4  3  3   1  0 0 
O. Kroon, c         4  1  1   1  0 0
R. Bruijn, cf       4  2  0   1  0 0
C. Legierse, lf     4  2  0   0  1 0
B. Rillo,3b         4  2  1   1  0 0

I. Dietrich, p      3  1  1   0  1 0    
A. Spielman, p      0  0  0   0  0 0

D. Yeager, ph       1  1  0   0  0 0

Total             38 16   6   6  6 0

DP: Imota (2), Aardenland (1)
2B: de Waal (1), Rillo (1)
HR: de Waal (2r), Kroon (1r)

Pitching

Imota             ip  h er  k bb era this game

Hong             7.0 14  6  5  0  7.71
Inui             2.0  2  0  1  0  0.00

Aardenland        ip  h er   k bb era this game

Dietrich         7.0  7  1  13  0 1.29
Spielman         2.0  1  0   3  0 0.00

Group 5 Standings
                           Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD    Win % 
1 The Sovan Antithesis       3    3   0    21    7  +14    1.000
2 Aardenland                 2    1   1     9    6   +3    0.500
3 Kinzar                     2    1   1    11   13   −2    0.500
4 Imota                      3    1   2     4   17  −13    0.333
5 Ko-oren                    2    0   2     8   10   −2    0.000

[The Serbian Empire]

Serbian Empire Upsets New Montreal States 9-3

The Serbian Empire pretty much led this game from wire to wire with a powerful home run from Nemanja Milic to lead off the top of the 2nd. He broke the single season home run record in the Serbian Baseball League (this is the Anglicized version of the actual league's name) for catchers with 41 home runs last season. Next was a two run single by #30 Tihomir Kotalic in the third inning. Afterwards was a barrage of singles and doubles in the eighth and ninth innings. Marijo Vucevic was the main figure of the late innings with two runs, and three RBIs with a three run home run in the ninth and a lead off double in the eighth inning.

Performances like this will leave the urinal smashing incident as a distant memory as Milic might eventually attempt to make a jump to the Major Leagues overseas if he continues hitting like this in both the World Baseball Classic and the Serbian Baseball League. If Milic were to play in the majors then he would be the first player from anywhere in the Former Yugoslavia to play in the major leagues. However, Milic would not be the first player of any form of descent from this country as there have been many of the diaspora of the ethnic groups within the Serbian Empire in the Major Leagues. However, no player actually born in what is now the Serbian Empire has ever made it to the major league level.

[Qazox]

Beating fellow oldest team is greatness!

A beating of history probably, as Warriors and Wolfs renew long rivalry. A 4-2 win by wolfs, and we happy!

How Wolfs win:
Homesrun by Northfielder in 3rd.
Doubling run from 1st by aaron green in 4th
Two run come home after doubling by Pachuga in 5th.
Bad that Flork hit two runs homesrun off Tiff stanhope in 6th.
But more savings by Francisco!

2 winnings in 2 played! Up nextly is samurai cocoa!