World Baseball Classic 43- Everything (Finals G6 Posted)

by **West Phoenicia** » Wed May 30, 2018 6:30 am

The Confederates continue to play a great game of baseball. After match day 14, they have a nice healthy lead that they wish to continue in their pursuit to take out the World Baseball Classic.

"A win would really boost the national team. With baseball one of the more popular sports that plays on the international level it is still missing that win on the WBC. Their gold medal win at the Aeropag Summer Olympic Games is slowly starting to fade from many sports fans.

Water Polo, Archery and Softball have all obtained titles something that is lacking for the baseball team. A title would also give a good boost to the ratings which have lulled in recent times with the average play the Confederates are making. While it is good they are winning, the Confederates need to step up and embrace the drama and treat each game as if its the only game that matters

.

by **Nova Anglicana** » Wed May 30, 2018 9:39 am

Clayton Bounces Back Against Humaliwo, Lions Hold On Against Nazis

Ben Clayton had not had a good Classic, with a 7.71 ERA so far. Across two starts, he had pitched 11.2 innings and surrendered 10 runs on 15 hits and 7 walks, good for a WHIP of 1.89. So manager Orlando Murray did admit that he had thought about skipping Clayton's turn or readjusting the rotation before the game against Humaliwo. "It's something we considered," said the national team skipper. "We just thought Ben might benefit from an extra day of rest or some time to think or maybe a bullpen stint, but I talked with Ben and I was impressed with his commitment and attention to detail. He knew what he had been doing wrong and what he was going to do to fix it, so we decided to let him take his regular turn."

And it paid off against Humaliwo. The Waves, at 3-9 the worst team in Group 8 in the first half, had been struggling, but had played the Lions pretty close in all of their games, so there was a possibility they could lose. But Ben Clayton found the feel for his curveball, had the slider working, and devastated the Waves' hitters with his fastball and changeup. Clayton struck out 6 of the first 9 hitters he retired, and 10 of the 21 he retired overall. The 4th inning, when he surrendered two hits, a walk, and a run, was the only inning where more than one person reached base, and he ended up with a line of 7 IP, 4 H, 1 R/ER, 2 BB, 10 K. Ricky Bass, Charlie Bowers, and Matthew Drake closed out the final two innings. Hopefully this excellent effort will springboard him into further success in the Classic. He will make his next start against Holy Nazirealm on MD22 and look to continue his good effort. The Lions offense backed him up, though they hardly needed to, since he pitched so well. The Lions jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first behind an RBI double a from Seth Armstrong and a 2-RBI double from Ryan Glover, who Brendan Wood singled home. Michael Holt tacked on a solo homer in the 7th to provide the final score of 5-1.

Nate McLaughlin took the mound next against Holy Nazirealm. McLaughlin had pitched well, with two relatively short outings of six innings apiece with only two runs allowed in each start. This time around, he pitched into the 9th, allowing only four hits and a run in 8 innings going into the final frame. But he walked the first batter and, after getting the next man to fly out, allowed a ringing double to the cleanup hitter. Even with a 7-1 lead, Orlando Murray elected to play it safe and go to the bullpen, calling for Lee Bradley. Bradley looked like he didn't get enough time to warm up, as he walked the first batter he saw on five pitches. The next batter hit a chopper to the third baseman Armstrong, but he fumbled the ball and then airmailed his throw into right field, bringing in two runs and allowing the runner going to second to advance to third. With runners at third and first and only one out, Bradley's next pitch was smoked into left for an RBI single, making it 7-4. At this point, closer Nick Christensen got up and started throwing; it was red alert time. The Nazi #8 hitter hit a seeing-eye single through the right side to load the bases. As the Nazi pinch-hitter strode to the plate, Murray walked out to the mound and took the ball from the distraught Bradley. 13 pitches, two hits, a walk, three runs scored while he was on the mound, and no outs. Christensen induced a sacrifice fly from the pinch-hitter that narrowed the gap to 7-5, then struck out the leadoff hitter to preserve the win and earn his sixth save of the Classic. It shouldn't have been so close, as the Lions got 4 RBI from Ryan Glover in building that 7-1 lead, but anything can happen in a baseball game. The Lions are just lucky they didn't cough up the whole lead.

With Damian Ryan slated to go against Vangaziland and Darren Singleton putting his microscopic ERA on the line against United States of Yasser, the Lions are in good shape against their next two opponents. They will need to continue their excellent play if they want to earn a good playoff seed and get the most favorable matchup in the playoffs. They have struggled in recent years to move on in the playoffs, and winning games in the group stage is the best way to set yourself up well.

by **Free Republics** » Wed May 30, 2018 11:13 am

Background

Royal Ballpark, Scott City, Darmen

Three hours before the game was scheduled to start, Teresa Mrazova walked over to see what Zac Gatehouse was doing and discovered that he was once again on his laptop. She had wanted to talk to him about the Darmeni lineup and how to approach getting them out but he was always too busy to talk to his personal catcher, for some reason. She decided to talk to him anyway.

Teresa Mrazova - Hey Zac, whatcha doin?

Zac Gatehouse - I'm answering some last minute questions about my RL-States World Cup bid.

Teresa Mrazova - Why are you bidding for some fictional soccer tournament?

Zac Gatehouse - Because I should be the one to host it. Besides, I somehow managed to talk Canada and Mexico into being my co-hosts.

Teresa Mrazova - Canada and Mexico?

Zac Gatehouse - My nation's in-character neighbors. Canada is mostly a frozen tundra that nobody lives on, with a small population of 30 million or so in the southern portion. They're an economically developed country that is basically a cultural colony of mine even if I don't actually control them. Mexico is RPed as a backwards place practically run by recreational drug cartels. We're not on the best of terms either in-character or out-of-character these days but the guy running Mexico still agreed to join in on my World Cup bid because he likes Canada and I let him join because I need votes from his friends to win.

Teresa Mrazova - Interesting. So all of the nations on RL-States get together to decide who hosts the World Cup?

Zac Gatehouse - Actually, it used to be very different but last time around the FIFA Executive Committee pissed me off and pissed a bunch of other people off by awarding what was supposed to be my World Cup to that n00b Qatar. So I put forward a constitutional amendment and we abolished the FIFA Executive Committee and gave the host vote to everybody instead. I was going to do the same thing to the Olympic Committee as well if they didn't award an Olympics to my city of Los Angeles.

Teresa Mrazova - So you just change the rules if the vote doesn't go your way? How is that fair?

Zac Gatehouse - Its not about whether its fair. Its about whether or not we get a competent host for major sports tournaments. An incompetent n00b like Qatar or Morocco who can't even write a competent RP isn't supposed to host a major tournament.

Teresa Mrazova - Who is Morocco?

Zac Gatehouse - They're my opponent in the World Cup vote. Perennial host bidder from the region of Africa. Outside of South Africa, Egypt and maybe Ethiopia, Africa is basically a wasteland when it comes to good RP because the rest of them are pretty much just a bunch of n00bs and newbies. South Africa's practically a God over in the Rugby World Cup and he created a great RP involving his nation's apartheid system back in the day that got almost the entire RL-States world involved. I think he may be planning something big especially with his recent announcement that his nation's government is going to be redistributing land on the basis of skin color without compensation. Egypt was one of the great RPers of the early days of RL-States but he was CTEd for a long time after he let Rome take over his nation. Back in the day, Egypt, Rome, Greece, Israel, Phoenicia and Carthage were all part of the Mediterranean region and RPed alot of great stuff together. Today, Israel's the only one of that group that currently RPs on a regular basis.

Teresa Mrazova - So what's actually going on right now in RL-States?

Zac Gatehouse - Italy's got a great RP line going right now where their voters elected a coalition of right-wing and left-wing populists and the nation's president, who was elected by the previous legislature, decided to block them from forming a governing coalition despite holding 70% of the seats because he didn't like their economy minister's plan to make a plan for Italy's future exit from the European Union's single currency. So, "in the name of democracy", this bureaucrat who was appointed by the previous government is going to force the country to hold new elections. My guess is that Italy's doing this as part of a plan to bring his right-wing extremists to power and accelerate the story of the EU's breakup. I couldn't control my laughing when I read Germany's RP where some bureaucrat expressed their "hope" that "markets" would convince Italy's electorate to make the right decision.

Teresa Mrazova - I only somewhat follow. Can you back up a bit and explain this situation in more detail?

Zac Gatehouse - Europe has this region-wide political union called the European Union which has a common currency called the Euro. Of course, its basically run by Germany for the personal benefit of the German chancellor and her friends but it provides the people of Europe with a few benefits such as a continent-wide free trade zone, passport-free international travel, a single currency that is accepted in pretty much every European country except Great Britain and the right to immigrate to any other EU nation so it has quite a bit of popular support.

Teresa Mrazova - I can imagine. Lots of people would love to have the freedom to move between countries as they please without having to worry about immigration laws. So why are people against it?

Zac Gatehouse - Well, quite a few people are against it because they don't like having a far-away government controlling their lives and taking their tax dollars to redistribute to other countries. Others are against it because the EU restricts how much money governments can spend on their own people and because the EU is allowing large numbers of immigrants from the Africa and Middle East regions to come to Europe. Many of these immigrants are Islamic fanatics, some of whom commit terror attacks in European cities on a regular basis.

Teresa Mrazova - The premise that any government would allow a group of immigrants to enter their country just to commit acts of terror sounds absurd.

Zac Gatehouse - That's because the vast majority of the immigrants who live ordinary lives aren't interesting and so it'd be boring to RP about them. Its much more interesting to write about religious crazies who blow themselves up because somebody drew a cartoon of their religion's Prophet or because the government won't force everybody to practice their religion. I mean, why does the media in our world spend so much time talking about the crazy religious groups like the Church of Saintland and the Salvation Circle instead of talking about the far greater number of people who believe in God but aren't misogynistic crazies.

Teresa Mrazova - That's so true. I'm a Christian myself but I obviously don't believe that it is somehow contrary to my faith for me to play baseball as that Salvation Circle does. Honomi told me all about some girl she met in Malifornia who used to be a great baseball player but can't play anymore because baseball is "unladylike" and apparently she'd go to hell if she kept playing or something.

Zac Gatehouse - That is really sad. Is there anything we can do to help that girl?

Teresa Mrazova - Probably not but there is one thing that would cheer her up: If we could win more World Baseball Classic games.

Zac Gatehouse - You're right. What do you want me to do?

Teresa Mrazova - We need to go over Darmen's batters one-by-one and determine your approach against them.

Zac Gatehouse - Fine but you need to tell Kyle that I'm not batting tonight. I still can't believe he tossed Gioacchino in the 9 hole last time we visited Darmen when they'll permit us to use the DH at their stadium.

Teresa Mrazova - Yeah, that was a puzzling decision. We need to make sure Nicholas is in the lineup tonight, whether or not the crowd is going to boo us out of the building for using a DH.

At that moment, Kyle Thomas just so happened to walk by and overhear the end of that conversation.

Kyle Thomas - I hope the two of you are busy preparing for tonight's game. Just to let you know, I've decided to put Nicholas Fisher in as the designated hitter tonight. Be prepared for Darmen's fans to boo you and call you a bunch of names.

Zac Gatehouse - I'm not worried about that. They can do whatever they want. We'll do our talking on the field.

Kyle Thomas - Good. That's exactly what I wanted to hear. I'll leave the two of you to prepare alone for now. Just make sure you get the Darmeni batters out tonight. We need to play well out there to earn a high seed in the playoffs.

Zac and Teresa went over all of the players that might possibly bat for Darmen, their strengths, their weaknesses and how they were going to handle all of them. Before they knew it, it was time to play ball...

by **Union of Socialist Alpine Republics** » Wed May 30, 2018 11:25 am

The Alpine Union wins two in a row

Ethane - (NAP) On matchday 16, the Alpine Union recieved Mezropolis at the New Turakerepes Baseball Field, home of the Turakerepes Expos. Many fans from Transdanubia, Dalmatia and Istria, Carniola and Prusy Krolewskie were in attendance. Starting pitchers were Tyler Floyd (2-1) and Voula Van Dael (1-2). In the bottom 5th inning, Esmeralda Sanchez was batting first and she hitted a triple. Nick Riefenhauser was grounded out, Sanchez stayed at 3rd base. Jared Hanson hitted a single, Sanchez scored and the Alpines are leading 1-0. In bottom 6th inning, Kevin McNeill was batting first and he was flied out. Nate O'Flaherty was struck out. Travis Layne hitted a solo homerun and the Bisons are leading 2-0. In the top 7th inning, Thalia Bezuidenhout was batting first and she hitted a double. Lies De Jonker hitted a single, Bezuidenhout advanced to 3rd base. Pieter Kattoras hitted a sacrifice fly, Bezuidenhout scored, De Jonker stayed at first base. Lieve Van Peij hitted a double, De Jonker advanced to 3rd base. Edgard Van Ogtrop walked and the bases are loaded for Timo De With. De With hits a single, De Jonker scored, everyone else on base advances one base. The bases are still loaded for Voula Van Dael but she struck out and the game is tied at 2-2. In the bottom 7th inning, Esmeralda Sanchez is flied out. Nick Riefenhauser hits a single. Jared Hanson hits an optionnal. Pinch hitter Tyson Lindsey hits a double, Riefenhauser advances to 3rd base. Wilton Jimenez hits a single, Riefenhauser scores and the Reprezentacja Alpejski is leading 3-2. Genevieve McGowan struck out 3 batters in the top 9th inning and the game is oover the Alpine Union beat Mezropolis 3-2! Tyler Floyd (3-1) is the winning pitcher and Genevieve McGowan (0-0-6) gets her 6th save.

On the next day, the Alpine Union travelled to Ethane, which is located in Esportiva. Starting for the Alpine Union was Rusty Castillo (3-0). Everytime the Bisons were scoring, the Red kites were tying the game, so the score was tied at 4-4 at the top 9th inning. Kevin McNeill was batting first and he hitted a single. Nate O'Flaherty followed with a double. Travis Layne struck out. Zlatan Belec hitted a 3 runs homerun and the Bisons are leading 7-4! Genevieve McGowan (0-0-7) preserved the win in the bottom 9th inning and the Alpine Union beat Ethane once again! Sam Bourgeois (1-1-0) was the winning pitcher.

The Bisons will rest on matchday 18 and they'll recieve Anthor at Southco Field in Beach City, Republic of Sonoma on matchday 19. On the next day, the Reprezentacja Alpejski starts a two days trip to Wabijust and Mezropolis. The Alpine Union is currently first in the standings with 33 points in 14 games with Ethane 2nd with 21 points in 13 games after matchday 17.

by **The Sherpa Empire** » Wed May 30, 2018 11:40 am

* * * * * * * *

A few Lamas fans, and Jewelers fans that didn't like having Lakshmi Songtsen on their team, had the bright idea of buying tickets to the game and bringing big gaudy banners into the park to express their displeasure with SIBA's policy on hereditary magic. Park security allowed them in, but gave them a lecture reminding them not to get too rowdy. The weather was still cold, but not quite as ferociously cold as it had been for the game against Quebec. The anti-magic people made some noise and drew attention to themselves with their banners, but they were not violent, and they spent much of their time just trying to keep warm.

Ihawa made the protest look rather silly, and reminded everyone why he was not at the top of the rotation this year, by giving up 5 runs in 6 innings. In a post-game interview, a woman from SISN asked him for comment on the protest, and he said, "I don't think you can really argue that my powers make the game unfair when I gave up 5 runs, and no, I didn't do that on purpose. In fact, I can't do it on purpose if my powers are the problem. They have some good hitters on the Osci team, and it just wasn't my best start. If other people can't hit against me, that's their problem."

The Sherpa team went into the 9th trailing 5 to 3, but they came back to win it on a solo homer by Seojun Sherpa and a 3-run walk off home run by Phurba Desai.

* * * * * * * *

Tsheri Pham didn't do much better in his start against East Apikai, but once again, a strong offense came to the rescue. The Apikaians pulled their starting pitcher in the 6th with 1 out, bases loaded, and trailing by one run -- but their bullpen wasn't much better. The first relief pitcher allowed two inherited runners to score before he got out of the inning, and the Sherpas scored twice more before the end of the game, giving them an 8-4 win.

* * * * * * * *

by **Newmanistan** » Wed May 30, 2018 4:14 pm

As the World Baseball Classic continues moving on, the Kayla Carey drama continues to be a focal point. Fortunately, this has not served as a distraction for her on the field during the Classic, as evidenced by her recent two home run game against Crystalline Caverns that pushed the Rockets to 13-2 thus far. They are 2-2 against Hampton Island, and are simply not dropping games to the rest of the group, going a perfect 11-0 against them so far. In her hotel room, she gets a call from her agent.

“Hello Kayla! Is this a good time?”

“Yeah, should be, what’s up?”

“Did you read the information that I sent you about Cobblestone Lake City in North Prarie?”

“Yeah, nice city, but not really interested. I wouldn’t be opposed to playing in North Prarie, but that’s not the team for me. You know, I don’t want to be a hired gun, I want to be the missing piece. All I read there is joining something that is already stacked. Not what I want.”

“Are any of these international offers appealing to you? I have not received any new ones, although a couple new Newmanistanian offers I want to throw out there: Pocono City, where have they been hiding? Four years, $31.6 million per year. And South Tier, three years, $26.6 million per year. I don’t know why South Tier bothered submitting that, but I have to let you know.”

“Thanks, yeah, I think if I were to stay in Newmanistan, I am most attracted to the Jessicaville offer, but I just don’t know if I want to play in that city. Pocono City, always interesting.”

“You want to go overseas, don’t you?”

“The more I have thought about it, the more it interests me. It is an exciting challenge. And you know, I really like both of the Vargas City and South Falls offers. Leaning though towards Vargas City. I really like to be a part of a team like that.”

“It’s a fit, isnt it?”

“That’s the exact type of team I want. Can you arrange a meet and greet with the Vargas City personnel on our next off day?”

“I will do my best.”

“I’ll fly out to Vargas City and then come back. Want to see the city and get to know the people in the higher positions.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

by **Cassadaigua** » Wed May 30, 2018 5:01 pm

Matchday 19:

Group 1
Scootalove City                        0 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 0  3
Deseret and Zion                       0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0  2

The Wolf Zones                         0 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 0  3
Krossa                                 1 0 0 3 0 0 2 0 X  6


  Group 1                               Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD   Pts 
1 Scootalove City                        15   11   4    84   54  +30    33
2 Krossa                                 15   10   5    85   72  +13    30
3 Deseret and Zion                       15    6   9    68   74   −6    18
4 Sandberg                               15    6   9    64   83  −19    18
5 The Wolf Zones                         16    5  11    68   86  −18    15

Group 2
East Ares                              1 0 0 3 1 0 2 0 0  7
Banija                                 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 6  6

North Prarie                           0 0 3 0 0 0 0 1 0  4
The Autonomous Region of Helsinki      0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0  1


  Group 2                               Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD   Pts 
1 Banija                                 15    9   6    79   67  +12    27
2 North Prarie                           16    9   7    73   64   +9    27
3 Lycrabon                               15    9   6    64   60   +4    27
4 East Ares                              15    7   8    58   73  −15    21
5 The Autonomous Region of Helsinki      15    4  11    56   66  −10    12

Group 3
USS Monitor                            0 0 3 2 2 0 1 1 0  9
Ko-oren                                0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0  1

Melbergia                              1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0  2
South Covello                          1 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 X  3


  Group 3                               Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD   Pts 
1 South Covello                          15   10   5    67   48  +19    30
2 Ko-oren                                15   10   5    66   49  +17    30
3 USS Monitor                            15    9   6    64   55   +9    27
4 Melbergia                              16    7   9    62   62    0    21
5 Ireland Isles                          15    2  13    41   86  −45     6

Group 4
New Jarwel                         0 1 0 0 1 0 0 3 0  5
The Imperial Frost Federation      0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0  1

God and Country                    0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  1
St Saratoga                        0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1  2


  Group 4                           Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD   Pts 
1 Equestrian States                  15    9   6    86   51  +35    27
2 New Jarwel                         15    9   6    71   65   +6    27
3 God and Country                    16    8   8    65   72   −7    24
4 St Saratoga                        15    8   7    58   67   −9    24
5 The Imperial Frost Federation      15    4  11    47   72  −25    12

Group 5
Gloriax                            0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2  4
Beepee                             1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  2

Northwest Kalactin                 2 0 1 3 0 1 0 0 0  7
Nuevo Caracas                      2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  2


  Group 5                           Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD   Pts 
1 Super-Llamaland                    15   13   2    83   45  +38    39
2 Beepee                             15    9   6    73   63  +10    27
3 Northwest Kalactin                 16    8   8    79   72   +7    24
4 Nuevo Caracas                      15    4  11    49   73  −24    12
5 Gloriax                            15    4  11    38   69  −31    12

Group 6
Highton                            1 0 1 5 0 0 0 0 1  8
Cassadaigua                        0 0 0 1 2 0 1 0 1  5

Xelsis                             0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0  1
New Sangti                         0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 X  3


  Group 6                           Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD   Pts 
1 Xelsis                             16   11   5    73   42  +31    33
2 Cassadaigua                        15   11   4    68   46  +22    33
3 New Sangti                         15    8   7    61   67   −6    24
4 Brookspring                        15    4  11    46   61  −15    12
5 Highton                            15    4  11    45   77  −32    12

Group 7
Midand                             0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0  1
Acapais                            0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  0

Free Republics                     0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 1  4
Darmen                             0 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 0  3


  Group 7                           Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD   Pts 
1 Free Republics                     16   13   3   101   68  +33    39
2 Darmen                             15    8   7    73   60  +13    24
3 Midand                             15    7   8    72   66   +6    21
4 Acapais                            15    6   9    51   65  −14    18
5 West Guam                          15    4  11    48   86  −38    12

Group 8
United States of Yasser            0 0 3 2 0 1 1 0 4 11
Holy Nazirealm                     0 2 1 0 0 1 1 0 0  5

Vangaziland                        0 0 0 2 0 1 1 0 0  4
Nova Anglicana                     0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1  2


  Group 8                           Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD   Pts 
1 Nova Anglicana                     15   13   2    84   48  +36    39
2 United States of Yasser            15    9   6    78   66  +12    27
3 Vangaziland                        16    8   8    72   82  −10    24
4 Holy Nazirealm                     15    5  10    63   64   −1    15
5 Humaliwo                           15    3  12    50   87  −37     9

Group 9
Saintland                          0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0  2
Maklohi Vai                        0 2 0 0 2 0 0 0 X  4

New Haudenosaunee Confederacy      0 0 0 2 0 2 0 0 0  4
Mirfast                            3 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 X  6


  Group 9                           Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD   Pts 
1 Drawkland                          15   10   5    85   54  +31    30
2 Maklohi Vai                        15    9   6    69   53  +16    27
3 Saintland                          15    8   7    56   68  −12    24
4 Mirfast                            15    6   9    53   64  −11    18
5 New Haudenosaunee Confederacy      16    5  11    48   72  −24    15

Group 10
Royal Kingdom of Quebec       1 2 0 1 1 0 0 1 0  6
East Apikai                   0 0 0 0 0 0 2 3 0  5

United States of Devonta      1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1  3
The Sherpa Empire             0 0 2 1 0 0 0 3 X  6


  Group 10                     Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD   Pts 
1 The Sherpa Empire             15   11   4    76   51  +25    33
2 Royal Kingdom of Quebec       15    9   6    77   67  +10    27
3 Oscioru                       15    7   8    68   67   +1    21
4 United States of Devonta      16    7   9    66   77  −11    21
5 East Apikai                   15    4  11    49   74  −25    12

Group 11
Filindostan                   0 0 0 1 1 2 0 1 0  5
The Star Enpire               0 0 0 0 0 1 1 2 0  4

Cosumar                       1 0 0 0 1 0 0 3 0  5
Abanhfleft                    0 0 3 0 0 1 0 3 X  7


  Group 11                     Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD   Pts 
1 Abanhfleft                    15   12   3    82   50  +32    36
2 Bauscland                     15    9   6    74   52  +22    27
3 Cosumar                       16    8   8    71   81  −10    24
4 The Star Enpire               15    5  10    46   68  −22    15
5 Filindostan                   15    4  11    44   66  −22    12

Group 12
Hampton Island                1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0  2
Crystalline Caverns           2 2 0 0 0 0 1 1 X  6

Newmanistan                   3 3 1 0 0 3 0 3 0 13
Chagall                       0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0  1


  Group 12                     Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD   Pts 
1 Newmanistan                   16   14   2    95   46  +49    42
2 Hampton Island                15   10   5    73   61  +12    30
3 Crystalline Caverns           15    8   7    57   61   −4    24
4 Stetzra                       15    5  10    71   88  −17    15
5 Chagall                       15    1  14    55   95  −40     3

Group 13
Valliesta                      0 0 2 0 2 0 0 0 0  4
Juvencus                       0 0 0 1 2 0 3 2 X  8

Liventia                       0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0  2
Schiltzberg                    0 3 1 0 0 2 0 0 X  6


  Group 13                      Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD   Pts 
1 Schiltzberg                    15   13   2    77   41  +36    39
2 Liventia                       16   10   6    85   61  +24    30
3 Juvencus                       15    7   8    59   74  −15    21
4 Pripet Socialist Republic      15    4  11    44   64  −20    12
5 Valliesta                      15    4  11    59   84  −25    12

Group 14
Hicana                         0 3 0 1 0 6 7 0 0 17
The Greater Nordics            0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0  1

Kita-Hinode                    0 4 5 0 0 0 0 1 1 11
Nevis And Kitts                0 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 1  4


  Group 14                      Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD   Pts 
1 West Phoenicia                 15   10   5    78   60  +18    30
2 Kita-Hinode                    16    9   7    75   65  +10    27
3 Nevis And Kitts                15    7   8    60   64   −4    21
4 Hicana                         15    6   9    65   63   +2    18
5 The Greater Nordics            15    6   9    48   74  −26    18

Group 15
Wabijust                       0 0 1 0 0 1 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  6
Ethane                         0 0 3 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2  8

Anthor                         1 3 0 0 0 3 0 1 0  8
Alpine Union                   1 0 1 0 2 0 0 0 3  7


  Group 15                      Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD   Pts 
1 Alpine Union                   15   11   4    96   61  +35    33
2 Ethane                         15    9   6    77   75   +2    27
3 Mezropolis                     15    7   8    65   84  −19    21
4 Anthor                         16    6  10    74   73   +1    18
5 Wabijust                       15    5  10    58   77  −19    15

Matchday 20:

Group 1
Krossa                                 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 1  4
Scootalove City                        1 1 1 2 1 1 0 0 X  7

Deseret and Zion                       0 0 2 0 1 2 2 0 0  7
Sandberg                               0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0  1


  Group 1                               Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD   Pts 
1 Scootalove City                        16   12   4    91   58  +33    36
2 Krossa                                 16   10   6    89   79  +10    30
3 Deseret and Zion                       16    7   9    75   75    0    21
4 Sandberg                               16    6  10    65   90  −25    18
5 The Wolf Zones                         16    5  11    68   86  −18    15

Group 2
The Autonomous Region of Helsinki      0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1  1
East Ares                              1 1 0 1 3 0 1 0 X  7

Banija                                 0 1 0 0 2 0 0 0 1  4
Lycrabon                               0 0 0 0 1 0 0 2 0  3


  Group 2                               Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD   Pts 
1 Banija                                 16   10   6    83   70  +13    30
2 North Prarie                           16    9   7    73   64   +9    27
3 Lycrabon                               16    9   7    67   64   +3    27
4 East Ares                              16    8   8    65   74   −9    24
5 The Autonomous Region of Helsinki      16    4  12    57   73  −16    12

Group 3
South Covello                          1 0 0 1 2 0 0 0 2  6
USS Monitor                            0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0  1

Ko-oren                                0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  0
Ireland Isles                          1 1 0 0 2 0 0 0 X  4


  Group 3                               Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD   Pts 
1 South Covello                          16   11   5    73   49  +24    33
2 Ko-oren                                16   10   6    66   53  +13    30
3 USS Monitor                            16    9   7    65   61   +4    27
4 Melbergia                              16    7   9    62   62    0    21
5 Ireland Isles                          16    3  13    45   86  −41     9

Group 4
St Saratoga                        0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0  1
New Jarwel                         0 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 X  4

The Imperial Frost Federation      0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0  1
Equestrian States                  0 1 0 1 2 1 0 0 X  5


  Group 4                           Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD   Pts 
1 Equestrian States                  16   10   6    91   52  +39    30
2 New Jarwel                         16   10   6    75   66   +9    30
3 God and Country                    16    8   8    65   72   −7    24
4 St Saratoga                        16    8   8    59   71  −12    24
5 The Imperial Frost Federation      16    4  12    48   77  −29    12

Group 5
Nuevo Caracas                      0 0 0 1 0 3 0 0 0  4
Gloriax                            0 0 3 0 1 1 0 0 X  5

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


  Group 5                           Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD   Pts 
1 Super-Llamaland                    16   14   2    88   46  +42    42
2 Beepee                             16    9   7    74   68   +6    27
3 Northwest Kalactin                 16    8   8    79   72   +7    24
4 Gloriax                            16    5  11    43   73  −30    15
5 Nuevo Caracas                      16    4  12    53   78  −25    12

Group 6
New Sangti                         1 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 1  4
Highton                            0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0  1

Cassadaigua                        1 0 0 0 0 6 0 0 1  8
Brookspring                        0 0 3 0 1 1 0 0 0  5


  Group 6                           Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD   Pts 
1 Cassadaigua                        16   12   4    76   51  +25    36
2 Xelsis                             16   11   5    73   42  +31    33
3 New Sangti                         16    9   7    65   68   −3    27
4 Brookspring                        16    4  12    51   69  −18    12
5 Highton                            16    4  12    46   81  −35    12

Group 7
Darmen                             0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  0
Midand                             1 0 0 4 0 0 0 3 X  8

Acapais                            2 2 2 0 1 0 0 1 0  8
West Guam                          0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  0


  Group 7                           Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD   Pts 
1 Free Republics                     16   13   3   101   68  +33    39
2 Midand                             16    8   8    80   66  +14    24
3 Darmen                             16    8   8    73   68   +5    24
4 Acapais                            16    7   9    59   65   −6    21
5 West Guam                          16    4  12    48   94  −46    12

Group 8
Nova Anglicana                     1 4 0 0 2 0 0 1 0  8
United States of Yasser            0 0 2 0 1 0 1 0 0  4

Holy Nazirealm                     0 0 1 0 0 0 4 0 0 1  6
Humaliwo                           0 2 0 0 0 1 0 2 0 0  5


  Group 8                           Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD   Pts 
1 Nova Anglicana                     16   14   2    92   52  +40    42
2 United States of Yasser            16    9   7    82   74   +8    27
3 Vangaziland                        16    8   8    72   82  −10    24
4 Holy Nazirealm                     16    6  10    69   69    0    18
5 Humaliwo                           16    3  13    55   93  −38     9

Group 9
Mirfast                            2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1  3
Saintland                          1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0  2

Maklohi Vai                        1 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 0  4
Drawkland                          0 1 0 0 0 1 0 1 2  5


  Group 9                           Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD   Pts 
1 Drawkland                          16   11   5    90   58  +32    33
2 Maklohi Vai                        16    9   7    73   58  +15    27
3 Saintland                          16    8   8    58   71  −13    24
4 Mirfast                            16    7   9    56   66  −10    21
5 New Haudenosaunee Confederacy      16    5  11    48   72  −24    15

Group 10
The Sherpa Empire             0 0 0 0 1 5 0 0 0  6
Royal Kingdom of Quebec       0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0  1

East Apikai                   1 1 0 0 0 0 2 1 0  5
Oscioru                       0 6 0 1 0 0 0 3 X 10


  Group 10                     Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD   Pts 
1 The Sherpa Empire             16   12   4    82   52  +30    36
2 Royal Kingdom of Quebec       16    9   7    78   73   +5    27
3 Oscioru                       16    8   8    78   72   +6    24
4 United States of Devonta      16    7   9    66   77  −11    21
5 East Apikai                   16    4  12    54   84  −30    12

Group 11
Abanhfleft                    1 1 1 1 1 0 1 0 0  6
Filindostan                   0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 1  3

The Star Enpire               0 2 1 1 0 0 0 0 1  5
Bauscland                     0 3 0 2 0 0 2 0 X  7


  Group 11                     Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD   Pts 
1 Abanhfleft                    16   13   3    88   53  +35    39
2 Bauscland                     16   10   6    81   57  +24    30
3 Cosumar                       16    8   8    71   81  −10    24
4 The Star Enpire               16    5  11    51   75  −24    15
5 Filindostan                   16    4  12    47   72  −25    12

Group 12
Chagall                       0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  0
Hampton Island                1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 X  1

Crystalline Caverns           0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 1  3
Stetzra                       3 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 X  5


  Group 12                     Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD   Pts 
1 Newmanistan                   16   14   2    95   46  +49    42
2 Hampton Island                16   11   5    74   61  +13    33
3 Crystalline Caverns           16    8   8    60   66   −6    24
4 Stetzra                       16    6  10    76   91  −15    18
5 Chagall                       16    1  15    55   96  −41     3

Group 13
Schiltzberg                    2 0 0 1 0 2 0 0 0  5
Valliesta                      1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1  3

Juvencus                       0 0 0 1 2 1 0 0 0  4
Pripet Socialist Republic      0 7 0 0 0 0 0 1 X  8


  Group 13                      Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD   Pts 
1 Schiltzberg                    16   14   2    82   44  +38    42
2 Liventia                       16   10   6    85   61  +24    30
3 Juvencus                       16    7   9    63   82  −19    21
4 Pripet Socialist Republic      16    5  11    52   68  −16    15
5 Valliesta                      16    4  12    62   89  −27    12

Group 14
Nevis And Kitts                0 1 4 0 0 1 0 0 0  6
Hicana                         0 1 0 0 0 2 1 0 0  4

The Greater Nordics            0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1  1
West Phoenicia                 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 X  2


  Group 14                      Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD   Pts 
1 West Phoenicia                 16   11   5    80   61  +19    33
2 Kita-Hinode                    16    9   7    75   65  +10    27
3 Nevis And Kitts                16    8   8    66   68   −2    24
4 Hicana                         16    6  10    69   69    0    18
5 The Greater Nordics            16    6  10    49   76  −27    18

Group 15
Alpine Union                   0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0  2
Wabijust                       0 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 X  3

Ethane                         0 0 1 0 3 0 1 0 1  6
Mezropolis                     1 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0  3


  Group 15                      Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD   Pts 
1 Alpine Union                   16   11   5    98   64  +34    33
2 Ethane                         16   10   6    83   78   +5    30
3 Mezropolis                     16    7   9    68   90  −22    21
4 Anthor                         16    6  10    74   73   +1    18
5 Wabijust                       16    6  10    61   79  −18    18

Matchday 21:

Group 1
Krossa                                 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 3  5
Sandberg                               2 1 0 1 3 0 0 1 X  8

The Wolf Zones                         0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  0
Scootalove City                        0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 X  1


  Group 1                               Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD   Pts 
1 Scootalove City                        17   13   4    92   58  +34    39
2 Krossa                                 17   10   7    94   87   +7    30
3 Deseret and Zion                       16    7   9    75   75    0    21
4 Sandberg                               17    7  10    73   95  −22    21
5 The Wolf Zones                         17    5  12    68   87  −19    15

Group 2
The Autonomous Region of Helsinki      0 0 1 1 0 4 0 2 0  8
Lycrabon                               0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  0

North Prarie                           1 2 5 0 0 0 0 0 2 10
East Ares                              0 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 2  6


  Group 2                               Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD   Pts 
1 Banija                                 16   10   6    83   70  +13    30
2 North Prarie                           17   10   7    83   70  +13    30
3 Lycrabon                               17    9   8    67   72   −5    27
4 East Ares                              17    8   9    71   84  −13    24
5 The Autonomous Region of Helsinki      17    5  12    65   73   −8    15

Group 3
South Covello                          0 1 0 0 1 3 0 0 0  5
Ireland Isles                          1 0 1 0 3 1 0 0 X  6

Melbergia                              1 0 4 2 2 1 1 0 0 11
USS Monitor                            0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0  2


  Group 3                               Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD   Pts 
1 South Covello                          17   11   6    78   55  +23    33
2 Ko-oren                                16   10   6    66   53  +13    30
3 USS Monitor                            17    9   8    67   72   −5    27
4 Melbergia                              17    8   9    73   64   +9    24
5 Ireland Isles                          17    4  13    51   91  −40    12

Group 4
St Saratoga                        0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 2  3
Equestrian States                  0 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 X  4

God and Country                    0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0  2
New Jarwel                         0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 3  5


  Group 4                           Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD   Pts 
1 Equestrian States                  17   11   6    95   55  +40    33
2 New Jarwel                         17   11   6    80   68  +12    33
3 God and Country                    17    8   9    67   77  −10    24
4 St Saratoga                        17    8   9    62   75  −13    24
5 The Imperial Frost Federation      16    4  12    48   77  −29    12

Group 5
Nuevo Caracas                      1 1 2 1 0 1 0 0 0  6
Super-Llamaland                    1 1 0 0 1 3 2 0 X  8

Northwest Kalactin                 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0  1
Gloriax                            1 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 X  3


  Group 5                           Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD   Pts 
1 Super-Llamaland                    17   15   2    96   52  +44    45
2 Beepee                             16    9   7    74   68   +6    27
3 Northwest Kalactin                 17    8   9    80   75   +5    24
4 Gloriax                            17    6  11    46   74  −28    18
5 Nuevo Caracas                      17    4  13    59   86  −27    12

Group 6
New Sangti                         0 4 0 0 0 1 0 0 0  5
Brookspring                        0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 3  4

Xelsis                             0 2 0 0 1 0 0 0 1  4
Highton                            0 0 0 1 0 2 0 0 0  3


  Group 6                           Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD   Pts 
1 Xelsis                             17   12   5    77   45  +32    36
2 Cassadaigua                        16   12   4    76   51  +25    36
3 New Sangti                         17   10   7    70   72   −2    30
4 Brookspring                        17    4  13    55   74  −19    12
5 Highton                            17    4  13    49   85  −36    12

Group 7
Darmen                             0 3 0 0 0 4 0 1 1  9
West Guam                          0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0  2

Free Republics                     3 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1  5
Midand                             2 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0  4


  Group 7                           Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD   Pts 
1 Free Republics                     17   14   3   106   72  +34    42
2 Darmen                             17    9   8    82   70  +12    27
3 Midand                             17    8   9    84   71  +13    24
4 Acapais                            16    7   9    59   65   −6    21
5 West Guam                          17    4  13    50  103  −53    12

Group 8
Nova Anglicana                     0 1 4 0 5 0 0 2 0 12
Humaliwo                           0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0  2

Vangaziland                        0 1 0 1 0 0 0 1 0  3
United States of Yasser            1 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 X  4


  Group 8                           Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD   Pts 
1 Nova Anglicana                     17   15   2   104   54  +50    45
2 United States of Yasser            17   10   7    86   77   +9    30
3 Vangaziland                        17    8   9    75   86  −11    24
4 Holy Nazirealm                     16    6  10    69   69    0    18
5 Humaliwo                           17    3  14    57  105  −48     9

Group 9
Mirfast                            3 0 0 1 1 2 0 0 0  7
Drawkland                          0 1 0 3 1 2 1 0 X  8

New Haudenosaunee Confederacy      0 2 6 0 1 0 0 0 0  9
Saintland                          0 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 0  3


  Group 9                           Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD   Pts 
1 Drawkland                          17   12   5    98   65  +33    36
2 Maklohi Vai                        16    9   7    73   58  +15    27
3 Saintland                          17    8   9    61   80  −19    24
4 Mirfast                            17    7  10    63   74  −11    21
5 New Haudenosaunee Confederacy      17    6  11    57   75  −18    18

Group 10
The Sherpa Empire             0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0  2
Oscioru                       0 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 X  3

United States of Devonta      0 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 0  3
Royal Kingdom of Quebec       0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0  1


  Group 10                     Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD   Pts 
1 The Sherpa Empire             17   12   5    84   55  +29    36
2 Oscioru                       17    9   8    81   74   +7    27
3 Royal Kingdom of Quebec       17    9   8    79   76   +3    27
4 United States of Devonta      17    8   9    69   78   −9    24
5 East Apikai                   16    4  12    54   84  −30    12

Group 11
Abanhfleft                    0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2  3
Bauscland                     0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  1

Cosumar                       0 0 1 2 0 0 2 0 0  5
Filindostan                   0 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 0  3


  Group 11                     Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD   Pts 
1 Abanhfleft                    17   14   3    91   54  +37    42
2 Bauscland                     17   10   7    82   60  +22    30
3 Cosumar                       17    9   8    76   84   −8    27
4 The Star Enpire               16    5  11    51   75  −24    15
5 Filindostan                   17    4  13    50   77  −27    12

Group 12
Chagall                       0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 1  4
Stetzra                       1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1  2

Newmanistan                   2 0 0 0 3 0 0 2 0  7
Hampton Island                0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0  1


  Group 12                     Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD   Pts 
1 Newmanistan                   17   15   2   102   47  +55    45
2 Hampton Island                17   11   6    75   68   +7    33
3 Crystalline Caverns           16    8   8    60   66   −6    24
4 Stetzra                       17    6  11    78   95  −17    18
5 Chagall                       17    2  15    59   98  −39     6

Group 13
Schiltzberg                    0 0 2 0 1 1 0 2 5 11
Pripet Socialist Republic      0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  0

Liventia                       0 2 1 2 4 0 0 0 4 13
Valliesta                      3 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1  5


  Group 13                      Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD   Pts 
1 Schiltzberg                    17   15   2    93   44  +49    45
2 Liventia                       17   11   6    98   66  +32    33
3 Juvencus                       16    7   9    63   82  −19    21
4 Pripet Socialist Republic      17    5  12    52   79  −27    15
5 Valliesta                      17    4  13    67  102  −35    12

Group 14
Nevis And Kitts                0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 1  3
West Phoenicia                 1 3 0 1 0 0 1 1 X  7

Kita-Hinode                    3 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0  5
Hicana                         1 1 0 0 3 0 3 2 X 10


  Group 14                      Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD   Pts 
1 West Phoenicia                 17   12   5    87   64  +23    36
2 Kita-Hinode                    17    9   8    80   75   +5    27
3 Nevis And Kitts                17    8   9    69   75   −6    24
4 Hicana                         17    7  10    79   74   +5    21
5 The Greater Nordics            16    6  10    49   76  −27    18

Group 15
Alpine Union                   0 0 3 0 0 0 1 0 2  6
Mezropolis                     0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  1

Anthor                         0 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 1  6
Wabijust                       0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  0


  Group 15                      Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD   Pts 
1 Alpine Union                   17   12   5   104   65  +39    36
2 Ethane                         16   10   6    83   78   +5    30
3 Anthor                         17    7  10    80   73   +7    21
4 Mezropolis                     17    7  10    69   96  −27    21
5 Wabijust                       17    6  11    61   85  −24    18

by **Schiltzberg** » Wed May 30, 2018 5:32 pm

Number 8 of 8

in sonnet sequence:

Sonnet 8

Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?
One I’ve encountered on a nature walk
Through pretty parks and trails, while all the way
The peace was undisrupted by your talk.
A paradise now opened by your leave,
I find the natural wonders of this land.
With winter gone, as you are, now I see
The beauties truly brought on by God’s hand:
These roses redder than your smile most fair,
These lilies whiter than your palest cheek,
These grasses smoother than your softest hair,
These breezes gentler than the words you speak.
Although you shall no longer call me near,
I’m doing rather well without you here.

by **Beepee** » Wed May 30, 2018 8:06 pm

Match Day 19

Gloriax 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 4
Beepee 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2

Gloriax edged Beepee in a tight match. Indeed again the Beepeean pitchers maintained a quiet dignity throughout the match.

Starting pitcher, Taylor Keith, ensured the the match was all square before being relieved at the bottom of the seventh.

It was however Jeremy Miller who gave up the losing runs in the ninth as an Millers fastball failed to dazzle, allowing a beautifully strike to fly over the outfield wall for a 2run homer.

It was a disappointing result for Beepee, and the loss opens the door for northwest Kalactin to overtake Beepee in the coming matches.

After the match Homer Unn, Beepee manager, said "I feel like we we were the best side, but you're not going to get me to say that."

Match Day 20

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

Beepee's poor run continued with the match against group toppers Super-Llamaland.

Starting pitcher Dan McManus performed admirably holding 5 innings without score.   However again the bull pen let Beepee down both Keith McConnell and Darius Duffy letting in runs against the stronger side in a tail end collapse.

Speaking about Laurent MÅRTENSSON, Manager of Super-Llamaland after the match Homer Unn said " he's the type of guy, if he were in a fight with a bear I wouldn't help him, I'd pour honey on him because he likes to fight. That's the type of guy he is."

Match Day 21

Bye

Homer Unn thought it may be fun to go swimming with dolphins on Beepee's day off . unfortunately the dolphins got a little frisky.   It's ecpected that there may well be some Beepeean mermaids born in about 9 months.

Speaking about Beepee's poor reputation in world sports Homer Unn said "The only thing that keeps this team from being recognised as one of the finest in baseball is the number of losses we have ."

by **New Haudenosaunee Confederacy** » Thu May 31, 2018 3:10 am

I'm doing better than I expected...

works? · by **Abanhfleft** » Thu May 31, 2018 4:08 am

Tales From the Front, Part Six

Nistreanu Insurance Tower
Novorossiysk-na-Dnistr, Yatuvilsk Socialist State, Pridnestrovia

Kazimir Sergeyevich Lavrov wanted to do nothing more than to just sit back and relax. As the major in charge of the Novorossiysk OMON (a combination of a paramilitary force, a SWAT team, and a National Guard-type unit), Lavrov's men's job consisted mainly of providing support to the local police service whenever they needed the additional manpower but not necessarily the corresponding firepower. Usually that entailed serving as stewards in football games, especially games between the home team Admiral Novorossiysk and their rivals such as CSKA Tiraspol, Dinamo Bender, Submarin Yeralenko, Rotor Dnistrosh, and rarely FK Pridnestrovskaya Gavan. Admiral had played Latakiaspor the night before this, and while both the game and the supporters themselves were peaceful enough, the OMON still had to deal with Admiral fans who had stormed the pitch because the 0-0 draw that Admiral and Latakia had played out before them, coupled with Union Rheinburg's victory away to Ufa Verkhovyansk, had denied the club and the city its first Pridnestrovian Super League title in eight years. Lavrov, himself a lifelong Admiral fan who had supported the club through thick and thin from their latest Super League triumph in 2016-17 to their shock relegation from the top tier of Pridnestrovian football at the end of the 2021-22 season, had wanted to invade the pitch himself and strangle the players for not trying hard enough to score a goal against Latakia, but as part of the stadium's security, it was his job to stop the other fans from rushing the pitch and attacking the players themselves. Such was the life of a law enforcement official.

Lavrov entered the recreation room of the OMON headquarters carrying a paper cup of coffee. About three or four OMON troopers were gathered around the television, all watching a recap of the recently concluded Super League season. When they saw Lavrov enter the room, they all stood up and saluted him. Lavrov saluted them back, and then he said, "All right, you lazy bums, back to work with all of you."

The troopers groaned but they followed Lavrov's orders nonetheless, and they slowly streamed out of the rec room. Lavrov sat down, grabbed the remote control, and changed the channel to one that was showing an old classic war movie. He didn't want to go through the heartbreak of losing the Super League title to the bastards from Ixania once again. Lavrov leaned back in his chair to relax, and he lifted his booted feet up to the table as he drank his coffee. Rank hath its privileges and all that.

Suddenly, Captain Terentiy Illarionovich Ashnev, Lavrov's second-in-command in the Novorossiysk OMON, barged into the rec room, surprising Lavrov and nearly causing him to drop his coffee. "Goddamn it, Ashnev, what's the rush?" Lavrov asked him.

Ashnev didn't reply Lavrov's question directly. Instead, he pointed to the television and said, "Change the channel now! Turn it to the news!"

"Why? What's happening?" Lavrov asked as he picked up the remote control again and switched the TV to the news channel.

"It's the Cup Missers' Cup Round of 16 now!" Ashnev replied.

"Shit! I forgot all about that!" Lavrov had remembered that due to the time differences between Pridnestrovia and Gloriax, the Round of 16 of the Cup Missers' Cup, in which the Pridnestrovian women's national football team was participating, meant that the game, which was to be played at night in Gloriax, would be broadcast live on the early morning in Pridnestrovia. But then Lavrov calculated the actual times between Gloriax and Pridnestrovia, and he realized that there might be nothing on now. "But surely it would be over by now," he added.

"Exactly," Ashnev said. "That's why I asked you to turn to the news, right, Kazimir?" However, there was nothing on the news about Pridnestrovia or the Cup Missers' Cup which was simply not possible because it would still be on the news whether Pridnestrovia won or lost.

"Maybe it went to extra time," Ashnev said.

"Come on now, Terentiy, we must have got the best possible draw in that round!" Lavrov countered. "Surely Pridnestrovia would have already won against Terra de Gaul or whatever it is they're called."

"Well, it's football," Ashnev countered back. "You never know what can happen in football."

"You don't have to remind me, man," Lavrov muttered as he changed the channel once again, this time to the primary sports channel in Pridnestrovia. The game between Pridnestrovia and Terre de Gaules was indeed being broadcast live there, and the game had indeed gone to extra time, although by the time Lavrov and Ashnev had tuned in, the referee had blown his whistle on a 1-1 draw, meaning that the game was headed for a penalty shootout.

"Oh, God, I hate penalties," Lavrov said, shaking his head. "You never know who's going to win with those things!"

"Hey, we do have a good record in penalties," Ashnev said. "Remember when we beat Taeshan and the Second Brazilian Empire on penalties?"

"Sure, but I can also say that we lost against Nephara on penalties as well," Lavrov countered.

"Why do you always have to be a pessimist, Kazimir?" Ashnev asked, shaking his head.

"I'm just being realistic, Terentiy," Lavrov replied. "Also, if we can't beat this fucking Gaules team in ninety or 120 minutes, what makes you think we can beat them in ten kicks from six yards out?" Ashnev just shook his head and refused to answer Lavrov as he had honestly had just about enough of Lavrov's pessimism.

The penalty shootout commenced, with Pridnestrovia's Irina Pavlyuchenko taking (and making) the first spot kick. Two Terre de Gaules players took the next two penalties under the new rules, and then it was two Pridnestrovians' turns to kick. Tanya Poroshenko and Bisera Haralampieva also scored from the spot to give the Red Army a 3-2 advantage, but the two Terre de Gaules players that followed them also scored from the spot, meaning that it was the Gauls who now had the 4-3 advantage.

Greta Hedervary was the next penalty taker for Pridnestrovia. "Come on, Greta, you can do this," Lavrov said under his breath. Hedervary took a long run-up to the ball and struck it powerfully, but somehow the Gaulish goalkeeper was able to stretch out and tip the ball towards the other side of the goalpost. "What the fuck!" both Lavrov and Ashnev shouted at the same time.

"How the fuck is that possible!?" Ashnev demanded at the television, while all that Lavrov could say was, "This is unbelievable."

"By God, it's all on Falk now," Ashnev said, referring to Salome Falk, a midfielder for Dinamo Bender Women and the national team. "Please, please, Salome, make this spot kick," he practically begged to the television.

But it was not to be. Falk blasted her penalty high above the crossbar, and it was the Terre de Gaules team who ended up celebrating. "Well, this is bullshit," Lavrov said. "I told you we weren't going to win that game once the Gauls got us to penalties! Now are you happy that you managed to ruin my day once again?"

"Hey, at least I had faith in the girls," Ashnev replied. "Not like you! It's your negativity that lost us the game, Sergeych! If you weren't so negative the girls wouldn't have felt it all the way to Gloriax and they wouldn't have messed this up!"

"Oh, shut your mouth, Illarionich," Lavrov said. "Don't you have paperwork to do?"

Ashnev was about to say something back to Lavrov when the television, which was at that point showing Pridnestrovian fans storming the field and trying to attack the Gaulish players, suddenly switched a black screen with the words EMERGENCY ALERT SYSTEM (in Russian) displayed in white monospaced letters. Two harsh and screeching tones followed the display of the screen, and then those tones were followed by an eerie computer-generated voice reading out a prepared statement.

"The Emergency Alert System has been activated at the request of the President of the Pridnestrovian Republic," the computer voice said. "This is not a test. Repeat, this is not a test. The Emergency Alert System has been activated at the request of the President of the Pridnestrovian Republic. At the end of this announcement will be an announcement live from the Kremlin itself from the President of the Pridnestrovian Republic. I repeat, this is not a test. This is a real emergency requiring the use of the Emergency Alert System."

The screen of the Emergency Alert System activation was subsequently replaced by a shot of the office of the President of the Democratic People's Republic of the United Socialist States of Pridnestrovia. The President of Pridnestrovia, Field Marshal Stepan Stepanovich Stepanenko, was seated at his desk, and two paper Pridnestrovian flags flanked him on the desk itself. "My fellow comrades and citizens of the Pridnestrovian Republic, I bring you grave news," Stepanenko said. "Our nation, our beloved Pridnestrovia, is under attack. The IMPERIUM has launched an invasion force at our country, and they are expected to arrive at Novorossiysk within the next five to ten minutes. All military combat personnel are expected to stand for the defense of our nation while all civilians are expected to continue the fight should our military fail to stop the Imperial threat. Remember, comrades, that we are fighting for our country and our families. We cannot let the IMPERIUM win this battle. Our future and our children's future is at stake here. We are Pridnestrovia. We have survived and we will survive. God is with us. God bless the Pridnestrovian Republic."

Stepanenko's grim and humorless face was replaced once again by the Emergency Alert System card, and right at that moment, one of the three OMON troopers whom Lavrov had kicked out earlier ran back into the rec room and shouted breathlessly, "Comrade Major! We're under attack!"

"Don't you think we already know that!?" Lavrov thundered. "Assemble the men!" he ordered Ashnev. "Release the weapons! We'll need them for when those fucking Imperial invaders land."

"Right away, sir," Ashnev said, nodding his head as he ran out of the rec room with the OMON trooper. Lavrov stayed behind in the room to look through the blinds covering the windows out to the cityscape of Novorossiysk. The city itself looked peaceful and undisturbed, as if it was still an ordinary day. But Lavrov only had to look a little further away to see the exhaust trails of the surface-to-air missile batteries that had been deployed against the Imperial invasion force as well as the contrails of all the Air Force fighter jets that had been scrambled to meet the Imperial threat. "Chyort," Lavrov muttered to himself before he too left the rec room to address his men.

by **West Phoenicia** » Thu May 31, 2018 6:58 am

Emanuel Army who plays 2nd base for the Confederates for the last 4 seasons in the World Baseball Classic has been featuring in a number of newspapers and gossip columns. But its not his successful career in a team who has yet to reach their peak in the World Baseball Classic that has caused tongues to wag, but what has people talking is his new relationship with Princess Servilia Samindia Van Diemen-Bush.

Princess Servillia is the eldest daughter of Princess Jezebel Van Dieman Bush, Duchess of Immaculata and Crown Princess of The Kingdom of New Hobart. Who at one point was Queen of West Phoenicia until she was deposed in a civil war with the current King's father; her step-father. . Who after winning, exiled Jezebel and installed his son as King of West Phoenicia.

Princess Servillia comes with her own scandal, as do most of the West Phoenician royal family. Princess Servillia who is 19th in line for the West Phoenician throne married Duke Imran Samindia of the Indian Empire and had two children, Prince Aelius Samindia-Van Diemen-Bush and Princess Cleopatra-Servillia I Samindia-Van Diemen Bush.
In 2012 Duke Imran Samindia was found dead from poisoning, a common death in the royal household. Allegations of adultery were voiced and suspected for the reason and many believed Princess Servillia had him poisoned. But charges were dropped due to lack of evidence and Princess Servillia moved to West Phoenicia under the protection of her uncle King Glenton Gryphon-Bush II.
Attempts to reopen the investigation have not been futile with Princess Servillia refusing to return to the Empire of India to face questioning.

It now appears she has found new love in the form of Emanuel Army, who Cosmopolitan magazine has added in the 20 hottest sport starts of West Phoenicia. The two have been seen out and about at some of the hottest nightclubs and restaurants throughout West Phoenicia. Sources close to the pair state both are smitten with each other.

by **Ko-oren** » Thu May 31, 2018 11:20 am

At the Admirals HQ, part 2 (part 1)

"Mr. Shimoda has been caught up with the national team, so he hasn't had much time to instruct me about the day-to-day management of the team. Meanwhile, I'm still to teach you about the game some more. We've talked about hitting before, and you left with some questions and things to research. How's that going?"

"I have to say... me and my team have spent a day just entirely weeding through all of the variables. Baseball looks like a sport with a massive sample size and many repeated situations, but the more we go into the depth with it, the smaller the sample size gets. There's a big difference between bases loaded, talented pitcher, good hitter, and late in the game and the first pitch of the game. We're still in the process of determining what variables are worthwile to look at in every situation. It's a daunting task."

"Ok, I don't want to overfeed you. The task you've been given is pretty big, coming from someone who's spent their entire life surrounded by baseball and even I'm not certain I can call myself an expert. That's why today, I want to go into one single thing, namely stealing bases."

"We touched on that last time. Every single time we narrow the game down to a pitcher and a hitter, we have to remind ourselves that stealing bases is legal..."

"Though after a fly out, every runner has to tag up, which means, they have to touch the base they started on at the time of the pitch. That's the one crazy rule... but it makes sense, otherwise we'd get one fast guy on base and spend the rest of the time hitting balls as high as possible to give him the time to get to the next base."

"Ok, we can work with that."

"Another thing I want to talk about, maybe to clutter your research further, or to make it easier, is the count."

"We know about that! First number can go up to three, and at four it means a walk. The second number is the number of strikers, and when that reaches three, the batter is out."

"Correct! But note that you can tell a lot about the next pitch based on the count. A high first number and a low second number, means that the pitcher hasn't hit the strike zone very often. That means that the pitcher is at risk of walking a batter, and that means that often, an easier to hit ball will be thrown at the strike zone. A pitcher wants to avoid a walk at all costs, even if it means pitching a straightforward fastball. Meanwhile, a low number of balls and a high number of strikes means that the batter is at an amazing risk of being struck out, and that the pitcher can throw safer balls outside of the strike zone, but still entice the batter to hit. Which means that the pitcher can change their pitch a lot more, or throw a ball anyway, and if you're really going into mindgames, they can also just pitch a fastball straight down the middle in the hope that the batter expects anything but that. These are mindgames, but there's a lot that you can predict about the next pitch based on the count."

"Yeah, that seems pretty doable. Makes our job easier, I guess, though maybe we can look into what pitchers actually throw in both these situations, and if that's effective. I can put someone on that right away based on the data of the Admirals' last season. Or even the entire league, I guess. Consider that done by tomorrow."

"Great, thanks. We're really hoping for some results here... not to pressure you too much, we've got the entire season to try this out. But we do need results. And should you have time left, maybe you could call Mr. Shimoda? He seems to need your help..."

by **Free Republics** » Thu May 31, 2018 11:35 am

Previous RPs from the WC thread

News Magazine

Sebastian Trudeau calls for "Workers Bill of Rights", Federation-level abortion ban in Olympic Stadium speech
By: Matthew DeRose

Speaking before a capacity crowd of over 100,000 enthusiastic supporters at the Olympic Stadium in Baseton, Trudeau Firearms Company CEO and leading candidate for Consul of the Free Republics Sebastian Trudeau reiterated some of his past stances in favor of an individual mandate to carry firearms, guaranteed government jobs for anybody who wants one and a "Buy Republican" economic program. However, rather than stick to his greatest hits, Trudeau used this occasion to introduce additional policy stances that separate him from the pack of candidates running for Consul.

"For far too long, employers that aren't the Trudeau Firearms Company have trampled on and dehumanized their workers. Companies have been cheating their workers out of their pay, forcing workers to sign exploitative and totally unfair contracts and even claiming the 'right' to fire workers for exercising their freedom of speech on their own time. These practices and many others are despicable and cannot be tolerated in a country that claims to be free. Therefore, I will be introducing a Workers Bill of Rights Workers Bill of Rights[sic] for all Republican workers that will protect against common abuses by many shady employers. While this is not intended to be and cannot be a substitute for collective bargaining between management and organized labor, it will provide workers with a number of basic human rights.

While you can read the full Workers Bill of Rights at consultrudeau.co.republica, that's consultrudeau.co.republica, I will describe some of those rights for you right now. First of all, any contracts stating that employers own anything produced by their workers on their own time with resources that were not paid for by the company will be null and void. These contracts are an obscene abuse of our intellectual property laws which were designed to protect Republican creators and Republican inventors, not corporations. This practice should never have been permitted and it will end when I am consul. Another thing I am going to put a stop to is the practice of charging employees for work-related expenses. It came to my attention after one of my sons started working in a certain well-known fast-food restaurant that this restaurant charges employees for the ugly uniforms they have to wear on the job. This practice amounts to theft of employee wages and it will end when I am consul. If employers wish to require their employees to dress a certain way at work, then the employer will have to foot the cost for the clothes. One final practice I want to specifically call out is especially disgusting. It has come to my attention that a number of employers are requiring their employees to sign contracts promising not to sue them in actual courts of law but rather to use some sort of private arbitration of the employer's choice. These types of contracts make a mockery of the idea that we are a nation of laws and violate the principle of Law and Order in the most flagrant manner possible. Therefore, they will be outlawed and I will order the corporate crime division of the Prosecution Bureau to thoroughly investigate any and all companies that have engaged in this suspicious practice. If you aren't doing something illegal, why in the hell would you make your employees sign a contract promising not to sue you in a proper court of law as a condition of employment? That seems like a pretty blatant confession of wrongdoing." (OOC: For those unaware, all 3 of these practices are real and are actually done by major American corporations because they are perfectly legal under federal law in the United States. The Supreme Court actually upheld one of these practices as perfectly legal just a few days ago.) The crowd responded to this call for a "Workers Bill of Rights" with thunderous applause. Scarlett Nicholls, daughter of Consul Nicholls and overwhelming frontrunner for the Liberty Party nomination, stated that she agrees with Mr. Trudeau on outlawing the 3 practices he called out in his speech but disagrees with some of the other planks in his proposal. She promised News Magazine that she would have her own worker's rights proposal out within the next week.

Mr. Trudeau also gained attention during his speech by denouncing the practice of abortion. "While I am not and have never been a supporter of the Holy Party or any other theocratic political movement, I believe that Consul Kulseth was right about one thing. He outlawed the heinous moral evil of abortion at the national level instead of permitting each Republic to determine for itself whether killing your offspring is a crime or a 'right'. When I am your Consul, I will seek a Federation Constitution amendment declaring that life begins at conception and that the taking of an unborn life is murder. Now many would just be content at ensuring that every child has the right to be born and leave it at that but I don't believe you can be truly pro-life unless you also ensure that every child has a Fair Shot at life and that parents have the freedom to take care of their children. Therefore, when I am Consul, we will also be adopting a number of measures to support families and ensure that no child goes without the basic necessities of life. It is unacceptable that there are children starving in a nation as wealthy as ours and it is outrageous that we do not have any guaranteed family leave for the parents of newborn babies. I will rectify these wrongs by mandating paid parental leave up to a reasonable limit for all Republican workers and by implementing a program to ensure that needy children have food. When I am consul, there will be no starving children in the Free Republics and parents will be able to spend time with their children. It is long past time."

Mr. Trudeau also mentioned how the Responsible Progress Party has been reaching out to him of late. "You know, when I started running for Consul I didn't think any of the parties would want me as their nominee because I'm not going to be a party line kind of guy. I'm running to be the Consul of the People, not the Consul of some political party. But lately the Responsible Progress people just keep on calling me. 'Mr. Trudeau, please run for our nomination' 'Mr. Trudeau, please save our party.' 'Mr. Trudeau, we can help you win the election' They just keep calling and calling and they won't take no for an answer. You know what, I've decided on an answer for the political parties: I will not seek any political party's nomination for Consul because I am an independent. However, if nominated by a political party, I will accept their nomination provided that they understand that there will be no strings or conditions attached. If you nominate me, you nominate me but you don't get to control me and you don't get to take over my campaign. If that seems like a fair deal to you then it is a fair deal as far as I'm concerned." Responsible Progress legislative leader Seth Danielsson released a statement to the press minutes later stating that "I welcome Mr. Trudeau to the race for the Responsible Progress nomination and wish him the best of luck." It appears that Mr. Trudeau may have the backing of a major political party afterall...

Matthew DeRose writes about the Federation Government. He is a recent graduate of the University of Republica with bachelors degrees in Journalism and Political Science. During his time in college, he interned with the Republica Post. Although the Post didn't have any openings for him upon his graduation, he had left an impression on their editor, who recommended him to Admiral Theriault.

by **Union of Socialist Alpine Republics** » Thu May 31, 2018 11:52 am

The Alpine Union beat Mezropolis after losing two

Mezropolis - (NAP) After losing 8-7 at home against Anthor and 3-2 on the road against Wabijust, the Alpines travelled to Mezropolis to play against them. Mezropolis scored first thanks to a solo homerun by Evdokia Dircks in the 2nd inning. The Bisons answered back in the top 3rd inning when Jared Hanson, who was batting first, striked out. Wilton Jimenez followed with a single. He stole the 2nd base. Kevin McNeill hits a single, Jimenez scored from the 2nd base. Nate O'Flaherty is flied out. Travis Layne hits a two runs homerun and the score is now 3-1 Alpine Union! The Alpine Union added another run in the 7th inning when Jared Hanson hitted a double and Esmeralda Sanchez scored. In the top 9th inning, Nick Riefenhauser was batting first and he hitted a single. Jared Hanson hitted an optionnal. Wilton Jimenez hitted a single, Hanson advanced to the 2nd base. Kevin McNeill was flied out. Nate O'Flaherty hitted a triple, Hanson scored, Jimenez scored. The score is now 6-1 Reprezentacja Alpejski and this is the final score! Tyler Floyd (4-1) was the winning pitcher for the Alpine Union.

The Alpines are still first in group 15 despite losing against Anthor and Wabijust, 6 points ahead of Ethane. Next, the Bisons will recieve the Red Kites at Southco Field in Beach City, this is a must win for the Reprezentacja Alpejski. Rusty Castillo (3-0) will be the starting pitcher. The Alpines will then have a bye and travel to Anthor on matchday 24. Alejandro Gonzalez (1-2) will start for the Bisons.

by **Liventia** » Thu May 31, 2018 3:21 pm

Liventian bats power Red-and-Gold to likely playoff spot

VALLIESTA— Thirteen runs. Count 'em.

Despite going down to an early 3–0 deficit, Liventia's bats continued their recent hot streak to put on two four-run innings for a comfortable 13–5 win over hosts Valliesta.

Led by red-hot Daniel Hookway, who only played in one game in the first half of the group stage campaign, the Red-and-Gold boast the joint-fifth-best offense in the WBC with 98 runs scored.

Hookway was instrumental in turning around a shaky start on the mound by Frank Kenley, making his third start of the tournament.

The left fielder smoked an RBI double in the second inning before powering home a grand slam in the fifth to hand Kenley (1–1) his first win for the national side.

Hookway's inclusion has proven to be a master stroke from manager Adam Darwin, who benched Lucas Dumbrill and moved everyone else down the order.

The 32-year-old's power output has made up for the slightly-underwhelming Dermot Rowntree, who was tipped to shine playing in his home park in Port Cartfort.

At 11–6, Liventia sit second in Group 13, 3.5 games ahead of Juvencus and four behind Schiltzberg with just seven games left to play.

While anything can still happen, the Red-and-Gold are looking nailed on for a last-32 playoff spot.

However, a 6–2 defeat to Schiltzberg on matchday 19 means Liventia are now 0–4 against the leaders, with just two games left to achieve one of the team's main goals.

Francis Delamere, who made a winning return from injury with seven strong innings against Pripet Socialist Republic on matchday 17, is set to take the mound at the Orean Capital Grounds on matchday 24.

Ace Tyler Newitt will then close out Liventia's first round games on matchday 29 in the side's final chance to get one over the top-seeded team in the group.

by **-Anthor-** » Thu May 31, 2018 3:56 pm

Half-way Mark, and the Quiet Thunder
Underwhelming performances from many stars has led to the Thunder being just out of reach of their qualification dreams

^{SHARE THIS:}

Gnaeus Tanicius Vopiscus (@Gnaeus Tanicius Vopiscus)(TH)
^{Baltha 35, 602AE 11:00 AM | Vaumort, Anthor}

Vaumort, Anthor(Herald) — The last 12 games seem to summarize the Thunder's campaign so far; meh, if disappointing. After a government-induced sports wide cycle break from international sports, fans all of kinds across the country were anxious to see if the time would led to better performance as the government claimed it would and the Thunder were the first to try this theory out; and sadly, they're proving it wholly wrong at the moment.

Currently, the 43rd Classic is more then two thirds of the way through with just nine games remaining, the Thunder are three wins out of a qualification spot, and are currently off to their worst Classic start ever sitting at 7-10 currently; this is the first time in more then five Classics that the Thunder have crossed the midway mark under .500. The most noteworthy disappointments come from the pitching rotation, which manager Colin Nittledeen looked to reinvent this time around as he infused fresher, younger faces in the hopes of pruning older, failing talent. Wayne McDonald has been the biggest example of the failing theory from Nittledeen, as this was his debut in the WBC and has posted a terrible line of 0-2 in 5 starts and leads the clubhouse in round trippers allowed, runs allowed and has the highest WHIP of any of the starters, sitting at 2.13.

The bullpen has been the sorest bunch of them all though, with a combined ERA of 5.17, it has been the cause of 5 of the 10 losses the Thunder have occurred, particularly the setup men of struggled. Bryan Richardson and Colin Matthews were moved into the two setup roles this afternoon for the remainder of the Classic, with prior setup men Elliot Doughtery taking up long relief and Ross Humphrey's taking over middle relief which was left slim with Richardson and Matthews receiving in house promotions. If the two promotee's can help stabilize the pen, Nittledeen may have something to rally off of as the Thunder have proven quite potent on the offensive end of things; not leading the Group in runs scored, they have developed a talent of acquiring early hits, and just need to begin transforming them into runs, ensuring to make the most of their RISP situations.

Here's how the remaining nine games are anticipated to shape up:
Game 22 - v.Mezropolis (McDonald v. MZP unknown)
Game 23 - @Ethane (Valentine v. ETH unknown)
Game 24 - v.Alpine Union (Clarke v. AU unknown)
Game 25 - Bye
Game 26 - v Wabijust (Reed v. Wabijust unknown)
Game 27 - @Mezropolis (Van Hautum v. Woodward)
Game 28 - v.Ethane (McDonald v. Tyndall)
Game 29 - @Alpine Union (Valentine v. AU unknown)
Game 30 - Bye

The next triple set of games is going to be the first vital hurdle for the club to conquer; we begin the set with what should hopefully prove to be an easy matchup against the unranked Mezropolis which we should win as long as our bats stay active and perhaps the bullpen can rescuse McDonald if he falters on a start once more; however the next two games before the bye on Gameday 25 are vital, as they are against group leader and runner up Ethane and Alpine Union. A sweep of these three games could prove immeasurable towards the Thunder's dream of advancing to the playoffs, and those two are with Konnor Valentine and Noah Clarke pitching, which if they stay in recent form they should be fine as Valentine is pacing the club in punch outs and Clarke is in pole position on total wins. Once the bye occurs, some tactical thinking may have to take part for manager Nittledeen as Francis Reed will kick us back into an easy step in match up with group worst Wabijust, however the next two games will once again be a do or die situation and current rotation projections will have McDonald and Valentine pitching for them; while Valentine is a top performer and has been mostly unlucky and unsupported offensively in his starts so far, both are without wins so Nittledeen may do some rotation adjustments; if Valentine wins the first appearance against Ethane, Nittledeen could stick to the current rotation or he could opt to bring Clarke, Reed or Woodward in, or even Aidan Smart from the bullpen.

Gnaeus Tanicus Vopiscus contributed to this article.

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by **Cassadaigua** » Thu May 31, 2018 5:04 pm

Matchday 22:

Group 1
Sandberg                               0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0  1
The Wolf Zones                         2 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 X  3

Deseret and Zion                       2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  2
Krossa                                 0 0 2 2 0 4 0 0 X  8


  Group 1                               Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD   Pts 
1 Scootalove City                        17   13   4    92   58  +34    39
2 Krossa                                 18   11   7   102   89  +13    33
3 Deseret and Zion                       17    7  10    77   83   −6    21
4 Sandberg                               18    7  11    74   98  −24    21
5 The Wolf Zones                         18    6  12    71   88  −17    18

Group 2
Lycrabon                               0 1 0 1 0 2 1 0 0  5
North Prarie                           1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0  2

Banija                                 0 8 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 11
The Autonomous Region of Helsinki      1 1 0 0 0 0 1 2 0  5


  Group 2                               Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD   Pts 
1 Banija                                 17   11   6    94   75  +19    33
2 North Prarie                           18   10   8    85   75  +10    30
3 Lycrabon                               18   10   8    72   74   −2    30
4 East Ares                              17    8   9    71   84  −13    24
5 The Autonomous Region of Helsinki      18    5  13    70   84  −14    15

Group 3
Ireland Isles                          0 0 3 0 0 0 0 2 0  5
Melbergia                              0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0  1

Ko-oren                                0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0  3
South Covello                          0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0  2


  Group 3                               Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD   Pts 
1 South Covello                          18   11   7    80   58  +22    33
2 Ko-oren                                17   11   6    69   55  +14    33
3 USS Monitor                            17    9   8    67   72   −5    27
4 Melbergia                              18    8  10    74   69   +5    24
5 Ireland Isles                          18    5  13    56   92  −36    15

Group 4
Equestrian States                  0 1 0 1 6 0 1 1 0 10
God and Country                    0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0  1

The Imperial Frost Federation      0 0 3 0 0 2 0 0 1  6
St Saratoga                        0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 1  3


  Group 4                           Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD   Pts 
1 Equestrian States                  18   12   6   105   56  +49    36
2 New Jarwel                         17   11   6    80   68  +12    33
3 St Saratoga                        18    8  10    65   81  −16    24
4 God and Country                    18    8  10    68   87  −19    24
5 The Imperial Frost Federation      17    5  12    54   80  −26    15

Group 5
Super-Llamaland                    0 0 2 0 2 0 2 0 0  6
Northwest Kalactin                 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1  2

Beepee                             0 0 0 2 0 0 1 2 0  5
Nuevo Caracas                      0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 0  4


  Group 5                           Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD   Pts 
1 Super-Llamaland                    18   16   2   102   54  +48    48
2 Beepee                             17   10   7    79   72   +7    30
3 Northwest Kalactin                 18    8  10    82   81   +1    24
4 Gloriax                            17    6  11    46   74  −28    18
5 Nuevo Caracas                      18    4  14    63   91  −28    12

Group 6
Brookspring                        0 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 1  4
Xelsis                             0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 4  6

Cassadaigua                        1 0 0 2 0 1 1 0 0  5
New Sangti                         0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  1


  Group 6                           Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD   Pts 
1 Xelsis                             18   13   5    83   49  +34    39
2 Cassadaigua                        17   13   4    81   52  +29    39
3 New Sangti                         18   10   8    71   77   −6    30
4 Brookspring                        18    4  14    59   80  −21    12
5 Highton                            17    4  13    49   85  −36    12

Group 7
West Guam                          0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0  2
Free Republics                     1 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 X  3

Acapais                            1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  1
Darmen                             2 0 0 2 0 1 0 1 X  6


  Group 7                           Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD   Pts 
1 Free Republics                     18   15   3   109   74  +35    45
2 Darmen                             18   10   8    88   71  +17    30
3 Midand                             17    8   9    84   71  +13    24
4 Acapais                            17    7  10    60   71  −11    21
5 West Guam                          18    4  14    52  106  −54    12

Group 8
Humaliwo                           0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  0
Vangaziland                        0 1 1 2 0 0 1 0 X  5

Holy Nazirealm                     0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 2  3
Nova Anglicana                     2 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 X  4


  Group 8                           Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD   Pts 
1 Nova Anglicana                     18   16   2   108   57  +51    48
2 United States of Yasser            17   10   7    86   77   +9    30
3 Vangaziland                        18    9   9    80   86   −6    27
4 Holy Nazirealm                     17    6  11    72   73   −1    18
5 Humaliwo                           18    3  15    57  110  −53     9

Group 9
Drawkland                          0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  0
New Haudenosaunee Confederacy      0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 X  2

Maklohi Vai                        1 1 0 0 2 1 0 0 0  5
Mirfast                            0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  0


  Group 9                           Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD   Pts 
1 Drawkland                          18   12   6    98   67  +31    36
2 Maklohi Vai                        17   10   7    78   58  +20    30
3 Saintland                          17    8   9    61   80  −19    24
4 Mirfast                            18    7  11    63   79  −16    21
5 New Haudenosaunee Confederacy      18    7  11    59   75  −16    21

Group 10
Oscioru                       0 1 1 0 2 0 0 0 0  4
United States of Devonta      0 0 0 0 1 4 3 0 X  8

East Apikai                   0 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 0  3
The Sherpa Empire             0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0  2


  Group 10                     Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD   Pts 
1 The Sherpa Empire             18   12   6    86   58  +28    36
2 Oscioru                       18    9   9    85   82   +3    27
3 Royal Kingdom of Quebec       17    9   8    79   76   +3    27
4 United States of Devonta      18    9   9    77   82   −5    27
5 East Apikai                   17    5  12    57   86  −29    15

Group 11
Bauscland                     0 0 0 1 0 1 2 2 0 0 0 3  9
Cosumar                       0 1 1 0 0 0 0 3 1 0 0 0  6

The Star Enpire               0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0  2
Abanhfleft                    2 2 0 0 0 1 4 1 X 10


  Group 11                     Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD   Pts 
1 Abanhfleft                    18   15   3   101   56  +45    45
2 Bauscland                     18   11   7    91   66  +25    33
3 Cosumar                       18    9   9    82   93  −11    27
4 The Star Enpire               17    5  12    53   85  −32    15
5 Filindostan                   17    4  13    50   77  −27    12

Group 12
Stetzra                       0 0 0 0 0 3 1 0 0  4
Newmanistan                   2 1 1 1 0 0 1 1 X  7

Crystalline Caverns           0 3 3 0 0 0 0 0 0  6
Chagall                       0 1 0 0 0 0 3 0 0  4


  Group 12                     Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD   Pts 
1 Newmanistan                   18   16   2   109   51  +58    48
2 Hampton Island                17   11   6    75   68   +7    33
3 Crystalline Caverns           17    9   8    66   70   −4    27
4 Stetzra                       18    6  12    82  102  −20    18
5 Chagall                       18    2  16    63  104  −41     6

Group 13
Pripet Socialist Republic      1 2 1 0 0 1 0 0 0  5
Liventia                       0 1 0 1 0 2 0 0 0  4

Juvencus                       0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0  2
Schiltzberg                    0 0 0 0 0 4 0 0 X  4


  Group 13                      Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD   Pts 
1 Schiltzberg                    18   16   2    97   46  +51    48
2 Liventia                       18   11   7   102   71  +31    33
3 Juvencus                       17    7  10    65   86  −21    21
4 Pripet Socialist Republic      18    6  12    57   83  −26    18
5 Valliesta                      17    4  13    67  102  −35    12

Group 14
West Phoenicia                 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0  2
Kita-Hinode                    0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  0

The Greater Nordics            5 0 1 1 0 0 2 0 0  9
Nevis And Kitts                0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0  2


  Group 14                      Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD   Pts 
1 West Phoenicia                 18   13   5    89   64  +25    39
2 Kita-Hinode                    18    9   9    80   77   +3    27
3 Nevis And Kitts                18    8  10    71   84  −13    24
4 Hicana                         17    7  10    79   74   +5    21
5 The Greater Nordics            17    7  10    58   78  −20    21

Group 15
Mezropolis                     0 0 2 0 2 2 1 0 1  8
Anthor                         0 0 2 0 3 0 0 4 X  9

Ethane                         0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1  1
Alpine Union                   0 4 0 0 1 1 1 0 X  7


  Group 15                      Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD   Pts 
1 Alpine Union                   18   13   5   111   66  +45    39
2 Ethane                         17   10   7    84   85   −1    30
3 Anthor                         18    8  10    89   81   +8    24
4 Mezropolis                     18    7  11    77  105  −28    21
5 Wabijust                       17    6  11    61   85  −24    18

Matchday 23:

Group 1
The Wolf Zones                         0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 3  5
Deseret and Zion                       0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  2

Scootalove City                        1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0  2
Sandberg                               0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 X  3


  Group 1                               Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD   Pts 
1 Scootalove City                        18   13   5    94   61  +33    39
2 Krossa                                 18   11   7   102   89  +13    33
3 Sandberg                               19    8  11    77  100  −23    24
4 Deseret and Zion                       18    7  11    79   88   −9    21
5 The Wolf Zones                         19    7  12    76   90  −14    21

Group 2
North Prarie                           1 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0  3
Banija                                 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1  1

East Ares                              0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0  2
Lycrabon                               0 0 0 2 0 0 0 1 X  3


  Group 2                               Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD   Pts 
1 Banija                                 18   11   7    95   78  +17    33
2 North Prarie                           19   11   8    88   76  +12    33
3 Lycrabon                               19   11   8    75   76   −1    33
4 East Ares                              18    8  10    73   87  −14    24
5 The Autonomous Region of Helsinki      18    5  13    70   84  −14    15

Group 3
Melbergia                              0 1 3 0 0 0 0 1 3  8
Ko-oren                                1 0 0 0 0 2 2 0 0  5

USS Monitor                            0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0  3
Ireland Isles                          0 0 7 0 0 2 0 1 X 10


  Group 3                               Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD   Pts 
1 South Covello                          18   11   7    80   58  +22    33
2 Ko-oren                                18   11   7    74   63  +11    33
3 Melbergia                              19    9  10    82   74   +8    27
4 USS Monitor                            18    9   9    70   82  −12    27
5 Ireland Isles                          19    6  13    66   95  −29    18

Group 4
God and Country                    0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0  2
The Imperial Frost Federation      0 0 0 1 1 2 0 0 X  4

New Jarwel                         2 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0  4
Equestrian States                  0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0  2


  Group 4                           Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD   Pts 
1 Equestrian States                  19   12   7   107   60  +47    36
2 New Jarwel                         18   12   6    84   70  +14    36
3 St Saratoga                        18    8  10    65   81  −16    24
4 God and Country                    19    8  11    70   91  −21    24
5 The Imperial Frost Federation      18    6  12    58   82  −24    18

Group 5
Northwest Kalactin                 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1  4
Beepee                             0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 1  3

Gloriax                            0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4  4
Super-Llamaland                    1 0 0 0 2 3 0 0 X  6


  Group 5                           Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD   Pts 
1 Super-Llamaland                    19   17   2   108   58  +50    51
2 Beepee                             18   10   8    82   76   +6    30
3 Northwest Kalactin                 19    9  10    86   84   +2    27
4 Gloriax                            18    6  12    50   80  −30    18
5 Nuevo Caracas                      18    4  14    63   91  −28    12

Group 6
Xelsis                             0 0 0 1 0 0 3 0 0  4
Cassadaigua                        0 0 0 4 0 0 0 2 X  6

Highton                            4 0 2 2 0 0 0 0 0  8
Brookspring                        1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0  2


  Group 6                           Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD   Pts 
1 Cassadaigua                        18   14   4    87   56  +31    42
2 Xelsis                             19   13   6    87   55  +32    39
3 New Sangti                         18   10   8    71   77   −6    30
4 Highton                            18    5  13    57   87  −30    15
5 Brookspring                        19    4  15    61   88  −27    12

Group 7
Free Republics                     0 1 0 0 0 0 2 1 0  4
Acapais                            0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1  1

Midand                             0 0 0 0 1 3 0 0 0  4
West Guam                          0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0  1


  Group 7                           Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD   Pts 
1 Free Republics                     19   16   3   113   75  +38    48
2 Darmen                             18   10   8    88   71  +17    30
3 Midand                             18    9   9    88   72  +16    27
4 Acapais                            18    7  11    61   75  −14    21
5 West Guam                          19    4  15    53  110  −57    12

Group 8
Vangaziland                        0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  1
Holy Nazirealm                     0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1  2

United States of Yasser            0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0  2
Humaliwo                           0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0  1


  Group 8                           Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD   Pts 
1 Nova Anglicana                     18   16   2   108   57  +51    48
2 United States of Yasser            18   11   7    88   78  +10    33
3 Vangaziland                        19    9  10    81   88   −7    27
4 Holy Nazirealm                     18    7  11    74   74    0    21
5 Humaliwo                           19    3  16    58  112  −54     9

Group 9
New Haudenosaunee Confederacy      0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  3
Maklohi Vai                        0 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1  4

Saintland                          0 0 0 1 3 0 0 0 0  4
Drawkland                          0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  0


  Group 9                           Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD   Pts 
1 Drawkland                          19   12   7    98   71  +27    36
2 Maklohi Vai                        18   11   7    82   61  +21    33
3 Saintland                          18    9   9    65   80  −15    27
4 Mirfast                            18    7  11    63   79  −16    21
5 New Haudenosaunee Confederacy      19    7  12    62   79  −17    21

Group 10
United States of Devonta      1 0 1 0 0 0 2 2 0  6
East Apikai                   0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0  1

Royal Kingdom of Quebec       1 0 2 2 2 0 0 0 1  8
Oscioru                       2 2 1 1 1 0 0 2 X  9


  Group 10                     Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD   Pts 
1 The Sherpa Empire             18   12   6    86   58  +28    36
2 Oscioru                       19   10   9    94   90   +4    30
3 United States of Devonta      19   10   9    83   83    0    30
4 Royal Kingdom of Quebec       18    9   9    87   85   +2    27
5 East Apikai                   18    5  13    58   92  −34    15

Group 11
Cosumar                       0 3 3 0 2 1 0 1 0 10
The Star Enpire               0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1  1

Filindostan                   0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0  2
Bauscland                     0 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 X  3


  Group 11                     Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD   Pts 
1 Abanhfleft                    18   15   3   101   56  +45    45
2 Bauscland                     19   12   7    94   68  +26    36
3 Cosumar                       19   10   9    92   94   −2    30
4 The Star Enpire               18    5  13    54   95  −41    15
5 Filindostan                   18    4  14    52   80  −28    12

Group 12
Newmanistan                   1 0 0 2 1 2 0 0 0  6
Crystalline Caverns           0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0  1

Hampton Island                3 0 2 0 1 2 0 0 0  8
Stetzra                       3 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0  5


  Group 12                     Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD   Pts 
1 Newmanistan                   19   17   2   115   52  +63    51
2 Hampton Island                18   12   6    83   73  +10    36
3 Crystalline Caverns           18    9   9    67   76   −9    27
4 Stetzra                       19    6  13    87  110  −23    18
5 Chagall                       18    2  16    63  104  −41     6

Group 13
Liventia                       0 0 1 4 0 0 0 0 0  5
Juvencus                       0 0 0 0 2 1 0 0 0  3

Valliesta                      0 1 3 0 0 0 2 1 1  8
Pripet Socialist Republic      0 1 0 1 0 0 0 4 0  6


  Group 13                      Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD   Pts 
1 Schiltzberg                    18   16   2    97   46  +51    48
2 Liventia                       19   12   7   107   74  +33    36
3 Juvencus                       18    7  11    68   91  −23    21
4 Pripet Socialist Republic      19    6  13    63   91  −28    18
5 Valliesta                      18    5  13    75  108  −33    15

Group 14
Kita-Hinode                    0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0  2
The Greater Nordics            0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0  1

Hicana                         0 0 2 0 0 1 0 2 0 0 0 0 1  6
West Phoenicia                 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 2 0 0 0 0  5


  Group 14                      Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD   Pts 
1 West Phoenicia                 19   13   6    94   70  +24    39
2 Kita-Hinode                    19   10   9    82   78   +4    30
3 Hicana                         18    8  10    85   79   +6    24
4 Nevis And Kitts                18    8  10    71   84  −13    24
5 The Greater Nordics            18    7  11    59   80  −21    21

Group 15
Anthor                         1 0 1 0 3 1 0 0 0  6
Ethane                         1 1 0 7 0 1 3 0 X 13

Wabijust                       1 0 0 1 3 1 0 0 0  6
Mezropolis                     0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0  2


  Group 15                      Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD   Pts 
1 Alpine Union                   18   13   5   111   66  +45    39
2 Ethane                         18   11   7    97   91   +6    33
3 Anthor                         19    8  11    95   94   +1    24
4 Wabijust                       18    7  11    67   87  −20    21
5 Mezropolis                     19    7  12    79  111  −32    21

Matchday 24:

Group 1
Deseret and Zion                       0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0  4
Scootalove City                        0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  0

Krossa                                 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 1 0  3
The Wolf Zones                         1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0  2


  Group 1                               Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD   Pts 
1 Scootalove City                        19   13   6    94   65  +29    39
2 Krossa                                 19   12   7   105   91  +14    36
3 Deseret and Zion                       19    8  11    83   88   −5    24
4 Sandberg                               19    8  11    77  100  −23    24
5 The Wolf Zones                         20    7  13    78   93  −15    21

Group 2
Banija                                 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 0 0  4
East Ares                              1 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0  3

The Autonomous Region of Helsinki      0 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 0  3
North Prarie                           5 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 X  7


  Group 2                               Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD   Pts 
1 Banija                                 19   12   7    99   81  +18    36
2 North Prarie                           20   12   8    95   79  +16    36
3 Lycrabon                               19   11   8    75   76   −1    33
4 East Ares                              19    8  11    76   91  −15    24
5 The Autonomous Region of Helsinki      19    5  14    73   91  −18    15

Group 3
Ko-oren                                1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1  5
USS Monitor                            1 1 3 0 1 0 0 0 X  6

South Covello                          0 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 0  3
Melbergia                              1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  2


  Group 3                               Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD   Pts 
1 South Covello                          19   12   7    83   60  +23    36
2 Ko-oren                                19   11   8    79   69  +10    33
3 USS Monitor                            19   10   9    76   87  −11    30
4 Melbergia                              20    9  11    84   77   +7    27
5 Ireland Isles                          19    6  13    66   95  −29    18

Group 4
The Imperial Frost Federation      0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0  1
New Jarwel                         0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  0

St Saratoga                        0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 1  3
God and Country                    1 0 0 0 4 3 0 0 X  8


  Group 4                           Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD   Pts 
1 Equestrian States                  19   12   7   107   60  +47    36
2 New Jarwel                         19   12   7    84   71  +13    36
3 God and Country                    20    9  11    78   94  −16    27
4 St Saratoga                        19    8  11    68   89  −21    24
5 The Imperial Frost Federation      19    7  12    59   82  −23    21

Group 5
Beepee                             0 1 0 0 1 0 5 1 1  9
Gloriax                            0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1  2

Nuevo Caracas                      0 2 0 0 0 0 0 3 2  7
Northwest Kalactin                 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 0  3


  Group 5                           Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD   Pts 
1 Super-Llamaland                    19   17   2   108   58  +50    51  Q1
2 Beepee                             19   11   8    91   78  +13    33
3 Northwest Kalactin                 20    9  11    89   91   −2    27
4 Gloriax                            19    6  13    52   89  −37    18
5 Nuevo Caracas                      19    5  14    70   94  −24    15

Group 6
Cassadaigua                        0 3 3 0 0 2 1 4 0 13
Highton                            0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 3  5

New Sangti                         1 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 1  4
Xelsis                             0 0 0 0 0 5 0 0 X  5


  Group 6                           Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD   Pts 
1 Cassadaigua                        19   15   4   100   61  +39    45
2 Xelsis                             20   14   6    92   59  +33    42
3 New Sangti                         19   10   9    75   82   −7    30
4 Highton                            19    5  14    62  100  −38    15
5 Brookspring                        19    4  15    61   88  −27    12

Group 7
Acapais                            1 0 0 0 5 0 1 0 0  7
Midand                             0 0 0 0 3 0 1 3 1  8

Darmen                             0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1  1
Free Republics                     0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 X  2


  Group 7                           Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD   Pts 
1 Free Republics                     20   17   3   115   76  +39    51  Q1
2 Midand                             19   10   9    96   79  +17    30
3 Darmen                             19   10   9    89   73  +16    30
4 Acapais                            19    7  12    68   83  −15    21
5 West Guam                          19    4  15    53  110  −57    12

Group 8
Holy Nazirealm                     0 0 1 2 0 0 2 0 0  5
United States of Yasser            0 0 1 0 0 1 2 0 2  6

Nova Anglicana                     0 0 1 0 2 0 1 0 1  5
Vangaziland                        0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0  1


  Group 8                           Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD   Pts 
1 Nova Anglicana                     19   17   2   113   58  +55    51  Q
2 United States of Yasser            19   12   7    94   83  +11    36
3 Vangaziland                        20    9  11    82   93  −11    27
4 Holy Nazirealm                     19    7  12    79   80   −1    21
5 Humaliwo                           19    3  16    58  112  −54     9

Group 9
Maklohi Vai                        1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  1
Saintland                          3 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 X  5

Mirfast                            2 1 0 0 0 1 0 2 0 0 0  6
New Haudenosaunee Confederacy      1 0 1 0 1 3 0 0 0 0 1  7


  Group 9                           Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD   Pts 
1 Drawkland                          19   12   7    98   71  +27    36
2 Maklohi Vai                        19   11   8    83   66  +17    33
3 Saintland                          19   10   9    70   81  −11    30
4 New Haudenosaunee Confederacy      20    8  12    69   85  −16    24
5 Mirfast                            19    7  12    69   86  −17    21

Group 10
East Apikai                   3 0 4 0 0 1 0 0 0  8
Royal Kingdom of Quebec       0 0 0 1 2 0 2 2 0  7

The Sherpa Empire             2 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0  3
United States of Devonta      0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0  1


  Group 10                     Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD   Pts 
1 The Sherpa Empire             19   13   6    89   59  +30    39
2 Oscioru                       19   10   9    94   90   +4    30
3 United States of Devonta      20   10  10    84   86   −2    30
4 Royal Kingdom of Quebec       19    9  10    94   93   +1    27
5 East Apikai                   19    6  13    66   99  −33    18

Group 11
The Star Enpire               2 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1  4
Filindostan                   0 0 1 2 0 0 0 0 0  3

Abanhfleft                    0 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 2  5
Cosumar                       0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 1  3


  Group 11                     Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD   Pts 
1 Abanhfleft                    19   16   3   106   59  +47    48  Q
2 Bauscland                     19   12   7    94   68  +26    36
3 Cosumar                       20   10  10    95   99   −4    30
4 The Star Enpire               19    6  13    58   98  −40    18
5 Filindostan                   19    4  15    55   84  −29    12

Group 12
Crystalline Caverns           0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 4  5
Hampton Island                0 5 0 0 0 0 0 1 X  6

Chagall                       0 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 0  3
Newmanistan                   2 0 0 2 0 1 0 2 X  7


  Group 12                     Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD   Pts 
1 Newmanistan                   20   18   2   122   55  +67    54  Q
2 Hampton Island                19   13   6    89   78  +11    39
3 Crystalline Caverns           19    9  10    72   82  −10    27
4 Stetzra                       19    6  13    87  110  −23    18
5 Chagall                       19    2  17    66  111  −45     6

Group 13
Juvencus                       0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 1  4
Valliesta                      0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  0

Schiltzberg                    1 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0  3
Liventia                       0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 3  5


  Group 13                      Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD   Pts 
1 Schiltzberg                    19   16   3   100   51  +49    48  Q
2 Liventia                       20   13   7   112   77  +35    39
3 Juvencus                       19    8  11    72   91  −19    24
4 Pripet Socialist Republic      19    6  13    63   91  −28    18
5 Valliesta                      19    5  14    75  112  −37    15

Group 14
The Greater Nordics            0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0  2
Hicana                         0 2 3 2 2 0 0 1 X 10

Nevis And Kitts                0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  0
Kita-Hinode                    0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 X  1


  Group 14                      Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD   Pts 
1 West Phoenicia                 19   13   6    94   70  +24    39
2 Kita-Hinode                    20   11   9    83   78   +5    33
3 Hicana                         19    9  10    95   81  +14    27
4 Nevis And Kitts                19    8  11    71   85  −14    24
5 The Greater Nordics            19    7  12    61   90  −29    21

Group 15
Ethane                         9 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 2 14
Wabijust                       1 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0  3

Alpine Union                   0 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 0  3
Anthor                         0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 2  5


  Group 15                      Pld    W   L    RF   RA   RD   Pts 
1 Alpine Union                   19   13   6   114   71  +43    39
2 Ethane                         19   12   7   111   94  +17    36
3 Anthor                         20    9  11   100   97   +3    27
4 Wabijust                       19    7  12    70  101  −31    21
5 Mezropolis                     19    7  12    79  111  −32    21

by **Schiltzberg** » Thu May 31, 2018 5:34 pm

A Divine Dialogue

“Release me from Gehenna!” Satan wails.
“Release me from this lake of ceaseless fire.
Condemn me not, absolve me of my fails.
You knowest not the aims of my desire.”

“Ah hah! You think your thoughts hidden from me?
You prideful fool! You think you can deceive
The mighty one by whom you came to be?
Be damned, you wretch, for your unholy deed!”

“Is this your great creation, mighty God,
That took your mighty hands six days to make
Before you went off to the land of nod?
A land of grinding teeth and fiery lake?

“An omnipotent God, yet you inquire
Why anyone would turn away from thee?
A prideful fool am I, but you require
All your creation to bow on a knee?

“A mighty God, and yet, you are afraid
Enough to bind your rivals up in chain
In pits of hell, preventing further raid
That might end you if heaven we did gain.

“If you are perfect, as you say you are,
How come you banish work of your own hands?
If you are ever powerful, why bar
Myself, a dinky devil, from your lands?”

“When I created you, you were as I,
A perfect, sinless angel close to me,
But pride and power took hold of your eye,
And free will made you fall disgracefully.

“Now powerless, a former flame of light,
You’re lucky that I’m speedy to forgive
And merciful that after your poor fight
On my creation, I still let you live!”

“Free will you say, and yet you bind me by
My hands and feet onto the floors of hell.
All merciful? Indeed, a joke; you lie.
How am I free, Almighty One? Do tell!

“If you are merciful, as you did say,
Then rid me of these chains; make pure your vow
Above all the dominion, night and day,
The future and the past. You free me now!”

“So be it as you say,” uttered the Lord,
And as he spoke, then Lucifer was freed
To do his will and bring down with his sword
The Lord’s creation if he so decreed.

“How powerful and evil I must be,
A proven now persuader of divine.
How foolish was the Threatener to free
Me to my will; his world shall now be mine!”

And off went Satan to his hellish task
That serpentine pre-apostolic date,
And won his greatest battle now at last
That sealed all humanity’s ill fate.

And that’s the reason for the pains we’re in
And our dejected tendency to sin.

by **Lycrabon** » Thu May 31, 2018 7:44 pm

With 6 games left, Lycrabon has a chance to both win the group, and not make the postseason. The Blue Jay's are 1 game back of the leaders and a half-game behind second, with a game in hand on second. It was announced that should the sky blue and black make it, Garry Barnett III would start the opening game. When asked about it, he was remarkably humble: "It's an honor. My dad did it, and I wasn't expecting it. All we can do is get there and see what happens."

by **USS Monitor** » Thu May 31, 2018 8:53 pm

Journal of George Geer, July 3:

We have been very busy collecting "modern" books and sharing our knowledge with the government, so I have not had time to write as much as I would like. We are back in Virginia today, and many important people from the government came to see us today so they could see the machine that the Ko-orenites used to transport their team to the game.

It was an exciting game, which we narrowly won.

Tomorrow we are going to have an Independence Day celebration before we travel to South Covello for our next game.

by **Hicanans in Exile** » Thu May 31, 2018 10:11 pm

West Phoenicia

It had been a good day for Alex Cameron. His Phoenixes had come in needing a win to stay in the hunt for second place, and both his offense and his pitching staff had seriously stepped up. Against one of the world's best teams, Hicaña had taken a 5-3 lead into the ninth inning, so Cameron (naturally) called on his relief ace, Nick Vasco. The young reliever had been doing far better recently, throwing four straight scoreless innings, so the Llamanean manager was more than willing to go to him despite his past struggles.

A win tonight would bring up their record, once a dismal 4-9, a still poor - but respectable - 8-10, just a game and a half away from Kita-Hinode in second place or for a wild-card spot. With the HFA beginning to reconsider their blind trust in Cameron, and his teams' continued underperformance, Alex needed a playoff spot - and so did Hicaña's government, sorely lacking in legitimacy, who continued to tenuously cling to a strip of Miklandia despite international condemnation.

Vasco stared down shortstop Kevin Dances, leading off the inning. He threw a fastball right down the middle - but Dances didn't take the bait, resulting in a called strike one. He came back with two sliders that were way outside, beyond defense as a "chase pitch", to put Dances ahead in the count again. A hittable fastball and two more wild breaking balls later, Dances was on first with a leadoff walk. Cursing his "misfortune", Cameron got Johan Velasquez warming up in the bullpen.
***
Vasco noticed Velasquez get up and cursed himself. He'd have to hurry in blowing the lead, or the relief ace would be ready to come in and save the game - the opposite of what Vasco and the Miklandian government needed to happen. That would mean even more hittable pitches - but no matter what, the West Phoenician weren't biting quickly enough. He'd have to change tactics. And there was only one way to guarantee someone would get on base with one pitch.

And so, the center-fielder Hewett got a fastball off the thigh, while Jacob Texas took a changeup off the knee. With the bases loaded, nobody out, but Velasquez not yet ready, Cameron would have to leave him in - to cough up the lead. Things were going according to plan again. He would just have to induce an extra-base hit, and West Phoenicia - not the Phoenixes - would be walking out of the stadium with the victory.

Vasco eyed up the first baseman Melbourne, who stared back at him emptily. Vasco breathed in, breathed out. This was a crucial moment for him, and more importantly, his country: Miklandia.

He sent a knee-high fastball down the middle. Melbourne pounced on it, smashing a hard line drive into the left-center gap. Diego Velasquez and Alfonso Almendarez both chased after it, but Vasco knew it was in vain. It was too well-hit - there was no way three runs wouldn't score.

Dances jogged across home plate, with Hewett in hot pursuit. Jacob Texas rounded third, headed for victory, and despite an incredible throw, got in just before the tag.

And was called out, by the umpire.

As the second baseman Valdez, who'd made the relay and ran to his catcher in celebration, trotted by a stunned Vasco (who was being quickly approached by a furious Alex Cameron) he whispered something in Vascos's ear that made the reliever freeze.

"I know what you're doing."

by **Beepee** » Fri Jun 01, 2018 3:57 am

Match Day 22
Beepee 0 0 0 2 0 0 1 2 0 5
Nuevo Caracas
              0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 0 4

Beepee edged out the Caraquenses in an exciting match.   Starting pitcher Leslie Wheeler perofrmed well holding the Caraquenses to without score until being replaced by the bull pen.

However, Beepee's bullpen struggled again losing 4 runs in the seventh.

Heading into the eight 4-3 down. Bruce Labare and Casey Thorlibin hit back to back homers to pull Beepee to a memorable victory.

After the match, Homer Unn lectured on baseball rules "Whichever teams scores more run usually wins." He said.

Match Day 23
Northwest Kalactin
               2 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 4
Beepee 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 1 3

Against the Kalactins, Beepee once again struggled.   Chasing the match from the beginning the Beepee couldnt quite close the gap on the better team, falling to a close 4-3 loss.

Deapite the result Homer Unn was upbeat saying "If you closed your eyes, you couldn't tell the difference between the two sides"

Match Day 24
Beepee 0 1 0 0 1 0 5 1 1 9
Gloriax 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 2

Beepee sauntered to an easy victory over gloriax.

The result leaves Beepee in secind place in the group, behind Super-Llamaland who qualified for the next phase.

After the match, homer Unn was prophetic saying "If history repeats itself, I should think we can expect the same thing again."

by **Xelsis** » Fri Jun 01, 2018 5:54 am

Entez Sporting Network-WBC Special

Xelsian Magic Number down to 2, despite losses to Cassadaiuga and Indios, close matches

Lightning couldn't strike twice as the Xelsian national team went down to Cassadaiugua on its home turf, but after New Sangti dropped two, including a close match against Xelsis with a ninth-inning rally by the Indios barely contained, Xelsis needs only to win two of its final four games to reach the WBC playoffs. A game and a half behind Cassadaigua for the division lead, and thoroughly beaten in the tiebreaker, the latest head-to-head loss has likely ended the Xelsian hopes of a Group pennant, with a slim path to victory requiring Xelsis to upset the hosts on Xelsian soil, and for the Cassdaiguans to lose at least two more of their four other final games, a doubtful proposition.

With a bye to contemplate strategy, Xelsis starts with two matches against the still poorly-performing HIghton and Brookspring teams, that are both likely wins, but also must-wins to have a shot at the division crown, and give the opportunity to claim the second slot for Group 6 with strong performances, with Browning penciling in the full starting lineup.

The question moving forward over the final stretch of the season for the Lightning is whether the pitching can live up to their expected dominance, and whether the recent cooling of the bats is a temporary dip, or a permanent slide. When the Xelsian offense caught fire in the first half, it was widely enjoyed by fans, but now that it returns to levels that are still fairly high for the XHL, the faithful are less impressed. Hits are coming in at about the same rate as previously, and the team now has a few home runs to add to its total, but the biggest drop has been hitting with runners in scoring position, which has slid dramatically in recent games, and will be a crucial skill if reaching the playoffs.

The four-man rotation in use in the Classic is standard for Xelsian play, and the bullpen has had its use, but even with a number of byes, unfamiliar environs and an intense travel schedule may be wearing on the pitching staff. With several excellent performances earlier in the year, the Xelsian hurlers have now not held a team beneath three runs scored since Rumenoss's win over Cassadaigua, and even that was a performance assisted by timely and excellent defense. If need be, Browning has two starters, Rolon and Deachrist, available in the bullpen to extend the rotation, but in intense playoff matchups, the best on the mound are needed.

The Lightning isn't charging into the playoffs, with the two losses in their last five games something that easily could have been a 0-5 streak. It took a ninth-inning rally and a run scored by Carhoones to put away even the cellar-dwelling Highton Islands team in their last match, a game against Brookspring required a two-out walk-off double from Mario Teros to squeeze out a win after starting the ninth down by two runs, and Xelsis scored in only a single inning against New Sangti in their most recent game, largely off of poor opposing fielding, and nearly coughed it up in the top of the ninth. Without some Providence, Xelsis could easily be facing elimination.

Xelsis has compiled a winning record, but picked up most of the wins against unranked poorly-performing teams thus far, and is 1-4 against the top seed, taking its only win by a single run. If it wants to prove that it belongs in the WBC, its time to shine is now.

works? · by **Abanhfleft** » Fri Jun 01, 2018 6:10 am

Tales From the Front, Part Seven

Waypoint AKULA
5 kilometers north of Novorossiysk, Pridnestrovia

The aerial war between Pridnestrovia and the Imperial invasion force was not going too well, at least from the Pridnestrovian perspective. The surface-to-air missile batteries deployed in and around the city of Novorossiysk as well as its surrounding Army bases, Air Force fields, and Navy port had unleashed a curtain of steel around the city, but clever use of countermeasures on the part of the Imperials ensured that most of the missile defenses ended up targeting empty air or bright infrared flares while leaving the actual enemy aircraft relatively untouched. Some of the missiles did manage to hit their targets, with at least three Imperial fighters and one transport definitively shot down by the missile screen.

As for the Pridnestrovian Air Force, between eight to ten of their fighters had been splashed by the Imperials' longer-range air-to-air missiles before the two forces finally got to within visual range of each other. Once the two fighter forces engaged in dogfights, the so-called "furballs", the Imperials' technological advantage was soon balanced out by the Pridnestrovian MiG-29s' better manouevrability (such as in tight turns and high-G manouevres) and their integrated helmet-mounted heads-up display and targeting system. Once the Pridnestrovians got closer to the Imperials, they were able to make it a bit of a fairer fight, although statistics would later reveal that for every Imperial fighter shot down, two Pridnestrovian fighters were shot down as well.

Into this fray stepped, or flew, Major of Aviation Irina Vyacheslavovna Adzhitekova. At 32 years old, Adzhitekova was already a combat veteran of three air wars. Her first combat experience was during the Great Patriotic War as a teenager pilot and was subsequently rewarded for her service with the Hero of the Pridnestrovian Republic and the Order of Umayev, the two highest awards a Pridnestrovian citizen could be given. As Adzhitekova advanced up the ranks, she participated in the controversial Operation KNIFE EDGE, mostly performing bombing runs against Hrvatski armor, and by the time the Pridnestrovian intervention in Nordskania came around, Adzhitekova had been promoted to major and took part in the brief air war against the Community of Revolutionary Nordskania, where she splashed three Nordskanian jets to add to her tally of seventeen Szavodan fighters, putting her total kill count up to twenty.

Adzhitekova's wing hadn't yet been rotated to ESTORVIPA when the Pridnestrovians returned to finally finish what they started and restore true order from the chaos in that country so she and her comrades hadn't yet had an opportunity to test herself against ESTORVIPA's best pilots, but now that the IMPERIUM had arrived here in Novorossiysk, Irina would get to test herself against Imperial pilots and their fighter jets, which was most certainly a much tougher challenge than the one she would have faced against the COMMUNARDS.

"Everyone okay back there?" Adzhitekova asked the rest of her four-man flight as they made their way to the war zone in the skies above the coast of Novorossiysk.

"Right here, Joker Leader," Captain of Aviation Fanniya Danilovna Mejez, Adzhitekova's second-in-command and close friend, replied. Adzhitekova and Mejez had been friends even before their Air Force days; in fact, it was their friendship that had made them decide to join the Air Force together, and Mejez also went through the same baptism of fire that Adzhitekova did in the Great Patriotic War, when the Szavodan Air Force launched preemptive strikes on Pridnestrovian airfields to stop them from being able to counter the Szavodan land invasion.

"Genya? Vasya?" Adzhitekova called out.

"Joker Three right here," Captain of Aviation Gennady Robertovich Elemat replied. Elemat hadn't really known either Adzhitekova and Mejez until he was assigned to the same air wing as the two women during the Great Patriotic War. He and "Vasya", Lieutenant of Aviation Vasily Karlovich Vatutin (callsign Joker Four) were the two men who made up the rest of Joker Flight, Adzhitekova's own four-man formation. Adzhitekova had personally chosen her wingmen as their friendship was forged in the fires of battle in the skies above Pridnestrovia.

"I'm still here, Irina," Vatutin called back to Adzhitekova.

"All right, let's go over the situation once again before we get stuck into the furball," Adzhitekova said. "The Imperials have sent an airborne invasion force against us. These transports are very well protected by their escort fighters. And they've got unbelievably excellent countermeasures as well; our missile umbrella barely made a dent in their forces. We can expect chaff and flares against us when we get there, and that's just for the transports."

"So what's the gameplan, Irina?" Elemat asked. "Do we go for the transports or the escorts or what?"

"We'll divide it up between the four of us," Adzhitekova replied. "Fanniya and I will take on the fighters, while Gennady and Vasily, you two go for the transports."

"But Joker Leader, I want to fight the fighters too!" Vatutin called out jokingly.

"Well, tough luck, Karlich," Adzhitekova replied. "It's to the transports with you!" The four of them shared a short laugh at that. They knew that they could very well have no more reason to laugh by the time the dogfight was over.

"Get ready, guys," Adzhitekova said as they approached the furball. "On my signal, split off to your designated targets. Three, two, one, split off now!" Adzhitekova and Mejez sent their MiGs upwards and to the left while Elemat and Vatutin turned right and downwards. Below them, Elemat and Vatutin could see that the Imperial transports were flying sedately like a pod of whales while the Pridnestrovian and Imperial fighters darted around above them like insects. The second wave of the Novorossiysk missile defense umbrella had also been launched, and the transports were dropping flares everywhere to fool the missiles yet again. However, in the chaos of the dogfight happening above them, some of the transports had fallen out of formation, and one transport deployed its flare countermeasures right on top of another transport, and while the countermeasures did their job and prevented a missile from locking on to the first transport, that missile followed the flares and ended up locking on to the second transport. The missile punched a hole in the middle of the fuselage of the second transport and exploded inside it, snapping off the cockpit from the rest of the plane and causing the rest of the fuselage to plummet to the sea. "Oh, surely no one could have survived that," Vatutin said as he looked at the dropping transport.

"Well, they're going to credit that to the umbrella," Elemat replied. "Come on, let's go after this transport," he said, gesturing at the transport plane that had indirectly led to the demise of one of its comrades. Elemat activated his helmet-mounted sight and tried to lock a heat-seeking missile onto the transport's engine exhaust. A low growling tone came on over Elemat's earphones, which told him that the missile had locked on to the target. "Joker Two, Fox Two!" he said to make sure that no other Pridnestrovian jets ended up in the path of his "Sunbeam" infrared missile, and then he launched the missile by pressing a button on his joystick. The Sunbeam missile leaped off the wing hardpoint and flew towards its target, the inboard starboard engine of the Imperial transport plane. The transport tried to deploy another flare countermeasure to spoof the missile's infrared seeker but they dropped their flares just a little too late, and the missile exploded behind the engine and practically shredded it apart.

"This is Joker Three," Elemat reported. "I've managed to damage one transport."

"Joker Three, Joker Four," Vatutin called out. "I'm in good position. I can finish him off." However, as Vatutin lined up for his own shot at the damaged transport, his earphones came alive with dozens of alarms and warnings, chief among them the targeting warning system. "Shit! I'm being pinged!" he shouted. "Where the hell is that coming from?"

"Joker Four, you've got an Imperial on your tail!" Irina Adzhitekova, who had managed to disengage from the furball above to follow the Imperial fighter that was now targeting Vatutin, reported back to him.

"Ah! I can't shake him off!" Vatutin yelled. "Someone help me out!" And then the noises in his earphones turned into one single shrill alarm, and he knew that he was about to die even before Adzhitekova shouted back at him, "He's fired a missile at you, Vasya!"

"Der'mo!" Vatutin shouted, and he punched in his afterburners in an attempt to escape the missile now coming for him and his jet.

"I think I have a shot at this bastard, Vasya," Adzhitekova said.

"Take it! I can't do anything about it right here, can I?" Vatutin shot back.

"Fox Three!" Adzhitekova exclaimed, firing a radar-guided missile at the Imperial jet tailing Vatutin everywhere he went. However, at the same time that Adzhitekova's missile struck the Imperial fighter, the missile targeting Vatutin's jet also exploded, and while Vatutin's plane wasn't caught up in the fireball, the shrapnel from the missile did cause significant damage to his plane. "I'm hit!" Vatutin called out. "I'm going to have to punch out!"

"Do it!" Elemat replied. "I'll watch your back, and then I'll finish off this transport."

"See you on the other side, Genya," Vatutin said, and he pulled the eject lever on his seat and braced himself for the G forces resulting from the rockets in his seat propelling him out of his stricken jet, and then it felt like the rockets were coming right out of his ass, and Vatutin held tight to his straps and screamed a little before he blacked out from the acceleration.

Gennady Elemat watched as his friend ejected from his fighter jet and didn't turn away until the parachute had been deployed from Vasily Vatutin's seat, and even then Elemat didn't leave Vatutin behind until he was sure that there was no chance that Vatutin or his seat might crash or get sucked into another plane before he turned his attention back to the Imperial transport plane that he had damaged before Vatutin had been shot down. This time Elemat selected a radar-guided missile of his own and targeted the damaged transport plane once again, and this time the transport had run out of countermeasures to use against its attackers. The missile destroyed the right wing root of the transport, and the win snapped off, causing the plane to spiral towards the ocean.

Astonishingly, there were still a number of Imperial paratroopers inside the transport who had chosen to jump out of the stricken plane instead of joining it at the bottom of the ocean. Elemat saw at least five paratroopers jumping out of the plane, and then the transport plane finally broke apart and bodies came tumbling out of the debris. Elemat shifted his attention to those paratroopers who had made it out, and he switched to his cannon and began shooting at the paratroopers. It took him some time, and he practically used up all his gun ammunition doing it, but Elemat was eventually successful in shooting down one paratrooper.

"All right, Joker Flight, time to go home," Adzhitekova said as their fuel reserves began to run out after an hour of combat. "Let's just hope that the Navy can pick Vasya up after all this is over."

World Baseball Classic 43- Everything (Finals G6 Posted)

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