International Baseball Slam XI (Everything)

[Super-Llamaland]

SEMIFINALS G1-2 CUTOFF

Will you be going to Tyler Rocke, or will you be leaving Super-Llamaland?

(1) Cassadaigua U18s v. (4) Terre Septentrionale Nordiques

Team Name                       1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 Total
Terre Septentrionale Nordiques  0  1  1  0  1  0  0  3  1   7
Cassadaigua U18s                1  0  0  1  0  0  1  0  0   3

Team Name                       1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 Total
Cassadaigua U18s                0  0  0  1  0  0  2  0  0   3
Terre Septentrionale Nordiques  0  1  0  1  0  1  0  1  X   4

Terre Septentrionale advances, 2G-0

(2) South Newlandia U22s v. (3) Tikariot Thunnderforge

Team Name              1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 Total
Tikariot Thunderforge  0  0  1  1  5  0  1  0  0   8
South Newlandia U22s   0  1  2  0  0  0  2  0  0   5

Team Name              1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 Total
South Newlandia U22s   1  0  0  0  0  3  0  0  1   5
Tikariot Thunderforge  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0   0

Series tied 1G-1

IBS XI: 3PPO MATCHUP

(1) Cassadaigua U18s v. (2) South Newlandia U22s/(3) Tikariot Thunderforge
Earnest Field, Kyrinson

IBS XI: FINALS MATCHUP

(2) South Newlandia U22s/(3) Tikariot Thunderforge v. (4) Terre Septentrionale Nordiques
Tyler Rocke Memorial Stadium, New Llama City

[South Newlandia]

ELEPHANT VALLEY MAIL
Sports -> Youth Baseball
It’s all coming down to this

South Newlandia will have to play a third game against the Tikariot Thunderforge after splitting the first two games. The first game was an exciting back-and-forth match, in which South Newlandia ended upcoming short, while game two was dominated by Jay Kramer specifically to let the South Newlandian U22s equalize the series. They will now head into game three to get a chance to play in the final series. Paradoxically, they will want to avoid staying in Kyrinson, as the third place playoff series will be played there. They really want to go to New Llama City and play in the final series held in Tyler Rocke Memorial Stadium.

Team Name              1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 Total
Tikariot Thunderforge  0  0  1  1  5  0  1  0  0   8
South Newlandia U22s   0  1  2  0  0  0  2  0  0   5

Marcus Raj was on the mount for the first game. The 20-year-old had been very inconsistent so far, and Jean-Luc Conrad seemingly wanted to avoid playing him in a potential elimination game. Raj had performed really poorly under pressure so far. At first, everything seemed to go well. Raj allowed no runs in the first two innings, and in the bottom of the second, South Newlandia actually went ahead after a nice run by Shawn Zimmerman. Raj gave up a run in the third, scored by William Carruthers but that didn’t look like a big deal. The game went on, and South Newlandia had their best inning of the game. Daryl Dunlop started the team off with a nice double, and after David Drum and Shawn Zimmerman got retired, Sophia Smiths managed to get the first home run of the game, but it would not be the last. With the two runs, South Newlandia was now up 3-1, and it seemed like South Newlandia had a good chance to take the important first win of the series. Raj gave one of the two runs back in the top of the fourth, scored by Carlton Baines after he stole not one, but two bases. Not at once, but it was still impressive. The real problems only came in the top of the fifth inning. Michael Romanov started the play for the Thunderforge with a nice triple that went right over Zimmerman’s head. Bronson Ghirardello got a single, and with Romanov getting a run here, the game was all tied up at three runs each. Yosvani Fernandez was next, and he got a double, giving Tikariot runners on second and third base with still no one out. Foster Fleming was the first batter retired in the inning, while Vincent Pelmore got another single to get Tikariot the 4-3 and runners on the corners, with still only one out. Carlton Baines was the second player out, and Steven Marangoudakis was next to bat. A crushing home run later, South Newlandia was down by four, and Marcus Raj left the mount for Mason Cousins. Mason Cousins managed to end the inning without further runs, but he gave up a run in the seventh inning to JJ Bernardetti, who hit the next and also last home run of the first game. South Newlandia was now down by five runs, and Barnaby Butt came in to close the game for the last two innings. The South Newlandian U22s actually managed to get two more runs in the bottom of the seventh, scored by Fred Burn and Mike Larsen, but that didn’t change much about the final result. South Newlandia was defeated 5-8, and they would have to win both of the two remaining games to make the final series now.

Team Name              1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 Total
South Newlandia U22s   1  0  0  0  0  3  0  0  1   5
Tikariot Thunderforge  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0   0

Jay Kramer took the mount for game two, and South Newlandia can thank him for the team still being in the tournament now. He managed to get yet another shutout against a very talented opponent, and it was about the best time for one. Kramer had a great pitcher’s duel with the pitcher from Tikariot, who also played a great game. Adam King got a run in the top of the first inning, and the 1-0 stood all the way until the top of the sixth inning, with both pitchers allowing few hits, dominating their respective batters. It took until the sixth inning until the pitcher from Tikariot gave up some more runs. Sophia Smiths started the team out with a double, and Fred Burn followed her, hitting a double as well. The run for Smiths gave the South Newlandians the important second run to let them breathe a little bit. Mitch Sneider and Jack Mine got retired, and Mike Larsen was up next. After two strikes and two balls, he hit the ball perfectly, almost hitting it out of the park over the Left Field. With the home run, the South Newlandian U22s were now up 4-0, and the equalizer in the series seemed to be close now. Kramer retired six out of seven batters in the next two innings, only allowing a single run. Ian Capan came in now, and he extended the shutout over the last two innings. In the top of the ninth, David Drum also got a run to make the final score a convincing 5-0.

It all depends on the third game now, and it will be the only game played that day. The Nordiques have already defeated the Cassadaiguan U18-team, and they will be waiting for the winner in New Llama City. We know that Ryan Hunter is going to be on the mount for the last game, and we will find out if he performs well if he isn’t properly rested and also under huge pressure. Maxbar had announced that there was no final decision on who would be closing the game, but it would “likely be Barnaby [Butt]”. Only one team will be able to advance to the final series, and we wish both teams good luck; may the better one take the win. We expect a close, hard-fought game, but if you remember our predictions from before the Round of 12, we aren’t exactly the most credible there. Earnest Field will certainly see two teams giving their best to make a good tournament a great one.

[Tikariot]

Angelo Mori and Sarah Ladle are in a makeshift studio on the concourse of Kyrinson's Earnest Field

Angelo Mori: Good evening ladies and gentlemen, we're here in Kyrinson where an epic battle has been staged between the Tikariot Devil's rejects and the South Newlandia U22s. While in the other semi finals the Terre Septentrionale Nordiques managed to eliminate the Cassadaigua U18s in two straight games, our series is tied at 1-1, going into the all deciding fifth game tomorrow and if the first two games have been any indicator, we will be in for a treat!

Sarah Ladle: Game one was a thrilling affair, with South Newlandia taking the lead twice in the second and third inning, but it was the fifth inning that made this game for Tikariot. Coming in 2-3 after four innings, Tikariot's offensive machinery went into overdrive. Michael Romanov hit the first pitch of the inning by Marcus Raj spot on, right over the head of centre fielder Shawn Zimmerman and showed why he is considered Tikariot's best player at this time, making the most out of the situation and getting a triple, barely avoiding getting tagged by Mitch Sneider, putting Tikariot into an excellent scoring position.

Mori: Bronson Ghirardello was next up and got a single, bringing in the first run of the inning by Romanov. Yosvani Fernandez already was down two strikes when he hit a low ball that just managed to sneak past Sophia Smiths giving him a double and putting both Ghirardello and himself into scoring position again. Foster Fleming was up next and he got a little too eager and went down swinging with three straight strikes, but Vincent Pelmore gave Tikariot the lead for the first time with a single that brought Ghirardello home.

Ladle: Carlton Baines showed his nerves, unfortunately, and struck out after managing to steal two bases in the fourth inning, bringing Steven Marangoudakis to bat, who has shown a tremendous tournament so far. With Fernandez and Pelmore on the corners, he anticipated a sinker by Raj perfectly, sending the ball far into the crown on the right, finishing off the scoring in the fifth inning and giving Tikariot a comfortable 7-3 lead that they would not relinquish until the end, celebrating an 8-5 victory.

Mori: Game two, however, showed a completely different side of the Devil's Rejects and an absolutely outstanding performance by Jay Kramer dominated the game, giving up barely any hits and closer Ian Capan finished things off in the last two innings, shutting out Tikariot, tying the series at one each with a clear and never really contested 5-0 victory.

Ladle: So what does this mean for the all decisive game three? We have Kenneth Burgess down in the catacombs to get the latest from the Devil's Rejects camp. Kenneth, how is the atmosphere in the Tikariotian locker room?

Kenneth Burgess: Well, if I had to condense things into one word, then it would definitely be 'defiant'. Going down 5-0 in game two definitely hurt, but instead of just hanging their heads the players seem to be highly motivated to show that this game was a fluke and to show the world that it was not the Tikariot spirit, but that they have what it takes to go all the way.

Ladle: Have you heard anything about any potential line-up changes for game three?

Burgess: No, but give me just one moment! Coach? Coach! Do you have a moment? I got Coach McCrory right here, maybe we can get some insight from him right now. Graham, thank you for taking a moment for us. How do you see the first two games of the series?

Graham McCrory: Well, what do you want me to say? We went on top of the world and then crashed right down into the dumps. We played great in the first one, with that fifth inning really showing the talent of our team, but I don't know what the hell happened in the second one, if they got cocky or celebrated a wee bit too much or what it was, but that was absolute and utter crap. And that can't happen again!

Burgess: Are there going to be any line-up changes? It was a big surprise to see Yosvani in the line-up after his elbow injury against Kalactin.

McCrory: Yeah, the docs gave him the green light, not sure how they managed, but quite frankly I don't care. Almost looked like he gave it to JJ, so Steve had to come on for him, but looks like in the end that was a godsend.

Burgess: Speaking of Steve Marangoudakis, he has been having a great tournament so far, do you see him in the starting line-up again?

McCrory: Yeah. JJ is going to be on the bench for a start and then we'll see how things go. He's one of the kids that really, what do you journalists always call it, 'rose to the occasion', so he's in.

Burgess: Who will be on the mound?

McCrory: De'Andre. I know that it'd have been Anthony's spot in the rotation, but it's all or nothin' in this one, so he'll just have to accept it.

Burgess: What do you expect from the next game?

McCrory: That the boys get their shit together and show that they're better than the crap they played in the second one. Now if you'll excuse me, I've got some ears to pull.

Burgess: There you have it, he surely does not mince his words, but I think that the outlook is clear, they won't take it laying down, but expect to come back with a vengeance!

Ladle: Thank you Kenneth, nice to catch Coach McCrory right as we were there. So we had to travel from Ruby Falls to Kyrinson, let's hope that we have to look into new reservations in New Llama City, because that is where the finals are going to take place.

Mori: Will we see Dr. Jekyll or Mr. Hyde tonight? And who of the two had showed up in game one to begin with?

Ladle: Stop confusing yourself, Angelo!

Mori: Yes, yes, I know, don't try to think too much or you'll get hurt, I heard it before.

Ladle: Haha, that's not what I meant!

Mori: I know, Sarah, just bugging. So where was I? Ah yes. Let's hope that the team will come back in style to avenge that humiliating defeat and continue the wonderful story they have written so far. And let's not waste any thoughts about the finals yet, because tonight we will need all focus and support we can get!

Ladle: And I'm just receiving word that we will have a very prominent supporter flying in to show his support for the team, our premier minister Rodney Vicarage is en route to Kyrinson right now, maybe he can give the guys that extra push!

Mori: Maybe offer them a nice trip to a gulag, if they lose?

Ladle: Angelo!!

Mori: Ok, ok, I'll shut up now.

Ladle: Thank you! We'll say goodbye with some more highlights from the first two games of the series before Angelo says something stupid again, see you tonight, you have absolutely no excuse not to tune in for game three!

[Super-Llamaland]

SEMIFINALS GAME 3
It’ll be Hard to Say Goodbye to one of you, but there’s only room for two nations in the finals.

(2) South Newlandia U22s v. (3) Tikariot Thunderforge

Team Name              1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 Total
Tikariot Thunderforge  0  2  0  0  0  3  0  2  2   9
South Newlandia U22s   1  1  0  2  0  0  0  1  3   8

Tikariot advances, 2G-1

IBS XI: 3PPO MATCHUP

(1) Cassadaigua U18s v. (2) South Newlandia U22s
Earnest Field, Kyrinson

IBS XI: FINALS MATCHUP

(3) Tikariot Thunderforge v. (4) Terre Septentrionale Nordiques
Tyler Rocke Memorial Stadium, New Llama City

[South Newlandia]

ELEPHANT VALLEY MAIL
Sports -> Youth Baseball
Heartbreak

It is all over. They had fought hard, but they just lost out, so close. Matteo Maxbar is setting there with his head in his hands; Barnaby Butt and Ian Capan are just sitting on the field with a blank stare in their eyes, neither of them saying a word. Ryan Hunter is walking around the mount, kicking an empty can around, mumbling “What have I done, what have I done? Why, why, this could’ve been my game, and I couldn’t do it, why?” over and over again, and the rest of the field isn’t saying a lot either, some of them crying. They were so close to get a chance, and they just missed it. It might have been the most important match of their life, and they lost it. Behind them, the players from Tikariot are celebrating, and why would they not? They just booked a place in the finals in New Llama City against the Terre Septentrionale Nordiques, and they were ecstatic. They knew they could win this now. But all the way in the back, Jean-Luc Conrad and Victor Lo were already visibly debating the next series. There were still games to play; after all, the series for 3rd place was waiting for them. They would face the U-18 team from Cassadaigua in Earnest Field to take third place at least.

Team Name              1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 Total
Tikariot Thunderforge  0  2  0  0  0  3  0  2  2   9
South Newlandia U22s   1  1  0  2  0  0  0  1  3   8

The game started an early run by Adam King in the first, but Hunter gave up two in the second. Fred Burn got an equalizer, and the teams headed out of the second inning tied at two. South Newlandia took a nice lead in the fourth thanks to a homer by Mike Larsen, also scoring Jack Mine to take a 4-2 lead. Ryan Hunter was taken off after five innings, as the coaches were already planning for the last series. They might have been expecting the bullpen to be able to secure the win; this proved to be a fatal mistake. Closer Barnaby Butt allowed a homer for three runs with no one out, and suddenly, South Newlandia was behind by 1. Butt was pulled, and Ian Capan tried to stop the bleeding. He managed to end the inning without another run, but through the 7th, South Newlandia remained behind. Capan gave up two runs in the eighth. The team from South Newlandia managed to get one run in in the eighth, scored by Shawn Zimmerman, but Capan gave up two MORE runs in the top of the ninth, putting South Newlandia four runs behind. They needed a miracle. They tried to get one. Adam King started the team off with a double, and Daryl Dunlop took a home run off of the pitcher from Tikariot, and South Newlandia was down by only two now, with no one out yet. David Drum was next, and he was the first one out. Sophia Smiths got the next double, and Fred Burn got a single to get runners on the corners. Mitch Sneider was struck out, and there was no out left. Jack Mine had to deliver, and he could actually claim the win with a homer now, but if he would be retired, it would be all over. He got a nice, simple single, scoring Smiths. South Newlandia was only a single run down, and Mike Larsen would have a chance now. Ball, Ball, Strike, Foul. He swung for the next one, and hit it right on. The ball flew and flew over Right Field. The ball seemed to come very close to a home run, but Yosvani Fernandez was running as fast as he could. He jumped as high as he was able to, and managed to barely catch the ball to get the final out, ending the game. The videos prove that the ball would have gone over the railing without Fernandez, but the Right Fielder saved the day for Tikariot.

Now, the team has to play in Earnest Field for the third time. The Cassadaiguan U18 team will be their opponent in the series for third place. The Cassadaiguan main national team is currently the strongest of the world and the favourite to win the 49th WBC, and their young players are very talented as well. They cruised to first seed in Group D with a 13-5 record, and dispatched the Mathuvan Union Moose easily, before inexplicably losing in two matches to the Terre Septentrionale Nordiques in the semis. Goodman will be pitching game one, and Raj and Kramer will be sharing the second game, as neither of the two is properly rested. We wish the players luck; our coverage doesn’t end here yet.

[Tikariot]

The picture show a throng of black-clad people run and jump down on the field, while the players of the South Newlandia U22s sit on the ground in disbelief. The camera swings around to the announcers' booth, where Angelo Mori and Sarah Ladle are standing, smiles big on their faces.

Angelo Mori: What - a - game! That's all I can really say!

Sarah Ladle: We did it! Well, they did it, the Devil's Rejects are traveling to New Llama City! The fairytale continues!

Mori: Game three of the semifinals promised to be a thriller and it has not disappointed in any way, shape or form! It took until the last inning and the last ball to decide who was going to move on and meet the Terre Septentrionale Nordiques and it literally was anybody's game with the lead changing several times, in case you missed it, shame on you, here's a quick rundown on how the game went, Kenneth Burgess is ready for you.

Kenneth Burgess: Things did not exactly start off as planned, with Adam King scoring early in the first, but the Devil's Rejects took the lead with runs by Ghirardello and Fleming, giving Vincent Pelmore two RBIs before Fred Burn equalized things in the bottom of the second. After a scoreless inning and a half South Newlandia pulled ahead with a solo home run by Mike Larsen and a run by Jack Mine, leading into another scoreless inning.

South Newlandia then brought on Barnaby Butt for Ryan Hunter in an attempt to preserve Hunter's arm as well as help the team ride out their slim lead, but the sixth inning royally rained on their parade, when Mike Romanov went to bat with the bases loaded by Marangoudakis, Bernardetti and Carruthers. Butt may have been a little unnerved by the fact that Tikariot was in an excellent multiple scoring position with nobody out yet and his cutter was hit head on by Romanov's bat, sending it on a high trajectory and over the wall with not a chance for South Newlandia's defence, giving them a 5-3 lead.

Butt was pulled and Ian Capan took his place, saving the inning without any further damage to the scoreline, also holding Tikariot scoreless in the seventh. Then in the top of the eighth Capan gave up two more runs against Ghirardello and Fleming, with Shawn Zimmerman pulling back one for South Newlandia and the game went into the final inning 7-5 for Tikariot. Much to the coach's dismay Capan allowed Tikariot to score another two runs, courtesy of Steve Marangoudakis and William Carruthers, facing a tall mountain to climb in the bottom of the ninth, down by four runs.

Graham McCrory sent out closer Troy McElhinney to see out the game, but he didn't quite expect the U22s to mount a truly formidable challenge. Right out of the gates Adam King hit a double before Daryl Dunlop managed to hit a beautiful home run, making it 9-7 with noone out. After striking out David Drum, McElhinney gave up another double to Sophia Smiths and another single by Fred Burn, bringing South Newlandia into immediate scoring position again. McCrory pulled McElhinney, sending in Flint Carmona to salvage what was left of the inning and game and it started out promising when he struck out Mitch Sneider, facing the U22s' last hope, Jack Mine.

A home run would win South Newlandia the game and the series and a single afforded Smiths to come home and keep the hopes up. Mike Larsen was next up and Carmona and him played cat and mouse, with two balls, a strike and a foul bringing the count to 2-2. Then Larsen connected with a curveball and the ball went high into right field. The fans rose to their feet as the ball came wide and the tension was palpable with Yosvani Fernandez giving chase. Coming at the wall at a dead run, Fernandez leaped up, his eyes only on the ball and at full stretch managed to catch the ball just as he hit the wall hard, falling to the ground just as hard. Laying flat on his back he raised his hand to show that he had caught the ball and all hell broke loose.

The bench cleared and the whole team and coaching staff raced into right field where Fernandez still was on the ground while the South Newlandia players sank to the ground, their heads in their hands.

Mori: Thank you Kenneth, even seeing what we literally just witnessed again gives me goosebumps, it was this close!

Ladle: And look at this still to see just how close it was, Yosvani really caught it with the tip of his glove, otherwise the ball would have been over the wall for a game-winning home run, so the Iceman literally won us this game and with that the series!

Mori: We tried to get Sean Callahan out onto the field to get some immediate reactions, but he got in the way of a whole cooler full of Crocorade dumped over anybody within reach and unfortunately Sean got drenched as well with his microphone drowning in the process. We're currently working on getting a replacement down there, but it is true mayhem.

Ladle: Let's make the most out of this unexpected break and look forward to tomorrow, where we will already see the first two games of the finals on the docket, in New Llama City's Tyler Rocke Memorial Stadium. The Terre Septentrionale Nordiques, who swept the Cassadaigua U18s will be the Devil's Rejects' opponents for the trophy and this actually is an interesting matchup, since we have the third and fourth seeded teams compete for the win, while the first and second seeds battle it out for third place.

Mori: So let's have a look at the Nordiques. They came in with a mixed record in the past two editions of the World Baseball Classic, but ranked 19th in the world baseball rankings, so it is not a surprise to see these ladies and gentlemen advance all the way. So how did they get here? They were drawn into group B with the Sarzonia Junior Stars, Nova Anglicana Lions and Ethane Red Kites and advanced with an 11-7 record and due to the better run differential captured the #4 seed, sending them directly into the quarter finals.

Ladle: Here they eliminated the hosts, the Super-Llamaland Tigers, in straight games before doing the same in the semis against the Cassaidagua U18s, so they head into the finals with one less game and one extra day of rest AND no travelling. If you add all of this together, I think that the Nordiques could be considered favourites in this final series, but at the same time every series has been an uphill battle with our team seen as the underdogs.

Mori: And maybe being able to just keep on playing straight through also could be an advantage in the end, because there is no disruption of the playing rhythm. Join us again tomorrow for our coverage of games 1 and 2 of the International Baseball Slam final series and witness, if more history is being made!

[Super-Llamaland]

FINALS G1-2 CUTOFF

Two teams come to Tyler Rocke, but only one will leave with the trophy. Are you Ready For War?

Finals: (3) Tikariot Thunderforge v. (4) Terre Septentrionale Nordiques

Team Name                       1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 Total
Terre Septentrionale Nordiques  1  0  1  1  0  3  1  0  0   7
Tikariot Thunderforge           0  2  1  1  3  0  0  1  X   8

Team Name                       1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 Total
Tikariot Thunderforge           0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  2   2
Terre Septentrionale Nordiques  0  0  0  0  1  0  0  0  0   1

Tikariot leads, 2G-0

3PPO: (1) Cassadaigua U18s v. (2) South Newlandia U22s

Team Name             1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 Total
South Newlandia U22s  0  0  2  0  0  0  0  0  0   2
Cassadaigua U18s      0  1  1  0  0  0  0  1  X   3

Team Name             1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 Total
Cassadaigua U18s      0  1  0  0  0  1  0  0  0   2
South Newlandia U22s  0  0  0  0  2  0  1  0  X   3

Series tied, 1G-1

[Cassadaigua]

Fantastic Effort In the IBS,
by Chelsea Dufresne, Concord Heights Times

The young ladies, sprinkled with some boys, who have made up Cassadaigua’s junior team in the 11th International Baseball Slam have had a fantastic tournament. They were able to advance to the semifinals of the competition, and are presently involved in the third place series against South Newlandia. This was always about checking out which players would thrive as alternative roster have been provided by manager Jennifer McDaniels on a day by day basis. Despite the pressures of the group stage, and even into the playoffs, McDaniels never backed down, and gave everyone the opportunity to play.

“Winning the International Baseball Slam is a bigger deal for nations that do not have the great baseball success at the senior level in their back pocket. I think it’s pretty clear that when you look at the two teams in the final series, that it will be seen as their greatest international baseball success when it is all over. For us, the success was all about developing players, and giving them the opportunity at this level. I could not have been any more impressed with the young players that we brought to Super-Llamaland. We have been able to prove that the future of Cassadagan baseball is just as bright as the present.” McDaniels said in comments this morning.

Pitcher Kelsey Thomassen has been a big contributor in this effort, and while there have been hits and runs that have gone against her, she has shown her dominance and potential. Kelsey is hopeful now that this could see her on the World Baseball Classic rosters at a young age, “Maybe when you get to 51, it won’t be too soon for me. Obviously, I have bigger goals which is to be a successful professional, but to be play against older players as we have at times has been a tremendous experience for me. We play many other junior teams, obviously, but the games against the older people, and shutting them down, there is nothing better then that.” McDaniels believes that experience is vital, “Kelsey is dead on when she talks about that. The International Baseball Slam not being an exclusive tournament to junior players is a great confidence booster when they succeed against national stars from other countries, it is incredible.”

Others who have made a strong impression in this tournament include Jessica Driscoll, Ashley McKnight, and Hailey Morris. McKnight has hit .422 during this season, and Morris has hit five home runs in the ten games that she has played in, while hitting .385. McKnight has also been a revelation with the glove. “I knew Ashley could hit well,” McDaniels said, “and they told me she was great defensively, but I have been wowed with her instincts in the outfield more then anything else. This is a 16-year old we are talking about. When a sixteen year old is that intelligent in getting reads off the ball and playing the field in the way that she does, plus adds in the bat which she does, then she has stardom written all over her. Her future is bright. It is for many of these players.”

[Terre Septentrionale]

Terre Septentrionale trailing in the series against Tikariot

New Llama City, Super-Llamaland - Terre Septentrionale swept their semi final against Cassadaigua, they won the first game 7-3, the highlinght of this game was a 2 runs homerun by Melanie Wojciechowski and a solo homerun by Ryan McGough in the same inning. Louis-Philip Jolicoeur (3-3) was the winning pitcher. The Nordiques also won game two 4-3. Hunter Kloehn (1-0 in 4 starts) was the starting pitcher but once again he wasn't involved in the decision. Molly Czapkowski was the winning pitcher.

In game 1 against Tikariot Thunderforge, Marie-Anne Galarraga was the starting pitcher and she completely collapsed, allowing 7 runs in 4 2/3 innings. It was her first loss of the tournament and she has a 5-1 record. In game two, Travis O'Rear (4-2) allowed no run and two hits in 8 innings, but Catalina Ramirez came pitching in 9th inning, she allowed 2 runs and and blown a save. The Nordiques lost the game 2-1.

Pitchers will be: Louis-Philip Jolicoeur (3-3) in game 3, Hunter Kloehn (1-0) for game 4 if necessary and finally Marie-Anne Galarraga (5-1) in game 5, also if necessary.

Dragomir Kovacevic,
La tribune Septentrionale

[South Newlandia]

ELEPHANT VALLEY MAIL
Sports -> Youth Baseball
The Drama doesn’t end yet

The South Newlandian U22s split their first two games with the U18 team from Cassadaigua in very close matches, and they will now need to play another decider to decide who takes third place. This time, the pitchers played excellent games, while the batters struggled quite a bit. Ryan Hunter will have to put in his best efforts in the third game to give South Newlandia a chance, as the team doesn’t want another heartbreaking defeat in Kyrinson.

Team Name             1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 Total
South Newlandia U22s  0  0  2  0  0  0  0  0  0   2
Cassadaigua U18s      0  1  1  0  0  0  0  1  X   3

Game one was pitched first by Marcus Raj, who took the first three innings, and Jay Kramer, who took the four behind that. For Cassadaigua, Kelsey Thomassen started on the mount. The game started in the bottom of the second inning, where Marcus gave up the first run. In the top of the third, South Newlandia took the lead after some nice hits and runs by Mike Larsen and Daryl Dunlop. Right after that, the Cassadaiguan U18s equalized in the bottom of the third after a beautiful solo home run by Hailey Morris. Now, nothing really happened. Both pitchers were not allowing any runs soon, and Kramer went through his 4 innings without giving up a run. Ian Capan came in for the last two innings, and gave up a run in the bottom of the eighth. South Newlandia never managed another run in this game, and wound up being defeated 2-3.

Team Name             1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 Total
Cassadaigua U18s      0  1  0  0  0  1  0  0  0   2
South Newlandia U22s  0  0  0  0  2  0  1  0  X   3

Game two was pitched by Ricardo Goodman, and he also gave up a run in the 2nd inning, putting South Newlandia behind again. After not scoring for ten innings in a row, South Newlandia finally showed back up with a home run by Sophia Smiths, which also got a run for Shawn Zimmerman who had gotten a single ahead of that, and once again, South Newlandia was now in the lead. Cassadaigua equalized instantly with a run by Ashley McKnight. With the game tied at two, Barnaby Butt came in to close the game for the last three innings. He didn’t allow another run, and Fred Burn decided the game with a run in the bottom of the 7th. With that, the series is now tied at one game each.

South Newlandia will now get one last chance, and so will Ryan Hunter. He will take the last game, hopefully with more success this time. Meanwhile, the team that eliminated South Newlandia, Tikariot Thunderforge, is leading the final series against the Nordiques 2-0. They might claim the title in the very next game, and from what we saw, it would be much deserved. We wish the South Newlandian team good luck for their final fixture, as they get another chance to get the first top three placement to South Newlandia.

[Tikariot]

In the TSG TV studios anchor Ian Koralyuk is behind his desk, dressed in a Tikariot Thunderforge jersey and ballcap.

Ian Koralyuk: Good evening ladies and gentlemen and welcome to our live coverage of the riveting final series of the eleventh International Baseball Slam. Before we go live to New Llama City and our dynamic duo of Angelo Mori and Sarah Ladle, though, for games three and four of the finals, let's have a look at the highlights of the first two games yesterday between the Terre Septentrionale Nordiques and the Tikariot Thunderforge, also known as the Devils Rejects.

Kenneth Burgess: Game one between the Nordiques and the Thunderforge has been a true rollercoaster ride that kept the fans in the Tyler Rocke Memorial Stadium at the edge of their seats the whole game through. Things started out with starting pitcher Graham Pettersson allowing one run by Katelyn Olszewski in a very subdued opening inning, with barely any hits, but that was just the beginning.

After three straight strike outs the offensive machinery of Tikariot started to click with two runs for Yosvani Fernandez and Carlton Baines, putting Tikariot in the lead for the first time. The next two innings saw both teams score one run each, but it was the bottom of the fifth inning, where things began to unravel for the Nordiques. Pitcher Marie-Anna Galarraga allowed three runs in 2/3 of the inning, including a three-run home run by Michael Romanov, which effectively ended her game.

But after Paul-Émile Samoisette took over for her, things suddenly looked up for Terre Septentrionale, scoring three times in the sixth and one more time in the seventh inning, tying the game at seven runs apiece going into the bottom of the eighth. With one out and a full count, JJ Bernardetti took to the plate and hammered a rocket of a pitch right into the stands for a homer that put Tikariot back in the lead. Graham McCrory then sent Rory McElhinney onto the mound and with a clinical performance struck out the Nordiques to clinch the win for the Thunderforge.

Game two also was a very tight affair, but the almost polar opposite of the slugfest just before with the defenses dominating the game. Nordiques starter Travis O'Rear managed to hold the Thunderforge to just two hits in eight innings, while Urska Trstenjak had scored the only run of the game until then in the fifth inning. So closer Catalina Ramirez literally had it in her hands to tie the final series, but as well-laid the plan was, as awry it went.

Striking out William Carruthers, she allowed for a double by Michael Romanov and a single by Bronson Ghirardello, giving Tikariot a runner in each corner. Yosvani Fernandez, the hero of the semi-final win against South Newlandia, did not manage to add to the count with a fly-out, so it came down to Ramirez vs. Fleming. If she managed to strike him out as well, the series was tied, but if not... Ramirez seemed a bit nervous as she threw three balls, bringing Fleming to the edge of a walk, but after a foul ball Fleming hit the ball for a single, allowing Romanov to come home to tie the game.

Corey Allen, who had come on for Vincent Pelmore, garnered two strikes when he went for broke. His bat actually broke in two as he hit the ball, sending it on a very odd and low trajectory along the foul line, just past the outstretched hand of third baseman Logan O'Rourke. Even though Carson McGinness was quick to react and throw the ball in the direction of catcher Trevor McGarry, Ghirardello managed to slide home just in time to avoid the tag. Ramirez struck out Carlton Baines and then it was time for McElhinney again to save the game.

And just as in the first game, he put on an immensely calm and collected performance to deny the Nordiques another run, giving the Thunderforge a 2-0 lead in the series and with that a chance to clinch the title in game three later tonight.

Koralyuk: Thank you Kenneth. Now the pressure is on for game three, but let's hear directly from New Llama City, where Angelo Mori and Sarah Ladle are ready to rock, so to say.

Sarah Ladle: Thanks Ian and welcome to the Tyler Rocke Memorial Stadium in New Llama City, where 42,000 fans are eagerly awaiting the two teams to take the pitch and some experts have been taken aback a bit by the chants of the Tikariot fans here.

Angelo Mori: Oh absolutely, Sarah. Normally baseball is a slightly subdued affair when it comes to the fans, but our fans seem to have taken some cues from the football stadia and have been chanting support for our team for close to two hours now, which is a sight to behold. They even all dressed in black with some white and purple jerseys to create an image of the Tikariotian flag.

Ladle: The whole country has been taken by storm by baseball and the performance of the Devil's Rejects, who really have been running riot in the baseball scene. Now the pressure tonight is two-fold. The Thunderforge has the pressure of being able to clinch the tournament tonight and this is a situation that they have never really felt, so we are not sure how the players are going to be dealing with it.

Mori: On the other hand the pressure that the Nordiques are feeling is infinitely higher, because any loss means that they will have to be satisfied with the silver medals, so especially starter Louis-Philip Jolicoeur, whose record has been 3-3 so far in the tournament, is going to be under particular scrutiny. On the Tikariot side we will have Garrett Yarbrough start, while on the field our best squad will be out there to write the final chapter in an unlikely Cinderella story.

Ladle: Ah, I see that the teams are filing into the dugout, we'll be right back after a brief message from our sponsors with the live coverage of game three of the finals of the International Baseball Slam XI!

[Super-Llamaland]

FINALS GAME 3 CUTOFF

It could all be over tonight...who will get the Fairy Tale ending?

Finals: (3) Tikariot Thunderforge v. (4) Terre Septentrionale Nordiques

Team Name                       1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 Total
Terre Septentrionale Nordiques  1  1  0  0  0  0  0  0  1   3
Tikariot Thunderforge           0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0   0

Team Name                       1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 Total
Tikariot Thunderforge           1  3  0  0  1  2  1  1  1   10
Terre Septentrionale Nordiques  0  0  0  0  1  1  1  1  0   4

Tikariot wins, 3G-1

3PPO: (1) Cassadaigua U18s v. (2) South Newlandia U22s

Team Name             1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 Total
South Newlandia U22s  1  0  1  0  0  1  0  1  0   4
Cassadaigua U18s      2  0  1  0  0  0  4  1  X   8

Cassadaigua wins, 2G-1

Congratulations to Tikariot for winning IBS XI and Cassadaigua for taking third place, and commiserations to Terre Septentrionale and South Newlandia for hard-fought series. Thank you to everyone for making IBS XI a success, and I look forward to seeing all of you at WBC49 and IBS 12.