World Baseball Classic 49- Everything Thread (IC)

[The Sherpa Empire]

It was the bottom of the 5th inning in the third game against Quebec. Things were going reasonably well. Gan's pitching had been mediocre, but the Sherpas still had a comfortable lead. They had batted around in the 2nd inning, allowing Wangchu Namkha Qiang the dubious honor of striking out twice in the same inning while the rest of the line-up teed off on Nadine Seo. After a couple of additional runs scored in the 4th and the top of the 5th, the Sherpas were leading 10-4.

Gan was pitching to Kang Ye-Rim when she hit a line drive straight back at him. The ball hit him in the arm and Gan let out a startled yelp. Pei Tan scurried into the field to scoop up the ball and stop the runners, though he was more concerned with making sure Gan was okay than actually getting anyone out. Kang was safe at 1st. Gan was clutching his arm as if he was in severe pain. Tan and Lee went to check on him, and it was pretty obvious that Gan was in no condition to continue pitching. They walked him back to the dugout, and Pilgaonkar came out to finish the inning.

An x-ray showed that Gan's arm was in fact broken.

That left Chongba Lee with a conundrum. If the Sherpas advanced to the quarterfinals, someone else would have to take Gan's place in the rotation. The WBC was pretty flexible with its roster rules, but any top tier Sherpa pitcher who was not already on the national team roster would be relaxing through SIBA's offseason, and there was no way they could get back in shape fast enough to be ready for a big game. And he didn't know whether the current series would last one more game or two. It would make things easier if they won game 4 and didn't have to play game 5. Then Tsheri Pham would be fully rested to start the quarterfinals, and Lee could use him anywhere in the rotation.

If Pham had to pitch a 5th game against the Grim Reapers to get to the quarterfinals, Lee's only options would be asking someone to pitch on short rest or bringing someone out of the bullpen to start a game. If he brought someone out of the bullpen, Pilgaonkar and Chuan were the most obvious choices. Both had started games in SIBA. The Icefall Doctors occasionally moved Pilgaonkar to the starting rotation if one of their regular starters was out with an injury, and Daki Chuan was normally a starter for the Plum Blossoms. The problem was that Pilgaonkar usually fell apart after about 4 innings and Chuan had only pitched in women's games.

Of course, it would all be a moot point if they didn't get another win against the Grim Reapers. The Sherpas were trailing 3-5 going into the 9th inning of game 4, but fortunately Farias had still not figured out how to get Tianling Qiao out. Qiao hit a bases-clearing double and the game was tied. The game went into extra innings, but it didn't drag on too long. The Sherpas scored 4 in the top of the 10th, and the Grim Reapers couldn't answer those runs.

That made things simpler...

Pitching rotation for QF:

1. Luochong Zhuang
2. Wangdi Ai
3. Tsheri Pham
4. Kami Akunjee
5. TBD Luochong Zhuang, Daki Chuan, or Rajinder Pilgaonkar

[Super-Llamaland]

RASMUSSOUT
Beleaguered Tigers Manager Shown the Door by LBA
Jason Kirkpatrick, LBC Sports

NEW LLAMA CITY -- After her Tigers lost in four games to Banija in the Round of 16 at WBC49, Sofia Rasmussen has been fired from her position as manager of the Llamanean national baseball team, as indicated in a recent Llamanean Baseball Association press release. While Rasmussen's 20-14 record and Round of 16 finish would represent a great overperformance from an unranked team, domestic expectations for Super-Llamaland's return to the international scene were sky-high. As such, the Ro16 exit - only the third time in sixteen attempts that Super-Llamaland has failed to reach the quarterfinals since WBC28 - represented a major disappointment to the LBA. Additionally, Llamaneans were skeptical of Rasmussen's selection of a younger roster with many unproven players, as well as her bullpen management that may have cost the Tigers Game Four of their Ro16 series.

Winston Yi has been named interim manager for any friendlies Super-Llamaland plays between now and International Baseball Slam XII. A timeframe for the selection of a new manager has yet to be announced.

More will be added as this breaking news story develops.

[TJUN-ia]

PLAYOFF SCHEDULE
Round of 16 - vs Cassadaigua (1) - Emperor Michael I Stadium, Pocono City
Game 1: L 6-7 (0-1)
Game 2: L 6-9 (0-2)
Game 3: L 3-11 (0-3)
Game 4:
Game 5:

Cassadaigua wins series 3-0

We were demolished in our final game, as the No.1 seed showed exactly why they were worthy of that title. In the end, the Jags end up as the only team without a win in the playoffs - but that shouldn't surprise you considering our opponents.

But don't let this result take away from how brilliant of a job Phillip Hellas-Verona and the team have done to even make it to Newmanistan. No one had us coming here and yet, we were there. We overcame the odds to be considered one of the best nations in baseball. It may not have been the smoothest road but it doesn't matter: we qualified for the playoffs. That was all TJUN-ia Baseball could reasonably ask for, and even that seems unlikely at the beginning of this process.

We must go home, but we go home with our heads held high. TJUN-ian baseball isn't a doomed project: it has potential, definite potential, that may lead to greater success in the future. As for the remainder of this tournament, I have a prediction to make: none of the top 2 seeds will win WBC49. Yep, I'm confident. If it turns out I'm wrong, I'll write my first series reaction in WBC50 entirely in Esperanto. Hopefully, Margaret will be on my side.

Be Warned, WBC: The Jaguars are only getting started. See you next time!

[Nova Anglicana]

Lions secure game four victory to close out Tikariot

Samantha Maxwell, Londinium Courier

It's official; the Nova Anglicana Lions are through to the WBC quarterfinals for the 16th time in their history. They have now reached that plateau in more than two-thirds of their WBC appearances; it's been the exception rather than the rule for them not to reach the quarterfinals. How'd they do it? By jumping on Tikariot early and holding them off, not without a few hiccups, of course.

Going into game 3, the Lions were prepared for a DH lineup from Tikariot that might mean a much more offensive next two games. Game 3 starter Dan Cunningham said before the game that his focus was "getting the bookends", or the top and bottom of the lineup who were right-handed. Things started pretty well, actually. Marc Dufors hit an RBI single to score Matthew Gilbert in the second, and Joey Keller hit a solo homer in the fourth off Thunderforge starter Graham Pettersson. This gave the Lions a 2-1 lead, as Michael Romanov hit an RBI single in the third. Through the first four innings, Pettersson had mostly been employing two pitches: a fastball and a curveball. But for the next three innings, he pulled out three or four other pitches, mixing them well, and baffling the Lions hitters. He didn't give up another baserunner in innings 5-7.

Meanwhile, Cunningham took the mound in the fifth to face Carlton Baines. Baines hit a chopper down the third base line that forced Dufors to come in; his throw was just a little too late to get the speedy Baines. DH Steven Marangoudakis came up next and lined a solid single to center to send runners to first and second. Although JJ Bernardetti struck out on a cutter that broke back over the plate, catcher William Carruthers drew a walk, loading the bases for the "Romanov Rocket". The Thunderforge left fielder took three pitches, running the count to 2-1. Then, Cunningham's cutter didn't break inside enough, instead leaking over the plate and allowing Romanov to crush it, bounding over the wall in left field for a ground-rule double, scoring two. Thunderforge fans groaned; Carruthers had gotten a good jump off first and might yet have scored. Still, they had the 3-2 lead. Bronson Ghirardello followed up by singling to right-center, scoring both Carruthers and Romanov and making the score 5-2. At that point, manager Mark Singleton had seen enough. He pulled Cunningham in favor of lefty specialist Grant Graham. When asked after the game why he had lifted a lefty and replaced him with a lefty, he said, "Dan was missing his spots. We could see he didn't have his best stuff and we needed the best pitcher for that situation." Graham managed to retire the next two batters, as well as Pelmore and Baines the next inning. Rex Boyd then came in and got the next five outs, and Vic Fleming pitched the eighth, setting down the side in order. Unfortunately for the Lions, this good relief came to nothing, as Devon Cargill and Rory McElhinney set down the side in the eighth and ninth, respectively. The Thunderforge lived to fight another day, winning 5-2 and cutting the deficit to 2-1.

In game 4, Hank Jackson took the mound instead of Erik Russell. Jackson had pitched quite well in the group stage and Singleton rewarded him by giving him a chance to close out the Thunderforge. And he was effective for the first three innings, using his mid-90s fastball and big 12-6 curveball to notch three strikeouts and not allow any baserunners. Meanwhile, his offense backed him up. After Garrett Yarbrough, Tikariot's starter, retired the side in order to start the game, Erik Austin, getting the start for a resting Jake Bryan, whacked a single into left on the first pitch of the second inning. Matthew Gilbert would fly out, but Jerome Duplantier drew a walk, putting runners on first and second for Kelvin Hill. Some questioned Singleton's decision to start Hill over the hot Dufors, but he only said, "We have a lot of talent on this time, and we want to put that talent to the best use possible." Hill rewarded Singleton's decision, pulling the ball past a diving Foster Fleming at third, resulting in an RBI double. With runners on third and second and one out, Tikariot manager Graham McCrory faced a difficult decision. Typically, you would walk the eighth place hitter to put the force on at any base with the pitcher coming up. However, there was no pitcher, due to Tikariot using the DH. Instead, McCrory could let Yarbrough face right-handed power hitter Curtis Hughes, or lefty average-hitter Trevor Goodwin. He elected to intentionally walk Hughes and let Yarbrough try to win the left-on-left battle with Goodwin. Yarbrough is known for struggling with nerves, but he pitched pretty well. However, Goodwin turned a fastball into a long fly to left, scoring Duplantier from third and making it 2-0. Joey Keller's solo shot in the next inning made it 3-0 going into the bottom of the third.

Jackson would concede a run on Romanov's solo shot in the fourth, but otherwise held the Thunderforge under wraps for the first six innings, walking a batter and giving up another single. Meanwhile, Curtis Hughes led off the fifth with a homer, putting the Lions up 4-1. Going into the bottom of the seventh, Jackson was looking good. But the Tikariot hitters had his number at this point, and Fleming, Pelmore, and Baines all led off with singles to load the bases. At that point, in came Jon Klein, the sinkerballer. And he got exactly what he needed; Marangoudakis grounded straight to Mills at short, who flipped to Moran at second, whose throw to Austin at first beat the DH for a double play. One run was in, but there were two outs. JJ Bernardetti then golfed a pitch almost off his shoetops to left-center for an RBI double, and Lions fans started to sweat. But Klein got Carruthers to bounce out to third for the final out of the inning. Tikariot put a runner on against Zach Kelley in the ninth, but he struck out the next two batters to end the game 4-3, and the series 3-1, both in favor of the Lions.

The Lions used a balanced attack to win themselves this series. They got a lot of offense in game one, great pitching in game two, and just enough of both in game four to triumph over the plucky Tikariot team. They will need every bit of offense and defense they got when they take on either Ko-oren or Hampton Island in the quarterfinals. The Dragonflies got whacked, 18-1 on aggregate, losing both games three and four of the series. Hampton Island scored late in game three and then early in game four to turn both games into laughers. Either team would be a difficult foe, but for my money, the Dragonflies are more balanced and therefore more dangerous. Hampton Island has a lot of offense, but their pitching can struggle at times. But whoever the Lions get, they'll have an extra day to prepare.

Notes from around the Classic

-Cassadaigua easily closed out TJUN-ia. In a contrast to the closely contested first two games, the Fillies led 6-2 by the fifth and went on to win 11-3. They look as dominant as ever.

-I feel sorry for whoever wins the Delaclava-Sarzonia series, since they will likely get pasted by Cassadaigua, but these two teams aren't playing to lose. They have a history of rivalry, and I know that the Sarzonian team will be hopping mad and out for revenge in game five. After all, they were on the verge of winning the series, and then the Phoenixes routed them, 11-2, blowing open a close game. That finale will be one to watch.

-Although Super-Llamaland and the Royal Kingdom of Quebec are no slouches in many sports, including baseball, they were simply not good enough to hold off the top-6 teams they each faced. Banija turned a relatively close game into a blowout with four runs in the ninth inning of game three, and then rallied from 5-3 down to win game four 8-5. Meanwhile, The Sherpa Empire threw an early knockout punch in the form of a six-run second inning on their way to an 11-5 game three win, and then scored six runs in the last two innings (two to tie in the ninth, and four to win in the 10th) to drop the Grim Reapers, 9-5 and advance. Banija and The Sherpa Empire will face each other in the quarterfinals; they saw each other in the quarters of WBC 48, and in the quarters of WBC 46. If they're not getting sick of each other by now, it must be love.

-South Newlandia and Hapilopper continue to battle it out. WBC 48's best newcomer and a team desperate for WBC success split games three and four, with Hapilopper winning 7-3 and then South Newlandia rallying from 3-2 down to win game four 4-3. I don't know about you, but I'll be glued to Elephants-Thrashers and Dragonflies-Golden Bears tonight.

-Okay, maybe I'll make an exception for Newmanistan-Northwest Kalactin. Nobody saw this series going to five games, and yet it has. The Rockets needed a two-run rally in the top of the ninth to win game three 3-2, but the Kalactanians struck back to win game four 5-4. I am going to have to find a way to watch all three of these concluding games, because they all sound like humdingers. Two top-8 teams going at it in Ko-oren-Hampton Island, two teams hungry for success in South Newlandia-Hapilopper, and a six-time champion against a big underdog in Newmanistan-Northwest Kalactin. This will be a good night.

-Manager Mark Singleton says no matter who the Lions face, he'll use Cory Sharpe in game 1 and Wyatt Templeton in game 2. After that, he's not telling. It's possible we could see Erik Russell in game 3, since he hasn't pitched yet. But that would be Cunningham's regular start, and with the extra day of rest, Jackson could even pitch game 3 on regular rest. We'll see what happens.

[Hapilopper]

McAllister Stadium, Putnam Lake, Newmanistan
The first round of the World Baseball Classic 49 Playoffs: Hapilopper v. South Newlandia – Game Five
The hours had ticked by throughout the day very slowly. It was now one hour before game time. One hour before the deciding game of the series between the Haps and the South Newlandia Elephants. The entire Hapilopper National Baseball Team was in their clubhouse waiting for the time to head out to the field, where 55,000 fans of both the Hap Thrashers and the Elephants were waiting for the deciding game, a game that promised to be an all-time classic.

Nobody was saying anything. No music was playing on anyone’s stereo system. All one could hear was the buzzing of the lights and the ticking of a clock. Nobody wanted to say anything. They had a chance to put the Elephants away in game four and they blew their chance.

Tick… tick… tick…

Butterflies went through Travis Reid’s stomach. He tossed and turned like mad the night before, unable to sleep a wink. He was the one on the mound in the top of the eighth when Ian Pearce and Fabio Ventura of the Elephants came home, giving them the 4-3 lead that won them game four. When he came back to the clubhouse at the end of the game, nobody even looked at him. At the team hotel that night, nobody said anything to him. He wondered if, upon returning home to Hapilopper, he would be looked at as “the man that ruined Hapilopper’s hopes.”

Tick… tick… tick…

Cole Winthrop tossed a ball gently up and down as he waited for the time to pass. He would be starting tonight against South Newlandia. The pressure was on him to deliver. If he could pitch a gem tonight, Hapilopper would move on to face the winner of the Newmanistan-Northwest Kalactin series. If he had trouble tonight, chances are the Haps would be on the first plane home, trying to figure out what went wrong. But Cole might have been the right man for the job.

Tick… tick… tick…

He remembered one year ago, when he put on one of the greatest performances in Hapiloppian baseball history, throwing that perfect game against the North Hampton Generals. Fourteen strikeouts. 98 pitches. Nobody reached first base. 27 up, 27 down. The first perfect game in Hapilopper in sixteen years. Now, he was hoping to do something half as good tonight, with more than a little bit on the line, here in Newmanistan.

Tick… tick… tick…

The starting fielders looked at each other, knowing what was at stake. The pitchers could do their job all they wanted, but they needed run support. Travis Reid would have been alright had the Haps responded with one run, two runs, whatever, in the bottom of the 8th or the 9th. But they were shut down. Mo Beverly struck out. Marion Pound walked. Terry Blanchard singled. Pinch hitter Ben Hammond struck out. Campbell Braxton blasted one into center field, but Igor White made an incredible catch to rob the Haps of what would have an RBI base hit. The fielders knew what they had to do. They had to be great. Period.

Tick… tick… tick…

Time was drawing near, passing by very, very slowly. The tension was incredible, yet nobody knew what to do to break it. Players said nothing. This was their best chance to show the rest of the multiverse what they were capable of. The Haps had come back from mediocrity this WBC, and the last thing they needed to do was slip back into it. If they dropped this game to the Elephants, they feared what would happen. Would it be another few years before they made the playoffs again? The thought was too obscene to entertain.

Tick… tick… tick…

“FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, WILL SOMEONE DO SOMETHING ABOUT THAT GOD DAMN CLOCK?!” shouted first baseman Levi Berry.

Dayton Rowe, the left fielder, responded in kind, grabbing a bat and smashing the ever-loving crap out of the clock, which had been situated right above the door to manager Dale Moss’s office. Dale watched as the clock was obliterated by the left fielder who, just like some of the other players, was getting sick and tired of hearing the clock wreck other their thoughts. He stepped out of the office, looked at Dayton’s crazed expression and smiled.

“Good,” Dale said. “That kind of energy? We’ll need it tonight. Go out there and play the game of your lives. All of Hapilopper is counting on you. You are their hope. You are our hope. We are Hapilopper and we will kick ass.”

[Newmanistan]

THE ROCKET REPORT

WHY ARE WE IN THIS SITUATION?

By Brianne Henry,

Much to chagrin of Rockets fans, Newmanistan finds themselves needing to win a crucial game five against the likes of Northwest Kalactin, a nation that until now has never really done anything in the World Baseball Classic. This is bringing back flashbacks of the last time the Empire hosted the competition, when they were outed by Liventia as the #2 overall seed. At least then, we could handle it a lot better because Liventia was a team with some baseball pedigree. Should Newmanistan win this game, then all of this will be forgotten, and it will be business as usual and we can worry about preparing for our next opponent. That would be a thrilling matchup, as either it would be a revenge affair for South Newlandia against us, or it will be Hapilopper, a nation that never can be considered boring. Rockets fans would be less excited watching Northwest Kalactin play one of those teams.

This has led to a lot of frustration, and there is a feeling that keyboard warriors are going to begin demanding the removal of manager Ashley Hedstrom if the team were to be defeated. She was on the hot seat before the last Classic, but getting the team to the semifinals and third place finish, and especially with the way the loss to Cassadaigua went, Ashley had seemed to regain complete job security. However, another premature departure, especially if it were to happen on home turf again, could be catastrophic for Ashley. In fairness, people will point to nations like Cassadaigua, and how they were so methodical in sweeping TJUN-ia; or to Nova Anglicana, Banija, or The Sherpa Empire in how they simply took care of business in four games. These are teams that are ranked around Newmanistan, and they seemed to have no problem. Only Ko-oren is a top five nation that is having a problem in the first round now, but they had to play #8-ranked Hampton Island, so they get a pass. Northwest Kalactin is not like Hampton Island. They didn’t have the pedigree of Super-Llamaland that Banija put away. The group stage went great for this team so now it is time for Ashley Hedstrom to regather the troops and overcome this. A series win would be a series win, even if they were given a bigger test then they would have liked.

Shortstop Mikayla Larson told reporters this morning that, “I don’t think any of us expected to be in this situation. But here we are, in this situation. We are a good team and we should be able to take care of business. I would hate to betray our home fans.” That’s a fine comment but almost makes me wonder if the team was looking past Northwest Kalactin a little bit. Carrie Nicolette, of Southport Baseball Tonight, summed up a good point for me, “After the departure of Courtney Duvall, and then key players like Mallory Harris or even Kayla Carey, the next batch of Rockets players has been formed and is looking for that leader. Who is the leader of this team? Now, with this squad, even Hannah Lee is no longer a part of it. The players are great and exciting. I wonder if the team has that take charge personality in the locker room, or if they are all waiting for someone else to be that person.” I feel this is a good point, many of these players are young and could be looking for someone else to take the lead. In the end, though, that falls on Ashley Hedstrom, and it has not happened thus far. We can forget it all if we pull off a win, but then everything would just start up again versus another opponent if we were so fortunate to have one.

[Newmanistan]

(8) Delaclava vs (9) Sarzonia @ Keisler Stadium, Southport
Game 5:

Sarzonia                     0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 3  5
Delaclava                    0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0  3

Sarzonia wins series, 3-2

(6) South Newlandia vs (11) Hapilopper @ McAllister Stadium, Putnam Lake
Game 5:

Hapilopper                   0 0 0 3 1 0 0 0 3  7
South Newlandia              0 0 0 2 0 0 2 1 1  6

Hapilopper wins series, 3-2

(3) Newmanistan vs (14) Northwest Kalactin @ Tundra Falls Proving Grounds, Tundra Falls (scorinated by Chromatika)
Game 5:

Northwest Kalactin           0 1 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  3
Newmanistan                  0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2  5

Newmanistan wins series, 3-2

(7) Ko-oren vs (10) Hampton Island @ Empress Jessica I Stadium, Jessicaville
Game 5:

Hampton Island               2 0 2 0 1 0 0 0 1  6
Ko-oren                      0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 1  3

Hampton Island wins series, 3-2

Quaterfinals:
(1) Cassadaigua vs (9) Sarzonia @ Emperor Michael I Stadium, Pocono City
(4) The Sherpa Empire vs (5) Banija @ Empress Jessica I Stadium, Jessicaville
(3) Newmanistan vs (11) Hapilopper @ Tundra Falls Proving Grounds, Tundra Falls
(2) Nova Anglicana vs (10) Hampton Island @ Keisler Stadium, Southport

[Sarzonia]

Mark Conroy did his part through six innings. He limited Delaclava to two hits, including a broken bat flare that just found the grass behind the outstretched glove of shortstop Christine Andersen.

However, relief pitcher Carnie Weston nearly gave the series away by allowing a walk, an infield single, and a sacrifice bunt that third baseman Jose Garcia couldn't throw out the runner hustling down the line, resulting in the bases loaded and one out. The next Phoenixes hitter sent Weston to the showers with a double down the left field line that cleared the bases. That brought out Sarzonia manager Geoff Yancey with the hook and brought in Scott Lassiter.

He closed the door in the bottom of the seventh and retired the side in order in the eighth, but Stars fans in attendance at Keisler Stadium in Southport were looking glum, resigning themselves to another heartbreaking series loss and more questions about Yancey's ability as a bench boss.

Rightfielder Kenny Evans reached on an error, Andersen drew a walk, then Garcia grounded to first to advance the runners, then catcher Matt Lopez struck out. With Lassiter due up, Yancey sent out Cody Frazier as a pinch hitter. We'll let play by play announcer Brett Fischer take it from there.

"The 2-1 pitch to Frazier, swing and a drive hit well to right field and deep! This one has a chance ... and IT'S GONE! IT'S GONE! IT'S GONE! CODY FRAZIER HAS JUST GIVEN THE STARS A 5-3 LEAD WITH SARZONIA DOWN TO THEIR LAST OUT!"

Yancey quickly got Tyrell Douglass up in the bullpen because he suddenly had a chance to close out the Phoenixes and this hard-fought series and answer once and for all whether Yancey could win a series. After a pitching change and a strikeout of leadoff hitter and second baseman Ian Danielson, Douglass was ready.

The he retired the first two hitters on shallow fly balls to leftfielder Jodie Schein and she was in perfect position to retire both hitters. That set the stage for Douglass against pinch hitter Galén Roig, who worked the count full including six fouls of tough breaking balls.

Finally, Douglass decided to elevate his fastball. Again, here's Fischer.

"Once again, the 3-2 pitch. SWING AND A MISS! SWING AND A MISS! SWING AND A MISS! THE STARS ARE THROUGH! THE STARS ARE THROUGH! THE STARS ARE THROUGH! They've just come back to defeat Delaclava three games to two! Final score in Game 5, Sarzonia 5, Delaclava 3!"

After the last out, Douglass leaped into the arms of the onrushing Lopez as the rest of the team joined the celebration at the mound. Yancey cracked a smile, knowing this series victory put a lot of demons to rest.

They would have a tall task against world No. 1 Cassadaigua, and they would start the series with a man who had been their third starter when the World Baseball Classic began, but tonight wasn't the night to worry about the Fillies. Tonight was the night to celebrate a hard fought battle against a worthy opponent.

Quarterfinals Rotation
Game 1: Jeff Parrish
Game 2: Jamie Pearson
Game 3: Mark Conroy
Game 4 (if necessary): Brian Lynch (if Sarzonia leads; Parrish if Sarzonia trails)
Game 5 (if necessary): Pearson or Parrish

[Hapilopper]

McAllister Stadium, Putnam Lake, Newmanistan
The first round of the World Baseball Classic 49 Playoffs: Hapilopper v. South Newlandia – Game Five
This one was a game that Hapiloppians would talk about for days, weeks, and months to come. The deciding Game Five of the Round of 16 of the 49th World Baseball Classic was billed as one “promised to be an all-time classic,” and boy, did it ever deliver on that promise. Over 55,000 fans of both the Hap Thrashers and the South Newlandia Elephants had converged on McAllister Stadium waiting for what was going to be one hell of a ballgame.

Back home in Hapilopper City, for the first time all World Baseball Classic, thousands of fans packed Hamilton Square, the sentimental center of town just a couple of blocks from Capital Stadium. Fans all over packed restaurants and bars hoping they would get to see one of the all-time classics, and hopefully, one where the Haps got to advance to the next round.

For the first three innings, pitcher Cole Winthrop gave the Hapiloppian fans something to cheer about. Six strikeouts in the first three innings against one hit and one walk, and it appeared that the Haps were off to a fantastic start, if they could just score some runs, for the love of all that is holy. His rival on the South Newlandia team, Blake Robbins, was holding Hap bats at bay. Some of the best hitters in Hapilopper looked like idiots as they whiffed at some of Blake’s best pitches.

But then came the top of the fourth inning, and Dayton Rowe, the left fielder who smashed a clock to smithereens just hours before, blasted a liner over the head of left fielder Daryl Dunlop and ran like hell to third base, sliding head-first, barely beating out the throw. Television cameras showed Dayton shouting “THAT’S HOW THE HAPS DO IT!” and obviously keyed up ever. Jerome Hayden hammered a wormburner to short, going past the legs of David Drum, but Dunlop was quick enough that Dayton wasn’t going to think of scoring.

That brought up Aaron Armstrong, the relief pitcher moonlighting as a designated hitter. After a nine-pitch battle with Robbins, where Aaron fouled off multiple pitches, he got the one he wanted, and gave it its just reward, a towering fly ball to left-center. A three-run shot. Haps led 3-0, and their fans were in ecstasy.

But the Elephants had a response, scoring two runs in the bottom half of that same inning. The Haps scored one more run the next inning, and for a bit, it seemed like they would be home free to the quarterfinals to take on whoever was going to win that marathon of a game at the Proving Grounds of Tundra Falls.

But in the bottom of the 7th inning, with the Haps leading 4-2, Cole lost his command as his pitch count passed “120”. Two hitters were given a free pass to walk, and a third fired one to the gap in right-center, not deep enough for Marion Pound or Terry Blanchard to get. Two runs came in and the Elephants had tied the game up on one swing. The fans in Hapilopper were worried. They had seen this before. There were memories of that Sporting World Cup final where Baker Park ripped the hearts out of the Haps in extra time.

Cole was done. Trevor Ashley was brought in. But it got worse. Another run was plated. The Elephants led the Haps, 5-4. Dale Moss, Hap Thrashers manager, looked frustrated. He looked over at a downcast-looking Travis Reid sitting by himself on the bench of the bullpen. The other day, Travis gave up two runs to South Newlandia late, costing the Haps a deciding fourth game. Dale decided that wasn’t going to stop him and got on the phone with his pitching coach.

“Give me Reid,” Dale said calmly.

After Travis was done warming up, Trevor was given the hook, but not before loading the bases. Standing on the mound, Mo Beverly and Dale Moss said nothing to Trevor as he stormed off the mound. Dale then pointed towards the bullpen, motioned for Travis to come over, and he calmly and uneasily walked towards the mound.

The uneasiness was evident, but all Dale needed Travis to do was get two outs and get the Haps out of a jam. The run support would hopefully come in the top of the 9th.
“Listen to me, Reid,” Dale said. “The other day you got roughed up. You brought home some guys that shouldn’t have come home. But I brought you in, because you get back on that horse and you ride again and damn it, you’re the one I want in this situation.”

“You think I can?” Travis asked.

“God damn it, don’t give me this ‘you think so’ bullshit,” Dale snapped. “YOU GET BACK ON THAT HORSE AND YOU RIDE AGAIN!”

And he did, striking out two straight South Newlandia batters and getting the Haps out of the inning with just a one-run deficit.

Then came the 9th inning, an inning that would become permanently engrained in the thoughts of Hapiloppians everywhere. The inning that brought Hapilopper back from the dead in the international sporting landscape.

Leading off was Terry Blanchard, who roped one under the pitcher for a leadoff single. Campbell Braxton laid down a sacrifice bunt to advance Terry to scoring position. And then the fun got started when Levi Berry came up to bat. He hammered one to the right field wall, along the foul line. Questions of “was it fair? Was it foul?” raged on as Levi rushed to second and Terry ran like hell for home, blowing past a stop sign flashed to him by the third base coach. The game was tied once again.

Dayton Rowe struck out on three straight pitches, which brought up Jerome Hayden, a batter that the Hapiloppian fans figured they could count on. But, comparatively speaking, his bat had been cold. In the five-game series, he hadn’t been able to break out the long ball like he had hoped.

All across the Dominion, the tension was incredible. People were glued to the television screen, hoping and praying they wouldn’t have to go extra innings with a team like the South Newlandia Elephants, a team they figured – knew, as a matter of fact, were better than that rank of 31. They were much better than they had been ranked and they had played like it.

All of the 55,000 plus in McAllister Stadium were on the edge of their seat. The game was tied, one man was on base, there were two outs and who would be up but the Hapilopper National Baseball Team’s best hitter, the one and only Jerome By-God Hayden. He looked straight at South Newlandia’s pitcher, looked towards Levi Berry, taking a nominal lead off second base, and nodded his head, almost as if to say, “Don’t worry, Levi. This one’s under control.”

The first pitch, just outside the strike zone, ball one. Jerome watched it pass before going back into his stance.

The second pitch, low on the inside corner, gently tapped by Jerome for a foul ball.

The count was 1-1. Hapiloppians everywhere held their breath.

The next pitch was what Jerome wanted. A breaking ball that didn’t break like it should have. Right on target. Jerome swung and did not miss. He got all of it. He watched it fly through the air, and in one instant, half of the stadium erupted in a primal roar. Jerome’s eyes went dinner plate wide when he realized there was no doubt about it. He hurled the bat towards the Hapiloppian dugout as he slowly, yet deliberately rounded the bases. The game was not over, but members of the Hap Thrashers rushed out of the dugout to greet Levi and Jerome.

Back in Hapilopper, the reaction was that of absolute, unadulterated joy. It seemed possible – likely, in fact, that the Haps were going to move on in this international tournament and take on the winner of Newmanistan-Northwest Kalactin, a game that was still trudging on.

But there was one final scare in the bottom of the ninth. The Elephants plated one more run with two outs in the bottom of the ninth. There was a runner on second, who was raring to go when a high-fly ball was hit to right field. Marion Pound ran like hell for the ball, looking towards the ball, not paying attention to the wall that was coming up fast to him. He made the catch, but looked straight and realized he was going to slam the outfield wall face-first at all due speed.

Marion laid there for a second, looking up at the lights. He was breathing very heavily as the right field umpire jogged his way. He looked at his glove on his right hand, realized he had the ball, and held it up for all to see.

The Haps had won. They had moved on to the quarterfinals in one of the most hard-fought series they could recall. But that feeling of joy was replaced with a feeling of dread. Newmanistan had beat Northwest Kalactin. The Haps were going to the Tundra Falls Proving Grounds to face the hosts, the number-five ranked team in international baseball, the six-time WBC champions, the Newmanistan Rockets.

The Proving Grounds had been a star-crossed venue in the realm of Hapiloppian sport. Fans in the Dominion still remembered the horrendous crash that seriously injured Team Blue driver Chris Holmes at the Proving Grounds’ racetrack in the final lap of the NSSCRA 8 season. The Hap Thrashers knew they were going into an unfriendly venue, with at least 61,000 Newmanistanians (and probably thousands more across the gargantuan Proving Grounds complex) cheering on the Rockets.

But you know? It was a challenge that the Haps were willing to face head-on. They had to. They were Hapilopper. Their story was far from over.

[The Sherpa Empire]

Since the Sherpa Empire and Banija both won their respective series in 4 games, they had a day to rest while the other playoff brackets were settled. Luochong Zhuang decided to see if he could spend it with Daki Chuan.

"Hey, do you like cheese?" he asked her.

She looked confused. "Cheese?"

"Like artisanal cheese," Zhuang clarified. He was nervous as hell, and even seeing her confused for a moment was enough to make him second-guess his whole plan. "There's a shop that's having a wine and cheese tasting, and I thought maybe we could go..."

"Yeah, that sounds nice," said Chuan. She knew he would probably talk her ear off about cheesemaking, but that was okay. Now that he'd moved to rambling about things with culinary applications instead of things that people only cared about out of scientific curiosity, his talks were a lot less boring.

Meanwhile, the fans back home in the Sherpa Empire were speculating about who would pitch if any of the remaining playoff series ran longer than 4 games. The feminists were arguing that Daki Chuan was the obvious choice since she was a starter on her regular team in Suzhou, and the misogynists were arguing that they may as well just forfeit if they were going to put Chuan on the mound. Other people put forth a variety of suggestions, mostly involving some combination of Zhuang, Pilgaonkar, and/or Bharadhwaj.

Chongba Lee mostly tuned it out, but not everyone was good at ignoring the gossip. Geli Ananthan felt compelled to wade into the debate and go on the record saying he would eat his hat if Chuan got to start a game.

That meant Lee had to take Ananthan aside and explain to him, "It's not your decision who gets to play. I'm the manager, not you. I'm going to play whoever I think has the best chance of winning games. If that means having Daki Chuan start a game, then Chuan is going to start and you can go ahead and eat your hat. I'll make sure I have Zhiku or Le ready to play if you find that it's hard to digest."

Ananthan rolled his eyes. "How are we supposed to take ourselves seriously when you put a woman on the mound for a publicity stunt?"

Lee sighed. "It's not a publicity stunt. It's an experiment, and so far it's been working. There are some good teams that have women on their rosters..." He saw the look on Ananthan's face and realized the message was not getting through. "I suppose we'll just have to agree to disagree," he said -- but privately, he made a mental note that if he used Chuan as a starter he would have to put Changmin Le or Zhiku Tsongba Sherpa in right field.

[Banija]

Banija closes out series with Super Llamaland to earn fourth consecutive trip to the World Baseball Classic Quarterfinals


Banijan players stand for the anthem against Super Llamaland

LOUDON, NEWMANISTAN- The series even at one game a piece, Super Llamaland against Banija. Super Llamaland, looking to mark an emphatically triumphant return to the baseball stage. Banija, looking to show that even with the return of the blue blood, there are truly new powers in this game, as we have no intention of vacating our present place in this sport to Super Llamaland or anybody else. It made for an exciting Games 1 and 2, and it has made for an even more exciting potential Games 3 and 4.

It would be Banija's bats, rather than our trademark starting pitching, that would put us over the hump. Many times, in this sport, jumping out ahead early is such a key to winning at this level. It allows you and your pitching to dictate the pace of the game. Rather than desperately playing catch up, it's a lot easier to follow the plan, at least for your pitchers, if you are leading for the better portion of a ball game. And that's exactly what happened in Game 3. The Banijans came out in the top of the first, absolutely jumping. We wanted to get out ahead of the opposition, and we wasted no time at all jumping ahead of a nervous April Bendtner.

We scored three runs in the top of the first- not enough to knock her out so early, even if it was a playoff game- but enough to rattle her and dictate the pacing of the game. Ensa Suso having three runs in support of his efforts before he even took the mound was certainly huge. A Yakuba Kah RBI single, followed by a Cyper Kandeh three run bomb into the left field seats, to give Banija a 3-0 lead so early in the game meant great things for them. From that point, although it got close, we never once conceded the lead for the rest of Game 3. Ensa Suso ended up pitching six innings, allowing three earned runs. Mamadi Corr pitched the seventh, Gibril Sowe got one out in the 8th before allowing back to back doubles, and Darboe got the final two outs. After we added four insurance runs in the 9th inning, with a 7 run lead, Bouba Kujabi got the last three outs of the game.

A strong 11-4 victory, where the Banijan bats woke up and showed the world just exactly how good they were. And that leads us to Game 4. Two youngsters getting on the mound in what was a closeout game opportunity for the Banijans, and an elimination game for Super Llamaland. Banija is normally excellent in closeout games- we won all four closeout game opportunities in WBC 47, and won all three closeout game opportunities in WBC 46. Closing out a series at first opportunity is key- doing otherwise can bring in both nerves and doubt to your team, which is obviously something you don't want. That's Kakay deemed Game 4 so important- avoiding a Game 5 would be paramount.

The Banijans got off to a strong start against 23 year old Isaac Colón. Two runs in the first inning gave the Banijans a 2-0 lead, and southpaw Ramata Kabba some time and space to work with. She was strong her first time through the lineup, only allowing one base runner, a harmless, 1 out walk in the second inning, through the first three innings. But the second time through the lineup, it all fell apart. She got pounded in the fourth inning, allowing four earned runs and having to get yanked having gotten only one out in the fourth. Idi Mansa allowed another run before he was quickly pulled for Tairu Sesay, who slammed the door. Still- 5-2 deficit, going into the bullpen in the fourth. Not what they wanted.

That brings us to the seventh inning. Isaac Colón had been taken off at the end of the sixth. He had loaded the bases, with his squad up 5-3. The manager went to the bullpen, to Evangeline Lu, who got Obasey Mazzi to strike out with the bases loaded. 5-3, Super Llamaland looking to finish Game 4 strong. But it all went wrong in the seventh inning. Sticking with Evangeline Lu, Momodou Joof singled. Then, Jonkong Sillah hit a hard single up the middle, putting men on first and second with nobody out. With the cleanup hitter coming up, and the lefty specialist Courtney Mikkelson warming up, everyone expected Mikkelson to come in.

But then, the manager made a strange decision- instead of bringing in MIkkelson in the high-leverage situation, she brought on Justin Frazier. Many commentators expected her to want to save Mikkelson for later on, or bring on her best relievers- it was a matchup problem, and it turned out to be a big mistake. Although Frazier worked a 1-2 pitcher's count, a hanging slider was belted down the right field line by Yakuba Kah. Momodou Joof scored, and Jonkong SIllah just barely beat the relay to the plate. Just like that, the score was 5-5, and the Banijans had tied the game once again.

Still, nobody out. Then, some more questionable decision-making. The back half of the Banijan order, of course, is all righties. But the manager for Super Llamaland brought on Eliza Guo, a left hander, to face Kandeh. Another mistake- Kandeh ripped one to the gap to bring home Yakuba Kah. It would be Jung Jassey, who takes those massive swings, up at the plate next. Jung Jassey worked a good count against the left hander, and then hit the stuffing out of the ball- the longest home run for the Banijans this classic, measured at nearly 460 feet. That made it 8-5, and the questionable bullpen decisions of the Super Llamaland would certainly get coverage.

The Banijan bullpen would close out the game. Darboe pitched the seventh, and OUsman Kakay did not mess around. Sarjo Touré did not pitch the day prior- he got the ball to start the 8th inning. Even at 35 years old, the closer showed why he is paid the big bucks, making the six out save. While he issued a leadoff walk in both the 8th and 9th, he never allowed the baserunners to get into scoring position, as he recovered and dominated Super Llamaland. He earned the six out save as the Banijans celebrated. They would get to the quarterfinals. Their opponent? Naturally, The Sherpa Empire.

This would be the third time in four classics they'd play Sherpa at this stage. In WBC 46, Banija beat The Sherpa Empire in the quarterfinals, in Sherpa. In WBC 48, The Sherpa Empire would exact their revenge, by defeating the Banijans in five games in a thrilling quarterfinal series in Drawkland. The rubber match between the two unexpected rivals. What a series that would be, eh?

[Nova Anglicana]

Lions will face Golden Bears in quarterfinals

Samantha Maxwell, Londinium Courier

The Lions did not play last night, having closed out Tikariot 3-1 earlier, but that doesn't mean there wasn't WBC baseball being played. Eight Round of 16 participants played a decisive game 5 last night, leaving four to join the four teams already in the quarterfinals. In the 8-9 matchup, Sarzonia defeated Delaclava 5-3 in dramatic fashion, fireworks in the late innings saw 11th seeded Hapilopper take down 6th seed South Newlandia, the Newmanistan Rockets finally defeated pesky Northwest Kalactin 5-3 in 13 innings in the 3-14 series, and 10th-seeded Hampton Island upset 7th seeded Ko-oren 6-3. So what are the quarterfinal matchups?

The winner of Sarzonia-Delaclava, the Stars in this case, advances to face #1 seed and world #1 the Cassadaigua Fillies. Cassadaigua will be on plenty of extra rest after having swept #16 seed TJUN-ia, while Sarzonia has just gone through an emotional draining as well as physically taxing five-game series. I think the Stars are good enough to win a game, but I have to take the Fillies in this one. The 4-5 quarterfinal matchup sees Banija taking on The Sherpa Empire. This will be these teams' third time facing each other in the quarterfinals in the last four Classics. In WBC 48, the Sherpa Empire won a wild game five 9-8 to advance to the semis against the Lions, while in WBC 46, Banija triumphed three games to one. This will be the rubber series for them. This is an incredibly difficult choice for me, as they are both top-6 teams and both really good, but give me Banija. Finally, in the third quarterfinal, hosts Newmanistan will face Hapilopper. The Rockets looked unbelievably vulnerable against Northwest Kalactin, and an enterprising Pot 2 team like Hapilopper could take them down. The Thrashers, after all, came into this Classic focused on winning the whole thing, and a Rockets team not playing up to their potential could be just what they need. But I'm not going to bet against the six-time champions just yet. Let's close things out with a look at Hampton Island.

Hampton Island Series Preview

-They were the Pot 1 team in their group (Group 3), but finished second, one game behind South Newlandia.

-In the group stage, they averaged 5.1 runs/game, about the same as the Lions, but allowed 4.4 runs/game, significantly greater than the Lions. They are clearly a team that relies more on offense than on pitching.

-They started off their Round of 16 series against Ko-oren by dropping the first two games, 5-2 and 8-6. Ko-oren had mostly held them under wraps, with the exception of a four-run seventh in game two. But the bats (and the pitching) came to life in games three and four. The Golden Bears scored 18 runs in just five scoring innings, and only allowed one run. They completed their rally by defeating Ko-oren 6-3 in game five. One of the keys to this series will be limiting the Golden Bears' propensity for big innings. If the Lions can shut down rallies before they turn into routs, they'll be in good shape.

-The other elephant in the room (so to speak) is Hampton Island's black bear player, Midnight. Midnight has incredible strength and is a home run threat every time he steps into the box. Different teams have employed different strategies, with some intentionally walking him every time, and others refusing to do anything but go right at him. Manager Mark Singleton will employ a via media strategy: "To be honest, my personal views on trained animals make me feel for Midnight. But he's a dangerous power hitter, and we will treat him like any other. If it makes sense to intentionally walk him, we will. If it makes sense to pitch around him, we will. But otherwise, we'll be trying to get him out like any other player."

-As previously noted, #1 and #2 starters Cory Sharpe and Wyatt Templeton will start games 1 and 2. Singleton said he'll make a decision on games 3 and 4 based on how the first two games go, but for now, he's not revealing the rest of his rotation.

The Lions are into the quarterfinals, which is more of a habit than a moment for celebration at this point. But they haven't always made it to the semis. The Golden Bears are a good team, and if the Lions don't bring their A game, you can kiss their chances of back-to-back championships goodbye.

[Newmanistan]

(1) Cassadaigua vs (9) Sarzonia @ Emperor Michael I Stadium, Pocono City
Game 1:

Sarzonia               0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  0
Cassadaigua            0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 X  1

Game 2:

Sarzonia               2 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1  4
Cassadaigua            0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 2  3

series tied, 1-1

(4) The Sherpa Empire vs (5) Banija @ Empress Jessica I Stadium, Jessicaville
Game 1:

Banija                 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 2 0  4
The Sherpa Empire      0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0  2

Game 2:

Banija                 0 0 0 2 0 0 3 0 0  5
The Sherpa Empire      2 0 0 0 2 0 0 2 X  6

series tied, 1-1

(3) Newmanistan vs (11) Hapilopper @ Tundra Falls Proving Grounds, Tundra Falls (scorinated by Chromatika)
Game 1:

Hapilopper             2 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 0  5
Newmanistan            0 0 2 1 1 2 0 0 X  6

Game 2:

Hapilopper             0 1 0 3 0 0 0 1 0  5
Newmanistan            0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  2

series tied, 1-1


(2) Nova Anglicana vs (10) Hampton Island @ Keisler Stadium, Southport
Game 1:

Hampton Island         0 0 0 2 0 1 0 0 0  3
Nova Anglicana         1 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 1  4

Game 2:

Hampton Island         0 0 0 1 0 0 3 0 0  4
Nova Anglicana         0 0 0 0 1 0 2 0 2  5

Nova Anglicana leads series, 2-0

[The Sherpa Empire]

Luochong Zhuang was talking to Daki Chuan about truffles, explaining their symbiotic relationship with trees and describing how they were cultivated. Chuan knew a lot about how they were used in cooking, and a little about where they were found in the wild, but she couldn't nerd out like Zhuang about their role in the ecosystem.

They were interrupted by an exasperated Chongba Lee. "Zhuang, you're supposed to be warming up, not talking about fungus. The whole country's going to be watching this game."

Elsewhere in the stadium, Geli Ananthan was chomping at the bit to get the game started and hit something. Earlier in the morning he had grumbled about Daki Chuan, saying the Banijans would eat her alive if she pitched a game against them. But then Wangchu Namkha Qiang pointed out that if the Sherpas won the series in less than 5 games, Lee wouldn't need a 5th starting pitcher, and suddenly Ananthan changed his tune. Now he was eager to put the Banijans away before the series went to a 5th game, and he was going around trying to get the other batters as pumped up as he was.

For the most part, their enthusiasm was not enough to get past Duta Condé. Qiang hit a 2 run homer into the outfield seats in the 5th inning, but the Banijans came back with 2 runs of their own in the top of the 6th. In the top of the 8th inning, Bharadhwaj was having some control problems. He threw a few pitches that were far outside the strike zone, and a few that went right down the middle of the plate because they didn't tail away like they were supposed to. He managed to stumble his way through three outs, but he conceded two runs along the way and he was annoyed with himself as he left the field.

In sports bars and living rooms back home in the Sherpa Empire, a lot of people were groaning and saying things like, "Holy Mother, it's WBC 46 all over again!" In the western cities, they said "Oh my God" instead of "Holy Mother," but there were still plenty of disappointed fans. Some drunk and rowdy people made a mess knocking over furniture, food, and drinks. People wanted to see the national team win no matter who they were playing, but they got especially emotional about it when they were playing Banija. Banija had not just knocked the Sherpa Empire out of the playoffs in a previous WBC -- they had done it in Syangboche. That series still stuck in the minds of baseball fans and got them riled up.

Game 2 was a wild back and forth affair. The Sherpas took an early lead when Qureshi scored an Ojha double, and Qiao batted Ojha in -- but Banija came back to tie it up in the 4th. The Sherpas took the lead again when Ananthan hit a 2 RBI double in the bottom of the 5th. Ananthan thought it should have been 3 RBIs, but Qiang stopped at 3rd base instead of going for home. Zia grounded out to end the inning in the next at bat. As they took the field for the top of the 6th, Ananthan grumbled at Qiang, "Why did you stop?"

"I wasn't going to make it," Qiang answered.

"Are you a snail???? The Green Sox ought to trade you to Changsha!" (Changsha's team is the Turtles.)

"The coach gave me the stop sign!" Qiang retorted.

Qiao gestured at them to remind them that they were supposed to be going to opposite sides of the outfield, and they all went to their positions.

Banija scored 3 runs in the top of the 7th and Ananthan was convinced that they were going to lose the game because of Qiang's sluggish baserunning.

But it wasn't over yet... Changmin Le led off the bottom of the 8th, pinch hitting for Bharadhwaj, and beat out a throw to first. Qureshi reached base on a fielders' choice with Le tagged out at second. Ojha struck out swinging after a long at bat where he fouled off several pitches. People who liked to chase foul balls were out of their seats eagerly waiting to chase the next one and people who didn't like to chase foul balls were rolling their eyes at how long the at bat dragged on before Ojha finally swung and missed. Qu hit a single, which moved Qureshi to 3rd. And Qiao batted them both in to put the Sherpas back in the lead.

[Hapilopper]

The Proving Grounds, Tundra Falls, Newmanistan
The Tundra Falls 500 The quarterfinals of the 49th World Baseball Classic – Hapilopper v. Newmanistan
So you can forgive the Haps for feeling a little bit intimidated upon arriving in the Proving Grounds of Newmanistan for the quarterfinals of the World Baseball Classic. The venue had, in the past, been a reasonably-unhappy hunting ground for Hapiloppian race car drivers, most notably Chris Holmes, who went end-over-end and side-over-side in the last race of NSSCRA VIII here. And now the Hap Thrashers were getting ready to take on an elimination round of the World Baseball Classic. Oh, and they were playing Newmanistan, the hosts of the tournament, the six-time WBC champs.

But, all things considered, they did reasonably well for themselves, and were it not for a few pitching mistakes, the Haps would actually be up 2-0 right now and facing the prospect of sweeping the Newmanistan Rockets in the Proving Grounds. But that was not to be. Curtis Skinner, who started game one for the Haps, had two scoreless innings before losing the grip on his knuckleball in the bottom of the third, allowing Newmanistan to claw back from a 4-0 deficit to score an eventual 6-5 win over the Haps. On paper, the line score was reason to be frustrated. The Haps had a golden opportunity to come out to a huge advantage over the Newmanistan Rockets, but missed out in the end.

The morning of game two, having let the loss stew overnight, the Hap Thrashers team held a players-only meeting in Mo Beverly’s hotel room to discuss what they had learned from the first game and how they could use that to their advantage. No members of the media were invited, and none of the coaching staff was in the meeting. The hotel room was packed enough with the players that traveled to Newmanistan.

The meeting lasted two hours and was partially an open forum for players to discuss what they had seen in the first game, as well as a chance to review some highlights of past Newmanistan games. That film wound up being dissected more thoroughly than some cadavers in anatomy class. When a player saw something, they’d shout “STOP!” and point out what they had seen for the rest of the team to review. It wound up being a very productive meeting, but it led to anxiety for the team’s manager, Dale Moss.

Typically in Hapiloppian sports, a players-only meeting typically was the precursor to a coach or a manager losing their job. Players would vent their frustrations about a coach or a manager, jot them down and compile them for a meeting with a general manager or an owner. But that wasn’t the case on this occasion, and when the meeting let out, Dale and James Parkhurst, commissioner of the National League of Hapilopper, were waiting outside. Dale was nervous and Parkhurst was wondering why the meeting had been called.

“We just wanted to compare notes,” Mo told the two. “We weren’t venting frustrations. You have our vote of confidence, skip. I’m sorry if this came off as anything that would have you worried, but we don’t have a problem with your leadership. Hell, you’ve helped lead us to this.”

“Well, next time, Mo, can you please inform us before holding a meeting like this that it’s not about wanting to fire your manager?” Parkhurst asked. “Dale came to me at breakfast as soon as he found out and asked if I was going to fire him.”

“Fire? Shit no,” Mo said. “I’m sorry, this was a spur-of-the-moment thing. We were looking to compare notes on what we saw with Newmanistan. Want to see our notes?”

Mo, the spiritual leader of the team, went into another one-hour meeting with Dale Moss, detailing the different strengths and weaknesses they had seen in the Newmanistan team, both off what they had seen in game one and after reviewing game film. The end result was a strategy that appeared both business-like and frighteningly efficient in taking down the Rockets in game two, and hopefully in games three and four.

The strategy was painstakingly detailed, and covered everything from how fielders should be shifted to even how that night’s starting pitcher, Hot Sauce Gibbs, should pitch to each member of Newmanistan’s lineup – where the pitches should be placed, how to make Rocket hitters chase pitches and what kind of velocity to look for.
Even better, when Dale and the pitching coach approached Hot Sauce in the clubhouse before the start of game two with their suggestions, it appeared he was on the same page, as he showed the coaches page after page of notes concerning what to do the first time through the lineup, the second time, the third time and so on – what Rocket hitters are looking for, where and when. It turned out a famous face in Hapiloppian sport was on hand and gave him the suggestion.

“I ran into Drake Stevenson last night,” Hot Sauce said. “He told me about what he does before each race. He walks around the tracks and takes these really detailed notes about every little bit of the track. He suggested I watch the Newmanistan batters and review what they do and study the proper approach to each of them.”

The approach worked. Hot Sauce pitched his finest performance of the World Baseball Classic, a complete game with 14 strikeouts, two runs batted in, one walk and 131 pitches, while Hapiloppian bats came alive at different points throughout the game, most notably a bases-loaded two-out triple from Dayton Rowe that cleared the bases and sent Dayton’s helmet flying as he ran like the wind for third base. The fire in Dayton’s eyes when he realized what he had done was very real.

What was also real was Hapilopper’s chances to pull off a real upset. All they had to do was win twice more to take down the heavy favorites, the six-time WBC Champions. They had the attitude to do it, and they had the desire to do it. This was a team that was going to win at any cost. But so was Newmanistan. Newmanistan was just as good as Hapilopper.

[Sarzonia]

Before the 49th World Baseball Classic began, if you'd told Sarzonian national baseball team fans that Jeff Parrish would start Game 1 of a quarterfinals series against world No. 1 and top overall seeded Cassadaigua, they would have told you the Stars were in big trouble. If they were told it was in part manager Geoff Yancey's decision to move Parrish up in the rotation, they would have called for Yancey's head.

However, Parrish certainly wasn't a problem for Sarzonia. He only made one mistake in a sterling eight-inning effort, striking out 10 Fillies and allowing no walks and just three hits. However, that one mistake was a long fly ball off the bat of second baseman Cassie Daniels that banged off the left field foul pole for the only run either team would score.

Dagans starter Kayla Mason was just a hair better than Parrish, limiting the Stars to two hits, both singles by second baseman Ian Danielson. First baseman Cody Frazier went 0-for-3 in his return to the starting lineup after missing most of the decisive Game 5 against Delaclava.

"Classic pitcher's duel," Yancey said after the game. "Both Mason and Parrish had everything working."

Cassadaigua came into the knockout rounds having scored the most runs and conceded the fewest of any team in the World Baseball Classic. They also have the best overall record of 27-6, including their three-game sweep of TJUN-ia in the Round of Sixteen. Sarzonia are not a team that believes in moral victories, but if they did, losing a game against a team that elite on both sides of the ball would qualify, especially since the teams combined for one run and five hits.

Jamie Pearson stepped up to the mound in a pressure situation for the erstwhile fourth starter in Sarzonia's rotation. He would have to face the fearsome Fillies lineup and hope to give Sarzonia a chance to stay in the series with ace Mark Conroy up next in Game 3.

But first, Danielson started things off with a leadoff double on the first pitch he saw from Samantha Owens. Leftfielder Jodie Schein bunted Danielson to third, centrefielder Ryan Brady drew a walk after spoiling six two-strike pitches. Rightfielder Kenny Evans struck out, but then Frazier picked on a fastball and lined it to right centre to drive in both runners. Third baseman Jose Garcia hit a sacrifice fly in the third inning to put the Stars ahead by three runs.

The Fillies answered in the fourth with Daniels launching a mammoth blast to left field to account for their first run.

"It was a sinker that didn't sink and I left it too far out over the plate," Pearson said after the game. "Daniels is just too great a hitter to make that kind of mistake against." It was one of few mistakes Pearson made as he allowed just four other hits and cruised through eight. Pinch hitter Luke Brinkley tagged a fastball from reliever Tara McGuinness deep over the wall in left to give the Stars cushion.

That sent Stars closer Tyrell Douglass to the mound in the bottom of the ninth with Sarzonia looking to draw the series level. He retired the first two hitters in order, but lost Daniels on a 3-2 fastball that the home plate umpire from Newmanistan said just missed the inside corner at the knees. Douglass was visibly upset at the call, so catcher Matt Lopez called time and jogged out to the mound to settle Douglass down.

"Hey, man, it was a close pitch. You still got this!"

Douglass was still bothered by the call when leftfielder Taylor Bryant stepped to the plate. He tried to start off with a curveball, but left it out over the plate. Bryant didn't miss, and suddenly, the Stars lead was just one. Yancey called time and jogged out to the mound. He'd told bullpen coach Calen George to get Scott Lassiter warming up, but Yancey wasn't out there to make a pitching change.

"Tyrell, time to reset!" Yancey said. "You can't let a bad call beat you. You're our closer for a reason. You got this! Now go get [first baseman Jordyn] Prosser!" He patted Douglass on his back, then jogged back to the dugout.

"Is Scott ready?" he asked bench coach Brad Howland after returning to the dugout. He was confident in Douglass, but he needed to be ready just in case.

"Not yet," Howland said.

It didn't matter. Douglass induced a fly ball to Schein to end the game and draw the series level at one game apiece. The Stars would have their ace Conroy on the mound and would be able to use Brinkley as the designated hitter in Games 3 and 4.

Whether that mattered or not would remain to be seen, but after two games against arguably the favourites to win the World Baseball Classic saw both teams score four runs each, the Stars still had a fighting chance.

[Newmanistan]

THE ROCKET REPORT

SURVIVAL, THEN THE HAPS

By Brianne Henry,

I have gotten a lot of heat in my last article for calling manager Jessica Hedstrom, Ashley. Of all people, shouldn’t Newmanistanian reporters know the names of the Newmanistanian coaching staff? There is no excuse for this error, and I apologize greatly for it. I can’t say it was only a one time mistake in the article where I typed out the wrong name, as I referenced her as “Ashley” on many occasions. In fact, Hedstrom herself responded to my blunders saying that, “I don’t know who Ashley Hedstrom is, but why does she have my job? Is she related to me?” Some have now begun to question whether or not I should be retiring from The Rocket Report, and let us move on to Taylor Larson now as our lead reporter. Taylor does a wonderful job, and has come a long way since her interesting beginnings here as an intern. She has always been able to do her role just fine. Personally, I have been able to cover the Rockets in various sports now for 26 years. I don’t feel as though it is time to move on, but eventually it will be my superiors here who determine that. I am being hard on myself, as if you are going to make such a careless error when in my position, how can you be respected as a writer. Fortunately, as my colleagues have been trying to tell me, there aren’t really any other examples of major screw ups like this on my part. For the record, Jessica does not have any relatives named Ashley. Our prior manager was Ashley Stevens, if you recall, and that has to be why “Ashley” was on my mind.

Despite my personal error, it didn’t change the fact that manager Jessica Hedstrom would probably be let go if the team lost to Northwest Kalactin in the first round. The debacle of World Baseball Classic 46, on home turf when we lost to Liventia, and then a relatively flat showing in #47 meant that she had to have a great run in #48, and she was able to do that. However, there would be no room for steps back if again on home turf, we lost in the first round. This time, it would be to a nation with less of a baseball pedigree then Liventia has, and that would have been enough. Now, thanks to the heroics which I will get into a bit, Hedstrom, Jessica Hedstrom, can probably breathe easily now. I don’t think a series loss to Hapilopper costs her her job. It might, but I don’t feel it is an automatic, as the Haps are a lot better team then their ranking of #15 suggests. They have always seemed to run into hot hands too early, and in #48 failed to make the playoffs in what played out as a very tough group. Now, the Thrashers as they are called, have played in this edition like a determined team hungry to make an impact. They had a tough first round series of their own, but this time, in the battle of teams that are afraid to Hampton Island’s Midnight, Hapilopper took the best of five over South Newlandia.

As for the Rockets, being in a tough series against the Kalactanians was not what they wanted. We have to give a shout out to these guys though, because Northwest Kalactin had a great overall campaign and should only be able to build on what they did this time around. However, Rockets fans aren’t going to care about that. They expected to win, and on this day, they got a good pitching effort by Kellie Coleman, but a fielding error by Sierra McKinley in the top of the sixth prolonged an inning that we would have got out of unscathed. The Kalactanians took advantage of being given a fourth out in the inning, and tied the game at three. Newmanistan’s three run second, anchored by a 2-run double from Chelsea Harlow, gave the Rockets the early advantage.

From there, with the score tied, the Rockets pitching shut down the opposition, and it was good to see the bullpen step up and pitch as well as they did. Unfortunately, Newmanistan was also unable to get that go ahead run, making the game go on and on. In the bottom of the 13th, it would all end, thankfully. Nicole Larkin, with two outs, legged out an infield single, sending Sierra McKinley to the plate. In a chance for redemption, McKinley would deliver, hitting a 422-foot home run over the left field fence, giving the Rockets a dramatic 5-3 win over Northwest Kalactin. There was a big celebration at the plate, but it also seemed as though it was one of relief and survival. Disaster, averted.

That brought us to these first two games against Hapilopper, with the Rockets hoping to get big pitching performances from Kelsie Carmichael and Madison Sullivan. That did not really happen, as the Thrashers were able to get to Carmichael in the opening game. Fortunately for us, we were also able to get hits, pounding out 13 for the game in a 6-5 win. There were no home runs, and six different people had a single RBI in the victory. That kind of play did not continue in the second game as the Haps won it, 5-2. A two-run double by Nicole Hoskins accounted for the Rockets scoring. After the match, manager Jessica (not Ashley) Hedstrom told us, “We need to do more against their pitching. I feel that we have a little more firepower left in us, and hopefully that comes out in the next couple games here. Our pitching could be a little better, too, so I challenge everyone to reach deep down and find just that little more that will be needed to win this series..”

Three of the four quarterfinals are tied at one after two games. The only one where there is a 2-0 advantage is Nova Anglicana over Hampton Island. However, the Golden Bears were also down 2-0 against Ko-oren, and rallied to win the series. Unquestionably then, exciting baseball will continue to be in the cards as we move forward.

[Banija]

Banija v. The Sherpa Empire- the unexpected baseball rivalry reaching a thrilling climax


A Banijan player takes a swing in Game 1 against the Sherpa Empire

JESSICAVILLE, NEWMANISTAN- In normal circumstances, one would not expect The Sherpa Empire and the Kingdom of Banija to be rivals in much of anything. The Sherpa Empire is a very different place from Banija. Banija is not small, at 100 million people, but The Sherpa Empire is an incredibly mass of land, that has a population much larger than ours. Of course, they are nowhere near Atlantian Oceania, so it isn't geography. The two nations do not really interact much politically, so there is no geopolitical element, like the Banija v. Equestria soccer rivalry. But yet, this is clearly a budding rivalry between two sides who would like to do nothing more than beat each other here in Newmanistan.

When these two teams meet, it is for high stakes, and it is tight affairs. The two teams are very nearly equal in terms of skill level, and that shows on the diamond. Let's go back to their first meeting. World Baseball Classic 46. Banija truly beginning it's ascent from the ranks of 'solid' to the ranks of 'elite' in international baseball. This was probably the defining series of that ascent. Our first ever trip to the WBC Quarterfinals. We would've been happy to get there. The Sherpa Empire, our opponent, were the favorites. As an already established elite squad, as well as a tournament co-host, they were a serious favorite to at least reach the Final.

Until, of course, they ran into Banija. Played at Syangboche in the Sherpa Empire, the Banijans downed the Sherpa Empire, defeating the co-hosts 3 games to 1. We were able to overcome them in an incredible upset, and our vault ourselves to the semifinals of WBC 46. While we could not match Cassadaigua in the semifinals, we were able to get a well-earned bronze medal finish at that tournament. That vaulted us up the WBC rankings, and we used that momentum to carry forward and win it all in WBC 47. Our first major international title for any of our national teams.

And that leads us to WBC 48. Although we weren't co-hosting, the roles were almost reversed. Banija, ranked #1 in the multiverse and the defending champs, trying to go back-to-back with the sport's most prestigious trophy. And The Sherpa Empire, who saw the mini-Banijan dynasty essentially established by our upset win against them a couple of tournaments, knew they had a bone to pick. They would want nothing more than to knock Banija off of baseball's mountaintop, and end our quest to establish a real dynasty in this sport. They did so in the WBC 48 Quarterfinals.

That elimination was painful. It was a thrilling, back and forth series. WE won Game 1. Then, the Sherpa Empire won Games 2 and 3, putting our backs against the wall in the best of 5. We, with our backs against the wall, came back and won Game 4, setting up a high intensity, do-or-die, winner-take-all Game 5. The Sherpa Empire, had a 7-0 lead at the top of the sixth, absolutely smoking the Banijans. And then, our bats woke up, furiously engineering a comeback, refusing to go down in a whimper. We scored 5 in the bottom of the sixth, and three more in the bottom of the seventh. Going from 7-0 down to an 8-8 tie in just 2 innings.

The insanity of the comeback gave the Banijans momentum. But it would not be our day, as the Sherpa Empire got to extra innings, and won it in the top of the 10th. A heartbreaking way for the Banijans to lose, after coming back in both the game and the series. But, the better team that series won, and there was no doubt it was the Sherpa Empire. And now, the two teams meet again. The Sherpa Empire, still mad about WBC 46. The Banijans, still mad about WBC 48. Two teams who both certainly want to beat each other, with the stakes only raised because it is the quarterfinals, and it's essentially the rubber match, considering it's the third time they've faced each other at this exact stage in the last four classics.

And naturally, we've split the first two games of the series. Banija taking Game 1, The Sherpa Empire taking Game 2. It's now a best of 3. Will it be the Kingdom who can pull it out, or the Empire? WHoever does, you can be assured that it will be tight, it will be entertaining, and both sides will leave it all on the field. And who knows? We might even get to see another Game 5.

[Cassadaigua]

Mason Shines In Surprise Start,
By Chelsea Dufresne, Concord Heights Times

Kayla Mason knows more than anyone that as the number one starter on a rotation, it is possible to be called into action even if it is not your turn in the pitching order. With her club pitching staff not having the overall strength as the national team does, Kayla is often brought out there to pitch on shorter rest, or when it simply was not her turn. This has not always been the way Maddie Polanco has done things since taking over the team. She has favored the straight rotation, so having said that, it was anticipated that Brianna Shirley was going to pitch the opener against the Stars after the Fillies swept TJUN-ia in the opening round. However, this was not going to be the plan after all, as Polanco opted to go with Mason once again. Shirley has had a strong showing in her first World Baseball Classic campaign, as has #5 starter Jessica Ashfield. The decision would be Mason, and Polanco explained why, “Kayla has had a pretty easy go of it. I wanted her to get tested in this series against an opponent like the Stars, and if we were to advance, it also sets me up to use her early in the semifinals. The trade off here is that both Shirley and Ashfield need innings as well, but I really liked Kayla in this spot. She has had such a great season at home, and I like to keep giving the ball to the hot hand.”

As for Mason, she said she was a little surprised when told of the decision. “With Maddie, it has been a straight rotation, even in the playoffs.” Mason began, “I was expecting to pitch the third game of the series, but she explained the logic and it made sense, that she would be looking at having me go earlier in the semifinal series, should we make it. And I will be blunt with you, we expect to make it.” Kayla did a great job of sitting down the Stars batters one after the other, allowing only two hits in a complete game shutout. She had to be good, because Jeff Parrish was doing quite well for his team, too. Thankfully, a solo HR by Cassie Daniels would hold up for the game, and the pink and black took the first game of the series.

Sarzonia took the second game, but learned that you might beat Cassadaigua, but it is not going to be easy. It seemed as though the Stars were cruising, taking the early 3-0 lead. It seemed as though the tack on run in the ninth would be just that, but they would need to cash in every dollar of the policy that the insurance run provided. Down 4-1, Cassadaigua showed their resilience. A two-run homer by Taylor Bryant did the damage after closer Tyrell Douglas was rattled over not getting a call. Unfortunately, we would get no closer. Bryant said of the home run, “First pitch swinging, definitely. I think it was supposed to be a curveball. I could tell he didn’t like that call on Cassie, but you know when it’s borderline you have to accept that it can go either way.”

For Game 3, Desiree Plummer, who is coming off a brilliant World Baseball Classic 48 playoff period, gets the ball. She also pitched the clincher of the TJUN-ia series (allowing two runs in eight innings of work), so things do look promising for us in this game. Shirley will get the start in game four. Plummer said she feels very good about the game, “Kayla and I have gone over a lot. Samantha has helped too, and I am ready to roll tonight.” The team continues to have that focus right now that nothing is going to get in their way of getting back to the championship. The mission of #winonemoregame continues.

[Nova Anglicana]

"Don't count your chickens" is manager Singleton's message to team

Samantha Maxwell, Londinium Courier

Two-zip. It sounds so sweet. But don't get cocky, kid. The Lions lead the Hampton Island Golden Bears two games to none in their quarterfinal series, putting them one win away from advancing to the semifinals. But Ko-oren was in the exact same position in their Round of 16 series, and the Golden Bears outscored them 24-4 over the last three games of the series to take it. That's why manager Mark Singleton is preaching focus to his team. "I told the guys, 'Don't count your chickens before they hatch.' Hampton Island has already rallied from a 2-0 deficit once, and they can do it again if we're not careful. There's nothing special we have that Ko-oren didn't. We just have to buckle down and make sure we keep our eyes on the prize."

In game one, Singleton used ace starter Cory Sharpe, just as he had in game one of the Tikariot series. It wasn't exactly a dream start for Sharpe, as his first three innings were much more sparkling than his last three. In innings 1-3, Sharpe only allowed a single hit, while striking out five batters. However, three hits turned into two runs in the fourth, and a solo homer in the sixth meant he wouldn't be coming back out for the seventh. Overall, his K/BB ratio of 8/1 was stellar, but his 4.50 ERA tells the tale in the only way that matters: on the scoreboard. Dean Douglas, the Golden Bears' ace, gave up a two-out solo homer to Joey Keller in the first, but otherwise pitched extremely well in his first six innings of work. He scattered three hits and a walk over six, and headed into the seventh with a 3-1 lead, facing the Lions' 5-6-7 hitters. Matthew Gilbert led off with a bunt single, then stole second when catcher Danny Hackerbee's throw was a little too late. Jerome Duplantier grounded out to the right side, but Gilbert moved up to third. Marc Dufors then lined a solid single to right, scoring Gilbert and cutting the deficit to 3-2. Trevor Goodwin drew a walk, which caused manager John Morton to bring in reliever Bryan Prater. Singleton countered with lefty slugger Cliff Garner, pinch-hitting for Cody Brock, who pitched a scoreless seventh. Prater, a right-hander, pitched well against Garner, getting him to fly out to center. But the ball was well-struck, and center fielder Denny Ramirez had to go to the warning track for it, letting Dufors tag up and move to third. Prater then faced Tommy Moran, who lined a single just past a diving Kylie Billings at second, driving in Dufors and tying the game at three. Prater retired Mills to end the inning, but the damage was done. Jon Klein and Charlie Bowers pitched a scoreless eighth and ninth, respectively, giving the Lions a chance to win the game outright in the ninth. And Duplantier did exactly that, hitting a massive homer on the second pitch he saw from veteran closer Martin Reynolds. It landed well into the seats in right, and the Lions walked off, 4-3 winners.

Game two had a similar story to tell. Wyatt Templeton pitched quite well for six innings, allowing four baserunners and one run against seven strikeouts. The game was tied 1-1 as he entered the seventh. Unfortunately, he sandwiched a walk and a single around a strikeout, and Singleton lifted him for Dallas Hawkins. Hawkins then proceeded to give up a two-out home run, putting the Lions behind 4-1 and potentially saddling Templeton with the loss. But in the bottom of the inning, Cory Clover, who had laboured through six innings (104 pitches), lost his control, walking his fifth and sixth batters of the night to open things up. In came Shawn Levinson to face pinch-hitter Garner again. This time, Garner ripped a ball down the line past a diving Phillip Greene at first, and the ball rolled all the way to the corner, allowing Dufors and Goodwin to chug around the bases and score from first, while Garner pulled up at second with a double. Levinson retired the next three batters, but the game was incredibly close, 4-3. Rex Boyd and Grant Graham combined to get six outs in the eighth and ninth, again sending the Lions to the bottom of the ninth with a chance to tie or win. Veteran Aaron Mayfield was brought in to pitch to the lefties Dufors and Goodwin, but Singleton pinch-hit with Erik Austin at the last moment. Austin singled off of Mayfield, and when Curtis Hughes pinch-hit for Goodwin, Morton drafted Reynolds for the righty-righty matchup. Hughes fouled off a number of pitches before flying out, so score one for Morton. Dusty Davidson pinch-hit next, and the switch-hitter drove one into the gap in right-center, sending Austin to third and pulling into second with a double. Tommy Moran was intentionally walked to set up a force at any base, and up came Luke Mills, batting from the left side. He worked a 3-2 count, fouled off two pitches, and then ripped a fastball hard back up the middle, scoring Austin, and it was now a contest between the speed of Davidson and the arm of Ramirez. Hampton Island's center fielder's throw was just a second too late, as a diving Davidson slid in just ahead of the tag by Hackerbee to score the winning run and give the Lions their second consecutive walk-off win.

The Lions have rallied twice to win in this series, but they could easily be down 2-0. They will have to stay sharp if they hope to close out the Golden Bears. Singleton has announced that Erik Russell, who did not start in the Round of 16, will start game three, and Hank Jackson will start game four if necessary. He said he wants Russell to get some work since, "We will need all of our pitchers as we go forward, and Erik sitting on the bench and not throwing isn't good for us." If there is a game four, Erik Austin will replace Jake Bryan in the lineup against the lefty Justin Mohlander. The Lions are a win away from the semis. They just have to prevent the Golden Bears from pulling the same kind of rallying act they pulled against Ko-oren. Can they do it? Let's hope so.


Notes from around the Classic

-Close games all around in the other quarterfinal matchups, with every series but the Lions' level at one game apiece. Cassadaigua shut out Sarzonia 1-0 in game one, with Kayla Mason tossing a two-hit complete game. But the Stars built a 4-1 lead in game two and survived a Taylor Bryant two-run shot in the ninth to win 4-3. I still like the Fillies to advance, but give Sarzonia credit for the fight they're showing.

-In the 4-5 Banija/Sherpa Empire rematch, Banija rallied from a 2-0 deficit to win game one 4-2, while game two was a back-and-forth affair. First the Sherpas went up 2-0, Banija tied the score, went down 4-2, rallied to take a 5-4 lead, and conceded two runs in the bottom of the eighth to lose 6-5. Looks like this rubber series is living up to the hype. I can't wait for this series' inevitable game 5 conclusion.

-Finally, early scoring was the order of the day in game one of the Newmanistan-Hapilopper game. The Thrashers took a 4-0 lead before the Rockets rallied to within 4-3, added an insurance run to go up 5-3, but then allowed three consecutive runs to go behind 6-5, all before the sixth inning. That would be the final score. The 11th-seeded Hapilopper team went up 4-2 with the help of a three-run fourth in game two, and eventually closed it out 5-2. This series will also likely go down to the wire. I can say that I'd rather the Lions face the Thrashers than the Rockets, but it is anyone's series at the moment.

[Newmanistan]

(1) Cassadaigua vs (9) Sarzonia @ Emperor Michael I Stadium, Pocono City
Game 3:

Cassadaigua            0 0 0 0 0 1 3 2 0  6
Sarzonia               0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0  1

Game 4:

Cassadaigua            0 0 1 0 1 0 1 1 0  4
Sarzonia               0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1  1

Cassadaigua wins series, 3-1

(4) The Sherpa Empire vs (5) Banija @ Empress Jessica I Stadium, Jessicaville
Game 3:

The Sherpa Empire      0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2  3
Banija                 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 1 1  4

Game 4:

The Sherpa Empire      0 2 0 0 0 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 2  7
Banija                 1 0 2 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1  6

series tied, 2-2

(3) Newmanistan vs (11) Hapilopper @ Tundra Falls Proving Grounds, Tundra Falls (scorinated by Chromatika)
Game 3:

Newmanistan            0 0 2 0 1 0 0 0 0  3
Hapilopper             3 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 X  4

Game 4:

Newmanistan            0 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 0  3
Hapilopper             4 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 X  6

Hapilopper wins series, 3-1

(2) Nova Anglicana vs (10) Hampton Island @ Keisler Stadium, Southport
Game 3:

Nova Anglicana         0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  0
Hampton Island         0 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 X  3

Game 4:

Nova Anglicana         0 0 0 1 1 1 5 0 1  9
Hampton Island         1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4  5

Nova Anglicana wins series, 3-1

[The Sherpa Empire]

As he sat in the dugout waiting for his turn with the bat, Geli Ananthan felt like he was watching a trainwreck in slow motion. The Sherpas were down 2 games to 1 in their series against Banija, and now game 4 had gone into extra innings. With Gan out of the rotation with a broken arm, they were short on pitching and this was the last thing they needed. Akunjee had allowed baserunners every inning he pitched, but always got out of it without allowing more than a run or two. The score was tied 5-5 when he finally got pulled after 7 innings. Sangakkar came out of the bullpen, and then Pilgaonkar when the game went into extra innings.

Geli Ananthan was convinced that Daki Chuan would not stand a chance against the Banijans if she pitched game 5, and he knew that if Pilgaonkar was pitching tonight then he wouldn't be available to start tomorrow. He still clung to some faint hope that if they won tonight and then had Zhuang pitch tomorrow they might stand a chance -- but he got the sinking feeling that Lee would start Chuan to appease the feminists. (No matter how many times Lee said he was doing what was best for the team, Ananthan still thought he was trying to appease the feminists.)

Pilgaonkar, who had just finished pitching the bottom of the 11th, was watching Changmin Le getting ready to bat for him, swinging a bat around in the on-deck circle. "I could get used to this 'designated hitter' stuff," he said.

"I don't like it," said Akunjee. "It feels weird to pitch a whole game -- or not a whole game, but you know what I mean -- without ever batting."

"What do you want to bat for?" said Pilgaonkar.

"It keeps my head in the game," said Akunjee.

Qiang hit a fly ball and took off toward first base, but Jonkong Sillah got under it and Qiang was out. Le stepped up to the plate and Ananthan stepped into the on-deck circle. Ananthan was ready to swing for the fences, but he would have to wait till next inning because Le grounded out.

Pilgaonkar held the Banijans scoreless through the bottom of the 12th, but it didn't look like Lee planned to leave him in for the 13th. He had Murthy warming up in the bullpen. Not Chuan. Ananthan took this as a sign that he was saving Chuan for tomorrow. He was frustrated, but there was still a game to finish tonight. He took a couple of pitches before he got one he liked, but then he plonked one into the outfield grass for a double. Zia got thrown out at first, though he managed to move Ananthan over to 3rd. Katiyar struck out and it looked like the rally might peter out and the game drag on some more. But then Qureshi hit a long fly ball. "Stay fair, stay fair, stay fair!" he pleaded with the ball. It stayed fair, and the Sherpas were up 7-5.

With their backs against the wall in the bottom of the 13th, the Banijans started a rally of their own, but Roshan held them to only 1 run, and the series went to game 5.

Before the final game, Chongba Lee confirmed that Chuan would indeed be starting, but he told Zhuang to be ready to pitch if he needed to pull Chuan. The bullpen was going to be too burned out to rely on for long relief. Zhuang said he would be ready if Lee needed him, but he also tried to convince his teammates that they wouldn't need him. "You don't need me," he said to Chuan with an encouraging smile. "You can do this!"

She gave him a hug. "Thanks, Zhuang."

Starting line up for game 5:

SS Qureshi
3B Ojha
2B Qu
CF Qiao
LF Qiang
RF Le
1B Zia
C Tan
P Chuan

[Banija]

Banija's ace, Duta Condé, prepares to take the mound in do-or-die Game 5 against The Sherpa Empire


Duta Condé, the Banijan ace, throws a pitch in Game 1 of the Banijan WBC Quarterfinal series with the Sherpa Empire

JESSICAVILLE, NEWMANISTAN- After an extra long, thrilling, and exhausting Game 4, where in 13 innings, The Sherpa Empire dropped the Banijans by a score of 7-6, the two teams will, for the second straight classic, face a winner-take-all Game 5 where the winner will go onto the semifinals to take on the #1 and tournament favorites Cassadaigua, while the loser will go home with a nice run to the quarterfinals, but bitterly disappointed thinking about what might have been. As the only Game 5 of the Quarterfinals, it will be the only game played on the day, so all eyes of the baseball world will be on Empress Jessica I Stadium, as the Kingdom and the Empire will battle it out for the right to move forward.

The other three semifinalists have all already been decided. We, of course, know that we will taken on Cassadaigua. Cassadaigua came into the tournament ranked as the #1 team in baseball, and they certainly have not disappointed. The #1 team in the overall rankings, perhaps unsurprisingly, was the best team throughout the group stages of this World Baseball Classic, finishing with a stunning .800 winning percentage, as a record of 24-6 was certainly enough to crown them kings(Queens?) of group play, and get that #1 seed. They blew away their competition in the first round, sweeping #16 seeded TJUN-ia. And while Sarzonia was able to win Game 2, the brilliant Cassadaigua pitching staff dominated Games 3 and 4, only allowing one run by Sarzonia in each of those Games to put that series away, and build upon the impression that Cassadaigua should be the favorites to win WBC 49.

In an upset, in the third quarterfinal series, Hapilopper has seemed to finally break through in this sport and reach the semifinals. Similar to how we looked at WBC 46- unlucky on numerous occasions, but finally having broken through and downed an elite nation in this sport. Once again similar to the Banijans, they downed an elite nation on their own home soil, as they upset tournament co-favorites Newmanistan at the Proving Grounds, 3 games to 1. Nova Anglicana, the WBC 48 champions aiming to go back-to-back, will be Hapilopper's opponents in the semifinals, as they just finished downing Hampton Island by 3 games to 1.

So the only Game 5 of the quarterfinals. Considering Game 3 had been won by a walkoff, solo home run from Jung Jassey, and Game 4 had gone 13 innings, there were high expectations for what Game 5 would look like. Let's start, of course, with the pitching matchup. Duta Condé, Banija's ace, who is known as a big game performer, against Daki Chaun. Sherpa Empire will be the designated home side- so pitchers will hit, there will be no DH. Although Duta Condé largely struggled in the knockout stages of WBC 48, let's look at the greater picture. The player was dominant in the knockout stages of WBC 46 and 47. Those pivotal Game 3s, when a series was tied at 1-1. Winning an elimination game against the Appalachian Nation. Winning closeout games.

And even this time around. Putting up good starts against both the Sherpa Empire this round in Game 1, and against Super Llamaland in the last round in Game 1. But none of those games, despite their magnitude, can quite compare to the pressure of pitching in a winner-take-all. He told reporters that he was excited for the 'unique' opportunity ahead of him. "These Games 5s do not come around often. There are only a handful of opportunities to start one, and this is mine. It's what you dream of as a kid, isn't it? Going on the biggest stage, win or go home, and coming out for your team, for your country."

And as the staff's ace for this tournament, Ousman Kakay has to like the fact that he's able to put a fully rested Duta Condé on the mound. "Look, our bullpen is certainly tired." Kakay told reporters. "Our bullpen threw a combined 7.1 innings in Game 4 last night, and even though there's an off day, they will be tired. Both bullpens will be tired. It makes for an interesting game from a managerial perspective- how long can your starters go? And with our fully rested ace, I expect to lean on Duta Condé. The leashes are always tight in the decisive game, but we'll have to put our faith in him."

"Of course, basically everybody's available." Said Ousman Kakay. "Can't worry about the semifinals if you don't get there- even Suntukung Kandeh will be in the bullpen, certainly ready to get some outs if we need him to do so." Another thing that makes it challenging is the lack of DH. If it's later on in the game, like the sixth inning or later, but there's an opportunity to put runs on the board and Duta Condé is at the plate- do you pinch hit? That's what the managers get paid the big bucks for. Ousman Kakay hates losing- he is known for being one to basically pull out all the stops to win a playoff game, and you can bet he'll do that tonight as well. Ride Duta Condé for as long as possible, bring some starters out of the bullpen, multiple innings for the back relief guys, whatever it takes.

It's Banija. It's Sherpaland. It's do-or-die, it's Game 5. Who will go on to face the buzzsaw that is Cassadaigua, and who will go home?

[Hapilopper]

The Proving Grounds, Tundra Falls, Newmanistan
The quarterfinals of the 49th World Baseball Classic – Hapilopper v. Newmanistan
Ever since that players-only meeting before game two, it seemed like the Hapilopper National Baseball Team was fired up to raise hell on a whole new level. They had seen what they could do against the six-time champions Newmanistan. On the strength of some very strong pitching in that game courtesy of Hot Sauce Gibbs, the team had beaten the Rockets 5-2. After the game, Hot Sauce provided the same advice to Vic Foster and Martin Meadows. Prepare for what to throw to the lineup each time around, to leave them guessing, get them whiffing and keep the Haps leading.

Vic Foster’s recipe for success in Game Three included a healthy dose of pine tar and fat shortening. But this time, he had some additional help, from the Hapiloppian batters who decided they would come out in game three with all guns blazing. And those bats came alive, with the Haps scoring three in the first inning to come out ahead of Newmanistan, 3-0. Campbell Braxton’s persistence led to an eleven-pitch walk, as he fouled multiple pitches off in an attempt to keep an at-bat alive. Levi Berry chopped a groundball down, which bounced over Newmanistan’s pitcher and kept both hitters safe.

Dayton Rowe then struck out, Jerome Hayden flied out to left field, but Leroy Hunnisett brought both Campbell and Levi home with a towering shot to left field to put the Haps out front 3-0. Little did they know that it would be a sign to come for the next two games.

Sure, there was a scare from Newmanistan in the top of the third, when the Rockets brought in two runs. Despite the two runs, Vic remained calm. At the end of the inning, as he walked back to the dugout, he looked over to Marion Pound, the next batter, and asked him to do something to help him out.

“Can you guys get us another run or something?” Vic asked. “Just to make me feel better about this.”

“We’ll do what we can,” Marion said.

It didn’t happen that inning – it happened the next inning. Dayton Rowe roped a line drive past a diving Jenna Schuster and went on a mad dash for third base. He beat the throw to third base, but only barely. A sacrifice bunt from Jerome Hayden brought him home, and the Haps led 4-2. Newmanistan could only put one more run across the plate, and the Haps won game three, 4-3.

The next morning, the Haps held another meeting about what to expect in game four. There was something different about this meeting. Something exciting. It wasn’t just the fact that manager Dale Moss was in on this meeting as well. It was the fact they felt they could do something special that night in Newmanistan. It was a far cry from the way they felt just a few weeks before, when this World Baseball Classic got started. Gone was the uneasiness about their future. In its stead, the Hap Thrashers felt confident, sure of themselves, and ready to pull off one hell of an upset.

It showed when they took the field that evening at the Proving Grounds. The team showed a certain level of panache that hadn’t been there before. This was a team that knew what they could do, and they were hellbent on making sure they could do it. Martin gave up two hits in the top of the first, but the team wasn’t worried. They had every confidence in the world in their pitcher and in themselves.

And in the bottom of the first, Hapiloppian bats came alive. The Haps scored four times in the bottom of the first, silencing the Newmanistanian fans in the Proving Grounds and sending the few Hapiloppians in the stadium, and the many fans watching back home in Hapilopper, into ecstasy. And it started with a batter not entirely known for his hitting prowess, Campbell Braxton.

Campbell Braxton, the second baseman for the Hap Thrashers, hit .258 last year with two home runs. He was picked by the National League of Hapilopper to be the team’s starting second baseman not off his offensive prowess, but rather what he could do when fielding, so many questioned why he was put in the leadoff role. There was never really a clear answer, but Dale Moss joked it was “to lull the other team into a false sense of security.”

There was no false sense of security this time. Campbell took the first pitch deep. It was so unexpected the Hapilopper Television Network, broadcasting the game, was coming back from commercial at the time. Viewers in Hapilopper were watching an obnoxious commercial for Fat Chuck’s Tasty Fried Chicken, which was abruptly interrupted by the shot of a high fly ball to deep left field.

“THAT WAS CAMPBELL BRAXTON!!” shouted HTN commentator Rod Perkins. “AND IT’S GONE! THE HAPS LEAD 1-0 ON THE FIRST PITCH!”

It was worth noting that this didn’t happen often, and it certainly didn’t happen that often with a team of the caliber of Newmanistan. After the game, Campbell told everyone that would listen that he got “insanely lucky.”

“That’s never happened to me before, going deep on the first pitch,” Campbell said. “Probably won’t happen again.”

But it set the tone. Jerome Hayden singled. So did Leroy Hunnisett, and Mo Beverly blasted another one just over the fence in field. The Haps led 4-0, and all of a sudden, the prospect of the Hap Thrashers knocking off a powerhouse like Newmanistan suddenly became real. What a difference a few weeks made. At first, the Haps had been seen as marginal contenders at best, in contention for the second group spot and probably going to be eliminated after the round of sixteen. Now here they were, with a very real chance to take out the Rockets and make it to the semi-finals.

And they did exactly that. The Newmanistan Rockets, in the entire game, scored less in the entire game than Hapilopper did in that magical first inning. The Haps won 6-3, and in a colossal upset, had eliminated the six-time WBC Champions in decisive style. When Dwayne Pocock struck out the last Newmanistanian batter in the top of the ninth, the rest of the Hap Thrashers rushed towards him. It was not over yet. The Haps were on their way to the semifinals.

And as the team celebrated on the field, they noticed a fan jumping the left-field fence. He was holding a large Hapiloppian flag and running towards the Hap Thrashers. It was the same fan that had jumped the fence in Trastamar three years before. 22-year old Don Ritter ran towards the team waving the blue, green and white. Photos of him were taken by every Hapiloppian photographer there, and just as it was three years ago, his spontaneous storming of the Proving Grounds field had become a symbol of national pride.

But it also became a sign that maybe, just maybe, Hapilopper could in fact do something special in the international sporting landscape.

[Newmanistan]

(4) The Sherpa Empire vs (5) Banija @ Empress Jessica I Stadium, Jessicaville
Game 5:

Banija                 0 0 1 0 1 1 2 0 0  5
The Sherpa Empire      2 1 0 2 0 1 0 1 X  7

The Sherpa Empire wins series, 3-2

Semifinals:
(1) Cassadaigua vs (4) The Sherpa Empire @ Tundra Falls Proving Grounds, Tundra Falls
(2) Nova Anglicana vs (11) Hapilopper @ The Jungle, Loudon