World Baseball Classic 52 Everything Thread

[Chromatika]

This is your cutoff for Games 1 and 2 of the Semifinals.

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WBC 52 Playoffs
Semifinals Games 1 and 2
Games involving Chromatika were scored by Tumbra

Final Stage: Chromia
@ High Hill Field, Chromia, Capital District (Cap. 50,300)
SF.1: (01) Chromatika vs. (05) Zwangzug Game 1: 7:05 PM, Game 2: 1:30 PM

Game 1
Zwangzug               0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0  2
Chromatika             0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 1  3

Game 2
Zwangzug               3 0 0 2 0 4 0 1 0 10
Chromatika             0 0 1 0 2 0 0 1 0  4

Series tied, 1-1.

SF.2: (02) TJUN-ia vs. (11) Quintessence of Dust Game 1: 1:30 PM, Game 2: 7:05 PM

Game 1
Quintessence of Dust      1 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 0  4
TJUN-ia                   0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 1  3

Game 2
Quintessence of Dust      0 2 0 0 0 0 1 1 0  4
TJUN-ia                   0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0  1

Quintessence of Dust leads the series, 2-0.

Lower seeded team is the home team for Games 1 and 2.

Schedule for Games 3 and 4
Chromatika vs. Zwangzug - Game 3: 1:30 PM, Game 4: 7:05 PM
TJUN-ia vs. Quintessence of Dust - Game 3: 7:05 PM, Game 4: 1:30 PM

[Quintessence of Dust]

(Provisional) box scores as posted on the TalkBaseball.qd website.

                          AB   R   H  RBI BB   K  LOB  AVG  HR  RBI
T. Brøndum CF              3   0   0   0   1   1   1  .336   3  13
N. Hisakawa SS             4   0   1   2   0   2   1  .315   1  17
K. Yutani 2B               3   1   1   0   0   2   0  .275   2  11
  b–S. Akerström PH        1   0   0   0   0   0   2  .242   3  17
  c–T. Watanabe 2B         0   0   0   0   0   0   0  .182   0   1
S. Borgþórsson 1B          4   0   1   0   0   2   0  .297   3  20
L. Dai 3B                  4   0   1   1   0   0   0  .311   6  18
  H. Liang P               0   0   0   0   0   0   0  .000   0   0
J. Stensrud C              3   0   0   0   0   1   2  .259   4  19
  d–Y. Long PH, C          1   0   0   0   0   0   0  .156   2   5
L. Chevalier RF            3   2   1   1   1   0   0  .267   3  13
J. Martin P                2   0   0   0   0   2   0  .000   0   0
  a–I. Gennarelli PH       1   1   1   0   0   0   0  .278   2  13
  J. Isaacson P            0   0   0   0   0   0   0  .000   0   0
  M. Ryan P                0   0   0   0   0   0   0  .000   0   0
  e–J. Tsukamoto PH, 3B    1   0   0   0   0   1   0  .216   1   1
B. Wilson LF               3   0   0   0   1   2   2  .284   2  16

a–I. Gennarelli pinch-hit for J. Martin in the 7th
b–S. Akerström pinch-hit for K. Yutani in the 7th
c–T. Watanabe substituted for S. Akerström in the 7th
d–Y. Long pinch-hit for J. Stensrud in the 8th
e–J. Tsukamoto pinch-hit for M. Ryan in the 9th

Doubles: L. Dai (8, 1st inning, 2 on, 2 outs), N. Hisakawa (13, 7th inning, 3 on, 2 outs)
Home runs: L. Chevalier (3, 2nd inning, 0 on, 0 outs)
Total bases: L. Chevalier 4, L. Dai 2, N. Hisakawa 2, K. Yutani, S. Borgþórsson, I. Gennarelli
2-out RBI: N. Hisakawa 2, L. Dai
Runners left in scoring position, 2 outs: J. Stensrud 2, J. Tsukamoto 2
Team LOB: 5

FIELDING
Errors: J. Stensrud (5)

                            IP  H   R  ER  BB   K  HR  PI  PS   ERA
J. Martin W (6 – 2)        6.0  4   2   2   2   7   0  87  56  1.99
J. Isaacson H (2)          1.0  0   0   0   0   1   0   7   5  4.96
M. Ryan H (5)              1.0  0   0   0   0   2   0  11   8  9.00
H. Liang SV (15)           1.0  1   1   1   0   0   1   9   8  2.43

Game score: J. Martin 61
Batters faced: J. Martin 19, J. Isaacson 3, M. Ryan 3, H. Liang 4
Ground outs – fly outs: J. Martin 5 – 4, J. Isaacson 1 – 1, M. Ryan 1 – 0, H. Liang 2 – 1
WP: J. Martin

Scoring plays:

1.2: Lingxin Dai doubles on a flyball to left. Kaori Yutani scores.

2.0: Luka Chevalier homers on a flyball to left-centre. Luka Chevalier scores.

7.2: Naoko Hisakawa doubles on a line drive down the third base line. Luka Chevalier scores. Isabella Gennarelli scores.

                          AB   R   H  RBI BB   K  LOB  AVG  HR  RBI
T. Brøndum RF              5   1   2   1   0   2   3  .338   3  14
N. Hisakawa SS             2   0   0   0   1   1   2  .311   1  17
  a–J. Tsukamoto SS        0   0   0   0   1   0   0  .216   1   1
K. Yutani 2B               3   0   1   1   2   0   3  .276   2  12
S. Borgþórsson 1B          5   1   1   0   0   3   5  .293   3  20
L. Dai 3B                  4   0   1   0   0   0   3  .309   6  18
L. Chevalier LF            5   1   3   1   0   0   0  .283   4  14
J. Stensrud C              5   0   2   0   0   0   5  .264   4  19
H. Kalberg P               4   0   2   0   0   1   1  .333   0   0
  C. Young P               0   0   0   0   0   0   0  .000   0   0
  b–B. Wilson PH           1   0   0   0   0   0   1  .281   2  16
  H. Liang P               0   0   0   0   0   0   0  .000   0   0
I. Gennarelli CF           4   1   0   0   1   1   2  .271   2  13

a–J. Tsukamoto substituted for N. Hisakawa in the 7th
b–B. Wilson pinch-hit for C. Young in the 9th

Doubles: T. Brøndum (20, 2nd inning, 1 on, 2 outs), J. Stensrud 2 (13, 4th inning, 0 on, 0 outs; 9th inning, 0 on, 1 out)
Home runs: L. Chevalier (4, 2nd inning, 0 on, 0 outs)
Total bases: L. Chevalier 6, J. Stensrud 4, T. Brøndum 3, H. Kalberg 2, L. Dai, K. Yutani
2-out RBI: T. Brøndum
Runners left in scoring position, 2 outs: J. Stensrud 2, K. Yutani 2, L. Dai 2, T. Brøndum, S. Borgþórsson, H. Kalberg, I. Gennarelli
Hit by Pitch: N. Hisakawa, L. Dai
GIDP: J. Stensrud
Team LOB: 12

FIELDING
Double plays: 2 (Dai – Yutani – Borgþórsson, Hisakawa – Yutani – Borgþórsson)

                            IP  H   R  ER  BB   K  HR  PI  PS   ERA
H. Kalberg W (5 – 1)       7.0  5   1   1   3   7   1  83  54  1.75
C. Young H (2)             1.0  0   0   0   1   1   0  10   5  6.95
H. Liang SV (16)           1.0  0   0   0   0   1   0   6   5  2.43

Game score: H. Kalberg 67
Batters faced: H. Kalberg 27, C. Young 3, H. Liang 3
Ground outs – fly outs: H. Kalberg 7 – 5, C. Young 1 – 0, H. Liang 2 – 0
Inherited runners – scored: C. Young 2 – 0

Scoring plays:

2.0: Luka Chevalier homers on a flyball to centre-right. Luka Chevalier scores.

2.2: Tom Brøndum doubles on a line-drive down the left field line. Isabella Gennarelli scores.

7.0: Joakim Stensrud grounds into a double play (5 – 4 – 3). Sigurkarl Borgþórsson scores.

8.1: Kaori Yutani singles on a flyball to left. Tom Brøndum scores.

TalkBaseball.qd

A website. For talking. About baseball.

Long tournament finally takes its toll on distraught Hisakawa
Posted by sox2BU2

The Things took a 2 – 0 lead over TJUN-ia in the WBC semifinal in Chromia, but were left without starting shortstop Naoko Hisakawa after she left Game 2 with a torn calf muscle after a diving play in the infield. For the Things – who will end the tournament playing at least 50 – and especially for the HBL and MLB* clubs with rights to the players involved, it once more raises questions about the size and scope of an international tournament longer than most full off-season leagues. Manager Jun Jiang gave Hisakawa a couple games’ rest earlier in the tournament but she has played non-stop through the latter half of qualifying and the playoffs, and there will be concerns about other heavily used players such as right fielder Tom Brøndum and second basewoman Kaori Yutani, both of whom have seen prolonged and sustained use.

The injury spells the end of a tournament in which Hisakawa’s bat has, in common with much of the Things’ offence, failed to reach its past power levels, though she is still leading in hits (56), singles (41), stolen bases (16), and sacrifice flies (5), and second in average (.311), all while only grounding into 1 double play in a team-leading 180 at bats. She has hit only 1 home run, below her usual expectations, but her at times inspirational infield defence has been unrelenting, as evidenced by the fantastic play against Hapilopper to rob Jerome Hayden of a certain game-tying run. Last night she again put her body on the line, diving to snag line drives and hustling to grab sharply hit groundballs, and this time paid the price with her injury.

A complication is the poor form of reserve shortstops Jiro Tsukamoto and Teijo Watanabe, hitting a combined 22-for-107 with 1 home run and 2 RBIs between them. Playing either also leaves the Things without cover at third base should they platoon lefty power hitters Sigurkarl Borgþórsson and Stig Akerström in the coming games against TJUN-ian lefty starters Gene Almac and Jose Almas. To replace Hisakawa, the Things have called up Jack Theriault, a hard-hitting shortstop with the New Cleethorpes Grey Sox. Currently performing national service with the Navy on Deep Space 9¾, Theriault is a promising young prospect with good power, speed and glove, but has no experience of international play while the Things have lost their most seasoned player in Hisakawa.

At least Hisakawa leaves with her team in a strong position, 2 – 0 in the 5-game series thanks to strong pitching performances by Jack Martin and Haakon Kalberg. Martin gave up 2 runs on a Bryce Calhoun triple in Game 1 but otherwise gave up only 1 hit, striking out 7 in 6 innings of work. The Things’ offence provided him with just run support, Luka Chevalier cracking a solo home run to lead off the 2nd after a Lingxin Dai RBI double in the 1st, and then Hisakawa adding the game-winning 2-out, 2-RBI double in the 7th. Long Liang gave up a 9th inning home run to pinch-hitter Kupe Lamale to briefly incite panic but managed to get the final 3 outs without further incident.

In Game 2, Kalberg threw hard for 7 strikeouts and just 1 earned run 7 innings, before being taken out after giving up 2 walks to lead off the 8th. He had helped his cause with 2 base hits, the first by any Things pitcher this tournament, including a single in the 2nd to set up a run-scoring rally as Isabella Gennarelli took 1st on a fielder’s choice and scored on a Tom Brøndum double, after Chevalier leadoff home run identical to his Game 1 blast – though hit to the opposite side of the field. So not that identical at all really. A couple of singles and a hit by pitch in the 7th loaded the bases to score even as Joakim Stensrud hit into a double play, and in the 8th Yutani drove in Brøndum. Steven Fulmer’s solo home run was the lone scoring effort for the Jaguars.

Jun Jiang is expected to stick with his listed rotation, starting Juzo Sakaguchi and Kojuro Takayama in games 3 and 4, given the 2 – 0 lead and allowing him to preserve Mayumi Kawakami should a game 5 be needed. While Tsukamoto is expected to start in place of Hisakawa, Theriault’s bat may not be far from a starting role should Tsukamoto’s poor form continue.

* Minimal League Baseball, the Quodite domestic league.

[TJUN-ia]

oh boy, here we go again. The form of old has returned to us at the worst possible time as Quintessence of Dust, a team who hasn't been this far since WBC14, are now on the brink of taking these Battin' Jags down in the Final 4 for the 2nd time in 6 years. TJUN-ia could almost feel a potential 7-game series on the horizon here at High Hill Field, the final place we will play at for this tournament no matter how far we go...but QOD is seriously G-O-O-D. How did this happen?

Game 1: Quintessence of Dust (24) 4-3 TJUN-ia (9) (QOD lead series 1-0)
This game was certainly tight, but the main factor here would be the pitching of one Jack Martin, who would certainly do brilliantly on the mound to stifle our batting capabilities. He would only give up 2 runs through a Bryce Calhoun triple but runs through a Luka Chevalier homer and two RBIs from Lingxin Dai and Naoko Hisakawa would be enough to give the Things the lead they wouldn't give up, despite the best efforts of Kupe Lamale, who was making a rare appearance for the Jags for unknown reasons.

Game 2: Quintessence of Dust (24) 4-1 TJUN-ia (9) (QOD lead series 2-0)
This game could be described with one player: Haakon Kalberg. He absolutely tore us apart with the ball and while Steven Fulmer did get a solo run in the 5th, that would be the only run we managed all day. Isabella Gennarelli, Luka Chevalier and a bunch of other Quodites were all involved in scoring another 4 runs - the magic number in this series so far - and we could do nothing but stand and watch as our hopes of a first final in a major championship is destroyed with every pitch.

You don't need me to say that Gene Almac vs Juzo Sakaguchi is a really important duel as if we lose that, then we're absolutely fucked. If we manage to survive that, then we can expect Jose Almas vs Kojuro Takayama in Game 4 and, if we manage something incredible, Kyle McNash would start his first playoff game of the campaign against Mayumi Kawakami in a do-or-die game. The Battin' Jags, once always on the front foot, are now in a deep hole that isn't impossible to get out of, but certainly improbable. I will duly sacrifice a rubber chicken in Margaret's honour, the first TJUN-ia will ever do in their history, and hope to the gods that we can come back from this. If we do, then it would join the Miracle on Ice in terms of infamy...if not, then who knows what needs to be done. GO JAGS!

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Semifinal Series: vs Quintessence of Dust (24/#11/20-10) @High Hill Field, Chromia, Capital District
Game 1: L 3-4 (0-1)
Game 2: L 1-4 (0-2)
Game 3:
Game 4:
Game 5:

[Zwangzug]

The Spenson Star

The Kerlagrad Courier is, to put it charitably, not known for its objectivity or journalistic rigor even by Zwangzugian standards. Yet its recent exhortation, upon the inadvisability of big innings, nevertheless seems to have borne fruit. Because in the deciding game of the quarterfinal, it was Kohnhead who put up their runs in the third, and Zwangzug who scored in the eighth--just enough, it transpired, to win the game ane the series.

The Pandas struck first against Marcia Swirsky, making her first start in the playoffs. Artur Wagstaff led off with a walk. Alvin Clayton bounced to Maia Solloway at third, who flipped to Abigail Noonan at second for the force. Lucca Hahn poked a single to the opposite field, making it first and third with one away. Jorgi Sarves attempted to consult with Swirsky, who got Jessie Cherry to strike out on a foul tip. That brought up Monica Ratcliff, one of the "two true outcomes"-style players on the Pandas. Unlike other sluggers, she doesn't have much of a batting eye, but she doesn't need to--she pulled the second pitch from Swirsky into the lower deck of the High Hill bleachers.

The damage was not done; Callie Dudley hit a long single that a nimbler runner might have gotten extra bases out of. Cecilia Dickerson walked to make the point semi-moot. That brought Liu out to discuss matters, while Whitney Chavez started to warm in the bullpen. Yes, it was the third inning, but it's game five! What do we have to lose!? Stuart Dorsey's single brought in Dudley, but Sandra Craft popped up to Aaron Grant-Mond to stop the rally. There was only the one game scheduled, but the conspiratorially-minded Swirsky must have wished she had a time machine to get another chance at that inning.

We don't know what Swirsky's teammates said to her on the bench. It can't have been much, as Veronica Adler, Eduard Kansone-Westing, and Kelly Tallis went down in order in the Zebras' half of the fourth. But maybe it was just "it's up to you, we're not trusting this to the bullpen," because she was lights-out through the sixth, when she was removed with the pitch count climbing. By then, the choice between Nelson Desai and Quentin Sirin may have seemed academic; the Zebras were no closer to mounting a rally off wunderkind Duncan Park. But that would change in the eighth.

It began inauspiciously, with Melissa Berger getting a backwards K on Kirsten Harris. But Veronica Adler drew a walk. Eduardo Kansone-Westing hit one out to the warning track, and Alvin Clayton tried to climb the wall, but it evaded his grasp for a two-run shot. Suddenly, the Zebras were alive and kicking. Tallis, after fouling off several pitches, choked up and got a bloop single. Maia Solloway's double pushed her in; 4-3. Berger departed for Kara Conroy (the Pandas' bullpen is an all-heifer pen), who plunked Abigail Noonan. A wild pitch made it second and third with one away, before Sarves popped up to Wagstaff at second. Griffith Puyo-Sachar lashed a single into deep center. Solloway scored easily, and Noonan challenged Hahn's arm. The play was close, but the umpire ruled that Sandra Craft had not gotten the tag down. The Pandas challenged--at this point, why not?--but the call held up under review, and somehow the Zebras had taken the lead. Aaron Grant-Mond hit another one out to Clayton; this one was caught short of the track. After all the turmoil, it was almost no surprise that Emily Schern-Montgomery pitched a perfect ninth for the save.

This means the Zebras will oppose the host Chromatika in the final series. The Outliers may take their name as a nod to their football counterparts, the Anomalies, although this will no doubt annoy statisticians trying to describe unusual occurrences in the box scores. Led by ace Hillary Angelou, who pitched a complete game against the Zebras two Classics ago, the hometown side has advanced by defeating HUElavia and The Sherpa Empire.

Elsewhere
Rain delays in baseball versus live music: a statistical analysis
Wally the Win-Expectancy Worm: an international tribute
Op-Ed: You can't give your secret agent the codename "Checkmate" and not invite us

[Chromatika]

This is the cutoff for Games 3 and 4.

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WBC 52 Playoffs
Semifinals Games 3 and 4
Games involving Chromatika were scored by Tumbra

Final Stage: Chromia
@ High Hill Field, Chromia, Capital District (Cap. 50,300)
SF.1: (01) Chromatika vs. (05) Zwangzug Game 3: 1:30 PM, Game 2: 7:05 PM

Game 3
Chromatika             0 0 1 0 0 0 0 7 1  9
Zwangzug               0 0 0 0 0 2 0 1 0  3

Game 4
Chromatika             1 0 0 1 0 0 3 0 0  5
Zwangzug               2 0 0 0 3 1 3 0 X  9

Series tied, 2-2.

SF.2: (02) TJUN-ia vs. (11) Quintessence of Dust Game 3: 7:05 PM, Game 4: 1:30 PM

Game 3
TJUN-ia                   0 0 1 0 0 0 1 2 0  4
Quintessence of Dust      0 2 0 1 4 0 0 0 X  7

(11) Quintessence of Dust wins the series, 3-0.

Higher seeded team is the home team for Game 5.

Schedule for Game 5
Chromatika vs. Zwangzug - Game 5: 1:30 PM

[Quintessence of Dust]

(Provisional) box score as posted on the TalkBaseball.qd website.

                          AB   R   H  RBI BB   K  LOB  AVG  HR  RBI
T. Brøndum CF              4   2   2   1   1   1   3  .342   4  15
L. Dai 1B                  5   0   4   1   0   0   1  .328   6  19
K. Yutani 2B               5   0   1   0   0   1   5  .273   2  12
J. Stensrud C              3   0   1   1   1   0   3  .265   4  20
L. Chevalier LF            5   0   0   0   0   1   7  .270   4  14
T. Watanabe SS             4   1   0   0   1   3   2  .162   0   1
J. Tsukamoto 3B            4   1   3   2   0   1   2  .244   2   3
J. Sakaguchi P             2   1   0   0   1   1   1  .000   0   0
  B. Beaufils P            0   0   0   0   0   0   0  .000   0   0
  a–I. Gennarelli PH       1   0   1   0   0   0   0  .275   2  13
  K. Wahl P                0   0   0   0   0   0   0  .000   0   0
  J-N. Boudreaux P         0   0   0   0   0   0   0  .000   0   0
  M. Ryan P                0   0   0   0   0   0   0  .000   0   0
B. Wilson RF               3   1   3   2   1   0   0  .297   3  18

a–I. Gennarelli pinch-hits for B. Beaufils in the 6th

Doubles: B. Wilson (7, 2nd inning, 1 on, 1 out), I. Gennarelli (7, 6th inning, 1 on, 2 outs)
Triples: J. Tsukamoto (1, 5th inning, 1 on, 0 outs)
Home runs: J. Tsukamoto (2, 2nd inning, 0 on, 1 out), B. Wilson (3, 5th inning, 1 on, 1 out), T. Brøndum (4, 5th inning, 0 on, 1 out)
Total bases: J. Tsukamoto 8, B. Wilson 7, T. Brøndum 5, L. Dai 4, I. Gennarelli 2, J. Stensrud, K. Yutani
2-out RBI: L. Dai, J. Stensrud
Runners left in scoring position, 2 outs: L. Chevalier 3, J. Stensrud 2, J. Tsukamoto
Hit by Pitch: J. Stensrud
Team LOB: 10

FIELDING
Errors: B. Wilson (1)

                            IP  H   R  ER  BB   K  HR  PI  PS   ERA
J. Sakaguchi W (6 – 1)     5.0  2   1   0   1   3   0  73  41  1.84
B. Beaufils                1.0  0   0   0   0   2   0  10   9  4.80
K. Wahl                    1.0  1   1   1   2   1   0  24  12  4.34
J-N. Boudreaux             1.0  2   2   2   1   0   0  22  12  2.40
M. Ryan SV (1)             1.0  0   0   0   0   0   0   7   4  8.55

Game score: J. Sakaguchi 65
Batters faced: J. Sakaguchi 18, B. Beaufils 3, K. Wahl 6, J-N. Boudreaux 6, M. Ryan 3
Ground outs – fly outs: J. Sakaguchi 5 – 6, B. Beaufils 0 – 1, K. Wahl 0 – 2, J-N. Boudreaux 3 – 0, M. Ryan 2 – 1

Scoring plays:

2.1: Jiro Tsukamoto homers on a flyball to left. Jiro Tsukamoto scores.

2.2: Lingxin Dai singles on a flyball to left. Juzo Sakaguchi scores.

4.2: Joakim Stensrud hit by pitch with the bases loaded. Tom Brøndum scores.

5.0: Jiro Tsukamoto triples on a flyball to centre-right. Teijo Watanabe scores.

5.1: Ben Wilson homers on a line drive to left. Jiro Tsukamoto scores. Ben Wilson scores.

5.1: Tom Brøndum homers on a flyball to centre-left. Tom Brøndum scores.

[Chromatika]

Part 1: The Plan

Part 2: The Debrief

Major Konrad "Echo" Springer, Chromatik Special Forces, sat silent as a statue in the chair that had been provided for him by the Staff Sergeant at Chromatik Army Headquarters. It was a bit odd to be at the Army building, but that was where he had been ordered for the debrief, and he wouldn't have gotten as far as he had if he asked questions.

The operation had gone off without a hitch. They'd grabbed the two targets, and subdued them while Bastion and Checkmate had taken care of the bodyguards without much issue. Extraction had gone swimmingly, and they were halfway back to Chromia within fifteen minutes.

That was when everything went haywire. The pilot of the plane that they were on detected two surface-to-air missiles aimed at the plane, coming from an undisclosed location due to radar masking technology. Thankfully, the plane had been equipped with flares and other anti-missile defenses, and they were able to shake off the two missiles and deliver their prisoners to the previously designated location.

As he awaited for General April McLeod to see him, the Major thought over the ballistics report that he had received regarding the missiles that had been aimed at them. They were of Chromatik make, used back during the time of the Rainbow Revolution. All of those weapons were supposed to be locked away or under the possession of the Chromatik military. This meant one of two things: they had a traitor in their midst, or there were missiles that nobody knew about that had been presumed lost.

"The General will see you now, Major," replied the Staff Sergeant. Springer brought himself to attention and entered the room after the Staff Sergeant opened the door.

Inside was Major General April McLeod, the head of Chromatika's Special Forces. McLeod had been brought up as an Army brat through and through, but was known for her ability to work with other branches of the Chromatik armed forces, which made her the ideal person to head up the Chromatik Special Forces division. Chromatika didn't have a special force per branch of the military; they all worked together to keep their country safe.

"At ease, Major," McLeod stated flatly as Springer saluted her, "We've worked with each other before, and it's been a long day. It's been a while since we've seen a TWIN aimed at once of our planes. All four thousand, three hundred, twenty-seven missiles that are recorded to have been seized from the Chromatik Party are still accounted for. Any idea where these TWINs came from?"

"We're going through intel now, Ma'am," he replied curtly, "Chances are that some were hidden from us after the Chromatik Party fell. The better question is why use them now, and why for these two people that we have as prisoners. They must've known that we have anti-missile technology on our planes - there is no way they didn't foresee that we would be able to stop that plane from being hit."

"They're suspects related to that series of murders a while back, right? Of Ga-yeong Han and then the Representative? Have they been identified yet or said anything?" pressed McLeod.

"No, Ma'am," Springer responded, "They don't show up on any of our databases and they don't have any fingerprints. There is a crest on one of their shirts that reminds me of something else, though, and that worries me."

"Go on," motioned McLeod, a glint catching in her eye.

"Yes, Ma'am," continued Springer, "There was that seminar that our friends in Banija had for us a while ago, headed by Col. Chima Ogbonna. He taught us advanced cryptoanalysis, or the art of breaking codes that aren't designed to be broken. I recognize this symbol here as being the key of a code, or the part of the code that can be used to break everything around it. With the computational ability that we have at our disposal, we should have this broken in a day or so, but the fact that these two are using something that requires this sophisticated of a key is alarming."

McLeod nodded solmenly.

"All right. Have at it, and keep me posted. Word of this stays with your team, the analyst that you've entrusted the coding to, their staff, and nobody else. I'm reporting directly to the Premier on this. If there is someone that have TWIN surface-to-air missiles, there is no knowing what else they have at their disposal. If they have WARHOGS, DINOS, or heavens forbid a WEREHAWK, we're in serious trouble."

Springer stood up, saluted, and marched out of the room. Time was of the essence.

As the Major left, Major General April McLeod sighed, the words of one Alina Krasnikova rushing back to her from that fateful day when the Chromatik Party had surrendered.

"Of course," she had stated back when she was in intelligence and not the first Premier of Chromatika, "There is no way of knowing if everything we are seizing today is what is actually out there. Whoever runs this country in the days to come will always have the looming shadow of things that were never said. May it never come back to claim innocent lives."

They needed to find these skeletons in Chromatika's closet, and find them fast.

TWIN - Standard surface-to-air missile.
WARHOG - A half-tank that can go through both dry and wet land.
DINO - A standard tank with multiple cannons and small missile ports.
WEREHAWK - A large bomber with the ability to carry heavy ordinance.

[Chromatika]

This is your Semifinals Game 5 Cutoff.

---

WBC 52 Playoffs
Semifinals Games 5
Games involving Chromatika were scored by Tumbra

Final Stage: Chromia
@ High Hill Field, Chromia, Capital District (Cap. 50,300)
SF.1: (01) Chromatika vs. (05) Zwangzug Game 5: 7:05 PM

Game 5
Zwangzug               0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0  2
Chromatika             1 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 X  3

(01) Chromatika wins series, 3-2.

---

WBC 52 Playoffs
Championship, Third Place Playoff Games 1 and 2

Final Stage: Chromia
@ National Stadium, Chromia, Capital District (Cap. 44,320)
F.1: (01) Chromatika vs. (11) Quintessence of dust Games 1, 2: 7:05 PM

3P.1: (02) TJUN-ia vs. (05) Zwangzug Games 1, 2: 1:30 PM
Reminder that there is a BYE tomorrow.

[Zwangzug]

The Spenson Star

The Asterism: Five Stars of Five Games

Of all the many things I don't miss about capitalism, one of the things I miss least is the shoehorned promotions during broadcasts. "There's a double, brought to you by Dictine! A sacrifice fly, sponsored by Spiream! The on-deck hitter adjusting her donuts, brought to you by Peak'n'Break, because everyone loves breakfast food!" So you can be sure that this list is unbiased and not brought to you by anything but my own opinions. And the advantage of waiting till after the series is you know there won't be any more comebacks. (Alas.)

Game 1: Hillary Angelou, Chromatika

It might be strange to go with someone who got a no-decision--she exited in the seventh, with the Outliers yet to score--but it's impossible to overlook Angelou's composure. She wasn't afraid to pitch inside, crossing up Maia Solloway and Aaron Grant-Mond on some high heat. But more importantly, even when the Zebras were threatening or managed to push a run across, she was able to keep it low and induce grounders to get out of the jam, keeping her team in the game long enough to rally.

Game 2: Kirsten Harris, Zwangzug

The Zebras have never been a larceny-inclined team, content to play the odds at bat rather than risking extra outs on the basepaths. But Harris was a menace with her long leads at first, beginning with a leadoff walk in the first, a single in the fourth, and another walk off Ollie Bier in the sixth--the Zebras having knocked Oscar de Witt out by then. With Harris keeping him distracted by his pickoff move, de Witt found it difficult to get into a rhythm, and Harris never even needed to steal outright--the rest of the Zebra lineup pushed her around anyway.

Game 3: Nila Aspen, Chromatika

A pinch hitter who comes off the bench to deliver a game-tying home run in the eighth is always going to be in contention for the star of the game. If your pinch hitter hits two home runs in the same late-inning rally, something has gone very, very, right, or in this case, you're just playing the Zebras.

Game 4: Jorgi Sarves, Zwangzug

In the top of the seventh, Sarves was kept busy walking out to keep Nelson Desai--and then Natalie Chepas-Wood--on task, as the Outliers pulled within one. Leading off the bottom, he worked the count on Truman Savant, fouling several off and eventually drawing a walk, difficult indeed against the "immaculate inning" man. In both cases, you could sense him buying time even in a game without a clock, calming the turbulence until the Zebras got their act back together. Tyrone Augustus-Vonn would eventually push him in in the seventh for an extra run, and while that and the others didn't turn out to be necessary, you definitely couldn't have been sure of that at the time.

Game 5: Hine Salle, Chromatika

The decisive fifth game wasn't quite an echo of the first, but the Outliers had to cling to a 3-2 lead in the late innings. Zwangzug came close to mounting a threat, with the tying run getting ninety feet away in the eighth (Kelly Tallis, in off the bench) and one hundred eighty feet away in the ninth (Abigail Noonan). But Salle's heat froze Solloway and Doug Pratt to close out the series, and send the hosts to the championship. They'll face the Things of Quintessence of Dust, while Zwangzug will get a rematch against TJUN-ia, who eliminated them in WBC 50. Who will be the next "constellation" to light up the Chromia sky?

[Quintessence of Dust]

The New Cleethorpes Enquirer
President sends team message ahead of Game 1

President Natalia Kivistö, herself a former member of the Quodite national baseball team, has sent a message of encouragement to the Things ahead of their World Baseball Classic final series. President Kivistö, re-elected last year in a landslide on a platform of “Neoliberalism with Quodite characteristics”, congratulated the Things on becoming the first ever team from Quintessence of Dust to reach the final of a World Baseball Classic and assured them that nightly screenings in New Cleethorpes, Highmark and Nowy Orpington would be watched by “millions – including myself”. Very few Things fans have been able to make the trip to Chromatika, but holoimaging will broadcast the games in 3D detail back in Quintessence of Dust, including its Lunar and Martian settlements.

The Things powered their way into the finals with an unexpected sweep of TJUN-ia’s Jaguars, made all the more surprising by the loss to injury of star shortstop Naoko Hisakawa. Jiro Tsukamoto, who will probably start Game 1 in her place, stepped up in Game 3 with a home run and a triple, while Ben Wilson and Tom Brøndum added back-to-back home runs to support winning pitcher Juzo Sakaguchi. Over the series, the Things were propelled by three strong starting pitching performances, which will need to be replicated against their opponents, hosts Chromatika, whose Outliers have very much not lost their own star hitting shortstop, Alisen Moyamoto. With the sweep affording two days of rest, ace Jack Martin is expected to pitch Game 1.

The Outliers were taken to Game 5 by the Zebras of Zwangzug, meaning the Things benefit from extra rest. Neither team has produced prodigious offensive power through the tournament, the Things in particular struggling to find the fences. As hosts Chromatika will clearly enjoy a home advantage and familiarity with the National Stadium in Chromia. All factors that should make for a close series – but win or lose, these Things will certainly return home fêted for one of the greatest achievements in the nation’s long/short and mostly ignominious history.

[Chromatika]

Part 1: The Plan
Part 2: The Debrief

Part 3: The Shadow Hand

In the Jungles of Eyrods, deep below the earth, there was a compound.

Back in the early days of the Rainbow Revolution, there was what was called the Red Enclave. It had been eradicated by the Chromatik Party's forces, but what Chromatika didn't know was that the elements that had been sacrificed weren't the true part of the Red Enclave. No, there were three hundred and fifty-two people who had survived, and they were the actual brains behind the organization.

The Shadow Hand bided their time for ten years. They still had their contacts that kept them well supplied. For a number of years, they just looked on as Chromatika did its best to help out the community that it had wronged. It saw that Chromatika was making a real effort, so the Shadow Hand looked on.

Then, the remnants of the Chromatik Party turned into the Checkers Party, and then the Traditionalist Party. Everybody noticed that they were the same faces but with different names. They tried to stop the first free election, and now, they were against Foxchester and the move to Anaia not because they had anything against Anaian nations but because it divided the nation.

That was when The Shadow Hand started to make moves. Han was a necessary sacrifice - a wakeup call, as the Chromatik footballer had had money supporting the wrong things, whether it be on purpose or otherwise. The Representative was more of a statement.

Yes, two of them had been caught by the Chromatik Special Forces, and yes, the Shadow Hand had sent two missiles after them for a message to the Chromatik government.

They would not be denied. Not any longer. Justice would be served.

[Chromatika]

This is your cutoff for the first two games of the World Baseball Classic Finals and Third Place Playoff.

---

WBC 52 Playoffs
Championship, Third Place Playoff Games 1 and 2
Series containing Chromatika scored by Tumbra

Final Stage: Chromia
@ National Stadium, Chromia, Capital District (Cap. 44,320)
F.1: (01) Chromatika vs. (11) Quintessence of dust Games 1, 2: 7:05 PM

Game 1
Quintessence of Dust      2 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0  3
Chromatika                2 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 X  4

Game 2
Quintessence of Dust      0 1 0 0 2 0 0 0 0  3
Chromatika                0 0 2 0 1 1 0 2 X  6

Chromatika leads the series, 2-0.

3P.1: (02) TJUN-ia vs. (05) Zwangzug Games 1, 2: 1:30 PM

Game 1
Zwangzug               0 0 0 8 0 2 0 0 3 13
TJUN-ia                0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1  2

Game 2
Zwangzug               0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 1  3
TJUN-ia                0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0  2

Zwangzug leads the series, 2-0.

Chromatika vs. Quintessence of Dust, Games 3 and 4: 1:30 PM
TJUN-ia vs. Zwangzug, Games 3 and 4 if necessary: 7:05 PM

[Quintessence of Dust]

(Provisional) box scores as posted on the TalkBaseball.qd website.

                          AB   R   H  RBI BB   K  LOB  AVG  HR  RBI
T. Brøndum RF              4   0   2   0   0   0   0  .345   4  15
L. Dai 3B                  4   1   2   1   0   0   1  .333   7  20
L. Chevalier LF            4   0   0   0   0   1   2  .261   4  14
S. Borgþórsson 1B          4   2   3   2   0   0   0  .307   5  22
B. Wilson CF               4   0   0   0   0   1   1  .289   3  18
J. Stensrud C              4   0   2   0   0   0   0  .271   4  20
J. Tsukamoto SS            4   0   0   0   0   3   3  .232   2   3
J. Martin P                2   0   0   0   0   0   0  .000   0   0
  a–S. Akerström PH        1   0   0   0   0   0   1  .240   3  17
  M. Ryan P                0   0   0   0   0   0   0  .000   0   0
  B. Beaufils P            0   0   0   0   0   0   0  .000   0   0
  b–T. Watanabe PH         0   0   0   0   1   0   0  .162   0   1
K. Yutani 2B               3   0   0   0   0   0   0  .000   0   0
  c–I. Gennarelli PH       1   0   0   0   0   0   3  .274   2  13

a–S. Akerström pinch-hit for J. Martin in the 7th
b–T. Watanabe pinch-hit for B. Beaufils in the 9th
c–I. Gennarelli pinch-hit for K. Yutani in the 9th

Home runs: L. Dai (7, 1st inning, 0 on, 1 out), S. Borgþórsson 2 (5, 1st inning, 0 on, 2 outs; 7th inning, 0 on, 0 outs)
Total bases: S. Borgþórsson 9, L. Dai 5, T. Brøndum 2, J. Stensrud 2
2-out RBI: S. Borgþórsson 
Runners left in scoring position, 2 outs: I. Gennarelli 2
Team LOB: 6

FIELDING
Double plays: 1 (Dai – Yutani – Borgþórsson)

                            IP  H   R  ER  BB   K  HR  PI  PS   ERA
J. Martin                  6.0  4   3   3   0   7   1  72  49  2.19
M. Ryan                    1.0  0   0   0   0   1   0  10   7  8.14
B. Beaufils L (0 – 2)      1.0  1   1   1   0   1   0  15  10  5.06

Game score: J. Martin 59
Batters faced: J. Martin 22, M. Ryan 3, B. Beaufils 4
Ground outs – fly outs: J. Martin 5 – 5, M. Ryan 1 – 1, B. Beaufils 1 – 1
WP: J. Martin
Hit batspersons: J. Martin
Balk: B. Beaufils

Scoring plays:

1.1: Lingxin Dai homers on a flyball to left. Lingxin Dai scores.

1.2: Sigurkarl Borgþórsson homers on a line drive to centre-right. Sigurkarl Borgþórsson scores.

7.0: Sigurkarl Borgþórsson homers on a flyball to left-centre. Sigurkarl Borgþórsson scores.

                          AB   R   H  RBI BB   K  LOB  AVG  HR  RBI
T. Brøndum RF              5   0   2   0   0   0   0  .347   4  15
L. Dai 3B                  4   0   0   0   0   1   3  .324   7  20
  K. Wahl P                0   0   0   0   0   0   0  .000   0   0
  b–I. Gennarelli PH       1   0   0   0   0   0   0  .272   2  13
L. Chevalier LF            3   0   1   0   2   0   1  .263   4  14
S. Borgþórsson 1B          5   1   3   1   0   1   2  .317   5  23
B. Wilson CF               5   0   1   1   0   1   6  .286   3  19
J. Stensrud C              4   0   0   0   0   1   1  .264   4  20
J. Tsukamoto SS            4   0   1   0   0   0   0  .233   2   3
H. Kalberg P               3   1   2   1   0   1   2  .444   1   1
  M. Ryan P                0   0   0   0   0   0   0  .000   0   0
  H. Liang P               0   0   0   0   0   0   0  .000   0   0
  a–S. Akerström PH, 3B    1   0   1   0   0   0   0  .246   3  17
K. Yutani 2B               4   1   1   0   0   1   4  .273   2  12

a–S. Akerström pinch-hit for H. Liang in the 8th
b–I. Gennarelli pinch-hit for K. Wahl in the 9th

Doubles: S. Borgþórsson 2 (20, 2nd inning, 0 on, 0 outs; 9th inning, 1 on, 2 outs), B. Wilson (8, 2nd inning, 1 on, 0 outs), K. Yutani (7, 5th inning, 0 on, 0 outs)
Home runs: H. Kalberg (1, 5th inning, 0 on, 0 outs)
Total bases: H. Kalberg 5, S. Borgþórsson 5, B. Wilson 2, K. Yutani 2, T. Brøndum 2, J. Tsukamoto, L. Chevalier, S. Akerström
Runners left in scoring position, 2 outs: B. Wilson 5, K. Yutani 2
Team LOB: 11

BASERUNNING
SB: S. Borgþórsson (2), T. Brøndum 2 (15)

FIELDING
Errors: J. Tsukamoto (5)
Double plays: 1 (Tsukamoto – Yutani – Borgþórsson)

                            IP  H   R  ER  BB   K  HR  PI  PS   ERA
H. Kalberg L (5 – 2)       6.0  6   4   4   2   4   2  85  53  2.15
M. Ryan                    0.0  0   0   0   2   0   0  11   2  0.00
H. Liang                   1.0  1   2   2   0   1   1  18  11  2.77
K. Wahl                    1.0  1   0   0   0   0   0  13   8  0.00

Game score: H. Kalberg 48
Batters faced: H. Kalberg 26, M. Ryan 2, H. Liang 4, K. Wahl 4
Ground outs – fly outs: H. Kalberg 9 – 4, M. Ryan 0 – 0, H. Liang 1 – 0, K. Wahl 2 – 1
Inherited runners – scored: H. Liang 2 – 0
Hit batspersons: H. Liang

Scoring plays:

2.0: Ben Wilson doubles on a line drive to left. Sigurkarl Borgþórsson scores.

5.0: Haakon Kalberg homers on a flyball to right. Haakon Kalberg scores.

5.1: Sigurkarl Borgþórsson grounds out on a groundball to right. Kaori Yutani scores.

TalkBaseball.qd

A website. For talking. About baseball.

Kawakami to pitch elimination game as Things fight for survival
Posted by sox2BU2

With two playoff elimination wins behind her, the Things’ chances of remaining in the World Baseball Classic Championship race will once again be put in the hands of left-handed submarine knuckleballer Mayumi Kawakami. Should the Things lose Game 3 to go 3 – 0 down to the Outliers, Kawakami will be promoted to #4 in the rotation; should they win Game 3, she will be held back to pitch Game 5. The strategy if the Things win both Games 3 and 4 is less clear – but after their insipid showing in Games 1 and 2, such an eventuality may not be foremost in manager Jun Jiang’s mind.

The Things outhit the Outliers 9 – 5, walking three times to 5 strikeouts compared to a 0:7 walk-to-strikeout ratio for their opponents, yet came away 4 – 3 losers. Sigurkarl Borgþórsson belted two huge solo home runs as his bat finally found a little a pop late in the campaign, adding to a first inning solo-shot from Lingxin Dai, but the three home runs proved the only scoring plays of the day for the Things as they failed to convert further hits into extra bases or runs. Jack Martin’s numbers on the mound masked an ineffective showing: he surrendered a leadoff home run to Mattieu Gammond and hit Alisen Moyamoto on his next pitch, scoring her on a subsequent wild pitch after she progressed to 3rd on a George Ducat line drive single. In the 3rd Moyamoto’s base hit scored Kenra Annovar, who had tripled.

Martin left the game with the scores tied having thrown just 72 pitches, with Jun Jiang doubtless wanting to keep him fresh for potential short use and also wanting to get Stig Akerström an early pinch-hitting opportunity with runners on base – he ground into a fielder’s choice, and thereafter the Quodite relievers gave up the win in embarrassing fashion, with Benoît Beaufils giving up a double to pinch-hitter Gregory Simons, who subsequently scored on what was essentially a game-winning (or losing) balk call after Beaufils lost his balance.

Game 2 saw Borgþórsson retain his starting place despite Oscar de Witt starting, rewarding his manager with his first hit off a left-handed pitcher this tournament, finishing with 3 total hits, 2 doubles, and 2 RBIs. Pitcher Haakon Kalberg became the first Things pitcher to homer in this tournament when he crushed his opposite number 405 feet deep to right field. Kalberg, who added a base-hit and is hitting 4-for-9 overall, however gave up 4 runs on a 2-run Mathieu Gammond double and solo home runs for Ducat and Harold Dante; Edith Ponce’s 2-run shot off closer Hong Liang sealed the game for the Outliers.

With Jiro Tsukamoto failing to impress with the bat or glove, going 1–8 with 3 strikeouts and a groundball error, it may be time for Jack Theriault to earn his debut at shortstop, though Borgþórsson’s excellent form and a recovery of Wilson’s bat does give power options in the middle order. Joakim Stensrud’s form has nosedived and he will anyway sit for Yazhu Long should Kawakami start – but it is the relievers giving Jun Jiang the biggest headache. While they have never entered behind formidable run support, a collective ERA of 4.95, HR/9 of over 1.1, and WHIP of 1.29 all speak to an inability to provide shutdown pitching late, which has yet again cost the Things despite generally good performances from their starters.

[Zwangzug]

The Spenson Star

Peanuts and cracker jack. Cake and ice cream. Merano and Bangkok. The Zebras and finishing third aren't quite as iconic a duo as some, but they're up there, and could pass Cassadaigua for uncontested "leaders" in this dubious category with a victory over TJUN-ia, after taking a 2-0 lead at the National Stadium in Chromia.

Zwangzug asserted their intentions by putting up eight runs in the fourth inning against Chris Harris--no relation to Kirsten, who led off with a sliding triple and quickly came around to score on a Veronica Adler single. By the time Kirsten returned to the plate, it was 5-0, and a double to left brought in Aaron Grand-Mond and Griffith Puyo-Sachar. (Carol Snedar-Berg had settled for a sacrifice fly to Rafael Llorente in center when it came to helping her own cause, no doubt preferring to stay warm in her jacket on the bench and enjoy the long rest.) Adler would single again to push Kirsten in for the second time that inning, before Eduardo Kansone-Westing fouled off to third to end the decisive rally. The Zebras would put up five more runs via the long ball, however, with Jorgi Sarves going deep off of Harrison Kyle in the sixth, and Grant-Mond hitting a three-run shot in the top of the ninth--provoking the usual round of social media comments about how the Zebras definitely needed those extra three runs, you never can be sure with Zwangzug. To his credit, Nelson Desai pitched a perfect ninth in the decidedly non-save situation.

Game 2 was a much closer affair. Statistically, results in these sort of games where a couple of bounces could have made the difference are not as associated with overall team quality as scores in blowouts, but fans can nevertheless be forgiven for assuming that it was their teams' nerves or intangibles that provided the winning edge. Certainly, Zwangzug needed more mental resilience to play from (slightly) behind, which they fell in the fourth via a solo homer from Bryce Calhoun. Facing Davis Johnson, however, Sarves reprised his leadership from the semifinal series by working the count and styming the Jags' #2. (TJUN-ia appear to have uniform numbers 1-5 reserved for the starting rotation, and give the position players some of the high double-digits instead.) Sarves would wind up with a long single to left, but declined to take the extra base on his slow catcher's legs. Puyo-Sachar struck out swinging, and Wenjie Liu sent up Kelly Tallis to hit for Kirby Montrose. Sending it to the bullpen in the fourth was precarious, but hey, it's the third-place series, who really cares. Anyway, Tallis made Liu look like a genius by doubling to score Sarves, and Whitney Chavez got through the fifth and six unscathed. A Kansone-Westing double scored Adler in the seventh, and Chavez took the mound once again. Matoko Kagawa led off with a soft grounder to second that Abigail Noonan misplayed, and Liu let Chavez continue--it wasn't her fault, really--until Joe Gregory's double off the wall tied the game and ended Chavez' night (afternoon?). Natalie Chepas-Wood got out of it, and the eighth was scoreless.

Doug Pratt led off the ninth with a single off Carlos Buena, pitching since the Jags could only win via walkoff at that point. Grant-Mond flew out to shallow left, and Pratt could not advance. Kirsten Harris grounded into a fielder's choice to Ki Yung-son at shortstop; Liu disagreed with the call, but it held up upon video appeal. With two outs, Adler drew a walk to keep the inning alive, and Kansone-Westing blasted a hit into center field to give the Zebras the lead. Adler was thrown out going for third, however, leading to another round of "was Liu crazy or does she know something we don't."

True to form, Emily Schern-Montgomery led off the ninth by plunking pinch-hitter Kupe Lamale. However, she would retire Pedro Moires on a pop-up back to the mound, and when Ki grounded to Puyo-Sachar at third, the double play was turned almost before fans could process the "we're one out away, don't blow it now" tension.

Brianna Nguyen will take the mound for game three. Fans tend to agree that her promotion to the third spot in the rotation is a nod to her seniority as well as Liu's familiarity with her from the east side. But it's also nice not have to worry about going through those 2-0 comebacks like last time around.

[Chromatika]

Cutoff for Games 3 and 4 of the Finals and the 3PPO.

---

WBC 52 Playoffs
Championship, Third Place Playoff Games 3 and 4
Series containing Chromatika scored by Tumbra

Final Stage: Chromia
@ National Stadium, Chromia, Capital District (Cap. 44,320)
F.1: (01) Chromatika vs. (11) Quintessence of dust Games 3, 4: 1:30 PM

Game 3
Chromatika                0 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 0  3
Quintessence of Dust      2 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 X  5

Game 4
Chromatika                2 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1  4
Quintessence of Dust      0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0  1

Chromatika leads the series, 3-1.

3P.1: (02) TJUN-ia vs. (05) Zwangzug Games 3, 4 if necessary: 7:05 PM

Game 3
TJUN-ia                0 0 2 0 0 0 2 1 0  5
Zwangzug               1 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0  3

Game 4
TJUN-ia                0 5 1 0 0 0 0 0 1  7
Zwangzug               0 0 0 2 3 0 4 1 X 10

(05) Zwangzug wins the series, 3-1.

Chromatika vs. Quintessence of Dust, Game 5: 7:05 PM

[Quintessence of Dust]

(Provisional) box scores as posted on the TalkBaseball.qd website.

                          AB   R   H  RBI BB   K  LOB  AVG  HR  RBI
T. Brøndum RF              4   1   3   0   1   0   1  .356   4  15
L. Dai 3B                  4   0   0   1   0   0   5  .314   7  21
L. Chevalier LF            3   1   1   0   1   0   1  .264   4  14
  c–J. Tsukamoto PH        1   0   0   0   0   0   1  .230   2   3
  d–I. Gennarelli CF       0   0   0   0   0   0   0  .272   2  13
S. Borgþórsson 1B          4   2   4   3   0   0   0  .336   7  26
J. Stensrud C              4   0   0   1   0   0   4  .258   4  21
J. Theriault SS            4   0   2   0   0   0   4  .500   0   0
K. Yutani 2B               4   0   2   0   0   0   4  .278   2  12
J. Sakaguchi P             2   0   0   0   0   0   1  .000   0   0
  a–T. Watanabe PH         1   0   1   0   0   0   0  .184   0   1
  J. Isaacson P            0   0   0   0   0   0   0  .000   0   0
  C. Young P               0   0   0   0   0   0   0  .000   0   0
  M. Ryan P                0   0   0   0   0   0   0  .000   0   0
  b–S. Akerström PH        1   0   0   0   0   1   2  .244   3  17
  J. Scherer P             0   0   0   0   0   0   0  .000   0   0
  H. Liang P               0   0   0   0   0   0   0  .000   0   0 
B. Wilson CF, LF           2   1   0   0   2   1   1  .282   3  19

a–T. Watanabe pinch-hit for J. Sakaguchi in the 5th
b–S. Akerström pinch-hit for M. Ryan in the 7th
c–J. Tsukamoto pinch-hit for L. Chevalier in the 8th
d–I. Gennarelli substituted for J. Tsukamoto in the 9th

Doubles: T. Watanabe (3, 6th inning, 0 on, 0 outs), J. Theriault (1, 7th inning, 0 on, 2 outs)
Home runs: S. Borgþórsson 2 (7, 5th inning, 0 on, 0 outs; 7th inning, 0 on, 1 out)
Total bases: S. Borgþórsson 10, J. Theriault 3, T. Brøndum 3, T. Watanabe 2, K. Yutani, L. Chevalier
Runners left in scoring position, 2 outs: K. Yutani 2, L. Dai 2, J. Theriault, T. Brøndum, L. Chevalier
GIDP: K. Yutani, L. Dai
Hit by Pitch: L. Dai
Team LOB: 9

BASERUNNING
SB: T. Brøndum (16), L. Chevalier (2), S. Borgþórsson (3), K. Yutani (5)

FIELDING
Errors: J. Sakaguchi (1), S. Borgþórsson (2)
Double plays: 1 (Dai – Yutani – Borgþórsson)

                            IP  H   R  ER  BB   K  HR  PI  PS   ERA
J. Sakaguchi W (7 – 1)     5.0  4   2   2   3   5   0  83  50  2.00
J. Isaacson                0.1  1   1   1   0   0   0   8   5  5.40
C. Young                   0.2  1   0   0   0   0   0  10   5  6.75
M. Ryan H (6)              1.0  0   0   0   0   1   0  15  10  7.77
J. Scherer H (3)           1.0  0   0   0   0   1   0  12  10  6.75
H. Liang SV (17)           1.0  0   0   0   1   1   0  14   7  2.70

Game score: J. Sakaguchi 53
Batters faced: J. Sakaguchi 22, J. Isaacson 2, C. Young 3, M. Ryan 3, J. Scherer 3, H. Liang 4
Ground outs – fly outs: J. Sakaguchi 3 – 5, J. Scherer 2 – 0, J. Isaacson 0 – 1, C. Young 2 – 0, M. Ryan 1 – 1, J. Scherer 1 – 1, H. Liang 1 – 0
Inherited runners – scored: C. Young 1 – 1
WP: J. Sakaguchi

Scoring plays:

1.1: Sigurkarl Borgþórsson singles on a groundball to right. Tom Brøndum scores.

1.1: Joakim Stensrund grounds out on a groundball to third base. Luka Chevalier scores.

4.1: Lingxin Dai grounds out on a groundball to first base. Ben Wilson scores.

5.0: Sigurkarl Borgþórsson homers on a flyball to centre-right. Sigurkarl Borgþórsson scores.

7.1: Sigurkarl Borgþórsson homers on a flyball to right. Sigurkarl Borgþórsson scores.

                          AB   R   H  RBI BB   K  LOB  AVG  HR  RBI
T. Brøndum RF              3   0   0   0   1   1   3  .350   4  15
L. Dai 3B                  4   0   0   0   0   0   1  .306   7  21
L. Chevalier LF            4   0   1   0   0   1   1  .264   4  14
S. Borgþórsson 1B          4   1   1   1   0   0   1  .333   8  27
J. Stensrud C              3   0   1   0   1   0   0  .259   4  21
J. Theriault SS            3   0   0   0   1   2   2  .286   0   0
K. Yutani 2B               3   0   2   0   1   1   0  .286   2  12
K. Takayama P              0   0   0   0   0   0   0  .000   0   0
  a–I. Gennarelli PH       1   0   0   0   0   1   1  .271   2  13
  M. Ryan P                0   0   0   0   0   0   0  .000   0   0
  B. Beaufils P            0   0   0   0   0   0   0  .000   0   0
  b–J. Tsukamoto PH        1   0   1   0   0   0   0  .239   2   3
  J-N. Boudreaux P         0   0   0   0   0   0   0  .000   0   0
  H. Liang P               0   0   0   0   0   0   0  .000   0   0
  C. Young P               0   0   0   0   0   0   0  .000   0   0
  c–Y. Long PH             1   0   0   0   0   1   1  .152   2   5
B. Wilson CF               3   0   0   0   1   0   2  .276   3  19

a–I. Gennarelli pinch-hit for K. Takayama in the 5th
b–J. Tsukamoto pinch-hit for B. Beaufils in the 7th
c–Y. Long pinch-hit for C. Young in the 9th

Doubles: J. Stensrud (14, 2nd inning, 0 on, 0 outs), J. Tsukamoto (4, 7th inning, 0 on, 2 outs)
Home runs: S. Borgþórsson (8, 8th inning, 0 on, 2 outs)
Total bases: S. Borgþórsson 4, J. Stensrud 2, K. Yutani 2, J. Tsukamoto 2, L. Chevalier
2-out RBI: S. Borgþórsson
Runners left in scoring position, 2 outs: B. Wilson 2, T. Brøndum 2
GIDP: B. Wilson 2
Sac Bunt: K. Takayama
Team LOB: 6

FIELDING
Double plays: 2 (Dai – Yutani – Borgþórsson, Borgþórsson – Theriault – Yutani)

                            IP  H   R  ER  BB   K  HR  PI  PS   ERA
K. Takayama L (5 – 4)      5.0  6   2   2   1   5   1  90  54  4.95
M. Ryan                    1.0  1   0   0   1   1   0  16   7  7.43
B. Beaufils                1.0  0   0   0   1   1   0  17   9  4.76
J-N. Boudreaux             1.0  2   1   1   0   0   0  15  10  2.81
H. Liang                   0.2  2   1   1   1   1   0  19  11  2.88
C. Young                   0.1  0   0   0   0   0   0   2   1  6.65

Game score: K. Takayama 51
Batters faced: K. Takayama 22, M. Ryan 5, B. Beaufils 4, J-N. Boudreaux 5, H. Liang 5, C. Young 1
Ground outs – fly outs: K. Takayama 4 – 4, M. Ryan 1 – 1, B. Beaufils 1 – 1, J-N. Boudreaux 2 – 1, H. Liang 0 – 1, C. Young 1 – 0
Inherited runners – scored: C. Young 2 – 0
Hit batspersons: K. Takayama 2

Scoring plays:

8.2: Sigurkarl Borgþórsson homers on a flyball down the right field line. Sigurkarl Borgþórsson scores.

[Quintessence of Dust]

Naoko Hisakawa’s heavily strapped leg was up on the table. She was cradling a small bowl of nuts in her lap, but the Things’ insipid performance against Jerome Delapier wasn’t leaving her with much appetite. She watched as Jack Theriault whiffed on one dropping off the plate; he hadn’t looked half bad in the field, but with the bat he wasn’t much. Naoko felt a stab of guilt at not being there with her team.

Her apartment buzzer sounded. She sighed, swung her leg off her table, and hobbled her way to the door. She looked out through the peephole: there was no one there – no, wait. Right at the base of her vision, a strand of purple hair. Someone very short. Probably a child here to ask for an autograph or selfie or to berate her for getting injured. She dusted crumbs from her crumpled shirt, took a second to compose herself, and swung the door open.

To find herself being greeted by someone who was slightly older than a child. Momoko Koumura was, in fact, estimated to be more than 150 years old. She looked a few years younger than Naoko. Her unwrinkled, freckled face was lightly darkened by the sun, a striking contrast to the pallid complexions generally on show in the Nordic-dominated Quodite North.

“Hello Naoko,” she said, her voice bright and clear, if a little deep. A century of smoking everything you can lay your hands on will do that to you.

The two had met a couple times. President Kivistö had introduced them at a formal reception, and then another time they’d run into one another watching a Minimal League Baseball game (Naoko spent her summers playing in Cassadaigua, but the Quodite and Dagan summers didn’t overlap, so when she was back home she sometimes tried to go to a game or two). The low-level expectation that seemed to inhabit much of the Quodite baseball world, that as two female, Quintessential-Japanese, shortstops, they should be fast friends had always baffled Naoko. Momoko was a creature from another age. And yet here she was on her doorstep.

Momoko tapped her foot expectantly, and Naoko realized she hadn’t replied. “Hi, Ms Koumura.”

A roll of Momoko’s dark eyes. “Please, call me Momoko.”

She didn’t call her anything, just stood waiting.

“Are you going to invite me in?” Momoko did not wait for the invitation, however, elbowing her way in past Naoko without much care to avoid her injured her league. She might have been de-aged, but there was a still a lot of the pushy old grandma in her. Naoko made to close the door and was surprised when a hand appeared to hold it. Into view came Momoko’s two not-grandchildren, smiling very apologetically. The boy had grown another couple of feet, seemingly, since Naoko had met him at the reception; the girl was still small and pretty and wearing a bright dress.

“Thank you for inviting us Ms Hisakawa!”

Naoko wasn’t sure whether the children knew they hadn’t been invited and were inviting their not-grandma, but she let them in all the same. She hobbled after them as the following Momoko into the back room, where she sat on the arm of an armchair. Her shoes, scuffed Inverses, dangled off the floor. The boy had made straight for the bowl of nuts, hand hovering over them as he gave Naoko a pleading look.

“Help yourself…” she murmured.

“Don’t mind if I do,” said Momoko, who hopped down from the chair and headed for the drinks cabinet.

Not-Sumiko tugged on Naoko’s arm. “I’m so sorry!” she whispered. “She wanted to come here and we couldn’t stop her.”

Naoko shook her head. “It’s fine. Are you…” She wished she could remember the girl’s name. She remembered that her not-grandmother had called her Sumiko, and the girl privately telling her that wasn’t really her name, but she couldn’t remember what it was. “…are you well?”

“Grandma keeps us busy,” said the boy through a mouthful of nuts. “Aww…” On the holo-screen, Ben Wilson had just hit into a double play. Again.

Momoko was pouring herself a vat of grain alcohol. “Don’t talk with your mouth full, it’s rude,” she said, expert in social etiquette that she was.

“Sorry grandma,” he said, spraying nut shards.

“He’s a growing lad,” explained Momoko apologetically to Naoko. Clutching her drink, she returned to the armchair, sitting down again on the arm, which creaked slightly.

Hoping to encourage into a proper seat, Naoko plumped up a couple of cushions. Not-Sumiko sat down instead.

“How’s the leg?”

Naoko shrugged and made a show of stretching it out. “Just a muscular thing. I have another set of tests in a couple weeks.”

“Hmm. Doctors.” Momoko’s tone was one other people would reserve for serial murderers, industrial waste polluters, or Morris dancers.

“How did you cope, when you were injured?” Naoko dimly recalled that Momoko had often missed WBC games through injury. Some of those injuries from getting wildly stoned and falling from hotel balconies, but still.

“Drinking, mostly,” said Momoko, who then proceeded to do just that.

Not-Sumiko leaned over and whispered. “I was worried she was going to pour herself a big one!”

Naoko scratched her bandaged leg. “Well, I’m not much of a drinker. I just miss being there with them.”

They watched the screen. Laure Valle clubbed a double into centrefield to score the runner.

“I was just going to make some dinner. Have you eaten?” The boy was licking the salt crumbs from the empty bowl, and looked about ready to chew through the porcelain.

Momoko grunted.

“Grandma, you have to eat,” chided Not-Sumiko. The bright girl popped up off the cushions. “Let us make something. You and grandma catch up.”

Naoko tried to protest but the boy gently – or as gently as a young man of his size – had already helpfully pushed her down onto the cushions of the sofa, while his sister headed for the kitchen. Naoko tried to recall if she’d remembered to update her fire insurance last month.

The Things were pulling a pitcher, bringing in a right-hander to face Dante. They watched as he ground out, hitting a hot shot on the ground to Theriault, who made a nice diving grab and was up and throwing to first from his knees in a flash.

“They’re doing OK without you,” said Momoko flatly: Naoko couldn’t detect whether her tone was meant to be mocking or consoling.

“They’re going to lose this one.”

“Then they’ll win the next one. Masami will be pitching…”

“You mean Mayumi.”

Momoko frowned and stared into her glass, which was horribly empty. “That’s what I said,” she snapped.

But Naoko didn’t really want to discuss pitching assignments. “Ms Koumura,” she began softly.

“My name is Mrs Koumura-Gruenwald. If you won’t call me Momoko at least remember that.”

“Momoko… what are you doing here?”

“Have you heard about this new league? The Alpaca-Mammoth League?”

“You mean Llama-Elephant.”

“That’s what I said.”

“I know some of the Hannasean guys are joining it.”

“Anyone from Quintessence of Dust?”

“Not that I’ve heard, but I think there are a few thinking about it. I’m not really… why?” It hit Naoko far too late the potential import of the question.

Momoko grunted and headed back to the drinks cabinet. On the holo, Rose Dawson was racing around the bases.

Not-Sumiko’s reappearance with a green salad cut off further discourse on the subject. Soon the boy came through with some bowls of noodles. They were a curious mix, the children: the boy with his sandy-blonde hair but distinctly Asiatic features; the girl with jet black hair and similar eyes, but something almost Nordic in her sharp cheekbones. Their cooking seemed to reflect multiple heritages too: the noodles weren’t bad, but Naoko quietly picked out the sardines. Momoko picked at her bowl and drank two more glasses. Not-Sumiko kept waving at her with her chopsticks, encouraging her to eat something.

By the time they’d eaten, the game was in the books. Sigurkarl smashed a massive home run, his third in two games, but it was in vain as the Outliers ran out 4–1 winners. Hong Liang’s pitching let them down at the end again, too. The children cleared up the bowls, the boy helpfully cleaned up the noodes Momoko hadn’t eaten and sardines Naoko had picked out, directly into his mouth. Momoko freshened her drink.

“So this league. In Amazing Llamaland and North Newlandia.”

“It’s… yes.”

“Do you know if they have an age limit?”

[Zwangzug]

"Hannah Cohen, Merano Regency. Can we speak to the whistleblower?"

It had been two cycles since Abby Lee-Hughes hosted the itinerant baseball fans, Buck Fuchs of Super-Llamaland and Alfred Gasparin of Reçueçn. She was not a particularly ardent Zebras fan herself, but she had heard the news about the new Llamaphant league and greeted it with amusement. And when she'd overheard that Quintessence of Dust had qualified for the championship series, she remembered Guðrún Ólafíasdóttir and hoped the blunt Quodite was enjoying herself, wherever she was.

But she was not prepared for her building to be overrun by another group of strangers, this crowd holding microphones and notebooks--and was that some weird kind of thumb drive? "Whistleblower?" Abby asked dubiously.

"It's a metaphor," said Hannah, "for someone who leaks restricted information to a large group--"

"I know what a whistleblower is," said Abby. "This is a university. Can I interest you in a campus tour?"

"Not today."

What Abby wanted to say was: this is Zwangzug. We barely have any information worth leaking, and if we did, we'd find some overly convoluted way to do it like secretly taping Felix Wainwright while he escorts you through his secret time-travel chambers. What she instead said was: "I'm sorry I can't be more help. Unless you can tell me what you're looking for?"

Hannah blinked. "You don't know."

"Don't know what?"

"There've been posts all over the web. Since the third-place series ended. They originated here."

Unless someone is going to not-very-drastic lengths to cover their tracks, thought Abby. What she said was: "I'd be happy to be interviewed if I had some dramatic secrets to spill, but I'm afraid I'm just a receptionist, and the faculty are out for the weekend. There's no one here."

Hannah took it in stride. "No one human here."

A dull, hollow feeling took root in Abby's stomach. And in the tech dome, an old-fashioned terminal flickered to life.

Code: Select all

Hello, fellow Zebras fans! Third place, huh? Quite the achievement. I must say, watching the team is one of those things that occasionally makes me glad I chose to formally register as a citizen. And in that spirit, I have some information to share with my human counterparts about what my fellow AI have been up to. I think you'll find it very interesting...

[Chromatika]

Clara Ayonara's Career:

Series 2 vs. Arjunnagar, Game 2:
Arjunnagar              2 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0  4
Chromatika              0 0 0 0 2 0 0 3 X  5
No Decision

Series 4 vs. South Americanastan, Game 2:
South Americanastan     0 0 0 1 0 0 1 2 0  4
Chromatika              0 1 2 0 0 1 0 3 X  7
Win (1-0)

Series 6 vs. Nova Anglicana, Game 2:
Nova Anglicana          0 0 0 2 0 1 0 0 0  3
Chromatika              2 0 3 1 0 0 0 1 X  7
Win (2-0)

Series 8 vs. Barnettsville, Game 2:
Barnettsville           1 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 0  5
Chromatika              0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1  2
No Decision

Series 10 vs. Atheara, Game 2:
Atheara                 2 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0  4
Chromatika              0 1 3 2 1 1 0 0 X  8
Win (3-0)

Round of 32 vs. HUElavia, Game 5:
HUElavia               0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  0
Chromatika             0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 X  2
Win (4-0)

Semifinals vs. Zwangzug, Game 5:
Zwangzug               0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0  2
Chromatika             1 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 X  3
Win (5-0)

7 starts, 5 victories, 2 no decisions. Clara Ayonara may be a first-time WBC participant, but she knows how to handle pressure. The only game that one could have questions on is the Barnettsville game, but she exited that one at the top of the eighth and the Chromatik bullpen messed up. In Game 5 against Zwangzug, she pitched through the seventh, and Chromatika had the lead by then.

Ayonara hasn't lost, and she gets the shot to win the Championship against the Quodites in Game 5. Chromatika has been playing the small ball well and will be counted on to carry the scoring load.

Can Chromatika win their first major title in a sport?

[Chromatika]

This is your Game 5 Cutoff. Tumbra will post the score.

[Tumbra]

---

WBC 52 Playoffs
Championship Game 5
Series containing Chromatika scored by Tumbra

Final Stage: Chromia
@ National Stadium, Chromia, Capital District (Cap. 44,320)
F.1: (01) Chromatika vs. (11) Quintessence of Dust Games 5: 7:05 PM

Game 5
Quintessence of Dust      0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0  2
Chromatika                0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 X  3

Chromatika wins series, 4-1.

[Chromatika]

Top of the Ninth Inning, National Stadium, Chromia, Capital District

"Clara."

When Clara Ayonara turned around from where she was loosening her left arm, it was, of course, Alisen Moyamoto, the Captain and spirit of this team. They were holding onto a 3-2 lead with three outs left, and Clara could tell that Alisen was going to ask the question of the evening.

"Yes, Allie?" She was one of the few that were allowed to call their Captain that. As the youngest of the group, she got along with everyone, and Alisen adored her.

"Can you handle this, or do you want Hine (Salle) to go in?" asked Alisen, her tone serious. Three outs, and the Outliers would become the Champions - something that nobody had ever dreamed of happening. In front of a sold out home crowd? Absurd.

"My pitch count is at about a hundred and ten," Clara replied, "I think I got this. The fastball isn't working as well but the slider and the changeup are working well still. If I get a runner past second, though, definitely pull me out."

Her memory flashed to just two years ago, when she pitched her first game only miles from here, against the Chromia Diamonds. She had gone seven innings and won, 3-1. Then, she remembered the first start of this WBC for her nation, a 5-4 victory over Arjunnagar, where she only lasted six innings and didn't reach a decision. Her first win had been over South Americanastan, and then she'd absolutely caught on steam, winning Game 5s against HUElavia and Zwangzug. She could do this.

Alisen nodded, and motioned for Clara to head out. She jogged up to Laure, who exchanged a few words with her before heading to the plate.

Ben Wilson was first. He had homered on the top of the third for one of the Quodites' two runs in the evening while striking out twice. A classic example of a boom-or-bust batter, Ayonara knew to get him to bite. Using a slider and two changeups, she got the count to 2-1. Then, she fired a ball straight down the middle. Wilson got a piece of it but it got fouled off.

On the 2-2 pitch, Wilson's swing was purposeful, but the ball just snuck by his bat. Out #1.

Then, Joakim Stensrud the Catcher. Valle was adamant that curveball was the way to go against him. Two pitches later, they were down 2-0 in the count; Ayonara had a thought occur to her that any contact would be absolutely fieldable by the Chromatik defense. She was right - though Stensrud did get a piece, it was a low ball that Ponce caught, no problem. Two down.

Luka Chevalier. Absolute monster. Deliberate walk? You bet. You didn't want him getting any piece of the ball. Four pitches, no problem. Move on.

Stig Akerström? No, Jun Jiang decided to send in a Pinch-Hitter, as Stig isn't the best against left handed pitchers. Naoko Hisakawa comes in instead, a much harder opponent.

Ayonara decides that it's time to just get this done. The first pitch is absolutely nasty - inside left corner, with Hisakawa not being able to do anything but watch. Then, on the first real bad pitch of the inning, Hisakawa gets a piece, and the ball drops to the infield. Hisakawa safely makes it to first, Chevalier to second, and there comes Laure to the mound.

"You got this, Clara?" asked Laure, "Let's put this game away, no?"

"Give me this at-bat," she replied, "I think they're willing to have Isabella Gennarelli take the at-bat. I got this."

"I trust you," Valle responded, "One more out."

Ayonara thought back to her days on the farm in Pùr. Patience was needed to pen all of the herd after a long day. This was just one more out in a history of outs that she had generated in her young career, a step toward her ultimate goal of being the best baseball player in Chromatika.

Isabella Gennarelli had other ideas though.

What followed was an eleven-pitch at-bat. Ayonara got the better of Gennarelli early, getting to the 0-2 lead, before the streak of fouling-offs got the better of her, eventually getting to that 3-2 count. She could see Alisen looking at her from the shortstop position, gauging her mood. The stadium was at full fervor, everyone willing her to get that one pitch to generate that last out.

The pitch was a changeup to the lower right hand corner of the box. Why Gennarelli decided to try to get a piece, she couldn't tell. The bat made contact with the ball, and it seemed to hang in the air for what seemed like an eternity.

Only for Kenra Annovar to snatch it out of the air, just meters away from the outfield wall. Game. Over.

Clara Anoyara had won six out of her eight starts, including two do-or-die Game 5's and the Championship-clinching Game 5.

As Hilary Angelou went up to her, the Chromatik ace offered her a hand.

"Nice going, Ayonara," stated the best pitcher in Chromatik history, "You might actually give me a run for my money."

Coming from Angelou, that was the highest praise. However, more than Angelou's praise, more than Valle commenting that she knew that she could've done it, it was to Alisen Moyamoto that she looked to.

Alisen Moyamoto met Clara Ayonara's eyes and simply smiled. Ayonara had come through in her promise.

And to Ayonara, that meant more than winning the title. Winning the title was one thing, doing it while proving to your Captain that you can be trusted? Even better.

Chromatika had its first title in a major sport, and it would come from the team that they least expected.