UPCL Cricket: Week 28 Part 3

We're back, attempting to wrap up the week tonight. We begin with a fairly imbalanced match...

Microsoft Pitch at Del Sur: The Tradewinds look to sweep the Monarchs and raise their lowest possible standing in this game. Commerce got 654 from Tigerette at the start, staking out a sizable lead. Panda answered with 265 for Southern, getting a portion of it back. Ice Cream added another 554 for the Tradewinds, extending their lead pretty well. Shannon picked up just 192 for the Monarchs as they suffer through another bad game. Lionel stalled with 157 for Commerce as a ball slipped off the tip of his bat and out of bounds. Kirstin shot back with 510 for Southern, bringing them closer late in the game. Lorde hauled in 424 to give the Tradewinds 1789 overall in what should be a win. Nicole could do nothing as a deflection took out her wicket, ending her at 185 and giving the Monarchs a loss on 1152. Commerce's sweep sees them to 41-16, while Southern drops to 14-43.

GE Stadium, Southridge: The Defenders look to keep pace with the Rockers as surging teams, and a sweep of the Specters would help. Slinks had a good start with 578 for Harrison, setting a more competitive tone than usual. Boots struggled with 96 for Southridge, and they'll start from behind. Twinkie II answered with 96 for the Specters. Debby had an unlucky deflection after she committed to a big swing, getting cut down at 289 as she shrinks the deficit for the Defenders. Sydney couldn't produce much, taking just 149 for Harrison in a weak outing. J. Garcia pulled in 384 to get Southridge much closer near the end of the game. Brownie's 272 for the Specters gave them a final of 1095, which is certainly within reach. Shaggy failed at her task, taking only 87 as the Defenders fall with 856. Harrison plays spoiler quite well, moving up to 21-33, while Southridge is 25-31 and probably at the mercy of at least the Rockers now.

Blades Fusion ProGlide Park, Swordpoint: Speak of the devils, and here they are. Since losing to the Blades, the Rockers haven't lost at home, but this one will test their road resilience. Misty took 289 for Westside, a decent start to the game. Snowball took only 153 for Swordpoint, a weak start from Misty's close friend as the visitors have the early lead. Goatee added a crisp 392 to strengthen the Rockers lead. Dreamy carved 583 to pull the Blades ahead and make things interesting at the halfway mark. Midnight stumbled with only 20 for Westside, hurting their chances of winning. Shawn smacked another 572, likely securing the game for Swordpoint with the offensive burst. Chicky Phil hauled in 561, but the Rockers came up short at 1262 in a loss that wounded their playoff chances. Stealth iced it with a massive 783 to give the Blades 2091 in the win. Swordpoint looked more like themselves this time, and jump to 34-21, while Westside's home game gets more critical with a 26-31 record, even with the Sharks now.

Audi Knights Pitch, Terrace City: The Streak is back on the line as the Knights try to sweep the Hummingbirds in a key battle for playoff positioning. Princess led off with a reliable 396 for Tysini, but this game is expected to be pretty high-scoring. Kiwi replied with 487 for Terrace City, giving them a minor lead. Leandra countered with 424 for the Hummingbirds, keeping things competitive. Jennifer scooped up 535 for the Knights, but fell when a ball slipped onto her backhand and into the wicket. Charli barely covered the deficit with her 235 for Tysini. Oreo got caught out of position and had just 211 for Terrace City, leaving them a bit vulnerable. Bright hit a weak 96 for the Hummingbirds, and they lost with 1151. Stripes again showed no mercy at the end of a game, crushing 1339 to give the Knights 2572 in their eleventh straight win at home. Terrace City has won fifteen straight games, tying Tysini in fourth place at 35-20. The loss snapped a five-game winning streak for Tysini.

Apple Park, Todavía: This is the first meeting of the season for these West Division rivals. On one hand, the Stills need a win to help their playoff hopes. On the other, a Torpedoes win allows the Knights and Hummingbirds to officially clinch, and gets the Torpedoes one step closer to that goal. Infinity's Smudge made a good opener with 742, setting a high standard. Easter had just 12 for Todavía in a horrendous start. Shelley tried to calm a ball and set it up for a second contact hit, but it spun toward the wicket and she scored 375 for the Torpedoes as her turn ended. Sierra took 253, but the Stills are in serious trouble in this game. Gabe bungled his turn badly, scoring only 99 for Infinity, but they still hold a strong lead. Leonardo did well despite a cluttered pitch, but Todavía needs a lot more than his 317 to catch up this late in the game. Whiskers clubbed 554 for the Torpedoes, setting their final at 1770. Sparkles served up 369 for the Stills, and they suffered defeat at 951. Infinity's winning streak stretches to thirteen games as they advance to 33-23, while Todavía drops to 28-30, hurting their playoff odds significantly. The Hummingbirds and Knights are the fourth and fifth teams to clinch a playoff spot. The Volcanoes also clinched.

Cisco Tysini Field, Tysini: The focus remains on the West Division as the Hummingbirds try to sweep the Meteors to regain sole possession of fourth place. Mr. Snowman paddled 359 for Viewpoint Sound in a solid beginning. Princess kept it close with 335 for Tysini, but she was primed for more before a bad deflection. Mams also saw a deflection but it cut her down at 128 as the Meteors become vulnerable. Leandra faltered with 28 for the Hummingbirds as the hosts become frustrated. Zach gained some mild separation with 258 for Viewpoint Sound, but they're not safe yet. Charli played cautious on her turn, and picked up 381, pulling Tysini to within a point of their visitors with a player each to go. Kelly blew it with 57 for the Meteors, giving them an easily reachable 802. Bright didn't excel by any measure, but his 153 earned the Hummingbirds a win with 897. Tysini regains fourth place at 36-20, while Viewpoint Sound falls to 22-33.

Sprint Pitch, Victoria: The Spurs will become the first team to finish their division games as they look to sweep the Blades. A win by the Blades clinches a playoff spot for them and eliminates the Spurs. Snowball didn't do well, taking only 174 for Swordpoint. Spice barely put Victoria ahead, hitting 176 on her poor opener. Dreamy slugged 1134 for the Blades, giving them a much stronger advantage. B. Chapman answered with 663 for the Spurs, recovering some of the damage. Shawn slipped at 72 for Swordpoint, potentially opening the door for a comeback by the hosts. Yekaterina did well, shrinking the deficit significantly with her 454, setting things up for a close finish between the final batters. Stealth tapped 289 for the Blades, giving them 1669 overall. Kavan had 146, leaving the Spurs short at 1439 in the loss. Swordpoint has clinched and improves to 35-21, while Victoria is eliminated at 20-37, and they'll finish with an 8-12 division mark.

Volkswagen Stadium, Viewpoint Sound: It's a critical game for the Rockers, who don't have a lot of schedule left to work with. Earning a sweep would help their playoff odds. Misty knocked 560 for Westside in a confident first effort. Mr. Snowman was held to a measly 80 as Viewpoint Sound doesn't have much resistance here. Goatee answered with 490 for the Rockers as they try to run away with the game. Mams offered practically no challenge with 135 for the Meteors. Midnight drilled 671 for Westside, likely securing the game if it wasn't already. Zach had 209 for Viewpoint Sound as they play out the string. Chicky Phil kept it simple with 192 for the Rockers, and they close with 1913 in what should be a thorough win. Kelly scored 376 against her former team, but they got the last laugh when the Meteors lost with 800. Westside is still fighting at 27-31, while Viewpoint Sound slips to 22-34.

Home Depot Forum, Web City: The Spiders have a chance to sweep the Hummingbirds, which they'd need to do to keep any playoff hopes alive. Princess made a mess of her turn with a quick ending, scoring a paltry 16 for Tysini. Shadow picked up a middling 263 for Web City to own the initial lead. Leandra produced 352 to cover the deficit for the Hummingbirds. Rainmane picked up 208 for the Spiders, but their lead has shrunk a bit at the halfway point. Charli sliced 488 for Tysini, giving them a stronger lead now. Sugar stunned the visitors with her 561, boosting the Web City offense as the final players come to bat. Bright took 301, forcing a response from the hosts as the Hummingbirds end with 1157. Shiny had a modest 267 to give the Spiders a win and a sweep, with their final score at 1299. Web City just had their opponents' number this year, improving to 25-31 to end a four-game losing streak. Tysini slides to 36-21, in a tie for fifth with the Volcanoes.

BMW RockDome, Westside: This is arguably the biggest game of the season for each of these Center Division rivals. Whoever wins has the better chance at the playoffs, and the Rockers have the chance to sweep. Boots didn't mess around, striking 723 for Southridge. Misty didn't back down, pummeling 859 in response to give Westside the initial lead. Debby collapsed at 131 for the Defenders, and they failed to cover the deficit. Goatee pulled away with 539 for the Rockers, giving them a sizable lead. J. Garcia got 321 back for Southridge, but their hopes are fading fast. Midnight rallied for 663 as Westside has put together another comprehensive effort. Shaggy took 263 for the Defenders, but they are probably done as they lose with 1438. Chicky Phil again mopped up the finish with 84 for the Rockers, and they won with 2145. Westside has won eight straight home games to get to 28-31, and it's good fortune that they will have four of their last five games at home. Southridge is at 25-32, reeling from the defeat.

Samsung Whitewater Stadium, Whitewater: There's nothing but pride on the line for this Center Division battle. The Crowns could sweep the Shores, while would eliminate the latter officially. Frosty began with a mediocre 243 for Royal. Bear struck 443 to give Whitewater the lead. Jake poked 160 as the Crowns continue to flounder. Twinkie III tacked on 313 as the Shores continue to get the better hits in this game. Marsell spiked 194 for Royal, and they're still a bit behind as the game gets a tad late. Cheddar blasted 885 for Whitewater, likely securing the victory with the bold performance. Nightfur's 130 left the Crowns at a loss with 727 in a weak showing. Wild Thing tallied 160 to ice the Shores win at 1801. Whitewater moves to 23-36, while Royal is 17-39 on the year and firmly in 32nd overall.

That's it for this week's fun, but there may be the start of Week 29 tonight if we're lucky (and not lazy). The next four weeks should see a lot of intensity as teams are thinned out or clinch and jockey for position. The standings page will be updated minutes after this post hits.

UPCL Cricket: Week 28 Part 2

The middle segment of the week leads off with...

Mercedes-Benz Field, Harrison: These East Division rivals meet with the Cascades eyeing a sweep to help their playoff chances. Jasmine wasted no time in establishing a lead for Freedom, hitting 719 at the start. Slinks had a strong answer with 594 for Harrison, but fell out of her groove very quickly. Stinky crushed 932 for the Cascades in a big appearance. Twinkie II couldn't get enough back, taking 392 for the Specters as they are being outpaced. Roxy fired back with 659 for Freedom, showing the visitors came in with an intention of leaving with a win. Sydney had 258 as Harrison essentially surrenders this one. Nikolai smashed an extra 729 to give the Cascades 3039 in a definitive victory. Brownie never stood a chance and gave up at 64, putting the Specters at 1308 in the humbling loss. Freedom is now 28-26, pressuring the Stills a bit more, while Harrison drops to 20-33. With the Cascades win, the Royal Crowns are officially eliminated.

Nissan Infinity Stadium, Infinity: The Lumberjacks travel again to face one of the hottest teams in the league. Fluffina popped up 345 for Maplewood in a decent performance. Smudge leaned back a bit too much, ending early on just 64 for Infinity, a team that's no stranger to coming from behind. Bryant tacked on another 420 for the Lumberjacks, extending their lead well. Shelley covered the second attack with 487 for the Torpedoes, bringing them a bit closer. Diddley stumbled with 73 for Maplewood against his former team, leaving them vulnerable. Gabe was less kind to his former team, hauling in 476 for Infinity as they take a small lead late in the game. Cubby collapsed with 72 for the Lumberjacks and they lost with 910. Whiskers had a messy end with a deflection, but her 157 sealed the Torpedoes winning total of 1184. Infinity has won twelve in a row, and eight in a row at home, to advance to 32-23, while Maplewood slips back toward the bubble with a record of 27-25 in a virtual tie with the Cascades.

Pepsi Prestige Park, Lighton: After their shocking win last week, the Prestige look to sweep the Warriors in this home game. Twilight fell with 279 for Central, failing to take her play to the next level. Acorn answered with 457 for Lighton to give them the initial lead. Dustin shot back with 439 to give the Warriors a fighting chance in this game. Spirit slipped up with 332 for the Prestige, allowing their lead to shrink significantly at the halfway mark. Noelle didn't help Central much with 199 on her turn, leaving their lead quite vulnerable. Twinkie I took advantage in a big way, slugging 1266 for Lighton to essentially guarantee the win. Gizmo had 225 for the Warriors, and they lost again with 1142 this time. Lydia's 249 put the Prestige at 2304 in a confident win. Lighton takes the season series in a sweep, improving to 31-24 in eleventh, while Central rests above them at 33-24 in tenth as the Prestige win allowed the hosts' bitter rivals, the Torpedoes, to take ninth place.

UPS Ground, Maplewood: The Lumberjacks return home to face the Pilots for the first time this season, with the next meeting in two weeks. Valencia led off with 368 for Golden, a solid performance from the captain. Fluffina had 184 for Maplewood, another weak effort to start a game. Dusty didn't have enough bat acrobatics to save herself from a score of 44 for the Pilots, destabilizing their lead. Bryant made them pay, striking 471 to give the Lumberjacks the lead at the midway point. Strut collected 392 for Golden, covering the deficit to tighten the game up again. Diddley flicked only 144 for Maplewood, putting them just 5 points behind with a player each to go. A. Charlton posted 466 to give the Pilots a final of 1270, which is definitely still in reach. Cubby saw a ball just sneak under his bat, ending him at 328 as the Lumberjacks fall with 1127. Golden's gutsy win takes them to 34-22, hunting down the seventh-place Blades, while Maplewood is now in sixteenth with a 27-26 record, a game ahead of the Stills and a half-game behind the Cascades.

Google Pitch at Union Ground, Modernistic: The Union could get an upset-sweep if they can topple the Tradewinds again. Tigerette slammed 694 for Commerce, setting the tone in this bitter regional rematch. Juno popped one off her wrist and out of bounds, producing 417 for Modernistic. Ice Cream tapped 208 for the Tradewinds, easing up on their offense a bit. Ms. Puppy had only 112 for the Union, failing to take advantage of the opportunity. Lionel rescued the Commerce offense with 432, adding nicely to the lead. Chimpy managed 177 for Modernistic, likely committing them to defeat this time around. Lorde scooped 401 for the Tradewinds, putting them at 1735 in what should be their seventh straight road win. Puff I had 329 for the Union, but they lost with 1035 overall. Commerce's win puts them at 40-16, while Modernistic is down to 21-33 with the division loss.

AT&T Oceanside Stadium, Oceanside: The attention shifts to a West Division match, where the Waves try to complete a sweep they started by spoiling the Spurs' home opener in their new venue. Spice had a middling 247 for Victoria to lead things off. Snuggle did just slightly better, taking 264 to give Oceanside a minuscule lead. B. Chapman had a very cluttered pitch at the end, and it contributed to her ending a tad early with 465 for the Spurs, giving them a bigger advantage the second time around. Bells had 283 in response, and the Waves are now behind halfway through the game. Yekaterina slipped up with 168 for Victoria, leaving the door open a bit. Alyssa proved unable to take advantage with a meager 60 for Oceanside. Kavan went with only 176 for the Spurs, and they close with 1056. Pounce sliced 463 for the Waves, pulling them to a narrow victory with 1070. Oceanside's thrilling comeback gives them a record of 31-24 in a tie for eleventh with the Prestige, while Victoria is a loss away from elimination at 20-36.

Verizon Field, Pacific: In their last meeting, the Twilight-led Warriors defeated Starlight's Volcanoes, but the sisters will battle again with a lot on the line. Twilight churned out 512 for Central in a strong opening attack. Starlight belted 750 to give Pacific the initial lead. Dustin had only 153 for the Warriors, and they are playing dangerously now. Ms. Kitty pulled up to earn an optional replay, but scored a pathetic 42 on the second try, weakening the Volcanoes lead. Noelle barely covered the deficit with 136 for Central, failing to make much of an impact. Jack replied with 281 for Pacific, giving them the lead again with a player each to go. Gizmo took 305 for the Warriors, but they ended with 1106 in a poor offensive effort as a team. Leonette emphatically scored 357 to slam the door, giving the Volcanoes 1430 in a fifth straight win at home. Pacific is at 36-21, temporarily retaking fifth place from the Knights, while the Warriors drop to 33-25 as their grip on tenth slips.

Honda Driftwood Coliseum, Pearl: A reeling Warriors team heads up the coast for their first game of the year against the Surfers. A fatigued Twilight hit only 96 for Central, who are playing their fourth game in the last nine league games on a lap around the map. Pearl's Watermelon has no such excuse for tying the game with her 96 in a poor showing. Dustin launched 876 to give the Warriors a significant lead. Neopolitan struggled on her turn, hitting a weak 202 as the Surfers go far behind. Noelle pieced together 384 for Central, as it looks like they have a chance in this game. Wings countered with 346, but Pearl is still far behind with little time to fix that. Gizmo had a misguided swing that stopped him at 112, but the Warriors end with 1468 in what should be a win. Cowzart nearly flipped the script, pummeling 793 before swinging and missing as the Surfers come up painfully short at 1437. Central snapped a four-game road losing streak in going to 34-25, while Pearl is down to 30-25, hanging out with the Pirates in a virtual tie for thirteenth in the league.

Tridents Park sponsored by Ford, Pronger: This bottom-feeder battle sees the Tridents looking to sweep the Crowns. Frosty clubbed 546 to give Royal a sizable first attack. Strawberry answered with 734 for Pronger, giving them the initial lead in confident form. Jake covered the deficit with 281 for the Crowns, but his coverage wasn't by much. Hoot flipped 159 for the Tridents, regaining a smaller lead at the midway mark. Marsell added 312 for Royal, keeping their progress going in the right direction. Precious had just 112 for Pronger, allowing the hosts to fall behind with a player each to go. Nightfur had a modest 263 for the Crowns, putting their final score at 1402, which could go either way. Paps tried to make a quick rally, but stalled at 250, and the Tridents lost with 1255. Royal snaps a seven game losing streak to reach 17-37, while Pronger falls to 19-36, a loss away from elimination for this season.

Ebay Center, Queens: The Flames won their previous meeting with the Meteors, and would like to complete the sweep in this home game. Mr. Snowman had a solid 298 for Viewpoint Sound, giving them a reasonable start. Crystal nearly matched with 297 for Queens, making it a very close start. Mams chipped only 162 for the Meteors, and they are vulnerable after that poor appearance. Kayla had a weak 144 for the Flames, allowing the deficit to grow a small amount. Zach tallied 463 for Viewpoint Sound, boosting their lead at a convenient time. Max doubled the Queens offense with his 441 for the hosts, but they lost a little more ground and are running out of time to get it back. Kelly had just 136 for the Meteors, and they finished at 1059, extremely vulnerable to a comeback effort. Paige proved up to the task, earning 392 to give the Flames a win with 1274. Queens jumps to 23-35 with a third straight win, while Viewpoint Sound slides to 22-32.

Kraft Crowns Park, Royal: The Crowns provided little resistance in an earlier loss to the Eagles, and are primed to be swept as the segment ends. Goldy had to fight off some odd bounces before surging to 395 for Everton. Frosty made a good response with 346 for Royal, digging her way out of some tough offerings. Puff III got shut down by a deflection, ending with a measly 48 for the Eagles. Jake made progress with 80 for the Crowns, but they're still behind by a small margin. Cleo poked 289 for Everton, failing to really break free of the opposition. Marsell tried to fight back, but his aggressive approach ended with 112 as Royal falls farther behind. Blizzard served up 368 to bring the Eagles to an even 1100, which they hope will suffice. Nightfur came up quite short with 168 for the Crowns, and they lost a fourth straight home game with 706. Everton takes a fourth straight road win and twelfth straight win overall to move to 47-10, while Royal drops to 17-38 (yes, apparently the Crowns are for Trap Queens). For the Eagles to secure first overall, any two Eagles wins or Tradewinds losses, or one of each, will give them the regular season title.

That's all for this segment. I hope to play the Week 28 finale tomorrow, but it may be as late as Wednesday before it's possible to complete.

UPCL Cricket: Week 28 Part 1

We're back, hopefully with a quick playthrough for the week. We begin with...

Starbucks Cup, Archtown: The first meeting of the year for these two teams holds very little sway for the league as a whole. Panda had only 183 at the opening for Southern. Sally drilled an even 1000 for Archtown, staking out a massive lead. Shannon shot back with 591 for the Monarchs, trying to keep them in the game. Sleepy B. hammered another 960 for the Arrows as they appear to have this game in the bag already. Kirstin supplied 280 for the overwhelmed Southern side, at least making their output respectable. Ruby belted another 1049 for Archtown, giving them a chance at a 4k performance in this dominant game for the hosts. Nicole managed a weak 120 for the Monarchs, and they lost handily with 1174, their sixth straight road loss. Dusky suffered a deflection to end her turn at 113, but the Arrows scored 3122 overall in a thorough win. Archtown jumps to 19-31 to end their seven-game losing streak, while Southern drops to 14-42.

McDonald's Pitch at Pirates Park, Atlantic: Another pair of teams meet for the first time this year, with the Pirates desperately needing to separate from the bubble. Juno offered little resistance with 64 for Modernistic. Delila dusted off an early-season style, lining 700 for Atlantic to take a large lead. Ms. Puppy hit 627 to get the Union close again. Amber remained reliable for the Pirates, striking 481 to keep their lead solid. Chimpy shrugged a middling 263 for Modernistic, and they trail by a larger margin now. Americus had to make a reach to save her turn, but it threw her off, and she ended with 526 for Atlantic, adding to their lead some more. Puff I had a weak 33 as the Union took the loss with 987 total. Dominic iced the Pirates offense with 545 more, sending them to a win on 2252 total. Atlantic gets a big win to guard fourteenth in the league, now at 27-23, while Modernistic falls to 21-32.

Coca-Cola Field, Boston: The Sharks need to salvage a series split if they want any sniff of the playoffs, but the Swifts are a tough team to reverse fortunes against. Graham melted at 160 for Eastside to start the game. Patches chopped 609 for Boston in response, adding a bit more pressure for the visitors. Chelsea saw her turn end at 216 for the Sharks after a brutal deflection. Puff II cancelled that out with 215 for the Swifts, keeping the lead steady. Taylor fired off 504 for Eastside against the team named for her, giving the visitors a fighting chance. Gradley countered with 543 for
Boston, maintaining their lead late in the game. Niki did her part, collecting 572 for the Sharks to put them at 1452 for their final, forcing a response from the hosts. Sweetheart cramped up during her turn, but gutted out 159 to secure the Swifts win at 1526. Boston is up to 38-19 and holding strong in third place, while Eastside falls to 26-30 on a seventh straight road loss, in a tie for eighteenth with the Rockers.

Capital City SuperCenter: In this Center Division battle, the Shores are looking to sweep. Neither team has much hope of the playoffs. Bear led off with 433 for Whitewater in a solid performance. Chris made it close with 417 of his own for Capital City, leaving it to the rest of the rosters to decide. Twinkie III struggled with 192 for the Shores, leaving them vulnerable. Missy failed to cover the deficit, taking only 108 after getting one with only the tip of her bat. The Sharpshooters trail more significantly now. Cheddar took a mediocre 240 for Whitewater, helping their lead a bit. Sprinkles ripped 719 for Capital City, giving them a big lead late in the game. Wild Thing blew it with 135 for the Shores, leaving them short at 1000 in a sixth straight road loss. Dani's 492 gave the Sharpshooters a comfortable win on a final of 1736. Capital City gets the split for the series, moving to 26-32, while Whitewater is down to 22-36.

Nestle's Warriors Park, Central: These teams meet for the first time this season, and both have slumps to bust out of. Frosty showed a bit of hesitation on her turn, and ended up with a paltry 46 for Royal. Twilight didn't do much better for Central, hitting only 144 to give them a small lead. Jake answered with a reasonable 367 for the Crowns, putting them ahead of his former team. His replacement, Dustin, shot back with 554 for the Warriors, only failing in judgement when he swung and ended on a bad deflection. Marsell covered the deficit with 336 for Royal, keeping them in the fight. Noelle slapped 806 for Central, leaving little doubt in their desire to win the game. Nightfur had a measly 81 as the Crowns fell with 830. Gizmo pummeled 915 for the Warriors in his closing turn, sending a message as they finish with 2419 in the win. Central is back in the groove at home, improving to 33-22, while Royal is 16-37, losers of seven straight on the road and overall.

Nike Field, Commerce: The Lumberjacks' adventures bring them west of home for an untimely first meeting of the year with the second place team. Fluffina had a weak 25 for Maplewood as road teams continue to struggle this week. Tigerette had a poorly timed swing for Commerce, picking up 240 for them to have a small initial lead. Bryant got beat with a swing-and-miss, but gathered 441 for the Lumberjacks to pull them ahead. Ice Cream got most of it back with 431 for the Tradewinds, keeping them ahead at the halfway mark. Diddley clubbed 536 for Maplewood, again covering the deficit. Lionel swung 339 for Commerce, giving them a slim 8-point lead as the final players come to bat. Cubby performed excellently under pressure, putting up 782 to give the Lumberjacks 1784 as their final. Lorde tried to rally with 629 for the Tradewinds, but they fell with 1639 despite her solid performance. Maplewood's stunning win brings them up to 27-24, earning breathing room near the bubble, while Commerce slips to 39-16 with a competitive loss.

The Intel Pitch, Diamond: The Gems look for a sweep of the highly inconsistent Meteors. Mr. Snowman had a low 80 for Viewpoint Sound, far from an ideal start. Smokey played sloppy but put Diamond ahead on a razor-thin margin with his 84 point effort. Mams hauled in 344 for the Meteor to give them a better second effort. Citrus played aggressive and ended with just 208 for the Gems as they fall behind. Zach used his backhand well to extend the Viewpoint Sound lead as he scored 487. Pedey pulled his last swing too much, ending up with 256 for Diamond as they fall farther behind late in the game. Kelly had an average 288 for the Meteors, putting them at a final of 1199. Cassandra quickly got overwhelmed by a cluttered pitch, scoring a pathetic 13 as the Gems lost with 561. Viewpoint Sound stands at 22-31, taking 23rd place from Diamond, who are now at 23-34.

HP Field, Eastside: Both East Division teams want this game, but the Pirates are the ones trying for the sweep in this critical game. Delila served up 393 for Atlantic at the start, a very solid mark to start with. Graham stepped up with 850 for Eastside, giving them a strong lead early on. Amber fired back with a crisp 530 for the Pirates, covering the deficit by a slim margin. Chelsea slipped up a bit with 177 for the Sharks, tightening the game at the midway point. Americus made a mess of her turn, getting caught indecisive after a deflection sent two balls her way, and she added 185 for Atlantic. Taylor hit a weak 75 for Eastside, putting them 6 points back of their visitors with a player each to go. Dominic pulled the Pirates well ahead with 568, putting their final at 1676. Niki couldn't catch up, posting 313 as the Sharks lost with 1415. Atlantic takes the sweep to move to 28-23, pulling closer to the next tier up from the bubble, while shoving Eastside down to a hopeless 26-31.

Chevrolet Field, Everton: The Pilots come into town with an unusually high confidence level, having thoroughly beaten the Eagles earlier in the season. Valencia showed no mercy with her 536 for Golden at the start. Goldy covered it with 609 for Everton, and the game will start with a lot of offense. Dusty put up 308 for the Pilots, but against such a dangerous team, they are still vulnerable. Puff III couldn't catch up, taking just 160 as the Eagles fall behind halfway through the game. Strut failed to gain separation for Golden, hitting a subpar 176 as they're far from safety. Cleo had only 233 for Everton, setting up a very close finish to the game as the deficit is just 18 points for the hosts. A. Charlton split her turn pretty badly, taking 263 for the Pilots as they close on 1283, which could be enough in the context of this game, but not so likely in the season as a whole. Blizzard flicked 346 for the Eagles, lifting them to a tight win with 1348. Everton makes it fifteen straight home wins and eleven straight overall, securing a finish no worse than second in the league with a record of 46-10. Golden takes the series split and falls to 32-22, swapping down to ninth while the Warriors take eighth.

Toyota Pitch, Freedom: The East Division gets another spotlight match, with the focus clearly on the bubble. Shadow disappointed with 96 for Web City in a poor appearance. Jasmine didn't fully capitalize on the opportunity, scoring 119 to put Freedom slightly ahead early on. Rainmane batted a solid 412 to give the Spiders a lead. Stinky had only 195 as the Cascades fail to cover the deficit and have fallen behind. Sugar failed to provide Web City with much security, hitting just 181 on her turn. Roxy lifted Freedom back to the lead with her 447, setting up a close finish to the low-scoring game. Shiny had 168 for the Spiders, forcing a response as they close with 857. Nikolai kept it simple with 144 for the Cascades, giving them the win with 905. Freedom is at 27-26, staving off the Stills for now and ending a four-game home losing streak, while Web City's road losing streak reaches eight games as they plummet to 24-31.

Amazon Field, Golden: No better way to settle a fight for eighth place than having the teams duke it out in a critical Generational Derby. These teams could also very well be giving us a playoff preview. Twilight started sloppy with 33 for Central in a poor showing. Valencia crushed 661 to set a high-scoring tone for Golden as they take the early lead. Dustin tallied 208 for the Warriors as their situation becomes more dangerous. Dusty replied with 200 to keep the Pilots lead level. Noelle struck 684 for Central, covering the deficit to make the game more interesting. Strut replied with 304 to give Golden a smaller lead with the final players coming up to bat. Gizmo's struggle to get one ball off his bat caused him to end with 112, giving the Warriors a loss with 1037. A. Charlton had 193 to give the Pilots a win with a final of 1358. Golden takes eighth place and has a record of 33-22, as well as a game-in-hand over the now 33-23 Central.

I'd like to get another segment out tonight, but no promises. If not tonight, probably tomorrow.