UPCL Cricket - Week 1 Part 3

It's the final segment of the opening week for the UPCL cricket competition. We begin with...

Subway Field, Stonebridge: The expansion franchise will host a heavily remade Waves team to lead off this segment. Snuggle had a reasonable 320 to lead things off for Oceanside in this game. Juno replied with 287 for Stonebridge, keeping them relatively close as the scores start off modest. Caitlin supplied another 346 for the Waves to keep their advantage fairly steady. Frosty suffered an unfortunate bounce to end her turn at 60 for the Wolves, keeping them behind at the midway mark. Celestia got jammed a bit on her turn, going well until that point that put her at 271 for Oceanside. Cobalt accidentally double-hit a ball, and this did him in at 201 for Stonebridge, allowing them to slip a little further behind late in the game. Dewey did pretty well with 344 for the Waves, icing their total at 1281. Prism's 96 left the Wolves at 644, a step back in yet another loss for the struggling franchise. Oceanside improves to 1-1 while dumping Stonebridge to 0-3 early in the year.

McDonald's Pitch at Pirates Park, Atlantic: The Monarchs make their season debut against a tiring Pirates side. Panda looked confident in batting for Southern, leading to his score of 348 to start their season with the hopes of erasing last year's from memory. Delila shot back with 417 for Atlantic, putting them ahead early on. The highly hyped rookie Hoppy didn't do great in her debut for the Monarchs, managing just 120. Another rookie, Isabella, had only 128 for the Pirates, keeping the game fairly neutral for that pair of turns. Pounce covered the deficit with his 307 for Southern in his debut with the team. Americus needed some time and a false start replay to get comfortable, but she unleashed 564 once she got there, boosting Atlantic's lead late in the game. Shannon didn't debut well in her new closing role for the Monarchs, with her 193 sealing their defeat at 968. Klaus did terribly with 49 for the Pirates, but it was icing on their total of 1158 in the win. Atlantic is up to 2-1, while Southern starts unfortunately at 0-1.

AT&T Oceanside Stadium, Oceanside: The Waves return home for their home opener, which sees one Wave face her sister as the Specters get their first game of the year. Sydney, Harrison's sophomore sensation, started the game hot with 519. Snuggle answered with 264 for Oceanside, as the aged veteran couldn't keep up. Twinkie II hammered 631 for the Specters, adding significantly to their lead. Caitlin was doing fine until an erratic hit ended her turn at 242 for the Waves, allowing the deficit to grow. Lexi just barely bested her sister with 260 for Harrison, keeping the lead steady for the visitors. Celestia dented the deficit quite well with her 656 for Oceanside, a breakthrough effort from the rookie. Sugar had only 160 for the Specters, demonstrating their top-heavy offense as the team ended with 1570 overall. Dewey showed some veteran class despite his rookie standing, rallying the Waves from behind for the win with his 578 bringing them to 1740. Dewey had a double-backhand save in the mix, which provided him enough momentum to carry his team to victory. Oceanside is at 2-1 and feeling good, while Harrison starts 0-1.

Volkswagen Stadium, Viewpoint Sound: The Meteors look to get a second win against much tougher opposition as the Prestige are back on the road. Acorn had a crisp 400 for Lighton to lead off this game. Mams looked quite outclassed in this appearance, and she took only 239 for the turn as Viewpoint Sound will start from behind. Spirit added another solid 423 for the Prestige to extend their lead. Hoot made up much of the slack with his 584 for the Meteors, making it a close game at the halfway point. Twinkie I pulled Lighton away as quickly as possible with her 388, but it's expected this game is far from settled. Nibbles couldn't quite catch up for Viewpoint Sound, but he produced 298 in a good effort. Salmo ripped 661 for the Prestige, putting them at a final of 1872, setting a high standard for the opposition. Dominic had a meager 81, leaving the Meteors in a loss with 1202. Lighton's now at 2-1, while Viewpoint Sound slips to 1-1.

Samsung Whitewater Stadium, Whitewater: It's the first of a road back-to-back for the Spiders, with both games in the Urban Division. Shadow began in a fairly good form with 425 for Web City, as he looks to lead his team back to glory after years of struggle. Bear replied with 503 for Whitewater, putting them ahead early on. Ted produced 319 in his debut for the Spiders, covering the deficit well enough at this point. Twinkie III swatted 288 for the Shores, keeping them in the lead by a narrower margin at the halfway mark. Shiny had only 90 for Web City, leaving them in a vulnerable but leading position. Marsell handled an obstruction on the pitch very cleanly, allowing himself to get to 384 for Whitewater as they take a more commanding lead late in the game. Dani managed 234 for the Spiders, but they took the loss on 1068 total. Shaggy iced the Shores' efforts with her own 694, giving them a total of 1869 in their home opener victory. Whitewater is 1-0, while Web City will have a quick turnaround on their 0-1 start.

Audi Knights Pitch, Terrace City: The short trip north sees the Spiders meet the Knights in the Black-and-Orange Derby, doubling as the Knights' home opener. Shadow once again performed well, scoring 455 for Web City this time. Kiwi smashed 823 in response for Terrace City, carrying them well ahead. Ted faltered with only 80 for the Spiders, leaving them in significant trouble. Jennifer bailed at 393 after a difficult start and a challenging maneuver she couldn't pull off, but the Knights face little danger. Shiny looked uncertain with her swings, and it contributed to her meager 135 points, a second sub-par performance. Oreo struggled to lift many of her swings, but she stayed consistent and scored 642 for Terrace City, boosting their lead one more time. Dani looked more confident this time, but her 257 didn't show much actual improvement, and the Spiders took another brutal loss on 927 overall. Stripes clobbered 809 for the Knights, icing their hefty win at 2667, showing that the high-octane franchise is back for a second year of big scoring. Terrace City gets back to level at 1-1, while Web City is 0-2 on the disappointing road trip across the Intercity.

Henry Ford Memorial Stadium, Pronger: The new Tridents home field gets its first of four straight games to open the season, corresponding with the beginning of a seven-game road trip for the Volcanoes. Starlight opened things up with 370 for Pacific on her turn. Precious fired back with 232 for Pronger, keeping things somewhat close early on. Ms. Kitty answered with 480 for the Volcanoes, adding nicely to the lead. Zach was a bit indecisive with his hits, and it caused him to end with only 234 for the Tridents despite staying at bat for a good amount of time. Leonette messed up with a measly 21 for Pacific, destabilizing their lead. Spot had a good pace but multiple bad bounces cut him down at 144 for Pronger, squandering their opportunity to make a comeback. Chicky Phil couldn't pull away with much, scoring 255 to put the Volcanoes at a final of 1126. Potter faltered with 56 in his first official appearance for the Tridents, and they lost with a bedeviled 666. Pacific is up to 2-2 after a busy first week.

Starbucks Cup, Archtown: Just the second division game of the year, we also have the more localized Northlands Derby between these Northeastern rivals. Twilight muscled her way to 535 for Central, establishing a good lead for the strong team. Sally countered with 362 for Archtown, a decent effort to start off with. Dustin was a bit slow to react to a ball getting over his bat, and he failed to save it, ending on 44 for the Warriors as they are now in danger. Sleepy B. replied with 764 for the Arrows, carrying them to a large lead at the halfway mark. Mario recovered most of it with 736 for Central, putting them slightly ahead at this stage. Ruby's early season struggles persisted, as her 24 left Archtown behind with a player each to go. Gizmo flipped 488 for the Warriors, bringing them to a strong final of 1803. Dusky also came up weak for the Arrows, scoring a meager 72 to leave them with 1222 in the loss. Central takes a 1-0 record to start their year, while Archtown is down to 1-2 after the division loss.

Home Depot Forum, Web City: The next game is also a Northeast battle, with the Spiders having their home opener against last year's regular season champions, the Eagles. Goldy looked to retain all of the confidence of last season in producing 527 at the start of this game for Everton. Shadow looked more aggressive for Web City, but his 324 was not enough for his team to catch up. Puff III couldn't slash her way out of a cluttered pitch, but she took in 438 for the Eagles to extend their lead. Ted scooped up 585 for the Spiders, his most comfortable effort yet. Kirstin restrengthened the Everton lead, carving out 712 on an impressive first turn for her new team. Shiny tried to make a rally for Web City, but she had 311 after a few bad swings caught her out of position. Blizzard faltered with 113 for the Eagles, leaving them at 1790, which isn't quite comfortable enough for the visitors. Dani couldn't quite finish the comeback effort, as her 225 left them at 1445 in the loss. Everton has a division win and 1-0 record to start the year, while Web City is at 0-3.

Nike Field, Commerce: This Urban division battle sees one of last year's best meet this year's final expansion team to debut. The Nighthawks will also open their inaugural season with ten straight road games. Peach slugged 1009 for North Modernistic, as the captain debuts in near-perfect form against an elite opponent. Tigerette had a ball caught up on her hand, ending her effort at just 194 for Commerce in a brewing upset. Luigi also looked good for the Nighthawks, as the rookie added 447 to their lead. Ice Cream suffered a bad bounce, ending on 90 for the Tradewinds as their situation becomes more dire. Cheddar had only 192 for North Modernistic, their first sign of a weakness in this game. Lionel got some points back with his 338 for Commerce, but they need a lot more and don't have much time to get those points. Bright set the tone from the back for the Nighthawks, adding 759 to bring them to 2407 overall, perhaps a hidden message of their 24/7 mentality as a team. Lorde fell with only 90, and the Tradewinds ended on an embarrassing 712 final score. North Modernistic made an emphatic entry to the league, taking the division win for a 1-0 record, while Commerce drops to 1-1 in a lame home opener.

GE Stadium, Southridge: The young Defenders team is back at home against an undefeated Surfers side. Pearl captain Watermelon had a down effort, contributing only 201 this time around. Bianca showed a bit of fatigue for Southridge, but she did give them a small lead with her 225 to start the game off. Neopolitan made an early save with a long reach to pull a ball back, and that propelled her to 448 for the Surfers. Debby got some of it back, but her 275 leaves the Defenders behind at the halfway mark of the game. Boots tapped 241 for Pearl against her former team, keeping their lead steady at this point. Stephanie kept things even with 260 for Southridge, but they'll need to make a move with their final turn. Wings burst free with 697 for the Surfers, giving them a final of 1587 in what should be a win. Hughbert couldn't cover it all, taking 253 as the Defenders close at 1013 in another home loss. Pearl stays undefeated at 3-0, while Southridge is 1-3, with their only win on the road.

AT&T Oceanside Stadium, Oceanside: We end at the coast, with the Rockers looking for a second straight win to start the year against a slightly fatigued Waves team. Misty swung 337 for Westside to lead this game off. Snuggle's last swing poked Oceanside just ahead at the start, as it got him to 351 for the minuscule lead. Goatee faltered with only 157 for the Rockers, leaving them vulnerable. Caitlin grabbed 314 for the Waves, giving them a stronger lead after the second effort in the game. Midnight launched 604 for Westside, covering the deficit this time to make things interesting. The Oceanside rookie Celestia couldn't keep up, taking a meager 21 as her team falls behind. Slinks took another 368 for the Rockers, icing their efforts at 1466. Dewey put up a good fight for the Waves, adding 384 to their score for a 1070 final, but they took the loss. Westside is up to 2-0 on the young season, while Oceanside stands at 2-2 after a busy and respectable first week.

That's it for a prolonged Week 1. I'll have a standings update to follow shortly. One note: division records won't be included until each team has played one division game or one team reaches five division games. 

UPCL Cricket - Week 1 Part 2

It's the middle segment of the opening week of this season, so we'll get right into the games. The first one is...

Capital City SuperCenter: The Sharpshooters face the Gems, who travel after already having two home games. Smokey looked very much in form already with his 505 for Diamond to lead things off. Capital City's steady captain Chris answered with 523 to pull them slightly ahead in the early going of this game. Citrus didn't do very well on her turn, taking only 144 for the Gems, leaving them vulnerable. Missy also struggled, producing a measly 96 for the Sharpshooters. Diamond's Pedey couldn't get into a rhythm, and had only 117 as their lead remains very cautious and unstable. Sprinkles unleashed 987 for Capital City on her turn, almost assuring them of a win with the late epic. Rosalina had a good rallying effort wiped out by optional replay, as she knew she'd be short. Her 112 on the second try left the Gems far short at 878 total. Sharpshooters newcomer Nicole had only 51, icing their win at 1657 as they start a long home stand off right. Capital City is 1-0 while Diamond drops to 1-2.

Toyota Pitch, Freedom: The season's first division game is from the Eastern Hills, and doubles as an Expansion Derby between these two first-wave era teams. Delila, the reigning MVP, had 287 for Atlantic to start this game. Jasmine answered with 583 for Freedom, only ending when a ball got just over the base of her bat. Isabella, one of Atlantic's two rookies, replied with 433 for the Pirates to cover the deficit for now. Stinky answered with 362 for the Cascades, restoring a slightly smaller lead for the hosts. Americus stumbled with 129 for Atlantic, failing to cover the deficit this time and giving the opposition room to breathe. Roxy took advantage with 227 for Freedom, creating a decent lead for this late point in the game. Klaus chopped a crisp 769 for the Pirates, bringing their final to 1618 and forcing a response from the hosts. Nikolai rallied back with 608, enough to give the Cascades a win with 1780 overall. Freedom's bold effort puts them at 1-0, while Atlantic suffered some bad luck to fall to 0-1.

Volkswagen Stadium, Viewpoint Sound: The new-look Meteors, with a redesign in roster, logo, and jersey, have their home opener against a brutally effective three-headed monster for Hummingbirds. Princess had a bit of trouble with her turn, ending on 207 for Tysini. Mams chipped 256 for Viewpoint Sound, acting in her new role as captain. Leandra matched that with 256 for the Hummingbirds, getting thrown off and knocked down by an odd bounce at the end. Hoot bounced 344 for the Meteors, adding to their improbable halftime lead. Charli fired back for Tysini, keeping them alive with her big 481. The Viewpoint Sound rookie Nibbles couldn't quite keep up, taking 264 for his team as they'll trail heading into the final players' turns. Brownie's Hummingbirds' career got off to an embarrassingly poor start with a meager 13 points, giving them a final of 957. Dominic covered it for the Meteors, with his 336 sealing their win at 1200. Viewpoint Sound pulled off a massive upset to start the year at 1-0, while Tysini's got a lot to figure out from 0-1.

Ebay Center, Queens: The Flames try to get their offense in form against a tough Knights side. Terrace City's ever-reliable captain Kiwi began the game with 591 for the visitors. Crystal replied with 541 for Queens, keeping her team very close early on. Jennifer answered nearly as well, taking 527 for the Knights to basically restore their lead. Another former Shore, Paige, pulled the Flames ahead with a massive 671, setting this game up to be an offensive war. Oreo poked 290 for Terrace City, giving them a small lead against an apparently dangerous offense. Violetta showed growth for her second appearance, and her 256 put Queens back on top in a very tight game with a player each to go. Stripes covered it with 135 for the Knights, but they are looking at a very realistic chance to lose with a total of 1543. Max went with 368 for the Flames, earning them the win on 1836 total. Queens improves to 1-1 while Terrace City will start at 0-1, a much different position than where they were last year.

Pepsi Prestige Park, Lighton: The Prestige make their home opener against a very different Waves side. Snuggle struggled with only 126 for Oceanside on his second effort after a false start wiped out his promising first try. Acorn smashed 723 in response for Lighton, establishing a strong lead from the start. Caitlin covered much of the deficit with her 494 for the Waves, starting her season on a good note. Spirit maintained the Prestige lead with her 256, leaving it weaker than it was as the game reaches half-completion. The rookie Celestia covered the deficit with 439 for Oceanside, making a battle out of this game. Twinkie I shot back with 308 for Lighton, but either team could stake a claim to this game in the end. Dewey had 258 for the Waves in his first professional appearance, ending their efforts at 1317, which stands on shaky ground. Salmo slapped 529 for the Prestige, easily securing their win at 1816. Lighton is up to 1-1 on the year, while Oceanside will start at 0-1.

Verizon Field, Pacific: Both teams are playing their third game of the year, with this ending a three-game homestand for the Volcanoes and marks the first Defenders road game. Bianca has found some comfort in leading off for Southridge, hammering 685 in this appearance to set the tone. Starlight answered back with 572 for Pacific, keeping them in the game early on. Debby had a weaker score for the Defenders, adding 290 to their lead. Ms. Kitty countered with 429 for the Volcanoes, just enough to give them a narrow lead. Stephanie had 208 for Southridge, recovering a small lead once again. Leonette matched it with 208 of her own for Pacific, setting up a close finish for the final players to determine. The Defenders' Hughbert did quite well for himself and his team, scoring 510 to bring their total to 1693, which will force a large response from the hosts. Chicky Phil choked the game away with only 24 for the Volcanoes, leaving them short at 1233. Both teams move to 1-2 on the year.

FedEx Ground, Eastside: The new digs have yet to be friendly for the Sharks, and going against the Swifts in the first game of their title defense doesn't bode all that well either. Patches carved out a cozy 578 for Boston to start them off well. Chelsea lacked command on her swings for Eastside, ending up at 264 and a noticeable deficit early on. Puff II had her struggles with a cluttered pitch, but wrangled 294 for the Swifts to add a bit to their lead. Taylor looked strong on her second try after a false start, but an errant backward swing ended her turn at 201 for the Sharks. Gradley bashed 512 for Boston, extending their lead quite nicely in the process of the reliable turn. Niki shot back with jsut 166 for Eastside, letting the game slip further away. Sweetheart iced the Swifts offense with 310, putting them at 1694 in an expected victory. Paps had 98 for the Sharks, and they lost with 729. Boston starts the title defense at 1-0, while Eastside is 0-3 in a very ruined building-opening homestand.

Starbucks Cup, Archtown: The Arrows get their home opener against a traveling Torpedoes team. Smudge pounded 805 for Infinity, as the captain leads the remodeled team in their season opener. Sally replied with 450 for Archtown, but they'll need a lot more to catch up. Solaris tried a backhand flip at the end of his turn, but it failed, so he contributed 469 to the Torpedoes. Sleepy B. failed to help the Arrows cause with only 185 points. Whiskers, herself a former Arrow, also struggled, taking just 141 for Infinity as the game slows in pace quite a bit. Ruby tried a scoop play for Archtown, but erred in execution, and her 133 reduced Archtown's chances of a comeback. Mr. Snowman put up 384 for the Torpedoes to bring them to a final of 1799. Dusky picked up 304 for the Arrows, giving them 1072 in the loss. Infinity starts the year off right at 1-0 with their new-look roster, while Archtown drops their home opener to fall to 1-1.

Capital City SuperCenter: The Sharpshooters renew their quasi-rivalry with the Rockers in their second game of the year. Misty thought she had things under control until a slow-paced ball threw off her timing and sent her to 98 points for Westside. Chris answered with a solid 361 for Capital City to give them the early lead. Goatee got the Rockers on track with her 460, pulling them ahead at least temporarily. Missy replied with 481 for the Sharpshooters, restoring their lead and a little more at the halfway mark. Midnight cobbled 289 in a shaky turn for Westside. Sprinkles had no trouble with confidence, knocking 522 for Capital City to boost their lead late in the game. Slinks came up big with 583 for the Rockers, keeping them alive at 1430 as the hosts will need a response to come away victorious. Nicole's struggles to adapt continued, with only 44 for the Sharpshooters, costing them the game this time as they close with 1408 in a close battle. Westside is 1-0 on the backs of heroics from their veterans, while Capital City falls to 1-1 with the hard luck loss.

Google Pitch at Union Ground. Modernistic: Two teams with new looks meet up in the largest city. Snowball cranked out 454 for Swordpoint to open this game in much better form than her previous two games. Ms. Puppy got Modernistic very close with her 447, leaving this game to the rest of the rosters to decide. Dreamy faltered with 162 for the Blades, leaving them in a vulnerable position. Daisy managed to pull the Union ahead with 346, giving them the slightly uncomfortable lead. Bandit brought a bit more offense for Swordpoint, churning out 484 to pull them ahead again. Puff I posted 378 in response for Modernistic, retaining a small lead ahead of the final players. Stealth did his job pretty well with 346 for the Blades, giving them 1446 overall. Strawberry had only 183 for the Union, costing them the game as they lost on a total of 1354. Swordpoint is up to 2-1 as they head home, while Modernistic drops to 1-1.

Apple Park, Todavía: The Stills and Pirates meet up in the first of a home doubleheader for the Stills. Delila started with a reliable 361 for Atlantic, a decent opening effort. Easter kept Todavía within a close range, gathering 343 on her first turn. Isabella played even better for the Pirates, rallying for 497 to add nicely to their lead. Her aunt, Sierra, struggled with just 84 to add for the Stills, putting them far behind at this stage. Americus strengthened the Atlantic lead with 535 on her turn, making it far more secure. Sparkles provided a steady offense with 647 for Todavía, overcoming a chaotically cluttered pitch to produce such a score. Klaus struck 392 for the Pirates in a strong outing, giving them a final of 1785. Bells got beat on her backhand, ending her turn at 304 for the Stills, and the team ended at 1378 in the loss. Both teams move to 1-1.

Apple Park, Todavía: The second segment ends with the other half of the doubleheader, as the Stills bring in another Eastern Hills team in the Cascades. Jasmine pummeled 586 for Freedom to lead things off with a big advantage for the visitors. Easter came up weak in this game, taking just 21 for Todavía. Stinky got into a late groove that carried him to 463 for the Cascades. Sierra got beat on a bad touch that ended her turn with 33 total for the Stills, in what's become an embarrassing game. Roxy managed 266 for Freedom, but it wasn't her best effort. Sparkles made an effort to keep Todavía alive, tacking 576 to their score to show some sign of life. Nikolai replied with 433 for the Cascades, and they close the game at 1748 in what's expected to be a win. Bells belted 881 for the Stills in an impressive comeback effort, but this fell short at 1511. Freedom survives the late scare to go to 2-0, while Todavía falls to 1-2 after a disappoint pair of home games.

The final segment of the week should be up before Friday.

UPCL Cricket - Week 1 Part 1

Here's the long-awaited first 12 games of the newest UPCL cricket season. This marks the debut of the new scheduling system, with true random scheduling replacing alphabetical. With that, we begin with a momentous event...

FedEx Ground, Eastside: The Sharks get to open the season with their home opener in the sparkling new stadium, located a few miles east of their former home, which will house the Midland Predators. Spice looked solid with 631 for Victoria in the opening turn of the season. Eastside saw Chelsea take 361 back for them, limiting the damage well. Yekaterina stumbled with 64 for the Spurs, putting their lead in a more vulnerable position. Taylor answered with 224 for the Sharks, cutting the deficit but not quite covering it. B. Chapman was solid in tacking on 379 to the Victoria lead. Niki couldn't handle the pressure for Eastside, producing only 60 points as the deficit grows late in the game. Spurs rookie Wario scored 240, giving them 1314 for their final score. Paps chipped 166 for the Sharks, marking a weak debut for his new team. They also lost with 811 overall. Victoria has spoiled the building-opening festivities, going to 1-0 while dropping Eastside to 0-1.

GE Stadium, Southridge: The second game of the season sees two unlucky teams from last year have a go at starting out well. Sally lined 497 for Archtown right at the start, setting the tone for the notoriously high-offense team. Bianca kept Southridge in range, making her first official start with 416 points. Sleepy B. countered with 434 for the Arrows, keeping the scoring high in this game. Debby, finally off what became a five-month suspension due to league issues, scored 328 for the Defenders in her first game as their captain. Ruby stumbled with 148, accidentally knocking a ball into her own wicket to end her turn for Archtown. Stephanie gained a little ground for Southridge, taking 222 in her debut with the team. Dusky's veteran experience helped her and Arrows quite a bit, as her 510 put the team on a total of 1589, a good output. Hughbert had only 63 for the Defenders, as their inexperience shows early in the year, and they lost with 1029. Archtown goes to 1-0 early in the year, while Southridge is 0-1 and facing growing pains.

The Intel Pitch, Diamond: The year's first derby match is in the Yellow Derby, with the Spurs' second game coming very early against a younger Gems side. Spice was much less active in this game, scoring only 263 for Victoria. Smokey failed to match it, with a meager 128 to put Diamond behind early on. Yekaterina tapped 233 for the Spurs, keeping their lead solid in a low-scoring event so far. Citrus answered with 351 for the Gems, making it a much closer game at the halfway mark. B. Chapman was already committed to swing when the ball took an odd bounce, and she sent it straight up, ending her turn at 87 for Victoria. Pedey tried to capitalize for Diamond, but ended up with 161, pulling them slightly ahead with a player each to go. Wario muscled up with 786 for the Spurs, giving them a final of 1369, which might just suffice for the win. Rosalina answered with 600 in her first Gems regular season game, but they ended short at 1240 for the loss. Victoria's salvaged a second win to go to 2-0, while Diamond drops down to 0-1 at the start of the year.

Honda Driftwood Coliseum, Pearl: Out west, two strong teams meet for the first time this year. Acorn seemed to have a good pace for Lighton, but a bad hit cut him down with 192. Pearl's captain Watermelon did much better, collecting 471 to put her team ahead in the early going. Spirit replied with 720 for the Prestige, regaining a stronger lead in this competitive battle. Neopolitan squandered the chance for the Surfers, taking just 176 as they'll fall behind at the halfway mark. Twinkie I swatted 577 to strengthen the Lighton lead ahead of the late stages of the game. Boots erased that damage with 617 for Pearl, bonding very early with the fans along the coast. Salmo put up only 162 for the Prestige, giving them a final of 1651 that they are far from comfortable with. Wings, a long-time Surfers veteran, rallied the team from behind with 456 at the end, stealing the win with 1720 in the first truly thrilling match of the season. Pearl is 1-0, and Lighton will have to try harder next time to erase the 0-1 start.

HP Field, Midland: The first of many games between expansion teams is here, as these two newest teams battle it out in the Sharks' old home. Juno showed off excellent control of wild offerings, but couldn't escape the early barrage, scoring a pathetic 28 for Stonebridge in their first official game. Shawn was hardly better with 51 for Midland, making it a slow start for these new teams. Frosty had only 36 for the Wolves, barely covering the deficit in a challenging game so far. Rainmane answered with 400 for the Predators, breaking the rut and giving the hosts a good lead. Cobalt was off to a good start but an early swing ended his turn at 144 for Stonebridge, hurting their chances of a comeback. Leonardo answered with 171 for Midland, giving them a little more of a lead late in the game. Prism had just 82 for the Wolves, and they end their first game with an embarrassing 290 total points. Fuchsia racked up 600 points in garbage time to make the Predators look a bit more solid at a total of 1222 in their first win. Midland is 1-0, dumping Stonebridge to 0-1 and probably a bit of anger in the rematch later in the year.

Verizon Field, Pacific: It's a quick turnaround for the Predators, who face a highly talented Volcanoes team in their first road game. Shawn improved from last time, hitting 200 for Midland to start the game with. Starlight looked to be in the zone, but an unfortunate deflection stopped her with 240 for Pacific. Rainmane kept her offense steady with 288 for the Predators, regaining the lead temporarily. Ms. Kitty rallied for 560 for the Volcanoes, building their lead on a stronger foundation this time. Leonardo faltered with 144 for Midland, putting them farther behind. Leonette earned a voluntary replay after a technical error, but she lost a little ground with only 169 on the second try for Pacific. Fuchsia tried to keep the Predators alive, but missed the corner and had 276, giving them the loss with 908 overall. Chicky Phil snagged 544 for the Volcanoes in this game, making a good impression as he iced his new team's win at 1513. Pacific starts off 1-0 with a decent offense, while Midland slides to 1-1 in the tough scheduling arrangement.

The Intel Pitch, Diamond: The Gems become the first team to host multiple games in a week by bringing in the Blades, who are showing off their new logo. Snowball picked up 354 for Swordpoint in their first turn of the year, a solid outing for the veteran captain. Smokey fumbled on his turn, taking only 69 for Diamond. Dreamy countered with 338 to add nicely to the Blades lead. Citrus kept the Gems in it, striking 504 to get them much closer at the halfway point. Swordpoint's Bandit kept them in good shape, accumulating 367 to add to their lead. Pedey cut into the deficit even deeper, slicing 423 for Diamond to set up an interesting finish between these teams. Stealth got a bit too chippy, ending at 112 for the Blades, and producing their final of 1171, putting them in a vulnerable position. Rosalina didn't do well for the Gems, but her 209 stole the victory away on a final of 1205. Diamond is back on the level at 1-1, while Swordpoint starts disappointed at 0-1.

FedEx Ground, Eastside: The Sharks get their second home game against a Union team who will wear black, gold, and silver this year in all venues. Ms. Puppy started the year well for Modernistic, tallying 484 to start this game. Chelsea fired back with 410 for Eastside, keeping them in range early on. Daisy looked good in her first official appearance for the Union, as the rookie scored 538 to boost the lead. Taylor stayed solid with 420 for the Sharks, but they lost a bit more ground in this high-offense game. Puff I had to go to her backhand, and this left the ground unprotected, stopping her at 304 for Modernistic. Niki couldn't capitalize for Eastside, grabbing only 289 on her turn as the times have turned desperate for the hosts. Strawberry left the door wide open, with a meager 136 for the Union putting their final at 1462. Her former Tridents teammate and current Shark, Paps, failed with only 69 points, leaving the Sharks at 1188 in the loss. Modernistic is 1-0 on the year, while Eastside's about to hit the panic button at 0-2.

Ebay Center, Queens: The Surfers will try their luck on the road against a Flames team hoping to erase a bad previous season from their memory. Watermelon pounded 555 for Pearl to lead things off in great form. Crystal provided a robust challenge, scoring 401 for Queens to cut the deficit down. Neopolitan nearly cancelled that out with her 393 for the Surfers, extending their lead quite well. Paige batted 665 for the Flames in her new role as their second hitter, lifting them ahead at the midway mark of the game. Boots scooped up 745 for Pearl, pushing their offense even higher as this game turns into a shootout. Violetta couldn't keep up, and her career debut with Queens ended on a weak 112 points that puts them far back. Wings smacked 521 for the Surfers in the end, and their final stands at a healthy 2214. Max looped his way to 336 for the Flames, and while they lost, they had a respectable total of 1514. Pearl is 2-0 on the year and looking like a dangerous opponent, while Queens will start from 0-1.

GE Stadium, Southridge: The Defenders face a new-look Stills team, with their first new player and a much bolder logo than previous years. Todavía's longtime captain Easter set the tone just right with 591 for her team in their first game of the season. Southridge's most hyped rookie, Bianca, answered with 517 to keep the game close initially. Sierra, Bianca's aunt, replied with a big 611 for the Stills to pad their lead. Debby got jammed with a ball that hopped over bat, and while she delayed trouble, she still ended on 188 for the Defenders. Sparkles showed why Todavía considered parting with her, scoring a measly 80 to destabilize their lead. Southridge got a lot back through another rookie, as Stephanie clobbered 487 to cut the deficit dramatically. Bells staved off trouble, contributing 454 for the Stills in her first appearance in their colors. They ended with 1736. Hughbert corralled 360 for the Defenders, but they came up short with 1552 in a loss despite the overall improvement. Todavía starts on the right side of the ledger with a 1-0 record, while Southridge is trying to break an 0-2 rut next time out.

Subway Field, Stonebridge: The opening of the Wolves' home field comes in a battle between two of the most authoritative captains in the league. Tigerette churned out 495 for Commerce, with a lucky bounce to the back 6s helping her cause. Juno didn't fare as well for Stonebridge, tapping a light 80 as they'll work from behind. Ice Cream tried to stay in front of the ball, but it got behind her and ended her effort at 178 for the Tradewinds. Frosty answered with 288 for the Wolves, cutting a little bit into the deficit. Lionel muscled up for 497 for Commerce, boosting their lead at a critical point in the game. Cobalt reclaimed 280 for Stonebridge in a decent outing for the rookie. Lorde tacked on 359 for the Tradewinds, producing their final score of 1529 in what should be enough for a win. Prism's 187 left the Wolves at a loss with 835, another brutal first for the team in their first home loss. Commerce starts last season right about where they left off last year, standing at 1-0, while Stonebridge is 0-2 now.

Verizon Field, Pacific: This segment of the week ends with a battle between two of last year's most elite teams. Snowball had a terrible start for Swordpoint, producing just 32 points. Starlight hasn't had the same game-changing impact as last year, but her 281 is enough for an early Pacific lead. Dreamy fired back with 373 for the Blades, salvaging the slow start to reclaim at least a temporary lead. Ms. Kitty navigated a cluttered pitch brilliantly, but couldn't adjust to a slower pace and took only 101 for the Volcanoes, sending them to a chasing position. Bandit got a bit jittery after a lucky call, but he still managed 429 for Swordpoint to strengthen their lead. Leonette chaotically flipped her way to 487 for Pacific, edging them ahead with a player each to go in a game that has all the makings of a true battle. Stealth looked far more solid this time with 425 for the Blades, icing their score at 1259, which is definitely within reach. Chicky Phil couldn't quite do it for the Volcanoes, putting up 304 with some strong bat-work, but they ended up with a loss on 1173. Both teams are now 1-1 on the year.

I hope this weekend will bring a few more games, and maybe even the conclusion of week 1 of play.