UPCL Cricket: Week 15 Part 3

Here's the last segment of a belated Week 15. I expect things to go much quicker for Week 16, but you never know with my schedule. With that, let's kick off in...

Microsoft Pitch at Del Sur: Jasmine tallied 408 to open the scoring for Freedom in the first meeting between these two teams this season. Panda answered with 463 for Southern, giving them a slight edge early on. Stinky stumbled with a measly 57 for the Cascades. Shannon butchered her turn, watching a ball slip off her backhand and take out the wicket to give the Monarchs a pathetic 7 points. Roxy lined 637 to pull Freedom well into the lead. Kirstin got most of it back with 567 for Southern, keeping things close as the final players step up to bat. Nikolai slashed 324 to give the Cascades a total of 1426, which is going to make it a close finish. Nicole fell short at 164 for the Monarchs, and they dropped the game at 1201. Freedom escapes with an exciting win to go to 17-14, while Southern is 10-25 on a four-game losing streak.

GE Stadium, Southridge: The Torpedoes seek a sweep after beating the Defenders at home earlier in the year. Smudge pounded 586 to set the tone for Infinity very early in the game. Boots answered with 439 for Southridge, keeping them in range. Shelley fired back with 425 for the Torpedoes, keeping them in charge. Debby took 286 for the Defenders, but they've fallen farther behind halfway through the game. Gabe pulled in 361 for Infinity, maintaining their lead successfully. J. Garcia rallied for 487 for Southridge, getting them a bit closer in time for the final pushes of the game. Whiskers had a measly 39 for the Torpedoes, leaving them vulnerable at a final of 1411. Shaggy faltered at 133 for the Defenders, and they lost with 1345. The season sweep brings Infinity up to 10-16, while Southridge collapses to 11-20 at the end of their four-game home winning streak.

Blades Fusion ProGlide Park, Swordpoint: A battle of powerful forces is set to go down, as the Blades lay their perfect West Division mark (8-0) on the line against the road-tested Waves. Snuggle belted 915 to get Oceanside off to a remarkable start. Snowball did well in hitting 682 to keep Swordpoint in the game, which appears to be going full-offense. Bells launched another 736 for the Waves, protecting their lead well. Dreamy dropped off at 385 for the Blades, and they are now trailing by a wide margin. Alyssa absolutely demolished 920 for Oceanside on her turn, extending their lead into the stratosphere. Her boyfriend, Shawn, got caught watching a ball flip into the back 4s off of a deflection, and he didn't react in time to avoid falling with 147 for Swordpoint on the next offering that breezed by his bat. Pounce capped the Waves' efforts with 456 from himself for a likely winning total of 3027. Stealth melted at 39 for the Blades, and they got humiliated at 1253 overall. Oceanside's strength proves stronger here, as the hottest team in the league is now on an eight-game run to 17-13, trailing the now 20-10 Swordpoint by just three games, as the latter loses their first division game of the season.

Audi Knights Pitch, Terrace City: A confident Torpedoes team is headed north to face an inconsistent Knights side. Smudge shrugged off 208 for Infinity, a weak start. Kiwi couldn't handle a backhand and a fast-roller at the same time, ending up with 153 for Terrace City in a slow start. Shelley got a little too much air under her last ball, snuffing out her offense at 194 for the Torpedoes. Jennifer slammed back with 385 for the Knights, giving them the lead. Gabe pummeled 1151 for Infinity, flipping the game on its head with the huge effort. Oreo slipped at 199 for Terrace City, as the game appears to be out of their hands now. Whiskers had a meager 96 to give the Torpedoes a final of 1649 in what should be a win. Stripes went too big with her swings, ending at 208 to give the Knights the loss with 945. Infinity is cruising now, up to 11-16 on the year, while Terrace City falls to 19-14 with the loss.

Apple Park, Todavía: Both teams are doing well right now, but something will have to give when they meet. Shadow had a bad hit at a bad time, ending his turn early at 21 for Web City. Easter hammered 570 for Todavía, giving them a big advantage early in the game. Rainmane dented the deficit with 451 for the Spiders on her good turn. Sierra got away with one odd bounce, clipping a ball on her backhand to drop it in front of her, but the next deflection brought her down at 512 for the Stills, a very strong showing. Sugar rallied for 400 for Web City, attempting to shrink their deficit. Leonardo blasted 668 for Todavía, padding their lead nicely. Shiny's 152 meant the Spiders would take a loss at 1024 total. Her sister, Sparkles, had 529 to ice the Stills' final at 2279 in a massive, full-team victory. Todavía has something to build off of as they reach 17-14, while Web City slips to 12-16 on the loss.

Cisco Tysini Field, Tysini: Highly ranked teams battle for the first time in their respective histories. Kiwi slipped with a weak 122 for Terrace City, getting them off to a poor start. After a couple of false starts, Tysini's Princess dialed up 888, toll-free, to give the hosts a massive lead with her herculean effort. Jennifer didn't get a whole lot back on her 317 for the Knights. Leandra didn't do quite as well, putting up 208 for the Hummingbirds. Oreo unleashed 679 for Terrace City, capitalizing on the opportunity to eliminate the deficit. Charli's 168 restored a lead for Tysini, but a much smaller one as the final players step up to bat. Stripes struck 420 to get the Knights to 1538, forcing a response from the hosts. Bright lost it with 88 for the Hummingbirds, sending them to defeat with 1352. Terrace City is up to 20-14, while Tysini has fallen to 21-13, just a game ahead of their most recent opponents.

Sprint Pitch, Victoria: This match brings us a heated battle in the Southwest Derby, especially as the Spurs try to cool off a hot Torpedoes team in their first meeting of the season. Smudge flicked 136 for Infinity in a poor opener. Spice got a bit too aggressive, posting 211 after lifting the last ball for Victoria's initial lead. Shelley hit 272 for the Torpedoes in an unremarkable effort. The Spurs fell behind when B. Chapman had a measly 69 points on her turn. Gabe had just 223 for Infinity, maintaining their lead but making it far less than bulletproof. Yekaterina charged back with 359 for Victoria on her turn, setting up an interesting ending. Whiskers slapped 373 to give the Torpedoes a final of 1004, a slightly vulnerable mark. Kavan had a ball come back at him and go out of bounds, ending his turn at a paltry 42, as the Spurs lose the game with 681 total. Infinity surges to 12-16 with the win, their fourth straight, while Victoria is down to 10-19 after the loss to their bitter rivals.

Volkswagen Stadium, Viewpoint Sound: The Meteors can sweep the season series here, but the Crowns are not the same team as when they lost in the midst of their bad slump earlier in the year. Frosty's backswing failed her, giving Royal just 231 when she was a second late. Mr. Snowman slumped with 80 for Viewpoint Sound, putting them behind already. Jake stayed calm amid the chaos of a backhand settle, and this allowed him to stretch his turn to 314 for the Crowns. Mams also had a poor game for the Meteors, taking a pathetic 33. Marsell extended the lead with another 507 for Royal in a good performance. Zach got beat on a low-rolling ball, swinging and missing to end his contribution at 192 for Viewpoint Sound. Nightfur had just 81 to end the Crowns' game at 1133, likely in line for a win. Kelly couldn't catch up, with her 227 producing a final of 532 for the Meteors, who took a bad loss. Royal salvages the season split, improving to 10-20, while Viewpoint Sound continues to drop to 10-16.

Home Depot Forum, Web City: Two straggling teams look to keep each other down in this battle. Bear poked 192 for Whitewater in a mediocre opener to the game. Shadow swatted 642 for Web City, giving the hosts a significant lead. Twinkie III simply didn't have it, posting a weak 96 for the Shores. Rainmane gouged out another 513 for the Spiders, making their lead massive at the halfway point of the game. Cheddar fired back with 587 for Whitewater, upping the interest in the game a bit. Sugar slipped with 136 for Web City, conceivably making them a bit vulnerable. Wild Thing swung for 455 for the Shores, placing them at 1330 total, and forcing a minor response from the hosts. Shiny obliged, hitting 112 to seal a Spiders victory at 1403. Web City goes to 13-16 with the win, while Whitewater flounders at 11-23.

BMW RockDome, Westside: Two Center Division rivals meet for the first time this season, and each needs a win to get their season moving upward. Chris stumbled with 120 for Capital City, marking a poor start for him. Misty hit 292 for Westside, giving the hosts the first lead, modest as it may be. Missy couldn't find her rhythm very much, taking only 112 for the Sharpshooters as they remain trailing. Goatee's 160 for the Rockers kept them in the lead, but neither team looks all that inclined to offense yet. Sprinkles picked up 144 for Capital City, but it didn't help all that much. Midnight's 104 allowed Westside's lead to slip a bit, setting up a close ending in the low-scoring game. Dani gave the Sharpshooters a chance, knocking 424 to give them an even 800 as their final, which forces a response from the hosts. Chicky Phil did enough with 263 to give the Rockers a win at 819. Westside gets the win, going to 9-16, while Capital City falls again to 12-16.

Samsung Whitewater Stadium, Whitewater: The Rockers are on a doubleheader in this division game, while the Shores play their second in the last three league games. Misty started well with 373 for Westside. Bear replied with an even better 662, giving Whitewater the initial lead in the last game of the week. Goatee ripped 807, giving the Rockers the advantage. Twinkie III regained the lead for the Shores, posting 632 in another strong effort. Midnight let Westside lose control, scoring a meager 64 on her abruptly-ended turn. Cheddar failed to secure the lead at all for Whitewater, managing just 45. Chicky Phil had 231 for the Rockers, giving them 1475 and forcing the hosts to respond. Wild Thing had 328 for the Shores, giving them victory with 1667 overall. Whitewater finally gets a game back to go to 12-23, while Westside is now 9-17.

Surprise! Week 15 is in the books. Standings update to follow shortly.

UPCL Cricket: Week 15 Part 2

This is the second segment of the week, beginning from...

Mercedes-Benz Field, Harrison: The Waves are a perfect 3-0 on their current road trip, with their fourth stop being in Harrison. Snuggle set the tone with 1072 for Oceanside, establishing a huge lead for the road wonders. Harrison got 240 from Slinks in a weaker opening turn. Bells slapped another 648 for the Waves, who have established a monolithic lead. Twinkie II hit a mediocre 200 for the Specters, leaving them further behind. Alyssa put Oceanside on cruise control with her 82. Sydney cut into the deficit with 328 for Harrison, but they still face a steep climb. Pounce's 21 gave the Waves 1823 overall, which should be enough for a fifth straight road win. Brownie pulled in 251, but the Specters suffered defeat with 1019 total. Oceanside is on six straight wins now, going to 15-13 with the surge, while Harrison falls to 13-18 on the loss.

Nissan Infinity Stadium, Infinity: The Torpedoes look to avoid a sweep against the Volcanoes, who are as hot as lava on the road right now. Starlight was ruled to have hit three balls, validating her unlucky bounce that gave Pacific a weak start of 16 points. Smudge grabbed 341 to give Infinity the first lead of the game. Ms. Kitty thundered her way to 682 for the Volcanoes, giving them a fighting chance again. Shelley blasted 910 for the Torpedoes, restoring an even bigger lead. Jack stumbled with 136 for Pacific, putting them in a bunch of trouble. Gabe rallied for 572 for Infinity, padding their lead even more. Leonette's 160 was far from enough, and the Volcanoes ended a six-game road winning streak with just 994 in this loss. Whiskers bounced 130 to give the Torpedoes 1953, and more importantly, their first division win. Infinity goes to 9-16, while Pacific falls to 18-10.

Pepsi Prestige Park, Lighton: These two teams meet for the first time this season. Juno swing 295 to begin for Modernistic in a modest way. Acorn flipped 451 to give Lighton the first lead in the game. Ms. Puppy countered with a strong 700 for the Union, restoring a lead for them. Spirit got most of the deficit covered, striking 441 for the Prestige, who trail slightly at the halfway point. Chimpy came up a bit enigmatic, scoring only 106 for Modernistic in a poor showing. Twinkie I did enough in posting 266 to restore a small lead for Lighton as the final players come to bat. Puff I poked 240 to give the Union a final of 1341, forcing a response from the hosts. Lydia popped 445 for the Prestige, sealing their win at 1603 total. Lighton snapped a three-game home losing streak by going to 16-12, six games up on the 10-18 Modernistic, who are quickly falling off the pace.

UPS Ground, Maplewood: Two East Division teams meet for the first time this season, with the return match from the hills in two weeks. Smokey stumbled a bit in hitting only 75 for Diamond to begin the game. Fluffina chipped 202 for Maplewood to give them a minor lead. Citrus fired back with 256 for the Gems in a reasonable effort. Bryant jolted the Lumberjacks to life with his 465 to give them a more stable lead. Pedey ripped 510 to give Diamond at least a temporary lead. Diddley fired back with 495, restoring the lead for Maplewood with a remarkable turn. Cassandra accepted an optional replay after a technical error, but the results failed, with 193 for the Gems to give them a losing total of 1034. Cubby kept it simple, taking 122 to seal a win for the Lumberjacks at 1284, their seventh straight home victory. Maplewood, sheltered as they are, improve to 14-11, while Diamond enters their midseason moment at 14-18 on a sixth straight road loss. For the Gems midseason report, click here.

Google Pitch at Union Ground, Modernistic: These two Central Division behemoths meet for the first time this season. Chris led off with 305 for Capital City, a solid total to begin with. Juno picked up 176 for Modernistic on her turn, putting the hosts behind early on. Missy swatted 401 for the Sharpshooters, adding onto their lead substantially. Ms. Puppy leveled 828 for the Union, pulling them into a lead at the halfway mark of the game. Sprinkles fired back with 416 to keep Capital City in the fight. Chimpy fumbled his way to 148 for Modernistic, making it a close game with a player each to go. Dani had only 192 for the Sharpshooters, putting them at 1314, a far from safe total. Puff I fell with 130 for the Union, watching the game slip away as they had 1282 in the loss. Capital City just barely emerged with the division win, going to 12-14, while Modernistic is 10-19 on a third straight loss.

AT&T Oceanside Stadium, Oceanside: The Sharpshooters look to build off their previous win against a poor home team in the Waves. Chris proved steady again, with 304 for Capital City this time around. Snuggle smacked 476 for Oceanside to give them the early advantage. Missy answered with 305 for the Sharpshooters, as the visitors show a bit of unity in their scoring. Bells let the Waves fall behind when she produced a meager 112. Sprinkles failed to assert the lead for Capital City, posting only 96 on her poor showing. Alyssa's 351 rocketed Oceanside into a late lead, setting up another interesting finish. Dani jammed 283 for the Sharpshooters, getting them to 988, forcing a tiny response from their hosts. Pounce's 113 proved enough for the Waves to claim victory at 1052. Oceanside keeps the good times going, jumping to 16-13 on a seven-game winning streak that makes them the hottest team in the league. Capital City drops to 12-15 with the setback loss.

Verizon Field, Pacific: The action continues along the coast as the Tridents try to knock the Volcanoes around a bit more. Strawberry didn't get the best start, poking 231 to get Pronger on the board. Starlight belted 624 to establish a large lead for Pacific. Hoot shot back with 481 for the Tridents, edging them ahead slightly. Ms. Kitty answered with 590 for the Volcanoes, padding their lead significantly at the halfway mark of the game. Precious unleashed 547 for Pronger, keeping the hosts on their toes as the offense stays frantic. Jack had only 197 for Pacific, allowing the lead to slip a bit late in the game. Paps had 122 on a tomahawk chop swing, spiking a ball out of bounds to leave the Tridents at 1381 in the loss. Leonette used 327 on her turn to get the Volcanoes to get their Trap Queen routine on, ending their victory with 1738. Pacific has every right to party after shaking recent disappointment to get to 19-10, while Pronger slides to 11-17 on a five-game losing streak and a quick turnaround to their next home game.

Honda Driftwood Coliseum, Pearl: Coastal rivals meet again after a Stills victory at home earlier in the year, with a lot on the line here. Easter lifted a bit too much on her turn, ending up at just 48 for Todavía. Watermelon is far from clear of her recent struggles, producing 247 for Pearl in this mediocre appearance. Sierra jumped on her chance, slicing 504 for the Stills to gain a more solid lead. Neopolitan slipped up at 215 for the Surfers, putting them at a deficit at the midway mark of the game. Leonardo kept pace, hitting 245 for Todavía in a serviceable effort. Wings had a measly 66 for Pearl on his turn, making their situation all the more dire as the game enters its late stages. Sparkles cranked out 497 to give the Stills 1294 as their final score. Cowzart's 436 for the Surfers proved too little and too late, giving them only 964 in their loss. Todavía is up to 16-14 with the win, while Pearl drops to third in the league at 21-10 after a four-game winning streak was snapped with the loss to a West Division opponent.

Tridents Park sponsored by Ford, Pronger: Two East Division rivals clash to see who can get a step higher on the ladder. Shadow crushed 671 for Web City to open the game on a positive note. Strawberry got 264 back for Pronger in a middling performance. Rainmane was almost tabbed for a mandatory replay, but the review showed she swung at the ball before the other ball went out of bounds, allowing her score of 640 to stand for the Spiders and extend their lead drastically. Hoot stumbled to a meager 96 for the Tridents as they continue to trail by a large margin. Sugar clobbered 980 for Web City, continuing to help them dominate the game. Precious saw a series of bad bounces end her turn at 28 points for Pronger. Shiny iced the Spiders' likely victory with 314 individually for a grand total of 2605. Paps had only 200 for the Tridents, and they suffered a brutal loss at 588. Web City looks to be trending the right direction, now at 12-15, while Pronger is 1-9 in the division at 11-18 overall on a six-game losing streak.

Ebay Center, Queens: The Flames look to get their season jump-started against a very sheltered Arrows team. Sally levied 544 for Archtown to get the visitors off to a wonderful start. Crystal kept it pretty closer, slapping 467 for Queens on her opening turn. Sleepy B. let the Arrows slip with 63 on her turn. Kayla's 208 sufficed to give the Flames the lead at the midpoint of the game. Ruby floated 124 for Archtown, giving them a very unstable lead. Her brother, Max, scored 348 for Queens, at one point striking five balls at once to clear what had become a cluttered pitch. Dusky's 297 gave the Arrows a final of 1028, which isn't officially a loss but won't take much effort to become one. Paige kept it simple for the Flames, picking up 21 to give them 1044 in the win. Queens is on the road to recovery, now at 7-21, while Archtown is 10-13 on their still very light schedule.

Kraft Crowns Park, Royal: The segment ends on a Center Division battle. Tigerette slugged 1005, wasting no time in establishing a massive lead for Commerce. Frosty provided a solid 376 in response for Royal, but they still face quite the challenge. Ice Cream added 193 for the Tradewinds. Jake dented the deficit, hauling in 385 to get the Crowns a bit closer halfway through the game. Lionel hit 256 for Commerce, as the lead slips a little bit more. Marsell lost his pace a bit with 144 for Royal, allowing the deficit to grow again late in the game. Lorde's 122 gave the Tradewinds a solid final of 1576. Nightfur couldn't use her backhand successfully, ending her turn at 147 as she took out her own wicket, and the Crowns suffered a loss with 1052. Commerce's sixth straight road win gets them to 23-11, while Royal is at 9-20 after the defeat.

I do not expect segment three to come out tonight, but it should be out tomorrow evening.

Midseason Report: Diamond Gems

The Gems' hands were forced after a poor season in 2014-15, losing arguably their best player, Olivia, to retirement. In the draft, the Gems took a flyer on rookie Pedey, but their results are still not where the Gems would like them to be, and further rumors about the future of Cassandra with the team plague a once-proud franchise clearly in the middle of a rebuild. The Gems enter the midpoint of their season at 14-18, a sub-par record that sees them to 20th in the league. This is far from out of the running, but their recent form doesn't suggest much hope. At home, the Gems are an acceptable 8-7, but their road mark of 6-11 weighs them down in the standings significantly. In the extremely brutal East Division, the Gems hold a 3-4 mark, treading water as they battle a good mix of teams.

The team's average offense is a bit on the paltry side at 1430 points per game. This low mark is somewhat offset by the captain, Smokey, pounding out 410 points per game, contributing to 28.5% of the offense at a consistency of about 1.3, right around league average. Behind him in the order is the longtime Gem, Citrus, whose third year with the team sees her hitting 360 per game for an even 25% share of the offense, which is pulling her own weight well. Citrus is at about 1.3 for consistency as well, making her a reasonably viable option for the team. The rookie Pedey is the third player in the order, and he hits around 351 per game, which is good for 24.5% of the offense. Pedey is showing good consistency in his first season, ranking around 1.4 in that particular metric, which is certainly just fine for someone who doesn't have a lot of expectations for the season. Rounding out the roster is Cassandra, two years removed from her MVP campaign in the inaugural year of cricket. Her close friend Olivia left last season, and now Cassandra is at 308 points per game, only 21.5% of the offense. The disturbing part of her season is a consistency around 1.6, which isn't good given her extremely low offensive numbers. While the league has grown, Cassandra has remained largely stagnant, and she's expected to depart after the season. With the poor record and vulnerability late in the lineup, the Gems should not expect to see playoff cricket this season.

UPCL Cricket: Week 15 Part 1

We're back in action after taking a massive break from league play. Expect more games over the next few days. We still intend to get three weeks of games played before the Club Cricket Challenge. The first game is...

Starbucks Cup, Archtown: The Swifts' long road winning streak is on the line in the Northeast against a sheltered Arrows team. Patches got off to a rough start for Boston, taking on 28 points in a poor return to action. Sally had to stop with 272 after a technical error, giving Archtown the slight edge. Puff II fired back with 378 for the Swifts, with a bit of a response lag showing up in each player's turn so far. Sleepy B. managed 207 for the Arrows, allowing their lead to falter a bit halfway through the game. Gradley struck 604 for Boston in response, giving them a solid lead. Ruby couldn't cover the deficit, supplying Archtown with only 195. Sweetheart had just 41 for the Swifts, leaving them a bit vulnerable at 1051. Dusky's recent struggles persisted as she had only 45 for the Arrows, putting them at a loss with 719. Boston has now won thirteen straight on the road, improving to 22-11, while Archtown is at 10-12.

McDonald's Pitch at Pirates Park, Atlantic: Two Eastern Hills rivals duke it out in likely their most meaningful game in league history. Jasmine couldn't pull a ball onto her backhand, and the next one took out the wicket as she ended with 208 for Freedom. Atlantic got 264 from Delila, giving them the slight lead. Stinky didn't get his bat down quickly enough at the end of his turn, getting stalled at 171 for the Cascades. Amber produced 250 to keep the Pirates in the lead. Roxy's poor swing gave her only 173 for Freedom, and they still trail in the game. Americus kept things steady with 171 for Atlantic, as scoring is evading teams after the holiday break. Nikolai lined 650 for the Cascades, forcing a response as the visitors close with 1202. Dominic got 292 back for the Pirates, but they fell with 977 after a stunning end to the game. Freedom gets the divisional win to jump to 16-13, while also 6-2 in the East Division, while Atlantic is down to 17-12.

Coca-Cola Field, Boston: The Swifts are in line for the sweep after winning in Maplewood earlier in the season. A quick deflection sent Fluffina off the pitch as the ball went out of bounds, giving the Maplewood captain 242 to begin the game. Patches continued to struggle at home, scoring a meager 112 for Boston this time. Bryant hauled in another 343 for the Lumberjacks, extending their lead well. Puff II erased the deficit and then some, smacking 700 for the Swifts. Diddley launched 561 in response to pull Maplewood back into the lead. Gradley countered that with 577 of his own for Boston, restoring a lead for them as the final players step up to bat. Cubby's 113 was insufficient for the Lumberjacks, as they took the loss with 1259 overall. Sweetheart tapped a light 102 for the Swifts to end with 1491 in the win. A sixth straight win has Boston at 23-11, while Maplewood slides to 13-11 on the loss.

Capital City SuperCenter: The Warriors play the first game in a doubleheader for them. Twilight did reasonable well in scoring 361 for Central at the start of the game. Chris couldn't manage with a cluttered pitch late in his turn, posting 321 for Capital City to make it a close opening exchange. Dustin slipped a bit with only 200 for the Warriors. Missy put the Sharpshooters a little bit ahead with 289, flipping the deficit. Noelle didn't help much with 197 for Central, leaving them in a vulnerable position. Sprinkles lost a bit of ground, managing a weak 140 for Capital City to leave things very tight with a player each to go. Gizmo drilled 707 for the Warriors, putting them at 1465 total with the big finish. Dani failed to score well, hitting a pathetic 99 to leave the Sharpshooters in a loss with 849. Central is up to 18-14 with the win while Capital City is 11-14 now. For the Warriors midseason report, click here.

Nestle's Warriors Park, Central: The Warriors get their home game now, facing a straggling East Division rival. Strawberry did all she could with a series of deflections forcing her to her backhand, but she ended with 272 for Pronger after she couldn't haul one forward. Twilight broke free with 559 for Central, giving them a significant lead early on. Hoot got some of it back with his 249 for the Tridents, but they still trail. Dustin suffered a bad deflection and chose to end his turn at 256 for the Warriors, maintaining their lead. Precious faltered with 112 for Pronger, leaving them farther behind. Noelle added a modest 241 to the Central lead, as they hold control over the game in its late stages. Paps managed 155 for the Tridents, sealing their losing total of 788. Gizmo poked 139 to give the Warriors 1195 in their win. Central snapped a four-game home losing streak to get to 19-14, while Pronger falls to 11-16 and a putrid 1-8 division mark on their fourth straight loss.

Nike Field, Commerce: The Industrial Derby gets its first installation this season, and these two bitter territorial rivals will meet again next week in Whitewater to add some intensity. Bear laid the hammer down for Whitewater, dazzling with a backhand for 4, a forehand for 6, and a deflection to the back 4s in part of a chaotic sequence en route to 543 points to start the game. Tigerette did little on her turn, getting only 98 back for Commerce. Twinkie III pounded 802 for the Shores, padding their lead well. Ice Cream didn't play hard enough, hitting only 90 for the Tradewinds as they are far behind halfway through the game. Cheddar had a weak 75 for Whitewater after a number of unusual offerings. Lionel struck 339 for Commerce, denting the deficit a bit. Wild Thing put up 231 to finish the Shores' efforts at 1651. Lorde had her first turn end short on a technical error, but the replay went worse, giving her 160 to send the Tradewinds to a loss with 687. Whitewater vanquished their fiercest foes, jumping to 11-21, while Commerce is now 22-11. For the Shores' midseason report, click here.

The Intel Pitch, Diamond: The Crowns look to keep things positive against the Gems. Frosty hit only 131 for Royal in her opening attack, a low mark. Smokey fired back with only 161 for Diamond, keeping things low and close early on. Jake carved out 537 for the Crowns on his turn, giving them a solid lead. Citrus pulled back with 304 for the Gems. Marsell bobbled a bit on his turn, putting up 160 for Royal as their lead gets a little less steady. Pedey edged Diamond into the lead with his 416, a strong performance to make it close with a player each to go. Nightfur's 385 for the Crowns put them at a final of 1213, forcing a response from the hosts. Cassandra botched it with 113 for the Gems, and they suffered a loss at 994. Royal is up to 9-19 with the win, while Diamond drops to 14-17, falling a little more off the playoff pace.

HP Field, Eastside: The Specters look to right the ship against an upward-trending Sharks side. Slinks swatted a crisp 439 to start the game for Harrison, giving them a noticeable lead. Graham cut into the deficit sharply, swinging for 423 for Eastside to make it close after the captains' turns. Twinkie II managed only 144 for the Specters, leaving them a tad vulnerable. Chelsea's reliable home form continued with her 380 to give the Sharks the edge at the halfway mark. Sydney countered with 423 for Harrison, pulling them into a slight lead. Her close friend, Taylor, couldn't get the points back for Eastside, poking 175 as they trail late in the game. Brownie failed to put a convincing finish together, with her 129 leaving the Specters at 1135. Niki slammed 572, closing the door on a win with 1550 total, their third straight at home. Eastside improves to 16-13, while a fourth straight road loss sends Harrison to 13-17.

Chevrolet Field, Everton: Each team knows the position the other is in, as a former and a current league leader clash in the Northeast. Bear lined 375 for Whitewater, giving them a solid start. Goldy slugged 1385 for Everton, acting like the league's break never happened. Twinkie III got 336 back for the Shores in a respectable performance. Her sister, Puff III, only had 215 for the Eagles in a poor showing. Cheddar cut into the deficit significantly, blasting 883 to get Whitewater very close. Cleo scooped up 545 for Everton, giving them a bit of breathing room as the final players come to bat. Wild Thing's 155 left the Shores at 1749, taking a competitive loss. Blizzard tapped 164 to give the Eagles a winning total of 2309. Everton is now at 26-5, while Whitewater falls to 11-22.

Toyota Pitch, Freedom: The Cascades seek a season sweep after winning in Oceanside in week 3, but the Waves are very good on the road. Snuggle led with 336 for Oceanside in a solid lead-off turn. Jasmine churned out a quick 445 to give Freedom the initial lead. Bells went for 320 for the Waves, giving them a slightly smaller lead than before. Stinky answered with 414 for the Cascades, adding a bit to their lead at the halfway mark. Alyssa's 287 covered the deficit for Oceanside, but didn't do a whole lot else. Roxy, a former Wave, performed poorly against her old team with only 162 to add to the Freedom lead. Pounce's 227 gave the Waves 1170 overall, forcing a response from the hosts. Nikolai got stuffed at 144 for the Cascades, giving them a devastating loss with 1165. Oceanside's road magic continues, powering them to 14-13 on a fifth straight win, while Freedom's three-game winning streak ends with them falling to 16-14.

Amazon Field, Golden: A week 4 win by the Pilots has them on the verge of a sweep against an inconsistent Spurs team. Spice lifted 688 for Victoria on the opening salvo, giving them a massive lead. Valencia faltered with 192 for Golden, putting them well behind. B. Chapman had 257 for the Spurs in a sufficient supplementary turn. Dusty is still out of form, posting a measly 64 for the Pilots this time around. Yekaterina tacked on 304 for Victoria in a reliable appearance. Strut fired back with 361 for Golden to establish a little bit of respectability in a poor game. Kavan had a meager 90 for the Spurs, putting them at a final score of 1339. A. Charlton had a furious comeback effort with 448 for the Pilots, but ending on a short backhand flick attempt meant that the Pilots lost with 1065. Victoria salvaged a season split to move to 10-18, while Golden is five games ahead at 15-13 after the tough loss.

Hopefully, there will be more to come tonight. Sorry for the delay on this week's games. Schedule up to the CCC break is unchanged.

Midseason Report: Whitewater Shores

After finishing first place last season, the Whitewater Shores saw the need for only a minor tweak to the roster, bringing in former Swordpoint Blade Wild Thing to replace Jennifer Livilotti, who went to the expansion Terrace City Knights after her rookie season with the Shores. However, regression came into effect for all members of the Shores, and this has them far off their previous season's pace. After leading the league and making Samsung Whitewater Stadium a nearly impenetrable fortress last season, they stand at just 11-21 this season, occupying 27th in the league. At home, they are 6-8, but that is still better than their 5-13 mark on the road, which was also a strength of theirs last season. In the weak Center Division, the Shores are 6-4 across division games, their one spot of brightness so far this season.

The team is averaging a weak 1465 per game this season, and the problems start with their captain, Bear. The reigning MVP from last season, Bear slugged nearly 500 a game, but while the league's offense has generally increased, Bear is down to just under 441 per game individually. This still makes up 30% of the Shores offense, but it's not enough in the higher-offense world, and his consistency of about 1.2 leaves a lot more to be desired. Behind him, Twinkie III is also having a down year, hitting 372 per game. This is only 25.5% of the team offense, and at a consistency of about 1.5, which is her major selling point for her statistics. Cheddar bats third for the team, but she hits only 311 per game, which is way down from her mark last year as well. Cheddar's consistency is under 1.2, and her share of the offense is only 21%, making her a prime candidate to leave the team should things stay sideways. Wild Thing, the newcomer this year to the team, is producing 341 per game for 23.5% of the offense, but at a consistency around 1.3. Obviously, the Shores are a team going in the wrong direction without much stability. Their poor average and lack of explosiveness gives no hope for the second half of the season, and the defending regular season champions are likely not going to see the playoffs this year.

Midseason Report: Central Warriors

Last season, the Central Warriors took a decent playoff bid and rode all the way through to the Hutton Cup Finals, knocking off the top-seeded Whitewater Shores to claim the trophy. Paired with a good pool season, the Warriors made no changes in the offseason. Now, they are right in the middle of the playoff field, currently holding down the fort in 10th place with an 18-14 record overall. The Warriors are a poor team at Nestle's Warriors Park, where they hold a 6-8 record so far. On the road, they are pretty good with a 12-6 record. They certainly aren't the brightest stars in the Northeast region or the East Division as a whole, but they haven't helped their cause with a 4-7 division record against an admittedly tough batch of teams, which could hurt them if tiebreakers become a factor for them.

As a team, the Warriors have a high-powered offense churning out 1622 points per game this season. Their de facto captain is Twilight, the first player on the roster but a captain in an unofficial sense because of previous pressures with the official title. Twilight leads the way in scoring over 453 points per game, accounting for 28% of the offense at a consistency rate of about 1.15. The low consistency helps her be an explosive force at the top of the lineup. Behind her is the fan-favorite Dustin, the shortest-tenured played on the roster. Dustin knocks nearly 413 points per game, producing 25.5% of the offense. Dustin's consistency is about 1.3 on the year, making him a more reliable source of production. Batting third is the underrated Noelle, who proved critical in last year's playoffs. Noelle has scored 392 points per game this season, factoring in as 24% of the offense at a consistency of nearly 1.6. Rounding out the group is Gizmo, who has thrived at the back of the order with a 363 average and 22.5% of the offense, which isn't all that bad given how strong the team is. Gizmo's consistency weighs in at about 1.5, making him a valuable option for the team. The Warriors should at least receive the opportunity to defend their title. They are never flashy in the regular season, but they can use momentum in the playoffs to be competitive when it counts the most.