Cricket: Round 1 Game 5s

There are seven games to cover in this post. If you read the post for the Game 4s, you know that six of these seven games could see a team get eliminated. Let's dive in with the only one that isn't an elimination game.

We begin the night in Southridge at GE Stadium, where the Defenders host the Todavía Stills. Easter was stalled at 76 for Todavía, getting off to a rough start for a pivotal game. Boots hit 685 to give Southridge their best start of the series so far. Sierra answered with 527 for the Stills, keeping them in contention. J. Garcia nearly got it all back for the Defenders, scoring 504 in her turn to maintain their lead. Sparkles popped 392 for Todavía, failing to cover the deficit again. Debby Ryan bounced back after a rough go of things in the playoffs thus far, hitting 256 for Southridge. Leonardo slugged 527 for the Stills to produce their final score of 1522. Shaggy slapped 391 for the Defenders, giving them the win with a total of 1836. With the win, Southridge leads the series 3-2, but they'll get their first of up to two chances to seal the series in a very difficult road stadium.

To the immediate west, the Boston Swifts welcome the Royal Crowns back to Coca-Cola Field, where the visitors have had much success already. True to form, Frosty crushed 927 for Royal to open the game with a substantial lead. Patches got 324 back for Boston, but her team still faces an uphill climb. The Crowns suffered a 50% penalty for Sydnee's score, as she committed a false start, and ended up with 73 points. Puff II failed to capitalize for the Swifts, taking a 50% penalty of her own and then ending up with just 34 points. Jake couldn't get Royal back on track, claiming only 113. Gradley cashed in for Boston, bringing the crowd to their feet while scoring 881 to put the hosts in front with a player each to go. Nightfur produced 211 for the Crowns, giving them a final of 1324 and a narrow but still existent chance to win the game and series. Sweetheart crushed those hopes by hitting 326 for the Swifts, giving them a final of 1565. Royal still owns a 3-2 series lead, but they must return home for their next attempt, a venue that has been far less friendly to them than the open road.

Up north, the Central Warriors bring in the Web City Spiders to Nestle's Warriors Park. Web City's captain, Shadow, again faltered in a road game, scoring only 64 points. Twilight, complying with the rules, earned a non-penalized voluntary replay after a technical error, but failed to maximize the second chance with 186 points for Central. Rainmane also had a weak effort for the Spiders, putting up just 73 points. Gizmo's 240 provided the Warriors slightly more separation. Sugar grabbed 204 for Web City, getting the team out of a run of bad form. Noelle left Central's back door open after being cited for a 50% penalty that resulted in her scoring 128. Dominic swung well but ended up shot after finishing with 160 to put the Spiders at 501 in a low-scoring loss. Dustin capped the Warriors' successful survival effort with 279, producing a final of 833. The series still favors Web City 3-2, and it is Web City that will host a pivotal Game 6.

Way to the southwest, the Capital City Sharpshooters host the Maplewood Lumberjacks at the Capital City SuperCenter. For the first time this series, Fluffina lived up to the nickname of "Breakfast," starting Maplewood off right with a big 1099. Chris faltered with jut 24 points for Capital City. Bryant sliced another 213 to add onto the Lumberjacks' lead. Sprinkles got most of that back for the Sharpshooters, hitting 198 despite a brutal 50% penalty for a false start. Diddley scooped out 267 for Maplewood, extending their lead a little more. Capital City remained mostly punchless when Missy tallied only 63 points, essentially dooming the hosts to elimination. Cubby chipped 229 for the Lumberjacks, and they set the bar with their final score of 1808. Dani's 88 made the elimination scenario reality for the Sharpshooters, as they posted a final score of 373. Maplewood took the series 4-1, and they now await either the Boston Swifts or the Royal Crowns in the quarterfinals.

Heading east, the Golden Pilots bring in the Westside Rockers to Amazon Field, with the hosts having the chance to advance. Misty, once again, failed to reach triple-digits in hitting 94 for Westside, continuing a bout of the yips in the playoffs for Westside's loveable captain. Valencia put up a fairly average 296 for Golden, once again capitalizing on her opposition's failure. Goatee managed 200 for the Rockers, but she didn't play very comfortably in her turn. Strut batted a strong 414 for the Pilots, giving them the appearance of taking control again. Westside's Alyssa, a regular-season disappointment, once again pulled the team back into the game with 337. Dusty let the lead shrink a little, hitting just 160 for Golden. Chicky Phil's 139 was not enough for the Rockers, and they ended up with a final of 770, losing the game and the series. A. Charlton capped off the Pilots' triumph with a frenzied 279, finalizing the winning total at 1149. Golden won the series 4-1, and they will face the Pacific Volcanoes in the quarterfinals. The early underlying story is the impending generational battle between league superstars: Dusty of the 90s for Golden against Starlight of the modern era for Pacific

Next up, we head northwest to the Whitewater Shores welcoming the Pearl Surfers to Samsung Whitewater Stadium, or as it's known around the league, "The Hardest Place to Score." Victoria would agree with the common name, as she scored just 90 points to begin for Pearl. In an apparent stroke of luck for the heavy underdog visitors, Whitewater's Bear took a 50% penalty on his turn and submitted a score of only 166. Wings scored 336 to get the Surfers on more stable ground. After three underwhelming efforts in a row, the Shores got 846 from their de facto deputy point-earner, Twinkie III, and they took a strong lead. Neopolitan continued her mistake-prone postseason with 185 for Pearl, doing little to close the gap. Cheddar blasted another 505 for Whitewater, in what can only be considered another classic example of their sheer force. Watermelon posted 420 for the Surfers, but they were still toppled at their final score of 1031. Jennifer hit 368 for the Shores, icing their series-clinching effort at 1885. Whitewater took the series 4-1, avoiding the fate of what they did to the Diamond Gems last year in a position similar to the Surfers. The #1 seed awaits whichever beaten and bloodied team comes out of the fistfight known as the Defenders/Stills series.

Finally, the last of the Game 5s features the Eastside Sharks hosting the Pronger Tridents at HP Field. Strawberry continued her run of remarkably consistent efforts with 391 to lead off for Pronger. Graham slipped up by scoring just 99 points for Eastside. Hoot added on for the Tridents by slugging 623 to solidify the lead. Chelsea managed only 162 for the Sharks in what has been a lackluster playoffs for her. Speaking of lackluster, Paps had only 122 for Pronger, once again failing to find positive consistency. Taylor Swift shot back with 450 for Eastside, which is individually good but probably won't be enough given the deficit. Precious rallied for 359 to give the Tridents a final score of 1495. Robyn's 237 left the Sharks in shallow water at 948, taking a second loss in the series. Eastside still owns the series 3-2, but their own inconsistency could do them in against a tight-knit opponent that players bigger than their seed suggests.

That's all for Game 5s. We will have coverage of Game 6s tomorrow, and potentially Game 7s if time permits.

Cricket: Round 1 Game 4s

Welcome to my first public coverage of the UPCL Hutton Cup Playoffs. This post should be able to get you up to speed for the league, and hopefully we can begin to build a connection as a creator and audience. In the first of the scheduled games...

The Westside Rockers host the Golden Pilots in the BMW RockDome. Valencia struck 248 to lead off for Golden. Misty again struggled for Westside, hitting just 75 in response. Strut pounded 583 to solidify the lead for the Pilots. Goatee answered with 368 for the Rockers. Dusty shot back with just 138 for Golden, leaving them a little more vulnerable. Kelly managed 162 for Westside, but they remain significantly behind with a player to go. The Pilots ended at 1162 total points after A. Charlton took a 50% penalty and scored 152. Chicky Phil blasted 378 for the Rockers, but it wasn't enough for them to avoid a loss, as they finished with 983. The Pilots now lead the series 3-1.

To the east, the Web City Spiders welcome the Central Warriors to the Home Depot Forum. Central's MVP candidate, Twilight, scuffled again with just 16 points. Shadow, clearly more comfortable at home, scored 328 for the hosting Web City. Gizmo popped 592 for the Warriors to get them back in the game. Rainmane asserted dominance for the Spiders by ripping 834 to reestablish their lead. Noelle managed 152 for Central, but it appears the game has slipped away from the visitors. Sugar kept Web City strong by supplying 608 points. Dustin crushed 1345 for the Warriors, keeping them alive with a final score of 2105. The Spiders still pulled off victory, as Dominic raked in 585 on some impressive bat-work to produce a final score of 2355. Web City has increased their series lead to 3-1, and will get a crack at advancing on the road in Game 5.

Just slightly to the north, the Maplewood Lumberjacks host the Capital City Sharpshooters at UPS Ground in Maplewood. Chris began with 256 for Capital City. Fluffina faltered with a weak 48 for Maplewood, continuing her insufficient postseason effort. Sprinkles tallied 368 to add onto the lead for the Sharpshooters. The Lumberjacks fell further behind as Bryant managed just 20 points in his turn. Missy slipped with 87 points for Capital City, opening the door for a potential comeback. Diddley turned the game on its head, capitalizing for Maplewood with 1036 to give them the lead with a player each to go. The Sharpshooters got 208 from D. Taylor, but closed the game out at 919, taking a loss. The Lumberjacks ended with 1430 after Cubby capped their victory with 326 points. Maplewood will travel leading the series 3-1.

We next head southwest, where the Lighton Prestige bring the Pacific Volcanoes into Pepsi Prestige Park. Starlight again struggled on the road, hitting just 150 to open for Pacific. Acorn responded with 305 for Lighton, finally rounding into his usual form. Ms. Kitty made a huge statement for the Volcanoes by scoring 1100 points. Spirit slapped a quick 373 for the Prestige, which left them with a still-significant deficit in a potential elimination game. Jack faltered with 72 for Pacific, allowing the opponents a bit more breathing room. Twinkie I capitalized for Lighton, blasting 682 to give her team the lead again. Leonette's 351 put the Volcanoes at 1673 total, a healthy final score. Pounce chipped 227 for the Prestige, giving them 1587 and costing them the game. With the win, the Volcanoes are the first team to advance to the quarterfinals with a 4-0 series sweep. The #6 ranked Volcanoes await either the Pilots or the Rockers in the next round.

Northeast again, as the Pronger Tridents host the Eastside Sharks at Tridents Park, sponsored by Ford. Graham scored a modest 189 for Eastside to begin the game. Strawberry put up 288 for Pronger, opting not to go through a voluntary replay after a technical error. Chelsea gave the Sharks a very narrow lead by hitting 102. Hoot did little to separate the Tridents, scoring only 122 in his turn. Taylor Swift hit a critical 722 for Eastside, putting them solidly in the lead. Pronger's Paps hit only 9 in response, melting under the pressure of having to play catch up. Robyn had 108, giving the Sharks a final score of 1121. Precious failed to cover the gap for the Tridents, hitting only 69 and giving them 488 points in the loss. Despite losing the first game of the series, Eastside has stormed back into control with a 3-1 series lead.

 

Returning to the southwest region, the Todavía Stills welcome the Southridge Defenders into Apple Park for game 4 of the playoffs' most tightly contested series thus far. Southridge's captain, Boots, had an uncharacteristically bad game with just 90 points. Todavía didn't fair any better, as their captain Easter hit only 20 points after Boots redeemed herself with good bowling. The Defenders failed to gain much control with 161 points from J. Garcia. The Stills failed to catch up, as their superstar Sierra was dinged with a 50% penalty that resulted in a score of 42. Southridge suffered an unlucky bounce in Rookie of the Year Debby Ryan's turn, where she scored only 64 points. Sparkles of Todavía hit 395 to bust the game open. The often-inconsistent Shaggy supplied 691 for the Defenders, giving them a final of 1006. She followed that by bowling well against the Stills' Leonardo, who ended with 168 after a mistimed swing, leaving his team short at 625. Southridge's victory tied the series at 2 games apiece. 

 

Up north along the west coast, the Pearl Surfers face elimination when they host the Whitewater Shores at the Honda Driftwood Coliseum. Whitewater's league MVP Bear appears rattled on the road, this time striking just 53 as the leading hitter. Pearl replied with 279 from longtime superstar V. Braun. Twinkie III scored 164 for the Shores after suffering a 50% penalty for the second straight game. Wings again came up big at home, slugging 1109 for the Surfers to extend their lead. Cheddar took just 57 for Whitewater, leaving them in a dangerously weak position for the game. Potential free agent Neopolitan scored a meager 28 for Pearl, doing nothing to secure the game. Jennifer put up 260 for the Shores, leaving them at 534 in a brutal loss and assuring that there will not be a sequel to Game 3's Legend Of Livilotti performance. Watermelon kept it simple with 45 in icing the Surfers' victorious score at 1461. With the win, Pearl retains hope, but the #1 seeded Shores stills lead the series 3-1 and will likely be out for revenge in Game 5. 

Finally, to the southeast, we have the Royal Crowns bringing in the Boston Swifts to Kraft Crowns Park. Royal is looking to pull off the upset-sweep in this final Game 4. Patches scored 176 for Boston, but this featured a 50% penalty for the team captain. Frosty continued a blistering postseason effort by slapping 512 for Royal. Puff II shot back with 650 for the Swifts, keeping them firmly in the game as they face elimination. Sydnee sliced 224 for the Crowns, making the game extremely close at the halfway point. A bad bounce left Boston's Gradley at 113. Jake poked only 32 for Royal, squandering a chance to take control. Sweetheart had only 96 for the Swifts, failing to secure the game and leaving the final at a vulnerable 1035. Nightfur didn't quite put enough in her game, hitting 135 to get the Crowns to 903, taking their first lost of the series. Boston survives another day, but the Crowns travel back to Boston with a 3-1 series lead and a 12-game road winning streak dating back well into the regular season.

That's all for today, check back again later for Game 5s!