The Northsouth Guardians have home field advantage in a 5-game series against the Delle Stars in this year’s Uplantic Association SemiFinal Series. The Guardians come into the series fresh off of upsetting the Platte Bears for the UA West pennant in the UA’s first-ever tiebreaker game. The Stars clinched the Wild Card on the second-to-last day of the season. Despite a better record by half a game, the Stars concede home field advantage to the Guardians, since the Guardians won the pennant in their division. The winner of this series will take on the juggernaut Deerborn White Sox in the 1931 Windsor Cup Finals.
(click here for a full series preview)
Game 1: Trefellen Field, Northsouth, Snowgate
9/22/1931
Delle Stars ace RHP Ron Rivera strikes out 8 Guardians over 6 innings. RHP Doug Manns has a good outing for the Guardians as well, going 5 scoreless innings. Northsouth starts the scoring against Ron Rivera in the 6th as RF Brad Bailey tags and scores from third base on a sac fly by LF Rogne Sem. The lead is short lived, however, as Delle pinch hitter Robby Hawk comes through in the top of the 7th with a clutch 2-out, 2-run single against LH RP Roberto Gatalvan to give the Stars a 2-1 lead. SS Mahamadou Constant adds another run in the top of the 9th with a single to bring C Jon Garcika home from second base. Stars CL David Rogers earns a 2-inning save and the Stars take game 1 on the road, 3-1.
Game 2: Trefellen Field, Northsouth, Snowgate
9/23/1931 | DEL leads 1-0
Two All-Star pitchers start game 2 of the SFS. LHP Kevin Leroux starts for the Stars, with RHP James Beach on the mound for the Guardians. The Guardians come out strong in the bottom of the 1st inning with 2 runs. CF Tom Katamori scores from third on a wild pitch from Leroux, then LF Rogne Sem hits another sac fly for his 2nd RBI of the series. The Stars once again strike back quickly with a big 2nd inning. Delle loads the bases with nobody out and manager Manny Mendozataka goes to lefty pinch hitter Robby Hawk early, batting for SS Mahamadou Constant. Hawk delivers with another 2-RBI single. The Stars keep it going with an RBI single from CF Jesus Vazquiza, followed by a 3-run bomb from RF Antonio Teakowa to chase Northsouth starter James Beach and give the Stars a 6-2 lead. The Guardians inch closer in the 3rd inning with an RBI fielder’s choice from 2B Francisco Aguilera and an RBI single from 3B Hamid Fischer to make it 6-4, Stars. The Stars widen their lead to 7-4 with a solo home run by SS Oma Sek in the 7th. They add 2 more runs in the 8th on a pair of sacrifice flies by 2B Bobby Moyle and RF Antonio Teawoka to make it 9-4. The Stars bullpen holds Northsouth hitless over the last 4.2 innings and Delle will take a commanding 2-0 series lead to their home ballpark for game 3.
Game 3: Stars Ballpark of Darling, Delle, Medland
9/25/1931 | DEL leads 2-0
24-year old RHP Pat Carter gets the start for Delle with his team on the verge of a series sweep and a trip to the Windsor Cup Finals. Carter is brilliant, going 7 innings with only 4 hits and just 1 unearned run as a result of a ground ball between the legs of Delle 1B Carlos Lia Idris in the 4th. The Guardians go to their ace starting RHP Jaime Ruiz with their season on the line. He starts off shaky in the 1st inning, loading the bases with 2 singles and a walk before Carlos Lia Idris hits a sac fly to make it 1-0, Delle. Stars RF Antonio Teakowa helps the Stars dominate game 3 with a pair of 2-run homers and 2 walks. CF Jesus Vazquiza notches a 2-run double in the 6th inning, and Stars Ballpark is rocking as fans count down the innings. The Stars beat the Guardians by a final of 7-1 to sweep the SemiFinal Series and earn a trip to their first Windsor Cup Finals!
Stars RF Antonio Teakowa is an easy choice for the 1931 UA SemiFinal MVP award. He hit 3 home runs, drove in 8 runs, and hit for an average of .571 with a .692 on-base percentage.
The Windsor Cup Finals will get underway Sunday for game 1 between the Stars and White Sox at Kostinksy Park in Deerborn.
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