Around the ABL: June 25-July 1

Peter Kelly

June 26: So Cal 0, Nottinghamshire 16. The two worst teams in the league faced off, and the underdog Outlaws rout the Republic. Teenage Peter Kelly begins the scoring in the first inning with a three-run home run. Danny Burris hits two doubles and a single and drives in three: he wins RCL Rookie of the Month for the second consecutive month (.439, 50 H, 21 RBI, 11 BB, .492 OBP).

June 27: Greenville 13, Ann Arbor 0. The league's hottest team? The Greenville 84's, who have won nine of their last twelve. Joe Leftwich started the season in a slump but has been hot lately: he singles three times, scores twice, and drives in two runs to help clip the Barn Owls' wings. Barry Yates hurls an unlikely shutout: he holds Lorenzo Rodríguez and company scoreless despite allowing 11 hits and striking out only three.

Curt Dempsey

June 27: Montgomery 9, San Diego 5. The Mountain Cats sweep the reeling Tomcats. Victor Welsh hits two home runs, a single, and draws two walks en route to winning RCL Player of the Week (11-20, 7 R, 3 HR, 7 RBI). Curt Dempsey hits three singles and a double and wins RCL Player of the Month (.364, 30 R, 7 HR, 29 RBI). Montgomery goes 19-8 in June and ends the month a half-game back in the Bobby Cox Division.

June 27: Montreal 1, Dallas 0. Raúl Pérez shuts down Dallas for 7 2/3 innings, allowing eight hits and two walks, as the Bandits eke out a 1-0 victory. Pérez wins RCL Pitcher of the Month (6 GS, 4-0, 1.89 ERA, 38 IP, 41 K).

Emílio Guerrero

June 28: Boston 2, Kansas City 3. With the Tornadoes down to their final out, Emílio Guerrero hits a two-run home run to beat the Cardinals. Guerrero also hit a a solo shot in the seventh.

June 28: South Carolina 5, Las Vegas 7. Colin St. John hits two home runs and drives in five. The Jokers right-fielder wins both TML Player of the Week (9-16, 4 HR, 12 RBI) and TML Player of the Month (.323, 25 R, 8 HR, 27 RBI)—an award he also won in May.

Manuel Rúiz

June 28: Jersey 0, Mile High 5. Workhorse Manuel Rúiz pitched a four-hit shutout, walking none while striking out seven. This was his seventh complete game of the season and his third shutout—both league bests.

June 29: South Carolina 5, Mile High 6. With two outs in the ninth, Mustang Eric Black bloops a single to left, driving in the tying runs. In the 14th, Bomber Joe Frost doubles in two runs, but the Mustangs once again come back to tie it. In the 15th, Danny Hardy doubles in Callum Ritchie to win it for the Mustangs. It was rough week for the Bombers as they were swept in back-to-back series.

Roberto Martínez

June 29: Maple 1, Jacksonville 0. Marauder Roberto Martínez allows a hit and a walk in eight innings of work, and Frank Powers throws out Nick Parks at the plate to end the game.

Tommy Harris

June 29: Los Angeles 1, San Francisco 0. The game goes into extra innings in a scoreless tie, and continues until Tommy Harris hits a home run in the top of the 15th to score the game's only run and win it for the Evil Empire.

June 30: Los Angeles 8, San Francisco 4. In the second game of the series, Harris picks up where he left off, homering in his first two at-bats. He also walks three times, scores four runs, and drives in four. The Evil Empire sweep the series, and the Earthquakes end the week on a five-game losing streak.

June 30: Jersey 7, Las Vegas 6. It was the Comedy Classic as the Jesters faced the Jokers. Vegas led by five runs, but Jersey scores six in the eighth to win the game. Jester first-baseman and carnival strong man Patrick Goff lines a two-run home run to tie it, and pinch-hitter Hunter Wine singles in Bill Flynn for what would prove to be the winning run.

Notes: San Francisco's Ray Lester wins TML Pitcher of the Month: he wins all 6 starts with an .89 ERA, pitching 40 1/3 innings, and striking out 39. His 14 wins lead baseball. ... Kansas City speedster Lawrence Fox wins TML Rookie of the Month: he hits .356 with 3 HR, 21 RBI, and 13 SB.