Jumbos win their first series this year

Doug Linton in action against the Cobras on Sunday. The American right-hander allowed a run on three hits in seven spectacular innings in the Lions' 7-1 victory over the serpents. PHOTO: PRESIDENT LIONS

Behind explosive offense that produced nearly ten runs per contest in Game 2 and Game 3 of their three-game series against the Sinon Bulls last week, the Brother Elephants took their first series of the year against the defending champs by a 2-1 margin.

After dropping the series opener to the Bulls in Hsinchuang on Thursday in an 8-1 final, where ace righty Os-valdo Martinez of the Bulls won his record-setting 101st career victory, the Elephants answered with an 8-5 win at Tienmu on Saturday before topping the Bulls again in Sunday's series finale at Hsinchuang by a score of 11-4.

first strike

Saturday's contest at Tienmu actually had the Bulls striking first when they tagged Elephant starter Harold Woodman for five quick runs in the first two innings, highlighted by a pair of two-run doubles by cleanup man Chang "Prince of the Forest" Tai-shan and second baseman Huang "Brother Tung" Chung-yi.

Woodman settle down and not allow another run the rest of the way en route to a complete-game win, his first of the year.

Offensively the Elephants, right fielder Peng "Chia Chia" Cheng-ming and shortstop Chen Rei-cheng each had a three-hit game, while third baseman Chu Hung-shen knocked in three runs to provide the bulk of the load on offense for his team.

Sunday's series-clinching win for the Elephants at Hsinchuang was all Jonathan Hurst when the veteran right-hander from South Carolina allowed two runs on four hits over seven strong innings for his third win of the season.

None the four Sinon pitchers on hand could stop the Elephant lineup that connected for 18 hits in the eleven-run offensive outburst. Five different Elephant hitters had multiple hits and multiple RBIs in the game, as they sent the Bulls off back to Taichung with an ugly loss to conclude the week.

Lions roar

Also taking two out of three in their series play against the Macoto Cobras last week were the President Lions who clobbered the serpents with a 10-0 shutout on Friday and a 7-1 victory on Sunday to retake the third-place spot in the standings.

The Lions more than avenged their 8-1 series-opening loss to the Cobras in Pingtung with the 10-0 shutout that showcased their Dominican duo on both sides of the ball: starter Jose Alberro and RBI machine Israel Alcantara.

In only his second start of the season, Alberro tossed seven innings of four-hit ball to record his first win of the season while fellow countrymen Alcantara went deep against the Cobra staff twice for his league-leading eighth and ninth home run.

crucial game

Game of the series had the big cats holding on to a narrow 3-1 lead until the top of the ninth when they erupted for four straight runs on the strength of second baseman Yang Seng's solo blast to deep-left, Alcantara's sacrifice fly, and RBI singles by centerfielder Huang "Sugarcane" Kang-ling and first baseman Kao Guo-ching.

Lion Doug Linton earned his third win of the season, allowing the lone run by the Cobras on three hits over seven frames, while his counterpart Lin Ying-jeh suffered his fourth defeat of the season for allowing three runs (one earned), also in seven innings of play.

In other league actions, the La New Bears played the Chinatrust Whales tough in a 2-all series split that gave the Bear fans something to cheer about.

After splitting the first two games earlier last week, the Bears took Game 3 at Kaohsiung in a 4-1 final that featured a towering two-run shot to straight-way center by third baseman Victory Rodriguez.

On the verge of losing a series to the last-placed Bears, the Whales came back strong in Game 4 on Saturday for a 6-2 win to force the two-all series split.