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Almost as quickly as it started, the Arizona Fall League is preparing to close its doors on the 2015 season. With the League Championship slated for Saturday, the seven representatives for the Tigers have been trimmed to five, as Jeff Ferrell made his return home last week after experiencing shoulder stiffness and JaCoby Jones continues to walk out his 50-game suspension.
Ferrell concluded his campaign with the Scottsdale Scorpions (16-11) tossing five scoreless innings of relief through four outings, allowing just a pair of hits and striking out eight.
For Jones, he made quick work at the plate at the start of his run with Scottsdale, but leveled off in his consistency as the season moved along. His pair of home runs in a single game were his only in AFL action, though Jones was able to secure multiple league honors before his exit. Named a League Rising Star, an Organizational All-Star and Player of the Week, Jones finished the year hitting .280/.333/.400 with 14 hits, four RBI and nine runs scored.
Following his Fall-Star selection, the normally consistent Mike Gerber is working to regain his edge following a subpar showing. Gerber has gone 2-for-15 at the plate in his last five games with Scottsdale. Gerber's Tigers teammate Dominic Ficociello hasn't fared much better, with just one RBI in his previous five outings, finishing 5-for-20 at the plate.
Australian Baseball League
The Australian Baseball League has officially concluded the first four rounds of their 14-round regular season, which concludes on February 7 with the League Championship. No one is enjoying the run more than the Canberra Cavalry (11-5), who hold a one game lead over Brisbane for the top slot.
Canberra can credit the offense of infielder Aaron Sayers for a great deal of their success. The left-handed hitter is maintaining a six-game hit streak, reaching base safely in eight of his last 10 games with Canberra. Sayers is hitting .345/.368/.436 with 19 hits, six RBI and two triples in 16 games with the Cavalry.
The recent efforts for Calvin Drummond (1-1, 4.50 ERA) and the Sydney Blue Sox (5-9) have taken an unfortunate turn as they work through their four-game skid, standing in fifth place. As you can see, the stress is beginning to affect everyone...including third base.
Drummond has not thrown more than one inning in each outing, and did not allow a run in his first four appearances for Sydney. After allowing three runs off four hits to Canberra and earning his first loss on November 8, Drummond returned to his scoreless work against Adelaide the following week, allowing three hits and holding The Bite without a run in his fifth outing.
Toros del Este - Dominican League
The power behind the bat of Steven Moya is beginning to resurface. In his last 11 games, the larger-than-life Moya has posted four doubles for the Toros, as well as going deep for his first home run this season in Dominican play. Moya is hitting .300/.333/.475 with 12 hits and five RBI on the year.
Caracas Leones - Caracas Venezuela
A hot start for the Leones has cooled as Caracas finds itself dipped to a three-way tie for second place in their respective division. Wynton Bernard officially concluded his tenure with Caracas, returning home to San Diego roughly a week ago. Bernard impressed at the plate, hitting .288/.337/.400, posting a team-high seven stolen bases, as well as punching 23 hits, including five doubles and a pair of triples.
Dixon Machado is continuing to battle through what has been described as a "bad cold." After going 1-for-4 on November 13, Machado has not surfaced in the last two outings with the Leones, though has been said to be traveling with the team. Machado is hitting .295/.403/.486 with an .889 OPS. Machado stands in the top three for hits on the Leones with 31, as well as eight doubles and four home runs.