LOOK FOR THE UNION LABEL
8/29/02

The Independent Strippers Union (I.S.U.) goes from a rag tag bunch of misfits to league champions in two short months.

Put together as the individual sign-ups team, I.S.U. quickly bonded and resurrected themselves after a shaky start. They dropped the first two games, but once they changed the team name, got new uniforms, and made some mid-season adjustments, they were on their way.

ISU was unbeaten in their last nine games, including a thrilling championship game that saw them knock off another cinderella team.

In the finals, the second seeded ISU faced the fifth seeded Screwballs. The Screwballs had just had a come from behind win against the top seed and were primed for a championship run. On the strength of a seven run sixth inning, Screwballs eliminated The Gym and moved on to the finals.

ISU had an equally tough battle. They outlasted Kamanawanalaya, the third seed and advanced to the title game.

The championship game lasted 1 hour and 45 minutes, a CSA record, and was a game of many peaks and valleys. Backed by Championship Game MVP, Eli Burbank, and his third inning grand slam, ISU managed to be the team standing at the end.

Both teams got on the board early, and ISU, the home team, led 3-2 at the end of one. Then the Screwballs broke out with a seven run second inning. With a 9-3 edge at the end of two, the Screwballs looked to have a comfortable lead. When they were held off the board in the third, that didn't seem to be much of a problem.
However, that is when ISU broke the dam. Capped by Burbank's grand slam, ISU managed to put 12 runs across in the third and turned a six run deficit into a six run lead, 15-9.

The Screwballs didn't go away though. They scored three in the fourth and four more in the fifth. During those two innings they held ISU to only one run and at the end of five, the score was tied at 16.

This up and down game was genuinely up for grabs. Neither team scored in the sixth, so the game came down to one final inning, or so we thought.

In the top of the seventh, the Screwballs took the lead with one run. They were now three outs away from the championship. In the bottom of the seventh, ISU would have their last? chance. They were only two runs away from the championship. The inning would end in a stalemate. Screwballs couldn't get the three outs without allowing any runs and ISU couldn't get the two runs before they recorded three outs. The game would go to extra innings tied at 17.

Extra innings just meant extra excitement. Screwballs again managed one run and put the pressure on ISU. This time ISU responded like a champion. Entering the bottom of the eighth trailing 18-17, ISU put two runs across and won the game and the Thursday league championship 19-18.

The game is now a frontrunner for 2002 Game of the Year and both teams should be proud of their effort.

INDEPENDENT STRIPPERS UNION (I.S.U)
starting line-up

1. NATHAN LASSANSKE
2. JASON HARMS
3. KATIE HASTINGS
4. GARY CHICHESTER
5. VICKI AVILA
6. ELI BURBANK
7. ERIC SCHWARTZ
8. SHANNON WHITE
9. LUKE BURBANK
10. AMY NAUDASHER
11. TIM SCRUGGS
12. CHRIS COONEY