The 1910 Southern Union Baseball season was the sixteenth season of professional baseball within the Southern Union. It was the first season of the Albaland Baseball League after they joined the South Indian Ocean Baseball Association (SIOBA) and was formally recognized as the fifth nation to run a professional baseball league in the Southern Union. This was also the first season of the Ianoian Social Cup; the first knockout competition with teams selected randomly in a ‘draw’ open to both professional and amateur clubs within the Southern Union.

Domestic Baseball

Koana Islands

Super Ligan

Sandford Stad BF, who turned professional 14 years ago, won their first Super Ligan title this year after a remarkable 20-game winning streak that helped them establish a comfortable lead at the top of the table and setting a new points record of 101 in the process. Despite being the defending champions, Omfattandestad BoIS finished second, thanks in large part to the impressive away form of Sandford Stad BF, who won 29 of their 33 games on the road, losing only 4. BK Salau finished third for their highest ever finish, having led the league before Sandford Stad BF’s winning streak.

Glenton Kullar BbK’s first ever top flight season was a success as they finished fourth, helped by just three losses in their final 17 games to keep them clear of Ny Aucklanda IF, BK Embleton and Vizhune IS who squabbled for much of the season.

AIF Thomassmåstad finished a distant 8th where they finished last year, narrowly pipping BK Humoor 1893 on the final day with a 1-0 victory over BK Embleton.

At the bottom, newly-promoted Jordnot Kanjon BK were never in real threat despite collapsing in the back half of the season to avoid the drop by just two points. SK Ryttare, who stunned Koanian baseball with a 2nd placed finish last year, lingered in the drop zone with Nyhaven SK for the vast majority of the year, at one point languishing 11 points from safety in early June to all but end any hopes of survival. They both went down to Division Ett having had two-year stays in the top flight.

Division Ett

BF Oberoendestad fell three points shy of a new Division Ett points haul as they romped back to the Super Ligan after a 2-year absence. After starting the year winning 15 games straight, the team was rarely troubled, holding top spot from the second Saturday of the season onwards. They will be joined by Portlethen Måndag GK who bounced straight back up to the top flight.

IF Blidområde finished third, but held second place for the bulk of June, July and August before two straight sweeps at the hands of BF Oberoendestad and Portlethen Måndag GK dashed their hopes.

1890 Ängelar SK’s return to Division Ett was somewhat forgettable as they finished 7^th, never in touch with Körsbärstad IF, Bryankeld Förenta BK & Atletisk Nyhamn ahead of them.

At the bottom, Uckford Gemenskap was forced into the re-election process for the first time since 1897, whilst Prestons-Grenada kept their place despite the fourth straight year of relying on their peers to retain their professional status. Clubs in both the Super Ligan and Division Ett agreeing the team had made sufficient improvement throughout the year, only dropping into the bottom two places on the last day of the season.

Günsovölk

Baseball Meisterschaft

After 13 years of trying, SG 1632 Schönheit clinching their first Mesiterschaft title, staving off the fast finishing defending champions, Rasensport Sorgenfrei. Die Fischernen were sitting around 3^rd for much of the first half of the season before a 14-2-0 record though June to August propelled them to the top. A Three-game skid saw Rasensport briefly leapfrog them before they beat Sorgenfrei 2-games to 1 the following weekend to regain top spot.

Viktoria Grosstadt SV will wonder what could’ve been, holding top spot early on, before falling away, exacerbated by a 6-game losing streak in late September putting them out of the hunt entirely. It was a great season by the club nonetheless; their highest ever finishing position having been re-elected only two years ago.

Tapfer Concordia BV and BV Küstestadt tied on points for 4^th and 5^th, the latter winning their last ten fixtures to stay clear of BSG Geldstadt.

1. Trappen had their best finish of 7^th narrowly beating out VfB Andacht who had a slow start to the year doing little to hinder their best finish since they secured 7^th in the inaugural 1898 baseball season.

Mächtstadt VfL – up for re-election last year – had a decent season coming home in 10^th and beating out the other bottom-half teams who switched places regularly during the season. Uelzenia Hüll also avoided re-election yet Käseplatz SSV and Blau-Weiss Ruigoord weren’t so lucky, despite retaining their professional status for another season. It’s a fall from grace for Ruigoord, finishing last for the first time, having only won the title 6 years ago and as a result Manager Heinrich Müller was promptly relieved of his duties.

Ianoia

I-League

McCutchen City clinched the I-League title for the second time in history. In a tight affair that split the league in half, the Myrmidon fans were forced to bite their nails for the finals couple of weeks as the team limped home with 5 losses in their final 8 games to stave off Ulcombe United who had their best finish of 2^nd since they turned professional in 1900.

Despite being up there in points, Blenkinsopp Town and Oldstead Irish were never really in the hunt for the title with the former sitting 5^th for the better part of the season before finding form and dropping just three games in their remaining 21 fixtures. Tyrant-Ilford secured 5^th, a whopping 28 points clear of Racing Welford, Athletic Ivychurch and Chatteris United.

Juniors and Spartans of Martletwy tied on 53 points and a 24-5-37 record. Only Run Difference separated the two clubs, with the former hindered by a couple of long slumps in form having sat third at one point in the season.

Sporting Cuckney set a new I-League record for lowest winning percentage at just 0.235. The team was put up for re-election after falling into last place at the start of May but despite going through the process for the second time in three years, was comfortably re-elected.

Social Cup

The inaugural Social Cup was a huge success, having had many doubters prior to the start of the competition. Consisting of the 12 I-League teams and 52 amateur clubs chosen on their promptness of their initial application, the tournament drew large crowds and generated a lot of excitement and enthusiasm among fans and players alike. 

In the Cup Final, played at Racing Welford’s Welford Ballpark, Blenkinsopp Town emerged victorious with a scoreline of 5-1 against Tyrant-Ilford. The game remained scoreless until the 4th inning, when Tyrant-Ilford managed to score one run. However, Blenkinsopp Town quickly responded in the 6th inning, with a run scored by a sacrifice fly from Ben Davis. In the 8th inning, Jake Williams hit a powerful home run, tacking on two more to extend Blenkinsopp Town’s lead. The team continued to dominate in the 9th inning, with another run scored by a single hit from Davis.

The starting pitchers for both teams put on impressive performances, with Blenkinsopp Town’s Thomas Davidson striking out 8 batters and allowing only one run over 7 innings, while also walking 3 batters. Tyrant-Ilford’s James Smith also performed well, allowing only one run over 5 innings, while striking out 2 and walking 1. Blenkinsopp Town’s key players included Jake Williams, who hit a home run in the 8th inning to extend their lead, and Ben Davis, who made a diving catch in the outfield to prevent a potential comeback by Tyrant-Ilford. For Tyrant-Ilford, Jack Robinson had a strong game with two hits, including their only run of the game.

In the first recorded “giant slayings”, Byfleet Hawks and Juniors were both eliminated in the First Round to non-League opponents Athletic Ragdale and Babraham respectively, whilst amateur club Victoria Gawsworth, from the small town of Gawsworth, reached the Semi-Finals having only played non-League teams up to that point.

QUARTER-FINALS
South Coast Sharks (NON) 0-12 Blenkinsopp Town (ILG)
Edwin Street (NON) 2-6 Victoria Gawsworth (NON)
Chatteris United (ILG) 6-5 Oldstead Irish (ILG)
Tyrant-Ilford (ILG) 3-0 Ulcombe United (ILG)

SEMI-FINALS
Blenkinsopp Town (ILG) 4-2 Victoria Gawsworth (NON)
Chatteris United (ILG) 6-8 Tyrant-Ilford (ILG)

FINAL
Blenkinsopp Town (ILG) 5-1 Tyrant-Ilford (ILG)

Albaland

Baseball League

The inaugural season of the Albaland Baseball League was a major success, captivating fans across the country with its exciting gameplay and talented players. Despite being a new league, the League quickly gained popularity, drawing in large crowds for its games and generating substantial revenue from spectators inquisitive of the new competition.

One of the key factors in the league’s success was the level of talent on display. Many of the players had honed their skills in other leagues or through independent play, bringing a high level of athleticism and competition to the League. Fans were particularly impressed by the pitchers, who quickly turn the league into a low-scoring affair with runs hard to come by compared to other Southern Union competitions.

The league also received strong support from local businesses and community members, who recognized the economic benefits of having a successful sports league in their area. Merchants sold team merchandise and game-day concessions, while hotels and restaurants benefited from the influx of fans attending games. In addition, the league established partnerships with local newspapers, providing extensive coverage of games and player profiles to keep fans engaged and informed.

Strathmiglo Wanderers, not expected to really challenge for the title, made history as the first team to clinch the League after moving to the top of the table following Week 11 where they remained, thanks to a string of wins in July and August.

Douglastown BC were the favourites going into the season off the back of their Alba Shield victory last year. They finished second, narrowly holding off Terregles Collieries and Rigside Nine, who were also early season favourites.

Bridgebank dropped just 4 points in their final 17 games, going 15-2-1 and overtake South Angel, whilst Warriors suffered the opposite fortune, winning just twice in the final 9 weeks to slip from 4^th to an eventual finish of 10^th.

Oxenfoord Athletic had an incredibly slow start to the year before they found a bit of late form to finish 12^th whilst Abner Arduaine beat Glenarm on the final day to consign United Bankfoot to last place and a re-election.

Alba Shield

The Alba Shield tournament continued to grow in popularity, drawing in even larger crowds and generatingexcitement throughout the country. This was due in part to the inclusion of ABL professional teams, who added a new level of interest and competitiveness to the tournament.

Oxenfoord Athletic became the first professional team to lose a competitive game to an amateur side, when Sandyhills eliminated the side 3-1 in the First Round. However, Warriors suffered the same fate just half an hour later when they were dumped out of the competition by Mossbank Thistle, 6-5. Thistle went on to reach the Quarter-Finals by knocking out Tower Hill before being handed a thrashing by Bridgebank, 12-1.

In the Final of the Alba Shield baseball game between Kirkcolm Town and Rigside Nine, The Niners emerged victorious after an epic 11-inning battle. The game was played at the Arduaine Sports Field, with a raucous crowd cheering on both teams throughout the match.

Rigside Nine got off to a strong start, scoring two runs in both the third and fourth innings to take an early lead. One of their runs in the fourth inning was thanks to a daring double steal, as right fielder Lewis McGregor took off from first base and drew a throw from the catcher, allowing third baseman Hamish MacIntyre to steal home. Kirkcolm Town fought back, scoring three runs in the fourth inning, thanks in part to a clutch two-out double by first baseman Lachlan Campbell.

The two teams traded blows throughout the game, with neither team able to gain a decisive advantage. In the seventh inning, Rigside Nine took the lead again thanks to a solo home run by left fielder Alistair Fraser. Kirkcolm Town responded in the eighth inning, with center fielder Finlay Morrison hitting a two-run homer to tie the game at 6-6. The game remained deadlocked until the eleventh inning, when Rigside Nine scored two runs thanks to a bases-loaded walk by pinch hitter Ewan MacDonald and a sacrifice fly by shortstop Ross MacGregor.

QUARTER-FINALS
Kirkcolm Town (BL) 9-2 Abner Arduaine (BL)
Rigside Nine (BL) 8-5 Waltonians (BL) (F/10)
Glenarm (BL) 6-7 Douglastown BC (BL)
Bridgebank (BL) 12-1 Mossbank Thistle (NON)

SEMI-FINALS
Bridgebank (BL) 5-9 Rigside Nine (BL)
Douglastown BC (BL) 3-4 Kirkcolm Town (BL)

FINAL
Kirkcolm Town (BL) 6-8 Rigside Nine (BL) (F/11)

Houtmansland

Topklasse Divisie

KBO Armweide once again failed to retain the title as they were left for dust by Bos Aan Zee who cruised to their third title in 5 years after moving into top spot on Matchday 5 and never looking back.

KBO Armweide dropped 8 of their remaining 11 games to put them completely out of the hunt for the title, whilst never threatened by Eikenheuvel HC who equalled their highest finish for the 4^th time. They overtook Atletisch Bath towards the end of the form following a dip in form by Atletisch who finished 4^th once again.

The best viewing was between former title challengers SHC Koedijk and HHV who switched places regularly throughout the year before the former finished ahead based on Run Difference alone.

At the bottom, RKC Mesch had another dismal season setting the second-lowest winning percentage previously held by themselves and bettered only by the 1902 squad in which they went 7-23 for a 0.233 percentage.

At the end of the season, HHV, KBO Armweide and SHC Koedijk all sacked their Managers.