The Dol Guldur Dragons are in the Two Towers Series. They earned it by sweeping the Weathertop Witch Kings, winning the deciding game 6-5 on Saturday. The Witch Kings are done.
The margin was thin. One run. The Dragons took it anyway. That is what good teams do in October, and Dol Guldur is a good team. They finished 90-72 in the Orc Division and beat a Witch Kings squad that went 93-69 — better record, wrong result. Weathertop could not close it out when it counted. The Dragons could.
Garbhaka Yorba, who reached 1,500 career games played this season, was on the field for all of it. Yorba does not make the highlight reels. Yorba makes the right throw. Yorba takes the correct angle. That matters more in October than in April, and the Dragons' outfield defense held together in a one-run game when the margins for error were zero.
The Witch Kings had injury problems all season. Drubmag Manthrottler went down with a strained back and is out for the year. You do not replace that easily. But Weathertop's manager did not cite the injury list after the final out. He cited effort. That is a more serious indictment than any hamstring.
The Dragons now wait to see who emerges from the other bracket. Rivendell dispatched Minas Ithil in seven — MESN covered that one — and Carrock ended Old Forest's season with a 5-4 win in the Shire Conference. Dagorlad, as this publication noted, does not lose at home in October. The Disaster are also through.
Dol Guldur went through the Witch Kings without drama on their side of the ledger. No panic. No dropped series games, no having to come from behind in a seventh game. A sweep is a sweep.
The Two Towers Series opens next. The Dragons have earned their spot. Whether they have earned anything more than that is a question the next series will answer.
The Witch Kings' manager had more to say. He chose not to share it publicly. Given what he did say, that is probably wise.