It's not easy being a fourth seed. Rum Jungle Bums manager Rip Richardson knew the odds were against his club going in. How the Bums ended up in this spot, after winning three straight West titles, Richardson still had no idea. But he plays what's thrown him.

In the ABL the fourth seed plays the entire last week on the road. Each year, each division's fourth seed finishes their home schedule on the weekend of Week Nine, playing the division's number one seed. In Season Fifteen, that meant that three-time defending West champ Rum Jungle would be hosting the Urapunga Nature Boys. Urapunga, without a division title in the first fourteen years of ABL history, held a two game lead coming in.

Rip had to admit that Urapunga had a good club. Fantastic bullpen, with Trevor Hoffman, Billy Wagner, Ugueth Urbina, and Jason Christiansen. Solid starters and a decent lineup led by Dante Bichette and Eric Davis. Yeah, maybe they deserved the first seed. But Rip had fought and scratched and clawed all season, and had his team in second place, in position to at least take a shot. Coming in, Urapunga had lost four straight. Now was the time.

Friday night, and the score tied at 3 in the bottom of the 8th. Vlad Guerrero rips a triple to right off Trevor Hoffman, scoring Tony Gwynn all the way from 1st with the tiebreaking run. Then Matt Williams singles Vlad home. Rum Jungle wins 5-3 and the Urapunga lead is 1 game.

Saturday, Eric Davis and Sean Berry homered early for a 2-0 Urapunga lead. But Guerrero did it again, blasting a 2-run home run in the 6th to tie the game at 2. The game went to the 11th. Fernando Vina walked and Davis doubled. Berry followed with a sac fly for a 3-2 lead and Jason Christiansen held on for the UN victory. The lead is back to 2.

Sunday. Rum Jungle's pitching was wearing thin, and it showed. A Stan Javier pinch-hit single gave Urapunga the lead in the 6th. In the 7th Berry and Dante Bichette each drove in runs, then the Urapunga bullpen took over, with Hoffman slamming the door in a 7-5 Urapunga win. The lead was back to 3.

It isn't easy being a fourth seed.