The Caucasians prepare to celebrate at home as Les and Morrison cross the plate after Les's game-winning walk-off homer
Two outs away from claiming the first ever EWL Championship, the Fish Sticks collapsed in historic fashion, as the Caucasians forced extra innings and won Game 5 with a Les walk-off home run in the bottom of the seventh inning.
The Fish Sticks had won Game 4 in dramatic fashion and were one win away from history. The inning-count had been reset after Game 4, so the Sticks put Joey back out on the mound after he had won Games 2 and 4, holding the Caucasians in check at the plate. The Caucasians had the choice to start Guthrie on the mound, but instead went to Les, who had lost Game 2 on the mound. The Caucasians, who were the favorites to win the title coming into the postseason, would need to win Game 5 to extend the Wiffle Series and their season.
Les got off to a good start in Game 5, doing what many pitchers hadn’t been able to do, retire Blose to start the game. After sending Blose down, he retired Dinger for the second out of the inning and had pitched a scoreless top of the first.
The Caucasians had hit Joey hard in the first inning of Game 4, but he also started out well in Game 5. He retired Guthrie and Morrison consecutively, and the game would be scoreless through one inning.
Joey retired 10 of the first 11 batters he faced in Game 5
Joey couldn’t translate his pitching success to the plate, however, and continued to struggle in Game 5. He was hitless in Game 4, and was fanned by Les for the first out of the top of the second. Vassallo, the hero of Game 4, flew out to Les for the second out of the inning, and the score remained 0-0.
Les was perfect through four innings on the mound, and struck out Joey in the second inning
Defense continued to prevail in the bottom of the second inning. Les flew out to the mound for the first out of the inning, and Frosty grounded out to left for the second out.
With the game tied at 0-0, Blose was retired for the first out of the inning when he grounded out to left. Frosty then made a running catch on a lazy Dinger fly ball to right field for the second out of the inning.
Frosty makes a running catch in the third inning
Guthrie led off the bottom of the third by flying out to left for the first out of the inning. The next batter, Morrison, hit a rocket into the tree, which fell into play for a single, the first hit of the game for either team. The pitchers had combined to retire the first 11 hitters of the game to that point. But the Caucasians couldn’t break the tie, as Les flew out to left, stranding Morrison at first and ending the third inning.
Les continued to dominate on the mound in the fourth. He retired Joey and Vassallo in order, and he had a no-hitter through four innings of Game 5.
Despite getting a great effort from Les on the mound, the Caucasians were unable to generate any run-support for their pitcher. Joey retired Frosty and Guthrie in order to end the fourth inning, and the game was still scoreless.
Vassallo and Joey converge on a flyball
BLose led off the top of the fifth having been retired in his previous four at-bats, extending back to Game 4. He broke the hitless streak, however, with a single to lead off the top of the fifth, the first hit of the game for the Fish Sticks. Les’s no hitter had come to an end, but he retired Dinger for the first out of the inning by getting him to groundout to right field. Blose moved to second on the play. Joey came to the plate with one out and the go-ahead runner on in scoring position. He had yet to reach base on the day in seven at-bats, but it would all change in the top of the fifth. Joey launched a blast to deep center field, a two-run homer, breaking the scoreless tie and putting the Fish Sticks up 2-0 late in Game 5. Les retired Vassallo to end the fifth, but the Fish Sticks were an inning and a half away from winning the series.
Joey's fifth inning two-run homer put the Fish Sticks up 2-0
Down 2-0, the Caucasians had four outs left in their season. Morrison grounded out to left for the first out in the bottom of the fifth, and Les followed by flying out to the pitcher’s mound to end the inning. The Caucasians were unable to plate a run through five innings.
With one inning to go, the Fish Sticks hoped to add insurance runs to their two-run lead. But Les held them in the top of the sixth, retiring Blose and Dinger in order, sending the game to the final frame.
Joey entered the bottom of the sixth two outs away from pitching complete game victories in Games 4 and 5 and clinching the title for the Fish Sticks. Through five innings in Game 5, he had given up only one hit, a single in the third inning. Only Frosty and Guthrie stood in the way of a Fish Sticks championship. Frosty had the best offensive showing in the Caucasians Game 4 loss, but was 0 for 2 heading into the bottom of the sixth. With their backs against the wall, the Caucasians responded in epic fashion. Frosty led off the bottom of the sixth with a solo home run, cutting the deficit to 2-1. He rounded the bases and fired up the troops, as the Caucasians were now a run away from tying the game.
Frosty was the catalyst for the Caucasians, sparking their incredible sixth inning rally with a home run
Joey’s shutout had ended, and he needed two outs to get out of the game with a win. The next batter, was 0 for 3, and remained hitless as he grounded out to Blose in center for the first out of the inning. Despite giving up a homer, Joey was now one out away from ending the series. Morrison, the second most dominant offensive force in the league, stepped to the plate with the season on the line. He destroyed a hanging pitch to center field, and with one swing of the bat had tied the game and saved the Caucasian Vaginas’ season. Minutes after it looked as if the trophy would be awarded to the Fish Sticks, the game was tied and the Caucasians were in position to win the game. The Sticks kept Joey on the mound despite his struggles, which continued with the next batter. Les singled with one out, and the game-winning run was on base. Frosty, who had started the rally, came to the plate with a chance to win the game. But he couldn’t deliver again, as he grounded out to left field, stranding Les at first base and ending the sixth. The Caucasians, two outs away from demise, had completed the most stunning sixth inning rally in league history, tying the game and sending Game 5 to a seventh inning.
Joey watches his pitch leave the park as Morrison's game-tying home run sails over the center field fence
After letting the Caucasians back into the game, Joey had a chance to redeem himself in the top of the seventh as he led off the inning. His two-run homer had been the only source of Fish Sticks offense to that point in the game, but he couldn’t repeat his earlier success. Les got him to ground out to Morrison in left for the first out of the inning. Vassallo singled with one out and continued to play well late in postseason games. The game’s best hitter, Blose, came to the plate with the go-ahead run on first. But Les retired Blose, as he grounded out to Frosty in right field for the second out of the inning.
The Caucasians came to the plate in the bottom of the seventh a run away from ending the game. The Sticks kept Joey on the mound, his fifteenth consecutive inning pitched dating back to Game 4. He retired Guthrie for the first out of the inning, as he grounded out to Vassallo in left field. The next batter, Morrison, who had homered to tie the game in the bottom of the sixth, singled with one out, putting the winning run on base. After mowing through Caucasian batters for five innings, the wheels fell off for Joey and the Fish Sticks with one out in the bottom of the seventh. Les, who had kept the Caucasians in the game through seven strong innings on the mound, came to the plate and hit a towering home run to left field, a two-run game-winning homer, scoring Morrison and himself, and capping one of the most legendary comebacks in league history. The Caucasians, who were two outs and two runs, and then one out and one run, away from ending their season, had stormed back to win Game 5 4-2, forcing the series to a sixth game. The Fish Sticks, who had come so close to claiming the title, would need to win Game 6 at home to avoid extending the series to Game 7 on Thursday, August 11th.
Game Notes:
– Les carried the Caucasians at the plate and on the mound. He went 2-5 with a single, a HR, 2 RBI, and the game-winning walk-off home run. He gave up only 2 ER on 3 hits in 7 IP for the complete game win. The win moved him to 1-1 for the Wiffle Series and 2-1 for the Playoffs.
– Joey took the loss for the Sticks, giving up 4 ER on 6 hits in 6.5 IP. He moved to 2-1 for the Wiffle Series and 3-1 for the playoffs. He led the Fish Sticks offensively, driving in their only runs with a two-run homer in the fifth. He was 1-4 with a HR and 2 RBI.
– Morrison also had a good game at the plate, going 3-5 with 2 singles, a HR, one RBI, and 2 runs scored.
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