Ellsworth Wiffleball League

The Ham Slams celebrate at the plate after one of their six fourth inning runs

The Ham Slams trailed early but pulled away late to top Questionable Outfit 12-5 and head into the playoffs having won two straight and seven of their last ten. The Slams had done everything they could to earn the #3 seed in the playoffs, winning their final two games to pull to 8-12 on the year. They would need Eastbound & Dahn to beat Cookies & Cream to give them a one game lead in the standings over Cookies in order to claim the #3 seed. If Cookies topped Eastbound, the Ham Slams would finished tied with Cookies in the standings at 8-12 and would lose the tiebreaker due to run differential.

Mike started for Questionable Outfit, and he started the game by retiring Tim, who had went 8-for-8 in the first game of week 10. The next batter, Dan, launched a solo homer to left, and the Ham Slams led 1-0 early. Mike then retired Alan to end the inning.

With two innings of eligibility left in week 10, Charlie started for the Ham Slams, and he retired Questionable Outfit in order in the bottom of the first.

Mike escaped trouble in the top of the second, avoiding a potentially bad inning. He retired Steve to start the inning, but Tim and Dan each followed with singles. Continuing their poor base running from the first game of week 1, Tim was caught in between first and second for the second out of the inning, stranding both runners as the score remained 1-0.

Questionable Outfit got to Charlie and the Slams in the bottom of the second, taking the lead with a slew of hits. Reilly singled to lead off the inning and moved to second when Mike followed with a single. Charlie got Bob to ground out for the first out of the inning, but Reilly scored on the play to tie the game at 1-1. Tom then followed with a two-run bomb to left, putting Questionable Outfit ahead 3-1. Reilly then doubled, and Mike followed with an RBI triple to make the score 4-1. Charlie then retired Bob to strand Mike at third, ending the inning.

Down three runs, the Slams cut into the Questionable lead in the top of the third. With one out, Steve hit a solo homer, and the score was 4-2. Tim followed with his own solo shot, and the back-to-back jacks cut the deficit to 4-3.

Charlie had reached his innings limit for week 10, and the Ham Slams turned to Tim from the bullpen. He gave up a single to the first batter he faced, Tom, but retired the next two batters to strand the runner at first, and the score remained 4-3.

Down by a run, the Ham Slams exploded in the top of the fourth, pulling back ahead of Questionable Outfit. Alan led off the inning with a double, and two batters later, Tim hit an RBI single to tie the game at 4-4. Dan followed with a two-run jack, his second home run of the game, and the Slams led 6-4. Alan then hit his second double of the inning, and Steve drove him in with a two-run homer, making the score 8-4. Tim singled for the second time in the inning, and he scored from first when Dan hit an RBI double. Mike then retired Alan to strand Dan at second, but the Ham Slams had scored six runs in the top of the fourth to pull ahead by five runs 9-4.

Tim led the Ham Slams to their first win over Questionable Outfit in 2015, and went an incredible 14-for-15 over the course of week 10

Tom would cut the Ham Slams lead with a one-out solo homer in the bottom of the fourth, but Questionable couldn’t rally, and the score was 9-5.

The Slams added two insurance runs in the top of the fifth. Steve doubled to start the inning, and Tim followed with a two-run homer, putting the Ham Slams ahead 11-5. Tim would be the final batter Mike faced, as Questionable removed him from the game and put Tom on the mound. Tom retired Dan, gave up a one-out single to Alan, and then retired Steve to end the inning.

Tim retired Mike for the first out of the inning, and Bob came to the plate with one out and 0-for-4 to this point. Bob was sitting on the second longest active hitting streak in the EWL at 55 games, and this would likely be his final at-bat of the game and the regular season. He hit a sharp ground ball to right field that went off the fence. Dan went to field it, but the ball slipped between his legs, and Bob reached first base safely. The single extended his hitting streak to 56 games, behind only Blose’s active streak of 62 games with a hit. Tim then retired Tom to strand Bob at first, and the Ham Slams continued to lead 11-5.

Mike went 2-for-5 with a single, a triple, a run scored, and an RBI, but his rally cap couldn’t help bring Questionable Outfit back against the Ham Slams

The Slams would add a final run to their lead in the top of the sixth. Tim singled to lead off the inning and moved to second when Dan followed with a single. Alan grounded out for the first out of the inning, but Tim scored on the play, making the score 12-5. Tom then retired Steve to strand the runner, but the Slams led by seven heading into the final frame.

Questionable Outfit went quietly in the bottom of the sixth, as Tim retired Reilly and Mike in order to end the game.

The win moved the Ham Slams to 8-12 on the year and a Cookies & Cream loss away from the #3 seed. The loss dropped Questionable Outfit to 14-6. Questionable Outfit won the season series with the Ham Slams 6-1, having won the first six matchups between the teams before dropping this week’s game.

W: Tim (4-4)
L: Mike (5-5)

Box Score

Game Notes:
– Tim earned the win in relief for the Ham Slams, giving up a single run on 3 hits in 4 innings. Charlie started the game and pitched 2 innings, allowing 4 runs on 5 hits.
– Mike took the loss for Questionable Outfit, allowing 11 runs on 14 hits in 4 innings. Tom pitched 2 innings of relief, giving up 1 run on 3 hits.
– Tim led the Ham Slams on offense, going 6-for-7 with 4 singles, 2 home runs, 5 runs scored, and 4 RBI.
– Dan also went 5-for-7 for the Slams, with 2 singles, a double, 2 home runs, 2 runs scored, and 4 RBI.
– Tom led Questionable Outfit at the plate, going 3-for-5 with a single, 2 homers, 2 runs scored, and 3 RBI.

Tags: 2015, Ham Slams, July, Questionable Outfit, Week 10

Bob added to his wiffle legacy, breaking his own record for home runs in a season with his 29th, 30th, and 31st blast in a 16-6 Questionable Outfit win over the Ham Slams

One season after setting the single-season record for home runs with 30 in 2014, two-time defending Wiffler of the Year Bob eclipsed his own record when he hit his 31st homer of the 2015 season in his final at-bat against the Ham Slams. The wettest and windiest game of 2015 kept some balls from flying over the fence, but Bob parked three home runs over the right field wall in the game, and the third one was the record setting blast. Questionable Outfit cruised to an easy 16-6 win over the Ham Slams, and they clinched the #1 seed in the playoffs for the third consecutive season.

The Ham Slams sent Tim to the mound to start, and he retired Bob to start the game, but the next hitter, Reilly, hit a solo homer to put Questionable up 1-0. Tim then retired Mike to end the inning.

The Slams bounced back against Questionable Outfit’s starter, Mike, in the bottom of the first and tied the game. Tim led off with a double and moved to third on an Adam single. With runners on the corners, Dan grounded out to left, but Tim scored on the play to tie the game at 1-1. Mike then retired Steve to strand Adam at second.

Questionable pulled ahead in the top of the second, starting when John McEnroe led off the inning with a solo homer to make the score 2-1. Bob followed with a double and moved to third on a Reilly single to put runners on the corners. Mike then hit an RBI double to score Bob, and John McEnroe followed with a two-RBI double that cleared the bases, putting Questionable ahead 5-1. Reilly later singled to put runners on the corners with one out, but Tim retired Mike to avoid a disastrous inning. Tim had reached his innings limit for week 9, and the Slams would call Adam from the bullpen in the third.

Adam hit a one-out solo homer in the bottom of the second that cut the Questionable Outfit lead to 5-2, but the Slams rally ended there as Mike retired Dan to end the inning.

With one out in the top of the third, Bob hit is 29th homer of the season, a solo shot that made the score 6-2. Mike retired the Slams in order in the bottom of the third, and Questionable led by four runs.

John McEnroe hit his second homer of the game in the top of the fourth, a solo homer with one out, and Questionable’s lead grew to 7-2. Mike sent Adam and Dan down in order in the bottom of the fourth.

Questionable Outfit blew the game open in the top of the fifth, scoring four runs as the rain continued to fall. McEnroe led off the inning with a double, and Bob followed with a two-run homer, his 30th of the season, tying his record-setting mark from 2014. Reilly then doubled, and Mike followed with an RBI triple to score him, making the score 10-2. McEnroe hit a deep fly to right, Mike tagged and scored on the play, and the sacrifice fly extended the Questionable lead to 11-2. Bob then doubled and moved to third on a Reilly double, but Tim retired Mike, stranding two runners.

The Slams showed some heart in the bottom of the fifth, narrowing the deficit with a few runs. With one out, Tim hit a solo homer, and the score was 11-3. Adam then singled, and Dan followed with a two-run homer to left-center, making the score 11-5. Steve followed with a double, but Mike cut the rally short, retiring Tim to end the inning.

Up six runs, Questionable piled on an additional five runs of insurance in the top of the sixth. McEnroe led off the inning with his third homer of the game, making the score 12-5. Bob doubled, and Reilly crushed his second home run of the game, a two-run bomb that put Questionable ahead 14-5. Mike followed with a double and scored from second on a McEnroe groundout to make the score 15-5. Sitting at 30 homers on the season, Bob came to the plate in what would likely be his final at-bat of the game (and perhaps the season). In dramatic fashion, as has come to be expected, Bob planted a pitch deep over the right-center field wall for his third homer of the game and 31st home run of the season, breaking his own record only a year after setting it. There was little fanfare or photography due to the driving rain, but Questionable celebrated at the plate as Bob etched his name into the record books yet again. Tim retired Reilly to end the inning, and Questionable had pulled ahead by eleven runs 16-5.

Adam led off the bottom of the sixth with a solo homer, his second of the game, and the Ham Slams pulled within ten runs. Mike then struck out Dan and retired Steve to end the inning and the game, as Questionable won 16-6.

The win moved Questionable Outfit to 13-5 on the season, and they clinched the #1 seed and home field advantage throughout the 2015 EWL playoffs. The Ham Slams dropped to 6-12 and will need help to reach the #3 seed in the playoffs.

W: Mike (5-4)
L: Tim (3-4)

Box Score

Game Notes:
– Mike pitched the complete game victory for Questionable Outfit, allowing 6 runs on 8 hits and striking out one in 6 innings pitched.
– Tim took the loss for the Ham Slams, giving up 5 runs on 7 hits in 2 innings pitched. Adam pitched 4 innings of relief, surrendering 11 runs on 15 hits.
– Bob led Questionable Outfit at the plate, going 7-for-9 with a single, 3 doubles, 3 home runs, 5 runs scored, and 4 RBI.
– Reilly also went 7-for-9 with 3 singles, 2 doubles, 2 home runs, 4 runs scored, and 3 RBI.
– Adam led the Ham Slams on offense, going 4-for-5 with 2 singles, 2 homers, 3 runs scored, and 2 RBI.

Tags: 2015, Ham Slams, July, Questionable Outfit, Week 9