Nate homered three times and went a perfect 4-for-4 to lead Shady Characters to victory in their first game of 2023
The season-opening game for the 2023 EWL season was a rematch of last year’s Wiffle Series championship, featuring two-time defending champions Shady Characters and last year’s runners-up Jack Shack. Jack Shack led 3-2 through four-and-a-half innings before Shady Characters exploded for a twelve-run inning in the bottom of the fifth, running away with a 14-3 win. Mike and Nate each had four hits for Shady Characters; Mike went deep twice and Nate hit three homers as the reigning champs picked up where they left off in 2022.
2022 Pitch King Tom started on the mound for Shady Characters. After allowing a leadoff single to Josh, he retired Jack Shack rookie, Jon, for the first out of the inning. Ryan, in his first career wiffle at-bat, hit a one-out single to score Josh from second, and Jack Shack led 1-0. Tom then retired Jared, also a rookie for Jack Shack, to end the inning.
Josh took the mound for Jack Shack, and after allowing a one-out double to Mike, he retired Tom, stranding the runner at second and ending the inning.
Tom rolled through the top of the second, retiring Josh and Jon in order. Josh matched him in the bottom of the second, sending Jason and Lucas down consecutively.
Tom once again retired the side in the top of the third, retiring Ryan and Jared.
2022 Pitch King Tom picked up where he left off last season, pitching a complete game win for Shady Characters
Shady Characters tied the game in the bottom of the third when Nate led off the inning with a solo homer, making the score 3-3. Dylan followed with a single, but Josh stranded him, retiring Mike and Tom to end the inning.
Tom continued to roll in the top of the fourth, retiring Josh and Jon, the fifth and sixth consecutive batters in a row.
Shady Characters took their first lead in the bottom of the fourth. Lucas hit a one-out double, and Nate drove him in with an RBI single, putting Shady Characters ahead 2-1. Josh then retired Dylan to end the inning.
Lucas went 3-for-4 with two doubles, a homer, three runs scored, and drove in four of Shady Characters fourteen runs in the season-opening win
Jack Shack bounced back in the top of the fifth, reclaiming the lead. Ryan led off with a double, and Jared hit a two-run homer to put Jack Shack ahead 3-2. Two batters later Jon hit a one-out double, but Tom escaped further damage, retiring Ryan to strand the runner and end the inning.
Down a run, Shady Characters exploded for a historic inning in the bottom of the fifth. Mike led off the inning with a solo homer, tying the game at 3-3. Josh then retired Tom for the first out of the inning. The next eleven Shady Characters batters reached base safely, all of them scoring, setting the EWL record for most runs scored with one out in an inning. Jason hit a one-out double, and Lucas followed with a double, putting Shady Characters ahead 4-3. Nate then hit his second homer of the game, and the two-run shot made the score 6-3. Dylan hit a solo homer, and the back-to-back homers gave Shady Characters a 7-3 lead. Mike singled, and he scored from first when Tom hit an RBI single, making the score 8-3. Jason doubled, and Lucas cleared the bases with a three-run blast that put Shady Characters ahead 11-3. Nate hit his second homer of the inning, and the back-to-back jacks made the score 12-3. Dylan tripled, and Mike hit his second homer of the inning, as Shady Characters led 14-3. Josh finally escaped the disastrous inning, retiring Tom for the second out.
Mike, winner of the last two Wiffler of the Year awards, went 4-for-5 with a single, a double, two homers, three runs scored, and three RBI as the defending champs started the 2023 season with a win
Tom remained on the mound to close things out for Shady Characters in the top of the sixth. He allowed a one-out double to Josh, but Jack Shack never threatened. Tom retired Jon to strand the runner at second, ending the inning, and giving Shady Characters a win in the season opener.
The win moved Shady Characters to 1-0 on the season, and the loss dropped Jack Shack to 0-1.
W: Tom (1-0)
L: Josh (0-1)
Game Notes:
– Tom pitched the complete game win for Shady Characters, allowing three runs on six hits in six innings.
– Josh took the loss for Jack Shack, giving up fourteen runs on seventeen hits in five innings.
– Nate led the way for Shady Characters, going a perfect 4-for-4 with a single, three home runs, three runs scored, and five RBI.
– 2021 and 2022 Wiffler of the Year Mike picked up where he left off last season, going 4-for-5 with a single, a double, two home runs, three runs scored, and three RBI.
– Lucas and Dylan also had three hits each for Shady Characters. Lucas went 3-for-4 with two doubles, a home run, three runs scored, and four RBI. Dylan went 3-for-5 with a single, a triple, a home run, an RBI, and two runs scored.
– Josh and Ryan each had two hits for Jack Shack in the loss. Josh went 2-for-5 with a single, a double, and a run scored. Ryan went 2-for-4 with a single, a double, an RBI, and a run scored.
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