Shady Characters completed a stunning upset of the defending champion Guac Boys with another comeback in Game 4, blasting five consecutive home runs in the bottom of the fifth to erase a 5-3 deficit and win 8-5, clinching their best-of-five first-round playoff series and advancing to the 2026 Wiffle Series. Guac Boys entered the bottom of the fifth up two runs and four outs away from forcing a decisive Game 5, but the entire Shady Characters lineup, Thomas, Lucas, Nate, Zach, and Tom went back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back, turning a two-run deficit into a three-run lead, and two outs later, four-time champions Shady Characters were returning to the Wiffle Series. Shady Characters follow 2025 Cheap Goats as only the second team in the sixteen-year history of the EWL to advance out of the first round as the four-seed, and with only six regular season wins, they will be the team with the fewest wins to ever play in the Wiffle Series.
Tom took the mound for Shady Characters with a chance to close out the series, and he opened the game by retiring Alec and Tone in order.
Jan got the start for Guac Boys, and Shady Characters needed only one batter to take the lead. Zach launched a leadoff home run to put Shady Characters ahead 1-0. Jan retired Tom before Thomas singled with one out, but Lucas flew out to strand the runner and keep the deficit at one.
Guac Boys answered in the second. Form led off the inning with a solo homer to tie the game at 1-1. After Jan flew out, Alec launched a solo shot to give Guac Boys their first lead of the game, 2-1. Tom retired Tone to end the inning, but with their season on the line, Guac Boys had moved in front.
Jan retired Nate and Zach in order in the bottom of the second.
Tom struck out Form to begin the third and retired Jan to end the inning, keeping Shady Characters within a run.
Jan continued to cruise in the bottom of the third, retiring Tom and Thomas in order. After Zach’s leadoff homer and Thomas’ single in the first, Jan had retired five consecutive Shady Characters.
Alec gave Guac Boys some breathing room in the fourth, leading off with his second solo home run of the game to extend the lead to 3-1. Tone flew out before Form doubled with one out, putting another runner in scoring position, but Tom retired Jan to strand him and limit the damage.
Shady Characters immediately answered. Lucas led off the bottom of the fourth with a solo home run, and Nate followed with a solo shot of his own. The back-to-back homers erased the Guac Boys advantage and tied the game at 3-3.
Guac Boys responded again in the fifth. Alec led off with a double, his third extra-base hit of the game. Two batters later, with one out, Form hit a two-run homer, his second bomb of the game, putting Guac Boys back in front 5-3. Tom retired Jan to end the inning, but Guac Boys had reclaimed a two-run lead and moved six outs away from forcing a winner-take-all Game 5.
Thomas stepped to the plate to begin the bottom of the fifth and crushed a solo home run, cutting the Guac Boys lead to 5-4. Lucas followed with his second homer of the game, tying the score at 5-5. Nate came to the plate next and went deep for the second time in the contest, giving Shady Characters a 6-5 lead. Zach launched his second home run of the game to make it 7-5, and Tom followed with another homer, the fifth consecutive Shady Characters solo shot. The entire Shady Characters lineup went deep, and in a matter of moments Shady Characters went back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back, transforming a 5-3 deficit into an 8-5 lead.
Guac Boys finally made a call to the bullpen, removing Jan and bringing Alec to the mound. Alec retired Thomas and Lucas to finally stop the unprecedented power surge, but the damage was done. Shady Characters were two outs away from the Wiffle Series.
Guac Boys entered the top of the sixth with their season on the line, needing three runs to extend the game and four to keep their championship defense alive. Alec grounded out to begin the inning, putting Shady Characters one out away from completing the upset. Tone kept Guac Boys alive with a double, and Form, who had already homered twice and driven in three of the Guac Boys’ five runs, stepped in with one final opportunity to extend the series. Tom got him to fly out, ending the game, the series, and Guac Boys’ reign as EWL champions.
Shady Characters’ 8-5 victory completed a 3-1 series win over the defending champions and sent the four-time former champions back to the Wiffle Series. After losing Game 1, Shady Characters won three consecutive games to eliminate the #1 seed, including their historic comeback from an 11-0 deficit in Game 3 and a five-consecutive-home-run rally to turn Game 4 around.
Shady Characters will face Cheap Goats in the best-of-seven 2026 EWL Wiffle Series Championship.
W: Tom (2-0)
L: Jan (0-2)
Game Notes:
Tom earned the win for Shady Characters, allowing five runs on seven hits and striking out one in a complete-game effort.
Jan took the loss for Guac Boys, allowing eight runs on nine hits over four innings.
Alec pitched one scoreless inning of relief for Guac Boys.
Zach, Lucas, and Nate led Shady Characters, each hitting two solo homers. Zach and Lucas went 2-for-4, and Nate went 2-for-3.
All eight Shady Characters’ runs were scored via solo homers.
Zach led off the bottom of the first with a home run, the first leadoff homer of his playoff career. This was the very next at-bat after he hit the first walk-off homer of his playoff career to end game 3.
Form and Alec led Guac Boys in the loss. Form went 3-for-5 with a double, two home runs, two runs scored, and three RBI. Alec also went 3-for-5 with a double, two home runs, three runs scored, and two RBI.