Shady Characters survived one of the most explosive starts in EWL playoff history and completed a historic comeback, erasing an 11-0 deficit to defeat Guac Boys 13-12 in eight innings and take a 2-1 lead in their best-of-five first-round playoff series. Guac Boys blasted eight home runs over the first two innings and appeared to have Game 3 firmly in hand, but Shady Characters held them to one run over the final six innings while steadily climbing back into the game. Shady Characters were trailing and down to their final out in the sixth and seventh before managing to tie and extend the game, and Zach ended it in the eighth with a walk-off solo home run, moving Shady Characters within one victory of a historic playoff upset and a return to the Wiffle Series Championship.
Lucas got the start for Shady Characters, and Guac Boys immediately unleashed an offensive barrage. Bohn led off the game with a home run and Alec followed with a solo shot of his own, giving Guac Boys a 2-0 lead before an out was recorded. After Tone grounded out, Jan added another solo homer to make it 3-0. Form doubled and Bohn singled before Alec returned to the plate and crushed a three-run homer, his second home run of the inning, extending the lead to 6-0. Shady Characters turned to Tom out of the bullpen, but Guac Boys continued to pour it on. Tone singled and Jan launched a two-run homer, his second of the inning, to make the score 8-0. Tom finally retired Form to bring the eight-run opening inning to an end, but Alec and Jan had each homered twice and the #1 seed Guac Boys put Shady Characters in an eight-run hole.
Bohn took the mound with a huge early lead. He retired Zach to start the inning, and after allowing a one-out single to Billy, he retired Tom to strand the runner, completing a scoreless inning.
Lucas returned to the mound in the second, but the Guac Boys power surge continued. Bohn led off the inning with his second homer of the game, Alec followed with his third homer of the game, Tone made it three consecutive solo home runs as Guac Boys went back-to-back-to-back, extending the lead to 11-0. Lucas retired Jan before allowing a one-out double to Form, but he escaped further damage, getting Bohn to ground out, stranding the runner and ending the inning.
Shady Characters finally broke through in the bottom of the second. After Thomas flew out, Lucas doubled and Nate launched a two-run homer to cut the deficit to 11-2. Bohn retired Zach to end the inning, but Shady Characters had begun the long climb back.
After a disastrous start, Lucas also began to settle in on the mound. He retired Alec and Tone in order in the third for his first scoreless inning.
Shady Characters made another dent in the deficit in the bottom of the third. Billy led off the inning with a single, and Tom followed with a two-run homer to make it 11-4. Thomas and Lucas followed with back-to-back solo shots, giving Shady Characters three consecutive home runs and suddenly cutting what had been an eleven-run deficit to five. Nate added a single, but Bohn retired Zach and Billy to stop the four-run rally with Guac Boys still leading 11-6.
Lucas retired Jan and Form in order in the fourth, his fourth and fifth consecutive batters retired since Form’s second-inning double.
Bohn kept Shady Characters off the board in the bottom half of the fourth despite a one-out double from Thomas, retiring Lucas to strand the runner and preserve the five-run lead.
Guac Boys threatened again in the fifth when Alec ripped a one-out triple, but Lucas retired Tone to strand him.
Shady Characters continued to chip away at the Guac Boys’ lead in the bottom half of the fifth. After Nate grounded out, Zach launched a solo homer to cut the score to 11-7. Bohn retired Billy to end the inning.
Lucas continued to roll in the sixth, retiring Jan and Form in order. After surrendering eleven runs through the first four outs of the game, he had now held Guac Boys scoreless for four consecutive innings.
Shady Characters would head into the bottom of the sixth down four runs and needing a huge rally to avoid falling behind 2-1 in the series. Tom singled to begin the bottom of the sixth, and Thomas launched a two-run homer to make it 11-9. Bohn got Lucas to ground out, and Guac Boys were an out away from reclaiming the series lead. Nate followed with a clutch solo homer, pulling Shady Characters within a run. Zach doubled to continue the rally, putting the tying run in scoring position. Billy followed with an RBI double, Shady Characters third consecutive hit with one out, completing the comeback and tying the game at 11-11. Shady Characters now had the winning run in scoring position, but Bohn finally stopped the rally by striking out Tom. The eleven-run advantage Guac Boys had built in the second inning was gone, and the game would go to extra-innings.
Alec responded in the top of the seventh. After Bohn grounded out, Alec blasted his fourth home run of the game, a solo shot that put Guac Boys back in front 12-11. Lucas then retired Tone to send Shady Characters to the plate needing a run to extend the game.
Bohn retired Thomas to begin the bottom of the seventh, once again putting Guac Boys one out away from victory. Lucas then helped his own cause, launching a solo home run to tie the game at 12-12. Bohn recovered to retire Nate, sending the game to an eighth inning.
Lucas kept Guac Boys off the board again in the top of the eighth. Jan led off with a double to put the go-ahead run in scoring position, but Lucas retired Form and Bohn to strand him and give Shady Characters a chance to win the game with a single run.
They needed only one batter. Zach led off the bottom of the eighth and launched a walk-off solo home run, completing the comeback and giving Shady Characters a 13-12 victory in one of the wildest playoff games in league history.
After trailing 11-0 early, Shady Characters outscored Guac Boys 13-1 the rest of the way to take a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five series. The four-time former champions now stand one victory away from advancing to the 2026 EWL Wiffle Series Championship.
W: Lucas (1-1)
L: Bohn (1-1)
Game Notes:
Lucas earned the win for Shady Characters, giving up ten runs on thirteen hits over 7.5 innings.
Tom pitched 0.5 innings of relief, allowing two runs on two hits.
Bohn took the loss for Guac Boys in a complete game effort, allowing thirteen runs on seventeen hits and striking out one in seven innings.
Zach led Shady Characters in the win, going 3-for-6 with a double, two home runs, three runs scored, and two RBI. His walk-off game-winning home run was the first of his playoff career, only the nineteenth in EWL playoff history, and the first since 2024.
Lucas and Thomas also each had three extra-base hits for Shady Characters. Lucas went 3-for-5 with a double, two home runs, three runs scored, and two RBI. Thomas went 3-for-5 with a double, two home runs, two runs scored, and three RBI.
All six Shady Characters’ players had multiple hits in the win.
Alec led Guac Boys in the loss going 5-for-6 with a triple, four home runs, four runs scored, and six RBI.
Bohn led off the game with a home run, the second playoff leadoff homer of his wiffle career.
Jan went 3-for-6 with a double and two home runs, scoring two runs and driving in three.