YORK, PA- The Wiff is Life League Waves traveled to the Mid Atlantic Wiffle Opening Day Tournament on Saturday and came home with a 1-2 record. The team was in just its third scuff-ball tournament ever and was just barely left out of the single elimination bracket.
Game 1: NY Meats (7) - Waves (1)
In the opening game the Meats got out in front early with six runs in the first. Steve Keelon started for the Waves and allowed all six, he was able to get one out before being pulled from the rubber. Keelon walked around five runs and came out with the bases loaded, making way for Jake Davey to assume the pitching duties. Davey allowed one hit, which scored a run, before getting the final two outs in the first. He stayed in the remainder of the game and allowed one more run, a home run by Kyle Von Schleusingen. Jimmy Cole and Vin Lea split the innings for the Meats on the rubber. Nate Morris doubled in the third inning off Lea to put the Waves on the board, it was the lone hit of the game for WILL.
Game 2: Waves (0) - York Yaks (4) F/8
Austin Berger and Noah Silverman dueled it out for eight innings, four more than a regulation game. Both offenses struggled until Adam Milsted hit a walk off home run in the eighth to win it for York. Starting in the 6th inning, the innings start with the bases loaded. Steven Keelon made game saving defensive plays in the sixth and seventh to keep WILL alive. Berger rolled for the Waves, walking just one and giving up just one hit, the walk off homer. Jake Davey had the Waves only hit, a double in the fifth inning.
Game 3: Stompers (2) - Waves (3)
The Waves handed the ball to Jake Davey and they opposed fellow WILL member, Gino Joseph on the rubber. Joseph ran into a Davey screwball in the top of the second to put the Stompers out in front 2-0. Davey answered right back in the bottom half with a three run home run to center field after Rob Licht and Nate Morris drew back-to-back walks. He was then able to shut the door on the Stompers in the final two innings of the game to secure the Waves first win of 2020.
With a 1-2 record the Waves were eliminated from contention at the MAW event. The team earned five points to its name, and could have snuck into the bracket if two of the 2-0 teams won their third pool play game. Nonetheless, WILL headed home just narrowly missing the bracket play.
Box scores and video of games will be posted as soon as we get them, they will be posted to the Waves schedule on the website.
The Waves next tournament is to be determined, stay up to date with the Waves all season long on Twitter @wiffislife and on wiffislife.wixsite.com/wiff/waves.