When the WILL Waves headed to Morenci, Mich. over the weekend, they were in search of a second straight National Wiffle League Association title.
They came home with a fifth-place finish after an impressive offensive performance.
“We were pumped up (heading into Saturday morning),” player/manager Jacob Davey said. “We wanted to show that last year wasn’t a fluke and prove we belonged in the conversation of the best teams there.”
After pool play, the Waves showed they belonged in that conversation. They were given the No. 1 seed in the double-elimination tournament because of their plus-20 run differential from pool play. That meant a matchup with the No. 16 seed, which they proceeded to mercy rule 23-8 to advance.
But, in the fourth and final game of the day, the Waves fell to eventual NWLA champion AWAA from New York, 5-2.
The loss meant the Waves were going to have to make their way through the loser’s bracket if they wanted to repeat as NWLA champions. Through their first two games, their chances looked good. They delivered a four-inning, 10-0 win over WWW.
Their second game of the day was unlike the first as they found themselves in a low-scoring game where they were able to pull off a 1-0 victory on a game-winning single by Mike Graziani. But, their luck came to an end when they lost to Ridley Park, a team from the Philadelphia area.
“Our team showed great fight on Sunday, and we got two wins, but we ran out of gas,” Davey said. “It’s not the outcome we wanted, but with the position we were in after Saturday I’d say it’s a respectable finish and one we can be content with but not happy about.”
Although they fell short of a second straight NWLA title, the Waves’ offensive performance throughout the weekend was impressive. They turned in the highest team batting average, slugging percentage, on-base percentage, runs scored, doubles and RBIs. They also tied for first in total bases and home runs.
“It was great,” Davey said. “We practice and prepare all summer for this past weekend, and it never disappoints. It’s so well run, and a bunch of great guys are there. It’s really cool to connect with other leagues around the country.”
