Riptide Win Second Straight OLW Title
Saturday may have been the hottest day of the year, but it did not stop the Riptide from a historic Old Line Wiffle repeat.
The Riptide defeated the Wildcats three games to one to win their second straight Brian Griffiths Cup Championship.
The Wildcats had to first overcome an epic Wildcard game with the Freejacks in order to advance to the finals. In a five-inning game, the Wildcats jumped out to a 5-1 lead before hanging on for a 5-3 win. OLW Pitcher of the Year Greg Britton pitched 4 1/3 no-hit innings before finishing off the complete game allowing three-hits and striking out 11.
Julian Sperazza had a highlight-reel game defensively at third base for the Freejacks, albeit in a losing effort.
In Game 1, OLW MVP Jerry Hill outdueled Britton to win a 3-0. Hill struck out 8 and allowed only one hit.
The Wildcats bounced back in Game 2, winning 13-5. But as the day went on the heat index of 115 took its toll on both teams.
The Riptide bounced back in Game 3 to win a wild 37-24 game that featured a barrage of home runs from Rookie of the Year Harry Fink. Fink hit five home runs to set a single-game playoff record and tie his own career-high. Fink also picked up the win on the mound, with Hill recording the first save in OLW history.
The Riptide finished off the day with a decisive 15-3 win to close out the day to remain the only Brian Griffiths Cup Champions in Old Line Wiffle history.
The 2024 Old Line Wiffle season will start early next spring.