WEEK 17 RECAP:
UNPARALLELED
Seeking out the biggest challenge possible, springs decision on where to play in 2026 was based mostly on where we had the best chance of losing.
Welland called us back home.
There were definitely other contenders in the WSL, including being tested several times by both the Beer Chuggers and Old Fashioned Walk Offs, but once the Finals match up was set, it came with a sense of inevitability.
The Jagerbombs were one of the few big names left in the Niagara Co-Ed Slo-Pitch world that the 88s hadn’t had a chance to face.
The 3-0 regular season record against them meant nothing in the playoffs, especially with the Jagerbombs being re-loaded with Bre and Frosty returning from a late season hiatus.
CLASH OF THE SUPERPOWERS
Coming off a big win at 6:15, the Jagerbombs stayed hot in the top of the first of the 7:45, but the 88s defense was up to the challenge, limiting the damage to a pair of runs.
They answered back in the bottom half of the first with a Joce Bomb to score Brian all the way from first base, followed by Josh knocking in Joce from second to tie the game at 2-2.
After keeping the Jagerbombs off the board in the 2nd, the 88s had one of their patented break out innings early in the game with a huge 6 run second.
It began with 2 ugly but effective infield hits from Jes and Myles, fueled on by a double from Brian and hits from Nikki, John, Marnie and Josh, then capped off by Joce’s 2nd bomb in as many at bats to drive in the 5th and 6th runs. While she pointlessly ran to second base just to show off.
The Jagerbombs put up a big inning of their own with a 4 spot in the 5th, including a bases loaded 2 run walk by Kyle (could have been worse had he been given much to hit), to close the gap to 9-6.
Once again, the 88s answered the call by responding with 3 runs in the bottom half highlighted by Jordan’s crushed triple to the fence that scored Naomi from 1st (he got cashed in by a Joce sac fly), and Myles' painfully vintage hustle double which got knocked in 2 batters later by another Brian double.
GUTS AND GLORY
After they put up another 3 runs in the 6th, powered by doubles from John and Josh, the only job left to do was wrap things up on defense.
Cue the injured trio.
Pitching around her first 2 walks of the season, Jes once again showed her toughness by playing through a strained rotator cuff on her pitching arm to hold a powerhouse lineup to single digits, including just 1 over the final 3 innings when it mattered most.
In the 7th, Myles ignored the pain from various lower body ailments to nab a runner at 2B with an outfield assist before chasing down a blast near the CF fence.
In the 9th, it was the Naomi show.
If it wasn’t for the wrap job on her hand, you wouldn’t have known she was dealing with the pain of damaged ligaments in her thumb resulting from the defensive highlight of the year last week.
She locked things down with a personal 1-2-3 inning by collecting all 3 outs alongside Kylie at 1B to secure the 15-8 victory, a clean sweep of the playoffs, an undefeated season and their 6th straight league championship.
IN CLOSING
This team keeps proving how special it is. Every single 88 contributed something tangible to not only tonight’s victory, but the entire season overall.
They’re not top heavy with a couple players carrying the load. They are deep. They play together. They play for one another. They take turns as the star of the game and pick each other up.
I’ll probably get some shit for even broaching this, maybe justifiably so but I’m feeling me some 88s right now and need to ask on the record; has there ever been a more successful Co-Ed Slo-Pitch team in Niagara?
Sincere question.
Are there Slo-Pitch records kept somewhere that show another team having as much or more sustained success as the 88s have been lucky enough to enjoy these past 6 seasons?
Send information, answers or hate to myles@tenpine.ca.
EXTRA BITS
We officially went the entire season without once having all 12 regulars playing in a game (Tim with illness tonight).
HUGE thanks to Brandon for being available on the bench tonight. Knowing he was there allowed us to push ourselves through injury further than we may have otherwise, taking comfort in the fact that if we overdid it and had to come out, we had a big weapon ready to be unleashed.
We had THREE 1-2-3 innings on offense (including the final 7 batters going down in order to finish the game). I’m too lazy to go back and check all the books, but I’d bet a lot of money that this is the most of those that the modern 88s have ever had in a game. Maybe ever.
Kylie joined the 2026 K club on the final night of the season (the first K in her 88s career).
We can talk about it now: 46 straight wins and counting, a streak that began on Monday June 23rd, 2025.
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