Some of the hiccups Sunday at Lewis Park were coming from the field, not just the refreshment garden.
That’s because there were a few upsets as the Comox Valley Mixed Slo-Pitch League playoffs wrapped up another busy season.
In Tier 1 the Sunlife Slammers won all their games in the double knockout format to capture the playoff trophy. The Slammers beat the Beachwood Café Ducks and then the Whistlestop Madness to reach the finals. They had to play the Ducks again as the Ducks came through the losers bracket only to be defeated by the Slammers again.
The Madness surprised the top-seeded Mariners but fell to the Slammers and the Ducks while the Mariners lost both of their games.
Courtenay Kia and Mission Possible Shockers were the only teams to sweep both league and playoff honours.
In Tier 2, Kia beat the Wrecks, Zoom Zooms and Romance Shop Master Batters for their win. The Batters made it to the finals winning their first game against Applesauced but lost to Zoom Zooms. The Batters then beat the Peanut Gallery, Wrecks and avenged their lost to Zoom Zooms before falling to Courtenay Kia in the finals.
Zoom Zooms had a good run as they scored five runs in the bottom of the seventh to beat the Peanuts in the first game then won over the Master Batters before losing to Kia in the semifinals.
The other season sweep was in Tier 3 where Mission Possible Shockers had to face the First Insurance First Timers three times to do it. The Shockers stopped Komox Grind and the First Timers to make it to the semifinals then beat Fishers Island Adventures to make it to the finals.
The First Timers had a long weekend as they played seven games. They beat the Zombies but lost to the Shockers, dropping them into the losers bracket. From there they were winners over the Rats, Wild, Fishers Island and then beat the Shockers to force an if-necessary game before finally succumbing – probably from exhaustion.
The big upset was in Tier 4 where Blue Thunder knocked off undefeated league champs the Dirty Birds twice to scoop playoff honours. The Thunder knocked off the Pacers and Islanders to face the Birds in the semis, where for the first time this year the Dirty Bird lost a game and Blue Thunder advanced to the finals.
Merit Home Furniture Cruisers had a good run after dropping their first game in extra innings to Billy D’s Dodgers. The Cruisers then beat the Pacers, Islanders and the Fisherman’s Lodge C.R. Pawn Boomers before falling to the Dirty Birds. The Blue Thunder proved it was no fluke as once again they plucked the Dirty Birds in the final.
Meanwhile, the A + Fire Ballers and EZ Ryders had to play three games against each other, with the Fire Ballers prevailing to capture the Tier 5 playoffs. The Ballers beat the T-Birds and the Ryders to advance to the finals.
Alano A’s, after finishing in last place, lost their first game to EZ Ryders but came through the back door by beating the T-Birds and Slippery Kittens before once again losing to the Ryders to see who would play the Ballers in the finals.
EZ Ryders won the first game over the Fire Ballers but fell to them in the if-necessary game, giving the Fire Ballers some redemption after losing the league on their last game of the regular season.
