While 2003 was a huge improvement over 2002, Balls Deep still wasn’t at the level they wanted to be at. Balls Deep went from being an average team who advances to round two and can make it to the sweet 16, but last year that all changed starting in Northborough 1 year ago. After a 3rd place Northborough finish, a final 8 finish in WTF Medway, a 2nd place finish in Sharon, and a 5th place finish in the NEWA World Series it was clear this was a new Balls Deep team who just needed that one more thing to get over the hump. That one more thing’s name happened to be Pat Leahy, the newest member of the Balls Deep squad. Balls Deep enters the 2004 season with a line up that reads:
1. Chris Griffin (IF)
2. Matt Griffin (OF)
3. Marc Griffin (P/DH)
4. Pat Leahy (P/DH)

Balls Deep has been in a total of 11 “slow” pitch tournaments, and have advanced to round 2 every time, and this would be no different. Starting in a four team division the question was not if they would advance, but the goal was to win the division and get a high seeding. In Game 1, Pat Leahy would debut on the mound vs. the 39th ranked NEWA team at the time, The Ego Squad. Balls Deep struck early and often at the plate. By the end of the game, which was ended early due to a slaughter rule, each player had homered twice including two from Leahy who picked up a win shutting the opponents down giving up no hits, and getting some great defensive help from Matt who made a diving catch forward to save a double and from breaking up the no hitter.

Game 2 was a little different story, Leahy started this game as well, but the offense was not as dominant as before. Home runs from Matt and Chris helped lead Balls Deep to a 3-0 victory, but it could have been blown open a little more was it not for a low ceiling. Matt made another huge defensive play to preserve Leahy’s 2nd straight no hitter, as he ran from left field all the way across the outfield diving full stretched out and making a 1 handed web gem grab to save a triple.

Game 3 turned out to be meaningless as the 3 teams advancing had already been decided as Balls Deep (2-0) set to face the ‘Chowda Heads’ (0-2). Marc would take the hill for the start of this game to try to get his stuff together for the playoffs and loosen up. Balls Deep’s offense again struck early and often smoking the ball all over the field but due to some fine defensive catches and a lot of ceiling balls, it took 4 innings for B.D. to reach the 10 run lead slaughter rule. Marc did however give up a run in the 3rd inning, when the game was virtually over and it had turned into more of a friendly good game when he meated a ball over and he paid with a homerun, nonetheless at the end of Round Robin play Balls Deep stood at 3-0, with 24 runs for, and 1 against.

As the playoffs came around, the seeding were a little different then before, instead of #1, 2, 3, etc seeds were given out it was now pre-determined. No matter what the 1st place team in one division was going to play the 3rd place team in another division no matter who they were, interesting to say the least. Balls Deep opened with 32 teams left vs. Team Bones (I think). Marc would get the start on the hill and he would be on, not giving up any hits, and the other team only making contact a few times. Once again the offense proved itself as every member of the team would go yard at least 1 time.

The Sweet Sixteen match up would prove to be Balls Deep’s first true test of the season as they would have to face a new team, The Young Guns, a team made up of a group of kids with a goods pitcher, and lots of heart. This game was huge for both teams because all the teams that advance to the final 8 will receive an invitation to the NEWA World Series later in the Year. The game would go 3 scoreless innings both pitchers pitching excellent games. Finally when the 4th inning came around, Balls Deep’s offense stepped it up yet again to give their pitcher some run support scoring 4 unanswered runs. In the next innings, they would add on 3 more insurance runs and that was all Marc would need as he cruised the rest of the way shutting the door like he has so many times in the past and Balls Deep advanced to the Final 8 winning 7-0.

The Final 8 would feature Balls Deep vs. The 2003 Champions, more formidably known as half of the R.I. Kings. The last time these 2 teams met was in the NEWA World Series were the Kings came on top in extra innings going on to later win the tourney. The Kings would strike first only the 2nd pitch of the game as they would go opposite field with a leadoff homerun. Marc would however rebound getting out of the next 2 innings un scaved. In the bottom of the 2nd Matt would respond with a home run of his own on the first pitch he saw. All of a sudden the life was back in the Balls Deep team, but was quickly deflated when Marc had some control issues walking them around the bases and giving up 2 more runs. It was looking bleak for B.D. until the bottom of the 5th inning when Chris lead off with a walk, and Matt hit a towering homerun almost clearing the netting and tying the game at 3 a piece. The rest of the game turned into a pitchers duel, with Balls Deep having their best chances in the 8th inning when Leahy crushed a ball, perhaps to far and he hit a bomb into the ceiling that bounced back into foul territory. Later in the 10th Marc tried to end it himself as he hit a 2 out triple that came within 1 foot of clearing the fence and ended the game. Marc continued to pitch unbelievable including in the 11th inning coming back from a 3-0 count to strike a man out with the bases loaded and 2 outs. In the bottom of the 12th, Leahy would get on base, Marc would later come up in the inning and hit an opposite field shot that hit the top of the wall for a game winning triple, and that was all she wrote. The team went crazy as it proved there was more fight in this team then ever before, coming back twice and taking down the powerhouse “2003 Champions” advancing to the semi finals.

The Final Four teams would prove to be the same as last years Northborough, Balls Deep, Doom, the Blue Sox, and half of the Mad Dogs team now known as “Do Something”. Balls Deep would face off vs. the once Fast Pitch New England Champion Blue Sox. As Marc warmed up it was obvious he just could not continue, his arm had enough stress on it from pitching his ass off for 4 games (5 if you count last game twice). But this is exactly why Leahy was signed in the off season. He was ready as ever to jump right in and start the game, one of the biggest games of his young career. In the first inning Balls Deep would load the bases but then get shut down. Leahy came right out and proved why he and Marc are considered one of the most deadly 1-2 punches in wiffle ball today. He shut down the high powered Blue Sox offense with a little defensive help from Matt who would once again help out his new teammate with a diving catch to stop a threatening rally. The Blue Sox came back alive in the bottom of the 5th as they would load the bases with 1 out and Leahy showed his true colors, and he came back in two consecutive counts to strike out the side including being down 3-0 with 2 outs then throwing 2 straight strikes to help send the game into the 6th scoreless. The 8th inning came along and the Blue Sox fell apart, the pitcher got wild and Balls Deep wasn’t complaining. They did what they had to do; Balls Deep Statues. They would put together 5 runs in the inning and that would look to be more then enough for Leahy who was cruising. After a leadoff walk, Chris turned a smooth double play to kill any hope the Blue Sox had of coming back. Game, set, match Balls Deep over Blue Sox 5-0.

Balls Deep would square off in the finals vs another team they were familiar with, the team consisting of Tom Deveau, Bri Glav, and yes the infamous Morey. After a months worth of trash talk exchanged between Morey and the rest of the wiffle world, it was time for someone to shut him up. Balls Deeup jumped off for an early 2-0 lead in the top of the 1st, and that was all she wrote. Leahy took the hill for the 2nd consecutive game and would shut the door inning, after inning. The B.D. offense, led by Chris and his 2 rips up the middle would load the bases 2 more times in the game but fail to score. Finally in the bottom of the 6th this was it. Balls Deep was 3 outs away from capturing their first title, but there was another problem. Marc’s arm was hanging by threads and Pat’s hand was inflating by the second. After 2 straight walks, Leahy would bare down and strike out 2 straight batters, but up came Morey. Morey had been just missing all game, and Leahy knew it but he came right at his challenging with a first pitch riser that Morey just missed. The count would go to 2-1 and Morey wouldn’t miss the next pitch as his ripped it down the left field line and Matt slide to his left, caught the ball in his chest and the all of a sudden you could hear a pin drop. It finally hit them, Balls Deep had just captured the 2004 Northborough title, and it couldn’t have been done without one of the guys on the field.

Marc pitched spectacular as usual and his bat broke out bigger then it had in his career. Matt made some huge defensive plays and had two of the biggest homeruns to tie the game twice vs the 2003 Champs. Chris was on base basically every time he would come to the plate and was smacking around every pitcher we faced as well as making some fine plays in the infield. Leahy was the final piece of puzzle that B.D. was missing as he brings so much to the pitching staff and takes a HUGE load of marc’s arm now that he knows he has some help in the rotation and it isn’t always on him.

We’d like to thank every team that congratulated us after the game and on the board, it means a lot, and to everyone who says we’re overrated, eat this and get used to it because if your going to win one of these tournaments your most likely going to have to go through us.

By the end of the day it was...
Balls Deep Offense: 52
Opponenets Runs:4