Beachcombers Rally to Win in OTL Final

Having lost to the Pennant Pups in the winners’ bracket final, the Beachcomber team of Steve Miner, Billy Bright and John Torchia came out of the losers’ bracket and defeated the Pennant Pups twice to win the men’s open division of the Old Mission Beach Athletic Club’s World Championship Over-The-Line tournament yesterday at Fiesta Island.

In the women’s open, Camille Medina, Mary Ann Casillas and Tess Michelucci of Island Gecko Maui came from behind to beat the Pennant, 7-5, in the final game after the Pennant had defeated Island Gecko Maui, 6-2, forcing a second final in the double-elimination tournament.

For the sentimental favorite Miner, 41, this was his first championship in 21 years of over-the-line play. He had finished second and third on two occasions, but had never been dubbed world champion until yesterday. Bright, 35, has now won three titles and Torchia, 38, two.

“I have an awful lot of friends who wanted to see me win as much as I did,” said Miner.

Added Bright, “I wanted to win one for our front guy, Steve Miner. He’s been playing this game for about 20 years and he’s finally got one.”

Beachcomber beat the defending champions and top-seeded Doctor’s Choice Sunscreen, 16-5, in the losers’ bracket final after losing to Pennant Pups, 31-30. They then beat Pennant Pups, 11-0 and 11-6, for the championship.

Despite a broken little finger suffered in the first Pennant Pup game, Miner, seemingly unbothered by it, played exceptionally well, going 18 for 28 in the final three games and making numerous acrobatic catches on the front line. Bright hit a torrid 23 for 29 in the final three games, including 21 for 22 at one point.

Down, 5-4, with two on and two out in the fifth inning of the womens’ final, Michelucci drove in the tying run with a push along the right sideline. Island Gecko Maui got two more singles and protected its 7-5 lead in the bottom of the inning to win.

“I could just see that push,” said Michelucci, 28. “I knew where the line was and I could tell it was going to drop.”

For Michelucci, 28, it was her first championship. Medina, 34, and Casillas, 31, have each won one.

Other men’s winners include The Buc Stops Here (Century), Arizona’s Dirty Drumming (Canardly) and Andy’s Ancients (Cannever). The other women’s winners were Dookies Dinkers (Century) and Looking For Dick Kulvachek At The Pennant.