Torrington Riptides optimistic for next year despite narrow losses in finale

Torrington Riptides conclude a thrilling summer of baseball

The Torrington Riptides remained optimistic about their future, despite concluding the current season with two narrow losses in their away fixture against the Exeter Wyverns.

In game 1, Torrington initially took a commanding lead thanks to hits from Ed Willmott, Jess Cooper, Callum Salter, Adrian Kemp, John Lewis and Matt Caldaralo, and some daring base-stealing by Josh Owen.

Despite holding a 10-1 lead by the middle of the second inning, Exeter launched a comeback and went into the bottom of the fourth inning only three runs behind. A big hit from Lewis Rosevear would drive in the winning run for the Wyverns, with the game ending 15-14.

Exeter remained in command for game 2, holding a 7-0 lead by the end of the second inning. In the fifth, hits from Cooper, Lewis, Mike Curtis and Salter drove in 5 runs and closed the gap to three, but they only scored two in the sixth and final inning, leaving Exeter the victors, 10-8.

The result left the Riptides in third place in Division 5, some way behind the champions, the Plymouth Mariners, with the Wyverns in second.

While the first half of the season saw Torrington put together a string of victories, and keeping pace with the league leaders, it was a pace they couldn’t keep up indefinitely. With some key experienced players unavailable or injured for much of the latter half of the season, the Riptides ended up losing their last seven games.

“We still have so much to be proud of this season,” said Torrington’s player-manager, Jess Cooper. “We have only existed for two years. We are the newest, smallest, poorest team in the League.

“We have welcomed a load of fantastic new players who are growing in ability so fast, but they’re still rookies. And yet we started the season by winning the Clash at the Coast [pre-season friendly] tournament and bringing a trophy back to Torrington.

“We then won five of our first six league games. The Plymouth Mariners only lost four games all year and three of those losses were to us. We’re just going to keep getting better and better, and we can’t wait until next year.”

Torrington player Ed Willmott ends the season as the Division 5 leader in batting average and home runs, and he and Cooper have been chosen to represent the club in the league’s all-star game in Keynsham.

The Riptides will close the year with a friendly against the Taunton Pistols on September 13 (venue to be confirmed).