The first woman inducted into the OMBAC Over-the-Line Hall of Fame was Camille Medina in 2009.
The apple didn’t fall far from the tree.
Medina captured the last of her co-record 13 women’s titles in 2008 with her daughter, Marisa Tirri, and 2013 Hall of Famer Stepanie Olow (also 13 titles).
On a sun-splashed and temperate Sunday afternoon at Fiesta Island, Tirri won her seventh OTL Women’s Open crown at the 71st annual OMBAC World Championship. It was her first without Olow.
“I have no ambition to beat their record,” Tirri said. “But I was playing with mom’s glove for the first time.”
That glove and those of teammates Dewey Fleet and Kelly Park propelled Sanjo Sports LFG to defeat Valley Farms Market, 15-4, in the championship game.It was Tirri’s third win with Fleet and first with Park.
Each of them got seven hits in the final and played spectacular defense to beat former champions Ashley Hackbart (4 titles), Alyssa Dronenburg (3) and Lisa Franklin (3).
Franklin’s mother is 2017 Hall of Famer Tess Franklin — Medina’s old sidekick — who won her seventh OTL title at nearly the same time, two courts over, in the women’s 35-and-over division with Vanessa Stehley, Lizzie Acosta and Tamara Piland from John’s Automotive Care.
“This was a big deal for me, because I haven’t won since I had my daughter eight years ago,” Tirri said.
After several close tries, including third place last year, Tirri and Fleet said Park made the difference this year. Park finished second last year with her former team.
“I called dibs on her last year right after the finals,” Tirri said. “I literally tapped her on the shoulder and said, ‘Dibs.’ ”
Fleet went a step further describing Park. “We picked up a phenomenal athlete who just rounded us out,” Fleet said. “She’s probably the best athlete in San Diego County.”
Said Lisa Franklin: “I’m super happy for her. She’s an amazing athlete. They all are. They played such great defense, and it was very frustrating for us.”
Fleet was a star softball and basketball player at University City High School and played softball at USD. Park played softball at Northern Illinois University.
Tirri played volleyball at Mission Bay and the University of Redlands.
“Even though my mom played forever, I actually thought OTL was silly,” Tirri said. “I still think it is.”
Silly?
The Men’s Open final was won by Valley Farms Market with Troy Cruz, Taylor Earle and Justin Hargrove run-ruling Personal Pitcher, 12-1, with only two outs in the bottom of the first inning.
Personal Pitcher had just completed a 2½-hour epic semifinal win over Matt Grey/Sunstate. Eric Barlow hit a two-run home run in extra innings for the 35-33 win.
“I think it helped us that they were so tired out,” said Cruz, a former Miami Marlins baseball prospect. “That, and we got to see them play for so long and learn their tendencies.”
It was Cruz’s first title after teaming with longtime Fallbrook High School baseball buddies Earle and Hargrove for their fourth title. Earle, 34, and Hargrove, 33, have been playing together since they were 16 and won a Junior World Championship.
“They’re best friends, and they’re legends of the game,” Cruz said. “I was just lucky to come along for the ride.”
Men’s Century winner Bomber Industries won their fourth consecutive title with David Puckett, Mark Wright and Justin Klein.
Likewise, JBS Auctions earned its fourth straight crown in the men’s 50-over division with Steve Tarantino (11 overall titles), Tommy Dobyns (10) and Kenny Miner (5). Tarantino (2020) and Dobyns (2023) are both OTL Hall of Fame members.
In the men’s 40-over division, Grand Old BBQ (Danny Watson, Drew Voight and Brian Simmons) won their fourth straight championship with a 38-37 win over Brigantine.
Lisa Chlebowski, Marion Reynoso and Valerie Lynch went undefeated to win the women’s 50-over division.
The tournament, staged by the Old Mission Beach Athletic Club since 1954, also featured the winner of the club’s annual Miss Emerson Contest playing OTL on the final weekend for the first time.
Taylor Carrico, who has competed seriously in OTL for 10 years, was the Miss Emerson runner-up last year and was selected the 2024 winner last weekend.
As such, Miss Emerson becomes the spokeswoman for OMBAC throughout the year at hundreds of functions and charity events the club supports each year.
“It has been a magical couple of weeks,” Carrico said. “I enjoy OMBAC and the brotherhood of the club. It’s like one big dysfunctional family.”
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