Game 15 - South Park Blasts Way To 2nd Title In Team History

A year ago South Park rolled through a historic 22-0 regular season and swept into the finals against Daily News League kingpins, Quinn Construction. After winning winning game one, Quinn would hand South Park their first loss of the season in a 12 inning heart breaker and end their incredible season the next night in a 7-3 win. Quinn Construction champions, again. Fast forward to 2024. The South Park management team of Mike Monaco and Adam Dodson decided that after 12 years, 2024 would be the final season. Suffering the losses of 3 top 10 hitters from 2023 in Edberg Dominguez (retired), Austin Lafferty (Collegiate League) and Mac Ciocco (injury), the South Park squad still managed to finish the Regular season in 3rd place at 14-6, one half game from second as Quinn Construction rolled through the regular season at 18-2 and first place. Both teams would sweep through their playoff bracket and set up a rematch of 2023 in the Championship Final. The first two games were more about pitching as South Park's Matt Mish stymied Quinn in a 5-1 game one win. Quinn would answer back with a Kenny Gault 1 hit, 15 strikeout gem in game 2. Game 3, win or lose would be the last game in South Park's successful 12 year run in the Daily News League. Quinn would throw the veteran Luke Hils and South Park would counter with Brandon Clifford. South Park would get a run as Adam Weber would score from third as Luis Gonzalez broke early from first base and prolonged the run down long enough for Weber to cross the plate. South Park would score again in the top of the second to take a 2-0 lead after Dylan Kugler led off with a hit by pitch followed by a Ryan Dodson single. After recording an out, Hils would then plunk Jean Santos to load the bases. After a strikeout, David Monaco would then produce an RBI with the 3rd hit batter of the inning. Hils would minimize the damage with a fly out for the 3rd out. Quinn Construction would answer back in the bottom of the inning to take a 3-2 lead after a Logan Simmons 2 RBI single. Quinn would tack on a run in the 3rd to go up 4-2 after Mike Huber singled and came around to score on a Caden Wills single. South Park would keep scratching, getting a run in the top of the 4th after Matt Mish doubled and advanced to 3rd on a ground out and then scored on a Josh Peremba ground out to make it 4-3 Quinn. The defending champs would tack on another run in the bottom of the 5th to make it 5-3 Quinn Construction when Jimmy Pasquine scored on a Bert Kovalsky single. Down to it?s final 6 outs, South Park had to hope for a late rally. Kugler led of the top of the 6th with walk. After a fly out Mish drew another walk to make it first and second and bringing up Jean Santos who would deliver the most important hit in South Park franchise history, a 3 run homer over the left field wall to bring South Park back to life with a 6-5 lead. After a strikeout for the second out, David Monaco would deliver a single and turn the order over to his brother Anthony, who would walk to put two on. A Weber single scored David Monaco to give South Park a 2 run cushion and bring up South Park regular season MVP, 'Weezy' Gonzalez. Quinn went to Zane Griffaton out of the pen and Gonzalez greeted him with one of the longest home runs in franchise history, a 3 run blast, and putting the score at 10-5. South Park would go to DNL regular season ERA leader Jose Moreno out of the bullpen in the bottom of the 6th. Quinn would threaten with an unearned run and 2 left on to make it 10-6. South Park, knowing Quinn Construction's comeback abilities in the early rounds of the playoffs would not be content and would tack on 2 more in the top of the 7th when Dylan Pounds, running for Ryan Dodson who had singled and Mish scored on a misplayed hard shot to 3rd by Peremba. Down to their final 3 outs, Quinn?s Huber led off with a shot to the parking lot to make it 12-7. After an HBP, Moreno would get consecutive punch outs and a 6-3 put out to end the game and give South Park the Championship in its final season. Clifford was the winner and Hils took the loss for Quinn Construction. Moreno struck out 4 in his 2 innings of relief for the new champions.

South Park ends its 12 year history with an overall regular season record 190-66-1
2017 Champions
2024 Champions
Playoffs 11 of its 12 years (missed by 1/2 game in inaugural season of 2013)
4 time Finalist
10 time semi finalist

South Park's Mike Monaco would like to thank Nick Donato for running the league and his dedication. He would also like to thank all the guys we did battle with every summer for 12 years:
Tom Simcho and Quinn Construction
Clarke White and the Snappers
Joe and Patrick Aul and the Aul Bat Company
Greg Spynda and Plum
To all the newer teams, keep it going and learn from these guys

Date: July 29, 2024     Time: 6:30pm      Venue: Evans Field