MyParkTeam

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Park players, parents, and supporters will meet and greet the newest addition to it coaching circle, Coach Cade, on Friday, May 30th @ 7 pm in the main high school gym. All are welcome.

Behind the pitching of John Gallice, Jimmy Heck, David Petit, Derrick Keller and Ryne McNary, Park won its own tournament, coming from behind in the championship game, helped by a Tre Munson triple…..[More]

There is finally an answer to the question “what was the first team from the St. Louis Park Traveling Baseball Association to win an A tournament?” On Saturday and Sunday, Park’s U15s used incredible pitching, awesome defense, and timely hitting to win the Spring Slugfest, and a free bid to the State Tournament. After losing their opening game, 3-2, to Hopkins, Park won three straight tense games to grab the crown.  

Saturday, May 17, 2008 @ Dakota
Slugfest Game 1
Park vs. Hopkins

Park lost their first game of the young season, falling to Hopkins, 3-2.

Jimmy Heck started for Park and worked out of a bases loaded jam with nobody out in the first, allowing just two runs.

Park got one back in the third when Tre Munson walked, stole second, advanced to third on a balk, and scored on Ryne McNary’s suicide squeeze. Park scored its second run in the fifth when Dylan Vosika singled, went to second on a wild pitch, advanced to third on an infield out, and scored on a Munson infield single.

Heck pitched five innings, allowed three runs on seven hits, he walked one and struck out four. David Petit pitched the sixth and retired the side in order.

Defensively, Park played awesome, but offensively they struggled, with only four hits, and had the tying run in scoring position three times but couldn’t capitalize.
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Saturday, May 17. 2008 @ Carlson
Game 2
Park vs. White Bear Lake

Park beat White Bear Lake, 10-6, behind the strong right arm of John Gallice. Gallice went the distance, allowing six runs, only three earned, in seven innings; he walked two, hit one batter, and struck out eight.

Park got on the board in the second when Gallice walked, stole second, moved to third when Grant Welsh reached on an error, and scored when Paddy Clancy hit into a 6-4-3 double play. Park added one in the third when Scott Foltz singled, Tre Munson singled, Ryne McNary sacrificed both runners up with a nice bunt, and Foltz scored on a sacrifice fly by Derrick Keller.

White Bear Lake came back and was within a run, 3-2, when Park scored four in the fourth. Welsh walked, Clancy singled, Jack Bordewick doubled, Foltz singled, and Munson singled.

Nerves were on edge when White Bear Lake rallied to come within a run again, 7-6, but Park put the game away in the top of the sixth with three runs. Dylan Vosika walked, Foltz singled, then Munson belted a shot into the gap for a triple, and when the throw to third rolled away from the third baseman Munson scurried home!

Park added its last run in the seventh when David Petit singled in Gallice who had doubled.

Defensively, Munson made an incredible diving catch in center, and Clancy made a similar catch down the right field line while playing second!
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Sunday, May 18, 2008 @ Dakota
Semifinal
Park vs. St. Croix Valley

Derrick Keller threw a one-hitter, and Park beat a great St. Croix team, 5-1, to make it to the championship game. In seven innings, Keller allowed one run, he walked four, and struck out six.

Park scored three in the bottom of the first when Tre Munson singled, stole second, advanced to third on a wild pitch, and scored on a wild pitch. Keller walked, advanced on another wild pitch, and scored on a John Gallice double. Gallice scored a moment later on a Paddy Clancy sac fly.

Park added one in the third when Clancy singled in Keller, and Park added its last run when Scott Foltz, who reached on a single, eventually scored on a Ryne McNary squeeze bunt.

Defensively, Max IntVeld and Nick Omodt, who shared time in left field, made several key plays. IntVeld’s catch on a long fly and his strong throw in prevented a tagging runner from scoring, and Omodt made three tough catches, one against the fence, to save countless runs.

Park also turned a pretty double play, McNary (shortstop) to Clancy (second base) to Jack Bordewick.

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Sunday, May 18, 2008 @ Dakota
Championship Game
Park vs. Woodbury

Park won a thriller over Woodbury, 9-5, to capture their third Slugfest title in six years (this group won at U10, U11, and now U15).

John Gallice, on 24 hours of rest, took the hill for Park and got into trouble early. Trailing 1-0 in the second, Gallice allowed a double, he struck out the next batter, but the batter reached when the third strike went to the screen, and after a stolen base there were runners at second and third with no one out.

The next batter hit to third baseman Ryne McNary who threw to Foltz at home and got the runner in a pickle. Gallice got into the act and ran the runner back to third, thinking he could catch him, but the runner slid in safely and the bases were loaded with nobody out!

In reality, Park would have been happy to get out of the mess with two runs scoring. Guess what? No one scored.

The next batter tried to squeeze a run home, but Gallice fielded the bunt quickly and fired home for the force, and the next batter hit back to the mound and Gallice started a 1-2-3 double play to end the inning!

Park scored one in the fourth when Jimmy Heck singled, advanced on a couple balls in the dirt, and scored on an infield grounder. Heck relieved Gallice in the fourth and allowed two runs on three hits, but the defense kept Park in the game time after time. Foltz threw out a runner at third on which the runner nearly knocked Clancy into left field, McNary made three great plays at third, Keller made a great play at short, and the outfield was, in a word, perfect.

In the fifth, Park scored two runs when Max IntVeld and Foltz reached on errors, Tre Munson reached on a fielder’s choice, then IntVeld and Munson scored on a Keller double.

Still, Park trailed 4-2 into the sixth. Heck started to tire, and was relieved by McNary with a runner on. After getting the first batter out, McNary allowed a double to score a run, but he got out of the inning with no further damage and Park trailed 5-3 in the bottom of the sixth.

Nick Omodt opened the inning with a single up the middle, David Petit was hit in the leg, both runners moved up, and Omodt scored on a wild pitch. With the tying run on third, Park called for the squeeze, but Foltz fouled the bunt off. Foltz then hit a grounder up the middle, but the second baseman made a fine play and threw out Petit, who was hobbling from the beaning, at home. Park didn’t get down, though, and Munson belted one of his patented triples to the gap, tying the game!

McNary hit a grounder to second, and when the second baseman bobbled it, McNary reached first with a Puntsie-like slide as Munson scored the tie-breaking run!

Park wasn’t done. Keller and Gallice walked to load the bases, and Omodt hit a two-run single, his second hit of the inning, to put Park up 9-5.

In the top of the seventh, McNary got two quick outs, allowed a single, then got the last batter to fly out to Gallice in right to end the game!

Cliche’ as it may sound, all 13 players were awesome in the four games, and it should be noted that Park won an A tournament without great hitting from most of its players. Besides Munson, Foltz and Omodt, the rest of the team hasn’t hit like they will, so look out! The pitching of Gallice, Heck, Keller, Petit and McNary was awesome, and it’s appropriate that our trophies are shaped like gold gloves, because it was the defense that broke the backs of Park’s opponents.
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