For the first time in 28 years the New Hyde Park Little League Boys Majors are the District 29 Champions. They are the first NHPLL boy’s team in any division to win a district tile in the last 21 years.
GAME # 1 June 23 NHP vs Garden City
NHP Boys Majors started off the Williamsport tournament with a solid 5-to-1 win over Garden City. Pat Parente and Nick Pellegrino each had two hits from the one and two slots in the order. In the 3rd inning Pat McGoldrick led off with a single and was driven in with a double by Parente. Steve Chambers followed with a double to make it 2 -to-1 NHP after 3 innings. In the bottom of the 5th, Parente and Pellegrino led off with singles. With runners on 1st and 2nd, number 4 hitter Rob McGuinness blasted a three-run home run over the left field fence to make the score 5-to-1 NHP. Danny Hansen pitched four superb innings, letting up one run with 9 K’s, Chambers pitched the final two innings allowing no runs with 4 K’s. Brian Hoerter Joe Jonas, and Kevin Gorman made great defensive plays.
GAME # 2 June 27 NHP vs Mineola
NHP won game two by a score of 5-to-0 over Mineola, led by Danny Hansen with another very well pitched game,.NHP scored two runs in the 2nd inning, Joe Jonas got on base followed by a single by Matt Rowinsky. Dan Hansen followed with a double to drive in two runs. In the 4th inning NHP extended the lead to 3-to-0 when Hansen singled and was brought home by Pat McGoldrick. In the 5th inning, NHP scored two more runs when Chambers was hit by a pitch, and McGuiness followed with a hit. They were driven home on an error by Mineola to make it 5-to-0 NHP. Singles by Parente, Pellegrino, Rowinsky and two hits by Hansen led to the scoring. Defense was led by Brian Hoerter, Mat Rowinsky and Joe Jonas.
GAME # 3 July 2 NHP vs Franklin Square
NHP opened the game with a bang. Parente, Pellegrino, McGuinness, and Jonas all walked to start the game. With 1 run in, Hansen came up with the bases loaded and 2 outs. Hansen hit a monster Grand Slam to make the score 5-to-0 NHP after one inning. In the 2nd inning Parente led off with a single, followed by a walk to Pellegrino, with two runners on Chambers doubled to make it 7-to-0 NHP. Rowinsky led off the 3rd inning with a single. After a steel attempt, Hansen hit his 2nd home run of the game to make the score 8-to-0. Jonathan Manfre followed with a walk, Parente reached base, and Pellegrino singled to make the score 9-to-0. In the bottom of the 3rd inning, Gorman opened the inning by making to great defensive plays on the # 1 and # 2 hitters in the Franklin Square lineup to keep them off the score board. In the 4th inning NHP put the finishing touches on it with leadoff single by McGuinness, Hansen followed with his 3rd HR of the game to make the score 11-to-0. Manfre followed with a walk, McGoldrick singled, and Parente and Pellegrino each walk to make the final score NHP 12 to F.S. 0. Hansen pitched NHP to their 3rd victory to allow them to go undefeated into the winner’s bracket.
GAME # 4 July 9 NHP vs Franklin Square
Franklin Square worked their way through the loser’s bracket to force a rematch with NHP for the championship. Franklin Square was the better team this night beating NHP 8-to-3 setting up a final sudden-death game.
Game # 5 July 11 NHP vs Franklin Square for the championship.
Franklin Square jumped out to a 1-to-0 lead in the 1st inning. In the top of the 2nd, McGoldrick led off with a walk, Rowinsky and Jonas followed with singles to make the score 2-to-1 NHP. With one out, Manfre singled to drive in Jonas, followed by a single by Pellegrino to drive in the 4th run of the inning. After Chambers was hit by a pitch, Hansen singled to make the score 5-to – NHP. In the bottom of the 2nd F.S. scored 1 run, and in the bottom of the 3rd they scored 2 more runs before Pellegrino and Parente picked off the runner at 2nd base to kill the rally.
F.S. cut the lead to 5-to-4 NHP. In the top of the 4th Manfre led off with a single, Parente got on base with a fielder’s choice and Pellegrino followed with his second single of the night. Chambers then doubled to drive in two runs to make the score NHP 7-to-4. Chambers started the 4th inning and was removed after two batters. He pitched a great game against a very good hitting team. Manfre came into the game with two men on and no outs. After a walk to load the bases, Manfre gets the very dangerous number-3 hitter to pop up in foul territory down the first base line where Pellegrino made a great catch for the first out. Manfre pitched out of the jam, but F.S. did score two runs to make the score 7 to 6 NHP.
Manfre pitched a scoreless 5th inning. With two outs in the top of the 6th inning Chambers hit a blast over the left field fence to give NHP an 8-to-6 lead. Hansen followed with a single, a walk to McGoldrick, and then Rowinsky follows with his 3rd hit of the game to make it 9-to-6 NHP. Bottom of the 6th F.S. gets the leadoff batter on with a walk. The next hitter singles, with two on and no outs, the next hitter hits a scorching line drive to Jonas at 2nd base for the first out. The next batter gets on by an error allowing a run to score making it 9-to-7 NHP. With one out and runners on 2nd and 3rd, Manfre, with ice in his veins, gets the batter to ground back to him, he checks the runner at third, throws to first for the 2nd out of the inning and then McGoldrick throws a strike to the plate to Pellegrino to get the runner trying to score for a game-ending double play to give the NHP boys majors their first district title in 28 years and the first boys title in any division in 21 years with a final score of 9-to-7.
The NHP coaches noted Parente with a 385 AVG, and 529 OBP (On Base Percentage), Nick Pellegrino 462 AVG, 588 OBP, 4 RBI’s, Steven Chambers 417 AVG, 500 OBP, 1 HR, 7 RBI’s, Rob McGuinness 300AVG, 1 HR, Matt Rowinsky 333 AVG, Pat McGoldrick 428 OBP, Jon Manfre 333 AVG, and Dan Hansen 714 AVG, 3 Hrs, 11 RBI, and a 3 -1 record on the mound. Great pitching from Chambers, and the Ice Man Manfre. On defense, they said, Pat McGoldrick, Brian, Hoerter, Joe Jonas, Kevin Gorman, and Jon Manfre game after game were spectacular.
Kevin Gorman, they said, was the unsung hero of this team with his never-die attitude. He along with Brian Hoerter, Jon Manfre, and Rob McGuinness who all split time on the field, kept the team focused game after game leading the charge from the dugout every inning.
