Evergreen Park girls softball team makes historic World Series run

Local softball team makes World Series run

An historic run to the World Series comes to an end for a south suburban softball team.

EVERGREEN PARK, Ill. - A historic run to the World Series comes to an end for a south suburban softball team.

The Evergreen Park 14U All-Stars made it to the championship game for the first time in history.

What we know:

For those Evergreen Park softball fans who couldn't be in Kirkland, Washington for the World Series, the massive watch party at 115 Bourbon Street in Marionette Park was the next best thing. 

After beating Puerto Rico 15-12 Friday night in the semifinal, the Evergreen Park 14U All-Stars continued their historic run, taking on the Southwest Regional Champions from Columbus, Texas in the championship game of the Junior League Softball World Series.

"It inspires me a lot and makes me want to go be them one day," said a young fan.

Younger members of the club, parents, coaches, siblings, and friends packed the room in what ended up being a low-scoring affair with the girls from Texas jumping out to a 2-0 lead. That was a score that held till the very end with an ace pitcher on the mound for Texas.

The coaching staff, the younger girls in this program, the parents, the league officials are all thrilled with this historic run, and they all say that it will mean great things for the future of this program here in Evergreen Park.

What they're saying:

"My daughter is on that team. I'm here. I lost my voice from going," said Kenny Johnson. "What we did was a huge accomplishment for our community, our neighborhood."

Kenny Johnson's 15-year-old daughter played third base throughout the series. She has played softball since age 5.

"I had four heart attacks today, so let's leave it like that. But you know what? Hey, listen, at the end of the day, they played their hearts out, they battled, and it is what is. Somebody has to win, somebody has to lose," Johnson said.

"As a program, it kind of gives everyone that kind of faith that we can get there. I said they're the first team to get there, so now it gives all the younger girls an opportunity and that belief that they are good enough to be there and that they can make it and that they deserve to be," Dora Cihocki said.

"We're extremely proud. This team has fought hard. They lost the Illinois state title the last two years by one run, or three years, and then to come back now and be able to not just win Illinois, win the central region, and get to the final game of this is just amazing," former league president Scott McQuillen said.