Div 4 South - The Villages Home Page

Commissioner's Corner

Dear D4 South Family,

I have some important and exciting news to share in this edition of Commissioner’s Corner.

First, congratulations to Joe Damato on winning the inaugural D4 South Home Run Derby and to Team Austin on winning the inaugural All-Star Game! How fitting that Dan Austin, at the tender age of 90, delivered the game-winning hit with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning.

Congratulations to Team Wheeler as well for a great game.

Now for the major announcement:

D4 south has developed a new subbing system that will launch on Monday, November 2.

All managers and players must follow the new process.

A new Subbing tab will appear on our website’s homepage this weekend.

Here’s how it will work:

Managers: Log in to request a sub for a specific game and indicate whether you need an A, B, or C player, or a pitcher. Managers will no longer select their subs manually; the system will randomly assign available players.

Non-roster players: Log in and enter your availability. You may sign up beginning seven days before the game you wish to sub for.

Roster players: If your team is not scheduled to play, umpire, or keep score, please log in and enter your availability to sub.

All players: We will no longer make phone calls to recruit subs. If you do not enter your availability in the system, you will not be included on the sub list. It is each player’s responsibility to sign up.

This new system will make our managers’ jobs easier and give available subs an equal opportunity to play.

Players should enter their availability beginning seven days before the November 2 launch.

Managers may begin submitting requests as soon as the Subbing tab goes live this weekend.

Walk-up subs are still encouraged! If you would like to sign up in person, please arrive 45 minutes before game time.

If you have questions or need help using the new system, please contact a board member. Thank you for your cooperation as we make this transition.

Thank you all for a tremendous first half of the season, highlighted by a great Home Run Derby and All-Star Game. I look forward to an exciting second half and tournament play!

Best regards,

John Calise
Commissioner, D4 South

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Monday October 19th Games

Terrapins @ Hurricanes 9 am Field 3

Nittany Lions @ Rams 9 am Field 4

Buckeyes @ Utes 10:30 am Field 3

Gators @ Tar Heels 10:30 am Field 4

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Team Austin Wins All-Star Thriller on Dan Austin’s Walk-Off Hit

The D4 South 2026 All-Star Game saved its biggest moments for the final inning. After Team Wheeler rallied for five runs in the top of the seventh, Team Austin answered with five of its own, completing an 11–10 victory on Dan Austin’s two-out, bases-loaded single on Oct. 15 at Field 4.

The teams combined for 47 hits in a game that featured early lead changes, timely extra-base hits and two determined seventh-inning rallies. Team Wheeler finished with 24 hits to Team Austin’s 23, but the final swing settled a contest in which neither side could put the other away.

Team Wheeler struck first with two runs in the opening inning. Singles by Davey Saxe and Art Homan set up an RBI from Gary Maurer, and Nick Dorazio followed with a run-scoring triple for a 2–0 lead.

Team Austin responded with three runs in the second. Jeff Drake opened the scoring opportunity with a double, and Jon Lurie, Ricky Stepp and Mark Chase each delivered RBI singles to move their team ahead, 3–2. Two more runs in the third, driven in by Jim Culhane’s sacrifice fly and Roy Gronau’s single, extended the advantage to 5–2.

The lead disappeared in the fourth as Team Wheeler put together a three-run response. Davey Saxe tripled and scored on Art Homan’s single. RBI singles from Nick Dorazio and Ken Wheeler brought home the next two runs, tying the game at 5–5.

With scoring opportunities becoming harder to finish, Team Austin regained the lead in the fifth. Mark Chase singled and eventually scored on Dave Knott’s RBI single, making it 6–5. That one-run margin held through the sixth and set the stage for the dramatic finish.

Team Wheeler’s seventh-inning rally began with consecutive singles by James Stephany and Mike Moning. Dean Hooker, David Roby and Jesse McNurlen followed with RBI singles, turning a one-run deficit into an 8–6 lead. Bob Wilson and Chuck Gilpin added run-scoring singles to complete the five-run surge and give Team Wheeler a 10–6 advantage.

Facing its largest deficit of the game, Team Austin immediately went to work. Jon Lurie singled, Joe Damato doubled him home, and Ricky Stepp followed with another RBI double to cut the margin to 10–8. A single by Michael Fahey kept the rally moving, and Mark Chase’s RBI single brought Team Austin within one.

With two outs, Dave Knott delivered the tying single, scoring Michael Fahey to make it 10–10. Mike Turano then singled to load the bases, bringing Dan Austin to the plate with the winning run at third. His single scored Mark Chase, completing the comeback and bringing the All-Star game to a memorable close.

Four Team Austin hitters finished a perfect 3-for-3: Mark Chase, Dave Knott, Jon Lurie and Joe Damato. Mark Chase and Dave Knott each drove in two runs, as did Ricky Stepp, who went 2-for-3 with a double. Jon Lurie, Joe Damato and Mark Chase each scored twice.

For Team Wheeler, Art Homan and Mike Moning both went 3-for-3. Davey Saxe contributed two hits, including a triple, and scored twice, while Nick Dorazio finished with a triple and two RBIs. Nine different Team Wheeler players drove in runs, reflecting the balanced attack that carried the team into the seventh-inning lead.

On a day dedicated to the league’s All-Stars, the deciding inning gave both teams a chance to shine. Team Wheeler’s string of seven consecutive singles produced a lead-changing rally, and Team Austin’s answer carried all the way to the final, two-out hit.