Championship Series MVP Curt Schilling

They met again, but this time on equal terms. The Hocking Kongs, a wildcard entry last year but the Northern Division winner this time around, were back to challenge the defending champion Morgen Grinders. However, in a remarkable parallel of the '96 series the Grinders had a dramatic Game 1 victory and a three-games-to-one lead before the Kongs pushed the series to a deciding seventh game.

Curt Schilling put an exclamation point on a superb season by pitching a no-hitter in the first game of the series. It was only the third no-hitter in league history, and remarkably the second postseason no-hitter in the past two years. Kong hurlers Donovan Osborne and Scott Sanders were victorious in Games 5 & 6, forcing a showdown between veteran Tom Glavine (7-3 in postseason play for Hocking in '96-97) and Grinder rookie Shawn Estes. Sammy Sosa staked the defending champs to a 2-0 lead with a first inning homer and Estes and reliever Trevor Hoffman made the lead stand up.

With the victory, the Grinders become the first club to win back-to-back titles as well as the first to win three Classic 12 pennants.

HENDERSON CUP FINALS
Grinders defeated Kongs, 4 games to 3