News and Announcements
There are still six games remaining on the schedule for most teams, but the Mustangs (16-2) and reigning champions Floral Arts (14-4) each clinched a first round playoff bye this week. This is the third year in a row that both teams have earned the bye. The Mustangs and Floral Arts are 1-1 in head-to-head competition so far this season, and will face each other two more times this season, making a first place finish still up for grabs. The other six teams in the league are all vying for one of the four remaining playoff spots, and there is no team that is out of the hunt. The much-improved Mario’s Restaurant (8-10) sits alone in third place and appears to be heading for its first post season in many years. Drew Farms, Willis Tent, and Shortcut Landscaping are tied for fourth place with an 8-11 record. Pro Sports Therapy (7-11) and Healy Oil (5-14) are both within striking distance of a playoff spot, yet it will take a very strong finish to achieve it.
Drew Farms 16 - Willis Tent 7
Home runs by Dave Guthrie, Tom Menicci and Todd Shepherd powered Drew Farms to a 16-7 win over Willis Tent. Drews displayed solid hitting up and down the line-up, led by Mark Kost (5 for 5) and Menicci (4 for 5). Strong defense backed up strong pitching from Gary Lavelle
Pro Sports Therapy 27 - Shortcut Landscaping 14
Pro Sports Therapy came back from an early barrage of Short Cuts Landscaping home runs, overcoming a 14-3 deficit to post a 27-14 run rule victory in the top of the seventh. SCL hit 6 home runs—several of the tape measure variety (including bombs by Chris Smith, Mike Gross, Brent Oakleaf). Tim Schutt settled down on the mound, shutting out SCL after the third inning and when it was his turn to hit, the tall lefty made it count with a grand slam in the seventh inning. Schutt was 3 for 5 with two home runs and 5 RBI. Derek Donegan (3 hits, 3 runs scored, 2 RBI) provided the game winner for the second night in a row, hitting a 2-run homer in the seventh to end the game. Several other PST players had big nights offensively including Jeff Morse (3-3 with a walk, sac fly, 3 RBI), Jerry Cressman (HR and 3 RBI), Tom Rose (5 for 5 with 5 runs scored, home run, 2 RBI), Keith Davighi (3 for 3, including a home run, a walk, a sac fly, and 6 RBI—at least one in each of his 4 plate appearances), and John Bodi (4 for 4 with a double and 3 RBI).
Floral Arts 10 - Mario’s Restaurant 7
Greg Marchand had multiple hits, including a 2-run homer, to help lead Floral Arts to a 10-7 win over Mario’s Restaurant. Larry Mardany pitched well, surrendering a pair of monster home runs to Thanh Nguyen, but otherwise holding the Mario offense in check. Bill Luppold also chipped in a pair of hits and Tom Lester played strong defense in right field. Peter Morano and Mario Brancato each had two hits for Mario’s. Both teams played great defense.
Drew Farms 19 - Healy Oil 13
Drew Farms scored in every inning but one and hit 6 home runs, most with runners on base to win a high scoring game, 19-13 over Healy Oil. First inning home runs by Pat Pawlak, Todd Shepherd and Jason Goldthwaite provided a quick start for the visitors. Tommy Menicci, Todd Shepherd, Dave Guthrie, Jim Sullivan and Eric Carlyle all collected three hits apiece. Gary Lavelle again pitched a solid game. Mike Martin, Joey Ingalls, and Dave O’Keefe each hit home runs for Healy Oil.
Willis Tent 11 - Shortcut Landscaping 9
Willis Tent defeated Shortcut Landscaping, 11-9, in a game powered by Andrew Metters (3 for 4, home run, and 3 RBI) and John Mangiaratti (2 for 4 with the game-winning home run and 4 RBI). Consistent pitching by Brian Anderson held Short Cuts at bay for most of the night
Mustangs 20 - Healy Oil 1
Mustangs pitcher Don Cusano struck out three Healy batters and gave up only one unearned run in a 20-1 Mustangs mercy rule victory. Cusano was walked three times at the plate, including once with the bases loaded, but the rest of the Mustangs offense was led by Jack Erickson, who went 3 for 3 with a home run and 5 RBI. Mike Kennedy (4 RBI) and Bill Knute (grand slam, 5 RBI) also had 2 hits each, including a homer apiece. Jay Dolan went 3 for 3 from his leadoff spot and scored 3 times. Other Mustangs who chipped in with two hits each were Jay Lincoln, Jim Ward, and Brian Foley. Mark Cusano made several excellent plays at second base for the Mustangs. Glenn Robinson hit well for Healy Oil, along with Dave “Pokey” Cannistaro, and Al Boisvert.
There has been a change to Wednesday night's schedule: The Healy Oil - Mustangs game has been moved from Wednesday to Sunday (7/29) @ 5:30.
There has also been a pair of changes to Friday night's schedule: The Pro Sports Therapy- Mario Restaurant's game scheduled for 7:45 has been moved to Sunday (8/5) at 5:30. The 9 PM game between Willis Tent and Short Cuts Landscaping has been moved forward to the 7:45 slot.
Short Cut Landscaping 14 - Mario’s Restaurant 5
Short Cut pitcher Dave Libby silenced the bats on the Mario’s Restaurant team from the third inning on, in a game that Short Cut won, 14-5. Dave Sullivan and Brent Oakleaf each homered to spark the offense. Steve Jacobsmeier sprinted back and rammed into the centerfield fence to make an outstanding catch that robbed Mario’s of a potential home run. Tony DeAntonis led Mario's with a 3-for-3 performance, while Brian Haley, Jerod Colley, Thanh Nguyen and Dave Batchelder each chipped in with 2 hits apiece. Second baseman Colley made a nice over-the-shoulder catch in the latter innings to keep Mario's within striking distance.
Willis Tent 9 - Healy Oil 8
Floral Arts 13 - Drew Farms 3
Larry Mardany survived a 3-run home run by Todd Shephard in the first inning, and then mowed down Drew Farms the rest of the way, in a game second place Floral Arts won, 13-3. Jim Peloquin (4 for 4, 3 HR, 4 RBI), Mike Spanos (3 for 3, HR, 3 RBI), and Ron Paulaskas (2 for 3, 3 RBI) sparked the Floral Arts offense.
Mustangs 8 - Pro Sports Therapy 0
Paul Liguori pitched the first place Mustangs to their first shutout of the season, as they beat PST, 8-0, Wednesday evening. Solid defense backed up great pitching, including a great running catch by Mark Cusano. Jumping Jack McGrath extended one inning for the Mustangs with some creative base running. Craig Smith provided an offensive boost for the Mustangs with a three run homer. Don Cusano, Bill Knute, and Jack Erickson each hit solo home runs. Tom Rose was the one bright spot for Pro Sports Therapy, as he went 3 for 3.
Mustangs 16 - Willis Tent 8
The Mustangs overcame a monstrous home run blast by Willis’ Rob Swinamer that nearly reached the basketball court beyond the right field fence to defeat a tough Willis Tent squad, 16-8. Mark Cusano and Bill Knute led the Mustang attack with two homers apiece. Knute included a grand slam in his repertoire. Additionally, Don Cusano and Craig Smith (3 for 3, 3 RBI) continued their hot hitting with a one homer each. The Mustang defense was led by shortstop Paul Selfrige and left-center fielder Jim Ward.
Floral Arts 17 - Short Cut 3
Frank Lancelotta's three run home run in the bottom of the sixth capped a strong day for Floral Arts, which beat Short Cut, 17-3. Jim Peloquin homered twice and Greg Marchand chipped in another long fly in the victory. Larry Mardany pitched another stellar game, limiting Shortcuts to a Mike Gross 3-run homer in the first.
Healy Oil 24 - Mario’s Restaurant 14
Healy Oil broke open a close 15-14 by scoring nine runs in the last two innings to take a 24-14 win over Mario's Restaurant. Matt Critch hit two home runs for Healy Oil. Mario's offense came to life with home runs contributed by Dave Batchelder, Jon Russo and Murph McKeon. McKeon's blast touched off an 8-run inning; Mario's biggest run output in a single inning this season. Brian Collamore added a personal best of 4 hits, with Jerod Colley (3 hits) and Russo (3 RBI) also hitting well.
Pro Sports Therapy 7- Short Cut Landscaping 6
Pro Sports Therapy came back to defeat Short Cut Landscaping, 7-6, with two outs in the bottom of the seventh on a Derek Donegan 2-run double. Tim Schutt got the emergency start on the mound and limited the potent Short Cut lineup to just 2 runs after the second inning and also contributed a big 2-run homer on offense. Can you say, “Wally Pipp?” Jerry Cressman was the other bright spot for the Pro Sports offense, contributing 2 hits, including a booming double off the top off the fence that drove in 2 runs. Bill Doherty led Short Cut with 3 hits and 4 RBI.
Drew Farms 15 - Healy Oil 2
Solid hitting up and down the lineup, along with strong pitching by Mark Kost in his mound debut resulted in a solid 15-2 win for Drew Farms over Healy Oil. A first inning injury required some early game defensive juggling, but all position players played well. Of note, Jason Goldthwaite made his first start at third and was solid. Jim Sullivan was pulled from first to second and did a nice job. Key hits from Tommy Menicci, Darren Wiszt, Dave Guthrie, Alex Lelchook, and Todd Shepherd contributed to the win.
Floral Arts 12 - Drew Farms 11
Floral Arts survived a late power surge from Drew Farms, which hit four home runs in the last two innings, with strong defense and some late timely hitting by Geoff Pavao and Larry Mardany, who knocked in the game-winning run. Tom Lester capped a 3-for-3, three-RBI day with his first home run of the season. Simon Tripp (2-3, 2 HR, 4 RBI) and John Haslam homered for Floral Arts. Jim Peloquin played great defense at short, making diving stabs and turning double plays.
Shortcut Lawn Care 8 - Healy Oil 7
Short Cut came out after the holiday and broke out of a three-game losing streak with a close 8-7 victory over Healy Oil. Dave Libby pitched his first game for the victory and added his first home run. Mark Lupien got the stagnant offense going with a three-run homer, and Steve Harrison singled in the winning run in the sixth inning.
Shortcut Lawn Care 13 - Floral Arts 12
Short Cut squeaked out their second one-run victory with a13-12 over Floral Arts. Mike Gross hit two homers and Chris Clark and Dave Libby each added one. Dave's controversial down-the-line home run sparked a seven-run rally for Short Cut in the bottom of the sixth inning. Jim Peloquin, Mike Alonardo, and Simon Tripp all homered and had multiple RBI games for Floral Arts.
Mustangs 16 - Willis Tent 12
Don Cusano and Bill Knute each homered and had three RBI apiece to lead the Mustangs in a 16-12 slugfest victory over Willis. Jack Erickson and Dan Crogan (single, double, and triple) contributed three hits each to aid the Mustangs offense. Leftfielder Bill Knute squashed a final Willis rally by gunning out a Willis batter trying for a double to end the game.
Healy Oil 13 - Drew Farms 0
Pro Sports Therapy 6, Mario’s Restaurant 5
Pro Sports Therapy pulled out a close one, giving up one run to Mario’s Restaurant in the top of the seventh, but closing the door for the 6-5 victory. Dave Weaver led the way with a home run, Jerry Cressman had two doubles, and Gary Royal drove in two runs. Mario’s was led by Brian Collamore and Thanh Nguyen, each with two hits and an RBI. Also contributing with two hits apiece were John Geary, Jim DeMarco and Chris Brooks.
Floral Arts 10 - Willis Tent 6
Floral Arts rallied from a 5-2 first inning deficit to defeat Willis Tent, 10-6. Larry Mardany pitched through some early defensive lapses, only surrendering a solo home run to Rob Swinamer after the first inning. Geoff Pavao hit a grand slam in the sixth to put Floral Arts up for good and played good defense down the stretch. Jim Peloquin and Simon Tripp also homered for Floral Arts, and Mr. Floral Arts himself, Mike Spanos, created a beautiful arrangement of three hits.
Mustangs 9 - Shortcut Lawn Care 3
With the exception of a Mike Gross homerun blast, Mustangs pitcher Don Cusano neutralized the powerful Shortcuts offense in a 9-3 Mustangs victory. Cusano helped himself at the plate with three hits, including a homer, and three RBI. Jay Dolan and Jim Ward helped set the table at the top of the Mustangs order with two hits each. Lefties Mark Cusano and Bill Knute also contributed two hits apiece and played excellent outfield defense for the Mustangs. Third baseman Mike Kennedy also chipped in with several outstanding defensive plays for the winners.
Drew Farms 15 - Pro Sports Therapy 13
Tom Menicci’s three home runs home runs (7 RBIs) and a Todd Shephard Grand Slam powered Drew Farms to a 15-13 win over Pro Sports Therapy, which rallied from a 8-0 deficit after three innings, but could never get over the hump. Jerry Cressman had a big night for Pro Sports Therapy, driving in six runs with two home runs. Bill Cullen went 4-for-4, and both Jeff Morse and Dave Chirokas had three hits.
Now midway through the season, there is three-way battle emerging for the top spot. The Mustangs remain in first place with their impressive 11-2 record, but last year’s champions Floral Arts are close behind with a 9-3 record. Mario’s Restaurant, a team that has struggled in previous season, has put together a great run and now sits in third place with an 8-6 record. Below are the results from this past week.
Drew Farms 17 - Pro Sports Therapy 13
In what will go down as one NOT for the ages, Drew Farms pulled out a narrow victory over Pro Sports Therapy. Eric Carlyle got his first win on the mound and pitched a solid game. Mark McAleese continued his torrid hitting this year at leadoff with his firs home run. Gary Lavelle came through with some clutch hitting, as did Scott Cole. Jeff Fuller, who had a big day in his season debut with Pro Sports, collected three hits, including a pair of doubles, two runs scored, and four RBI. Andrew Fletcher had four hits, including a triple to go along with two RBI. Jeff Morse had three hits and two RBI, and Mark Urlage had two doubles and two RBI.
Mario’s Restaurant 16 - Drew Farms 15
A bottom of the 7th bases loaded walk won it for Marios, as they beat Drew Farms, 16-15. Drew Farms got a grand slam from Scott Cole, more solid hitting from Mark McAleese, Matt Chamberlain and Todd Shepherd, and generally solid defense. However, it was not enough to pull out the victory.
Pro Sports Therapy 13 - Healy Oilers 0
Dave Chirokas led the way for Pro Sports Therapy on Friday night, throwing a shutout in a 13-0 win and leading the offense with a grand slam in the second inning. Chirokas ended the game with three hits, three runs scored, and five RBI. Also chipping in were Jeff Morse with three hits and two RBI, and Andrew Fletcher with two hits and two RBI.
Mustangs 18 - Shortcuts 11
The Mustangs came back from a first inning 4-0 deficit to defeat Shortcuts, 18-11. Dan Crogan went 3-for-3 with three RBI, including his first home run of the year. Craig Smith played great defense in left field for the Mustangs and added two hits and a home run of his own. Mark Cusano (four RBI) and Don Cusano both contributed homers. Bill Knute added two hits, two walks, and four RBI. Andy Mastandrea played excellent defense at first base for the Mustangs.
Floral Arts 16 - Willis Tent 8
Frank Lancelotta, Mike Spanos, John Haslam, and Tom Semeter all hit home runs to spark the Floral Arts offense in a 16-8 win versus Willis. Rob Schwinamer hit two monster home runs, but Willis was unable to muster enough other offense against Floral Arts pitcher Larry Mardany. The night sky played a large role in the game as two apparent fly-outs were lost in the gloaming leading to a big Floral inning. Mike Alonardo paced Floral's offense with three hits, and Jim Peloquin played stellar defense at short.
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