Announcement
With a 14-7 win on Friday night, Floral Arts captured the 2012 championship. This is the second year in a row that Floral Arts has captured the title from the Mustangs in the fifth and deciding game of the series.
Game One: Floral Arts 16 - Mustangs 9
Floral Arts scored 7 in the first, including back-to-back home runs to start the game, and never looked back. The Floral Arts outfield turned in two momentum-shifting defensive plays: Roger Whittlesey threw out a runner attempting to tag on a long fly out to left, and Greg Marchand made a sliding play in short left center field and doubled off the runner caught in no man's land. Mike Alonardo, Jonathan Morgan (2), Jon Haslam (2) and Jim Peloquin all homered for Floral Arts. Don Cusano and Bill Knute (2) hit the long ball for Mustangs.
Game Two: Floral Arts 14 - Mustangs 6
Mike Alonardo was 3-for-3 with 3 home runs and 7 RBI, and pitcher Larry Mardany did the rest, holding the Mustangs powerful offense to just 6 runs. Roger Whittlesey, John Haslam, Greg Marchand, and Tom Semeter had multiple hit games for Floral, while Don Cusano and Bill Knute homered for Mustangs. Defensive standouts included Jim Peloquin, John Haslam, and Greg Marchand for Floral, and Mike Kennedy for Mustangs.
Game Three: Mustangs 13 - Floral Arts 8
The Mustangs made easy work of Floral Arts in Game Three and stave off elimination thanks to the potent bats of Bill Knute and Donnie Cusano and strong defensive play by the regular season champs.
Game Four: Mustangs 18 - Floral Arts 16
The Mustangs scored early and often, building an 11-1 lead by the top of the second inning; however, Floral Arts continued to chip away at the lead, and eventually pulled ahead in the bottom of the sixth inning by a score of 16-15, and were only three outs away from winning the championship. But the Mustangs responded by getting two straight hits in the seventh, before pitcher Donnie Cusano hit a bomb to pull his team into the lead. Floral Arts did not score in the bottom of the seventh inning.
Game Five: Floral Arts 14 - Mustangs 7
On Friday night, Floral Arts and the Nashoba Valley Veterinary Hospital Mustangs were notched at two games apiece when the fifth game of the best-of-five championship series began. This was the fourth straight meeting in the playoff finals for these two teams, and the second year in a row that it culminated in a fifth game. In the top of the first, Floral Arts got singles from Mike Alonardo (who batted .950 in the playoffs) and Jonathan Morgan before shortstop Jim Peloquin swatted a three-run home run. But the Mustangs responded by scoring five runs in the bottom of the first, and it seemed it would be another one of the back-and-forth battles the two teams were used to playing. In the bottom of the second, the Mustangs began to apply more offensive pressure, but a fine 6-4-3 double play (Peloquin to Tom Lester to Tom Semeter) squelched their rally. Floral Arts scored in the all innings but the third and fourth inning. In the top of the seventh Floral Arts scored four runs to go up 14-6. Hot-hitting right fielder Jon Haslam hit his fifth home run of the playoffs, a two-run shot to centerfield. Mike Spanos, owner of Floral Arts, also hit a home run, his second of the series. Floral Arts pitcher Larry Mardany was masterful on the mound, keeping the powerful Mustangs from hitting any home runs in the game. Mardany only allowed two runs after the first inning. Down 14-6, the Mustangs continued fighting in the bottom of the seventh. Paul Selfredge, the Mustangs’ shortstop, hit a liner off of the top of the double fence in left for a double. Jack Erickson singled and scored Selfredge to make the score 14-7. But Mardany got the next batter to ground into a double play before the final batter of the game hit a fly ball that right fielder Haslam tracked down.
