Mustangs

With Wednesday night's results, the Westford Over-30 Softball League is down a single game per night until a champion is crowned.

The defending champions earned the right to defend their title.  With an 18-8 win, the Mustangs defeated Short Cut Landscaping and moved on to the Finals, clinching the series 3 games to 1.

But their opponent is still to be determined.  Willis Tent pulled out a clutch 14-12 win to defeat Floral Arts, tying the series at 2 games apiece and forcing a Game 5 on Tuesday, September 8th, at 7 PM.

The winner of this game will take on the Mustangs the following night as the Finals are scheduled to open on Wednesday night, Septemeber 9th, at 7 PM.  This best of 5 series will determine the 2015 champion.

The First Week of Playoffs:  There are only four teams left. Willis Tent and Shortcut Landscaping swept their opponents in the first round of the playoffs this week. Willis Tent powered by Drew Farms by a combined scored of 38-8, while Shortcut Landscaping won a close one against GutCheck before taking the second game of the series by a large margin. Willis and Floral Arts are now tied 1-1 in the best-of-five second round, while reigning champs Nashoba Valley Veterinarian Mustangs are 1-1 against Shortcut Landscaping.

First Round of the Playoffs

Willis Tent 26 - Drew Farms 5 Willis’ Rob Swinamer pitching, the strong defense behind him, and a productive offense were the key contributors in the the 26-5 win over Drew Farms in Game One of the first round of playoffs on Sunday. Willis powered past Drew Farms, scoring five runs in the first while holding Drews to only one run. Willis Tent led 8-3 heading into the fourth inning and then put the “pedal to the metal” from then on. Swinamer went 5-for-5 with four singles, a HR, and 5 RBI, Brian Gallardo was 4-for-5 with two singles, 2 HR and 6 RBI, Dennis Kane went 4-for-5 with two singles and two doubles, Dave Harrington was 4-for 5 with three singles and a double, Andrew Metters had a 3-for-4 night with three singles and 3 RBI, Jeff Briggs was 3-fo-5 with two singles and a double, and John Duffy went 3-for-5 with three singles and 2 RBI.

Willis Tent 12- Drew Farms 3 Willis Tent earned a trip to the second round of the playoffs by sweeping the best-of-three series against Drew Farms, winning Game Two, 12-3. Willis scored once in the first and three times every inning thereafter through the sixth inning. Brian Gallardo went 3-for-4 with a triple and 2 HR, Rick Devanna was 3-for-4 with two singles and a double, Jeff Briggs was 3-for-4 with two singles and a double, Rob Swinamer went 3-for-4 night with three singles, Dennis Kane was 2-for-4 with two HR, and Andrew Metters was 2-for-4 with two doubles. Also helping to set up the win were Keith Wauters, Paul Duato, Steve Damiani and John Duffy, each went 2-for-4 with two singles. Drew Farms’ Todd Shepherd was strong in the series, hitting three home runs in five at-bats.

Shortcut Landscaping 15 - GutCheck 14 SCL got off to a big 15-4 lead on the power of home runs by Rob Prendergast , Jason Humphrey, and Mike Gross. But GutCheck bounced back with five runs in the sixth and four in the seventh to almost come from behind.

Shortcut Landscaping 20 – Gutcheck 10 Rich Acabbo led the way for SCL with two long home runs and a wall ball double, good for seven RBI. Pat Flaherty and Chris Smith also hit two-run homers. Chris Clark and Jason Humphrey played solid defense to limit GutCheck’s scoring chances.

Second Round of the Playoffs 

Nashoba Valley Veterinarian Mustangs 17 – Shortcut Landscaping 5 The Mustangs jumped out to quick lead and then coasted. SCL never posed any threat. SCL’s Jason Humphrey and Chris Smith each drove in two runs.

Shortcut Landscaping 11 – Nashoba Valley Veterinarian Mustangs 4 SCL’s Dave Sullivan led off the bottom first with a home run to give SCL a 1-0 edge, then Mustangs went up 4-1 on a three-run homer by Don Cusano and a solo HR by Mark Cusano. In the fourth inning SCL got two-run home runs from Chris Clark and Rich Acabbo to go up 5-4, and in sixth inning SCL put up six runs, as Brent Oakleaf knocked in three on a homer, and Chris Clark hit a solo shot. The series is now tied 1-1.

Floral Arts 20 - Willis Tent 8 Floral Arts hit four home runs in the contest (Simon Tripp, Rob Beaudette, Jim Peloquin, and Mark Chambers each homered), but the majority of the runs scored came as the result of timely hitting throughout the lineup. Larry Mardany pitched well for Floral Arts.

Willis Tent 21 – Floral Arts 7 Floral Arts built a 6-run lead through four innings, and solid pitching and defense kept Willis Tent from scoring, but then Willis Tent erupted for 16 runs in the fifth inning and then five more in the sixth, creating a deficit that Floral Arts could not overcome. Rob Swinamer hit two deep home runs for Willis Tent. Dennis Kane also homered. Willis made some excellent plays in the field, especially at third base. Tom Semeter and Simon Tripp homered for Floral in the loss. The series is now tied 1-1.

With convincing victories, both Short Cut Landscaping and Willis Tent completed first round sweeps on Wednesday night to move on to round two.  SCL defeated Gutcheck 20-10 to win their series 2 games to none.  Shortly thereafter, Willis Tent defeated Drew Farms 13-3 to also complete a two game sweep.

Round Two, which is best 3 of 5 games, will begin on Friday night with defending Champion Mustangs taking on SCL followed by Floral Arts taking on Willis Tent.

While the Mustangs and Floral Arts await their second round opponents, here are the early results from Round 1:

Willis Tent 26 - Drew Farms 5

SCL 15 - GutCheck 14

Round 1 continues tonight as Drews and GutCheck fight to prevent being eliminated.

They almost did it!

Almost.

The Nashoba Valley Veterinarian Mustangs’ 2015 undefeated streak ended on Tuesday night at 22 games when Floral Arts beat them by a 7-6 margin. The first place Mustangs, however, returned the favor on Friday against Floral, beating their league rival, 15-12, and finishing with an impressive 23-1 regular season record. Floral Arts (19-5) and the Mustangs will play the winners of the first round of the playoffs. In the first round of playoffs, Willis Tent (14-10) will face Drew Farms (11-13), while GutCheck (12-12) will play Shortcut Landscaping (13-11).

Healy Oil 10 – Pro Sports Therapy 9 On August 16, Healy Oil put up a single run in the top of the eighth inning and made it stand to defeat Pro Sports Therapy, 10-9. PST’s furious rally in the bottom of the seventh earned them three runs to tie the game, but Healy cut the rally there, stranding the winning run at third, before scoring the what became the winning run in the extra inning. PST’s Jeff Morse (3-for-4 with 2 RBI) and Michael Winer (3-for-4), along with Jeremy Joyce’s 3 RBI, were key offensive contributors.

Nashoba Valley Veterinarian Mustangs 23 – Shortcut Landscaping 8 Winning pitcher Don Cusano led the Mustangs offensive attack with two homers, 7 RBI, and three runs scored. Mike Kennedy added four hits, including a home run and 2 RBI. Jack Erickson (4-for-4, BB, 5 RBI, 4 RS) and Jack McGrath each had four hits apiece with four runs scored. Dan Crogan (2-for-3, BB) also scored four times, while LF Bill Knute added a long home run blast over the shed and made several outstanding catches to thwart Shortcut rallies.

Floral Arts 7 – Nashoba Valley Veterinarian Mustangs 6 On Tuesday, Floral Arts extinguished the Mustangs’ dream of a perfect season, winning by a whisker—throwing out the tying run at the plate in the seventh inning. Don Cusano (4-for-4, 2 HR, 2 doubles) hit an opposite field home run in the top of the first the give the Mustangs the early lead. In the bottom of the inning Simon Tripp scored from second on an opposite field hit by Roger Whittlesey to tie the game, then Ken Delaney stepped up to the plate and blasted a three-run homer to make it 4-1. Later, Jim Peloquin (3-for-3, HR, 3 RBI) hit a long home run over the left field fence to give Floral seven runs. It was 7-5 in the top of the seventh when the Mustangs loaded the bases with two outs. Cusano then hit a rocket single to left-center that Greg Marchand handled, then threw to Peloquin, who relayed to Jonathan Morgan at the plate. Morgan applied the tag and the Mustangs’ season-long win streak came to a sudden end.

Shortcut Landscaping 16 – Pro Sports Therapy 3 Shortcuts jumped out to a seven-run lead on the power of a first inning grand slam by Mike Gross and a three-run homer by Don Morash. Pat Flaherty and Dave Sullivan also homered in the game. Gross made some nice catches in left field and, overall, SCL’s defense was solid. PST’s Ben Armstrong (2-for-2) scored two of the three PST runs, and Tom Rose (2-for-2, RBI) and Ryan Steele (2 RBI) played well in the game.

Willis Tent 21 – Healy Oil 8 Willis tent opened quickly with seven runs in the top of the first. Healy tried to keep pace but could only muster four runs, only to have Willis nullify their effort with another four runs in the second. By the end of the fourth inning, Willis was winning, 17-8. Willis finished up the evening with four runs in the top of the seventh. Dennis Kane ended the game with a walk off home run. Willis’ Andrew Metters (4-for-4, HR, double and two singles), Rob Swinamer (3-for-3, HR, double, single, BB), Brian Gallardo (3-for-3, HR, double and a single), Dennis Kane (3-for-4, 3 HRs), and Rick Devanna (3-for-4, triple and 2 singles) were the offensive leaders for Willis.

Drew Farms 14 – GutCheck 12 GutCheck started hot, scoring four runs in the first, four in the second, and three in the third. Then their bats went cold, and only scored once more—in the seventh. Thanh Nguyen led the way, going 4-or-5 with three home runs, a double, and eight RBI. Matt Sepe had a solo home run, and Jim DeMarco and Jeff Bernier contributed three hits apiece. Drew’s Todd Shepherd hit two home runs for the winners.

Burtons 17 - Healy Oil 16 On Friday night, Burtons Grill 17-16 win secured them a seventh place finish in the standings. Burtons jumped out to an early eight-run lead, but Healy stormed back and held a short-lived 10-9 lead, until Burtons scored eight more, to lead 17-10. Healy managed to score six runs in the bottom of the seventh, and had the tying run on third when Burtons' pitcher Jerod Colley closed the door. Dave Batchelder led Burtons with a 4-for-4 performance, including three home runs and 6 RBI, and he also made a sliding catch in the outfield. Tim Scott also went deep, while Brian Haley and Colley went 3-for-3. Kieran Murray knocked in a pair on two hits. Murph McKeon chipped in with a standup triple.

Nashoba Valley Veterinarian Mustangs 15 – Floral Arts 12 Mustang pitcher Paul Ligouri has a stutter-step delivery that has been very successful for him and his four-time championship team, earning him two straight seasons of nothing but wins. But against Floral Arts on Friday, the streak was almost immediately in jeopardy, as Floral built an early 11-2 lead. But the Mustangs, who had struggled against Jim Peloquin’s pitches, suddenly erupted in the fourth, and by the fifth inning took a 13-11 lead. Simon Tripp’s solo shot moved Floral to within one run in the sixth, but the Mustangs answered, as Don Cusano struck his 27th home run of the season (his second of the game), a two-run shot to give the Mustangs a 15-12 lead. Cormac Bordes and Mark Cusano also homered for the Mustangs. Jim Peloquin (3-run homer, 2 BB), Geoff Pavao (homer and two great defensive plays), Tom Semeter (home run), and Chad Kirby (diving catch and a great throw to second to cut down a runner) played well for Floral.

Pro Sports Therapy 12 - Willis Tent 3 Pro Sports Therapy ended a disappointing season with an upset of the number three seed Willis Tent in the late game Friday night, 12-3. PST jumped out to a seven-run lead in the first on a Jerry Cressman two-run double, a Mark Strzegowski two-run homer, and then Dave Chirokas knocked in two with a double. On throwback night for PST, Chirokas channeled 2003 on the mound, holding the potent Willis lineup to three runs. PST had many bright spots offensively, none brighter than Tom Rose, PST’s leading hitter on the season. Rose was 3-for-3 with a double, an RBI, and two runs scored. John Mangiaratti went 2-for-3 and Steve Damaini was 2-for-4 on the night.

GutCheck 14 – Healy Oil 2 On August 23rd, GutCheck and Drew Farms played in the last regular season game of the season. GutCheck scored early and often, getting four runs in the first and five in in the second. Billy Cullen pitched a solid game and added a two-run home run. Jeff Stabach and Jim DeMarco each had three hits and scored three runs. Derek MacDermott went 3-for-3 with two runs. Rey Vinneau stopped everything at short and added two hits and two RBI.