Mustangs

With weather causing yet another postponement on Friday night, the slate of games orginally scheduled for June 13th will now be played on Sunday, July 27th.

5:30  PST @ GutCheck

6:45  Mustangs @ Mario's Restaurant

8:00  Drew Farms @ Floral Arts 

The sixth week of play was the most competitive this season, as five of the seven games finished with a score differential of no more than four runs. Drew Farms (6-3) won two of three games this week to move into a third-place tie with Shortcut Landscaping. The redoubtable Nashoba Valley Veterinarian Mustangs (7-0) remain the only undefeated team in the league and sit atop of the standings, a game ahead of Floral Arts (7-2).

Nashoba Valley Veterinarian Mustangs 11 - Drew Farms 9 It took eight innings for the Mustangs to pull out a tough 11-9 victory over a determined Drew Farms team. Craig Smith tied the game for the Mustangs in the top of the sixth inning with his second homer of the year. The Mustangs added three runs in the eighth to secure the win. Mark Cusano and Cormac Bordes each had three hits. Paul Selfrige (home run) and Jack Erickson also contributed two hits each for the Mustangs. Paul Liguori played well defensively.

Gutcheck 15 - Floral Arts 13 Gutcheck scored an impressive 15-13 victory as Gary Lavelle's seventh-inning walk-off grand slam capped a two-homer night for the pitcher of record. Thanh Nguyen and Billy Cullen also went deep for Gutcheck. Strong team defense and a good outing on the mound by Lavelle kept Floral Arts in check. Nguyen played impressive defense in left field, making about a dozen putouts, and cutting down a runner at the plate late in the game.

Shortcut Landscaping 15 - Willis Tent 14 Willis’ John Mangiaratti hit his second homer of the night to give his team a one-run lead in the seventh, but it was not enough to keep SCL from surging ahead and winning it in the bottom of the inning. Steve Damiani had three hits for Willis, and Paul Duato, Andrew Metters, and Brian Anderson each had two hits. Anderson pitched a great game and Damiani made a fine diving catch in the sixth to keep the score close.

Drew Farms 18 - Healy Oil 9 Drew Farms scored in every inning, including a six-run third to overcome an early deficit in defeating Healy Oil, 18-9. All 12 Drews’ players collected hits, with three hits each coming from Tom Menicci (including a home run), Rob O’Neal and Mark Kost. Blake Buxton, Bill Faherty and Joe Walsh provided the necessary stops to provide solid defense. After scoring in each of the first three innings, Healy was held to one run.

Pro Sports Therapy 19 - Mario’s Restaurant 3 Pro Sports Therapy scored in all but the second inning as they defeated Mario’s Restaurant Tuesday night, 19-3. The offense was powered by Nate Frazee’s big offensive night. Frazee hit the walk-off grand slam in the sixth to cap off a 4-for-4 night with 3 runs scored and 5 RBI. Jeff Fuller got the win for PST and contributed a two-run triple as PST got contributions from he entire lineup. Dave Chirokas added a homer and 5 RBI, John Bodi had 3 hits and 2 RBI, and coach Gary Royal got on base all night and drove in a pair.

Shortcut Landscaping 13 - Pro Sports Therapy 10 A tightly contested battle saw SCL push across three runs in the top of the eighth to take control of the contest and seal a 13-10 win over PST. Dave Chirokas pitched well in defeat for PST, supported by his defense, which threw out two runners at the plate. Nate Frazee continued his tear at the plate, hitting another home run. John Bodi and Tim Schutt added three hits each and Andrew Fletcher contributed a rocket of a home run off the light pole in centerfield.

Drew Farms 22 - Mario’s Restaurant 21 In a long, wild game, Drews withstood a furious couple of rallies from Mario’s to hold on for the win. Drews led 17-6 after four when Mario’s scored nine in the fifth to draw within two. Drews scored two in the bottom of the fifth and two more in the sixth to go into the seventh ahead by six. Mario’s scored six in the top of the inning to tie the score, but Todd Shepherd hit a walk-off home run (his second homer) in the bottom of the inning to finally close out the game. All Drews players recorded at least one hit, with Pat Pawlak leading the way with a 4-for-4 game, including two home runs. Mark Kost, Tom Menicci, Bill Faherty and Scott Cole each had three hits. Jon Russo and Murph McKeon hit homers for Mario’s, and Dave Batchelder went 4-for4, with four runs. John Geary, Brian Collamore and Jerod Colley each had three hits. Colley held Drews in check from the mound over the late innings to enable the comeback.

This week’s weather was more characteristic of Scotland than New England as a conspiracy of rain, lightning, and cold undermined best intentions, postponing four of seven games. Reigning champions Nashoba Valley Veterinarian Mustangs (6-0) now sit at the top of the standings, while Floral Arts (7-1) slid down into second place.

Floral Arts 31 - Mario’s Restaurant 17 (suspended because of rain after four innings) On Tuesday, the bats were alive for both teams, but Floral Arts made the most of their offense by swatting three grand slams to build a 31-17 lead after four innings against Mario’s Restaurant. Pitcher Jim Peloquin, in relief for Frank Lancelotta, needed only three outs to earn the mercy win, but a streak of lightning, its ensuing boom, and then torrential rain caused the game to be suspended until the two teams meet again in July. Greg Marchand, Simon Tripp and Rob Beaudette hit grand slams for Floral Arts.

Willis 30 - Healy Oil 12 Willis Tent scored 15 runs in the second inning as they powered their way to a 30-12 win over Healy Oil. Andrew Metters, Rob Swinamer, Steve Damian, Dennis Kane, Bill Andrews and Paul Duato hit homers for the winners. Glenn Harding and Jeff Briggs each had three hits. Everyone in the Willis lineup had a hit. Brian Anderson pitched a strong game, keeping Healy scoreless in three of the five innings.

Mustangs 22 - PST 6 Mustang hurler Paul Liguori earned the win on the mound with a solid performance, including several fine fielding plays from his position. Dan Crogan (2-for-3, HR, 5 RBI) led the Mustang offense with a grand slam and run-scoring double. Jack Erickson and Craig Smith both added three hits, including a home run apiece for the winners. The Cusano brothers, Mark and Don, combined for four hits, two homers (one each), six RBI, and four runs scored. Jim Ward helped set the table near the top of the Mustang order with three hits. Mike Kennedy added a long home run for the winners. Mark Pelosky hit his first home run for PST.

Floral Arts 17 - Shortcuts 3 On Friday night, Rob Beaudette hit a three-run homer in the fifth inning to give Floral Arts a run-rule walk-off win over Shortcut Landscaping. Floral Arts hit seven home runs in the contest, including two that bounced off of the top of the fence. Tom Lester, in his first game with Floral in two years, went 4-for-4 with a home run. Floral also got home runs from Simon Tripp, Greg Marchand, Frank Lancelotta, and Jim Peloquin. Jason Humphrey went deep for Shortcuts in the first inning and was solid at shortstop.

It took four weeks of play, but now there is only one undefeated team in the Westford Over 30 Softball League. The Nashoba Valley Veterinarian Mustangs (5-0) won twice this week, including handing Floral Arts (6-1) its first loss of the season. Drew Farms (4-2) also won twice this week to pull into a tie with Shortcut Landscaping (4-2). And Gutcheck (1-4) won its first game of the season.

Healy Oil 15 - Gutcheck 14 On Sunday night, in a back-and-forth affair, Healy Oil defeated Gutcheck, 15-14. Chris Ricard launched a three-run bomb in the top of the seventh to put Healy ahead by one after Gutcheck had taken a two-run lead in the sixth. Defensive keys in the win included Tony Pantoja’s two great stops in the infield and Chuck Santos’ insistence to play in the outfield despite an injury. Thanh Nguyen, Jim Curley, and Billy Cullen all went deep for Gutcheck.

Shortcut Landscaping 2 - Mario’s Restaurant 1 A pitcher’s duel is rarity in slow-pitch softball, but that’s exactly what happened when powerhouse SCL eked out a 2-1 win over Mario’s on Sunday night. Bill Doherty pitched a gem, holding Mario’s to only a run—a solo shot by Murph McKeon on the first pitch of the game. SCL shortstop Jason Humphrey hit an early solo home run and the game stayed tied until the bottom of the seventh inning, when Doherty drove in the winning run with a sharp single. SCL played excellent defense and managed several double plays, including a play when third baseman Brett Durham fielded a ground ball, touched third for one out and then gunned down the runner at home. Mario's rookie Tim Scott made a terrific running catch to preserve the 1-1 tie for pitcher Chris Brooks.

Nashoba Valley Veterinarian Mustangs 15 - Floral Arts 9 The last time the Mustangs and Floral Arts played each other was in the fifth game of the 2013 Playoff Finals, a game that the Mustangs won to earn the championship. On Sunday, both teams began the game undefeated, but the reigning champs sent a message loud and clear to Floral Arts, outplaying their league rivals and winning handily, 15-9. Don Cusano smacked three home runs and drove in five. Paul Selfrige, Jack Erickson, Mike Kennedy, and Cormac Bordes also hit home runs for the Mustangs. Bill Knute and Jim Ward played excellent outfield defense.

Drew Farms 15 - Willis Tent 10 An 11-run 2nd inning proved to be the key in Drew Farms’ win over Willis on Tuesday night. Tom Menicci, Todd Shepherd and Pat Pawlak hit home runs as Drews tallied 19 hits in an offensive attack that saw every player earn a hit. Sal Buonacore, Alex Lelchook and others provided solid defense behind pitcher Mark Kost, who made his first appearance of the year. Willis scored in each inning except one.

Gutcheck 12 - Mario’s Restaurant 10 After a few close games, Gutcheck finally put a number in the win column, defeating Mario’s in another close game. Dave Guthrie, Jeff Curley and Thanh Nguyen homered for Gutcheck. Defense was big for Gutcheck as Rey Vienneau had a couple of unassisted double plays.

Nashoba Valley Veterinarian Mustangs 12 - Willis Tent 3 On Wednesday, Paul Liguori held Willis to one run over six innings and got the victory on the mound for the Mustangs. Bill Knute (3-for-4, HR, 4 RBI) and Jim Ward each had three hits and three runs scored for the winners. Mike Kennedy and Cormac Bordes also added home runs for the Mustangs. Kennedy played great defense at third for the winners.

Drew Farms 24 - Pro Sports Therapy 15 Drew Farms recorded a second straight game with an 11-run inning, all with 2 outs, which was key in this 24-15 victory over PST. Drews started strong, scoring six in the first inning, keyed by a 3-run home run from Todd Shepherd, who hit another 3-run shot in the 5th. Every Drews player had at least two hits, with Mark McAleese leading the way with four, followed by three each from Mark Kost, Todd Shepherd, Pat Pawlak, Rob O’Neal, and Alex Lelchook. The game started with a solid defensive play from Jason Goldthwaite, and all 12 players made significant defensive contributions. PST responded with a 9-run 3rd inning, followed by two each in the 4th, 5th and 6th innings. Nate Frazee (4-for-4, 2 doubles, 3-run HR, 3 RBI, 3 RS) hit a rocket of a home run for PST that landed on the road in right field. Matt Dolan went 3-for-4 with a 3-run HR and a double. Gordon Eddy chipped in with a 3-for-4 effort and 3 RBI.

Floral Arts (6-0) won decisively again this week and remains at the top of the league standings, while the Nashoba Valley Veterinarian Mustangs (3-0) took over second place in an exciting game that went down to the wire against now third-place Shortcut Landscaping (3-2). Also, Mario’s Restaurant (1-3) earned its first win of the season against Healy Oil (1-4).

Nashoba Valley Veterinarian Mustangs 16 - Shortcut Landscaping 15

On Tuesday night, the slugging SCL came out mashing the ball, hitting five home runs in the first inning; however, the Mustangs withstood the early onslaught and battled back to win, 16-15. Mustang hurler Don Cusano tied the game with a well-timed three-run blast in the top of the seventh before the Mustangs scraped together two more insurance runs. In the bottom of the seventh, SCL’s Chris Smith and Mike Gross hit back-to-back home runs, but because their team had reached the maximum seven home runs allowed in a game, the blasts were reduced to singles. A SCL singled scored Smith, but then Cusano induced a rocket double play grounder, turned by Paul Selfrege and Dan Crogan, to end the game. Cusano led the Mustang offense (2 HR and 6 RBI). Mike Kennedy (4-for-4, 2 HR, 2 RBI, 4 R), Bill Knute (2 HR), and Cormac Bordes (4-for-4, HR, 3 RBI) were offensive standouts for the winners. Kennedy and Knute made several stellar defensive plays in the game.

Floral Arts 18 - Pro Sports Therapy 4

Also on Tuesday, sweet swinging Billy Luppold swatted three key hits to help lead first-place Floral Arts to an 18-4 win over PST. Larry Mardany pitched a fine game, giving up only two earned runs. PST threw out two Floral players on relays from the outfield, including one at the plate. Mark Urlage (3-for-3) and John Bodi (2 H, RBI) were the bright spots for PST. Floral’s Geoff Pavao hit a three run bomb off the lights behind the centerfield fence to end the game in the fifth inning.

Mario’s Restaurant 23 - Healy Oil 8

On Wednesday, Mario’s Restaurant broke into the win column with a run-rule victory over Healy Oil. Murph McKeon, Jon Russo, and David Batchelder all slammed home runs. Both Batchelder and Jerod Colley went 4-for-4. Rick Waldren and Kieran Murray were each perfect on the day with three hits. McKeon made several running catches in left field to support pitcher Chris Brooks and derail all chances of a Healy Oil comeback.

Looking ahead, this week Floral Arts and the Mustangs, the only remaining undefeated teams in the league, will meet for the first time since the 2013 finals, when the Mustangs defeated Floral to earn the championship.