News and Announcements
Today's Opening Day games and BBQ have been postponed and will now be played next Sunday, May 6th, as follows:
1:00 PM CSA Graphics @ 3E Moving
2:15 PM Healy Oil @ PST
3:30 PM Burton's Grill @ Drew Farms
4:45 PM Floral Arts @ Short Cut Landscaping
The start of the 2018 season is upon us. Opening Day is scheduled for Sunday, April 29th. As has become tradition, the defending champions will be hosting the accompanying BBQ, and everyone is anxious to see what the Mustangs have to bring to the table this year. They have set a very high standard after winning the last 5 titles.
The rest of the league's teams will be involved in games. The schedule is as follows:
1:00 PM CSA Graphics @ 3E Moving
2:15 PM Healy Oil @ PST
3:30 PM Burton's Grill @ Drew Farms
4:45 PM Floral Arts @ Short Cut Landscaping
With another Mustangs championship win, the menu will be set for next year's opening day cookout. The Mustangs outlasted a bunch of tough competition along the way and yet again proved how good they are. Winning in a five-game series, the Mustangs beat a very good Floral Arts team that certainly proved they deserved to be in the final series.
Nashoba Valley Veterinary Mustangs 22 - Floral Arts 14
The Mustangs won an important game three with offensive contributions by Cormac Bordes with two home runs, Paul Selfrige, Mark Cusano, Don Cusano, Billy Knute and Jack Erickson all with a home run as well. Mike Kennedy and Keith Reynolds added four hits apiece. Kennedy helped turn a double play in the infield and Jim Ward played great in the outfield for winners.
Floral Arts 29 - Nashoba Valley Veterinary Mustangs 20
Floral Arts roared back for the win and to force a game five. Paul Selfrige, Mike Kennedy (seven RBI), and Cormac Bordes (five RBI) all had to home runs apiece in the losing effort. Mark Cusano added another home run blast. Jim Ward had four hits and Dan Crogan had three knocks and outstanding defense at second base. Bill Knute made several great running catches in left.
Nashoba Valley Veterinary Mustangs 14 - Floral Arts 2
The Mustangs dedicated their season to their late former teammate and skipper, Nat Arena.
They had to overcome their toughest test yet to capture their fifth straight championship and seventh in nine years. The champs had to win their last two regular season games against second seeded Floral Arts and third seeded Shortcuts to secure the only first round playoff bye. Then, they faced two separate series deficits against a very talented upstart Burton's squad to squeak out a five game victory in the semifinals. Lastly, they lost the finals opener to a powerful Floral Arts team and had to overcome that deficit along with power outages, shaky weather and numerous injuries to pull out the tight game five victory.
In the final game Cormac Bordes led the offensive charge with two more bombs to make it six for the series, same as his total in the semi final round. Don Cusano pitched outstanding and caught a bullet line drive to end the game and the series in the last inning. He helped himself with two home runs. Baby brother Mark Cusano added a long homerun, as well. Bill Knute added three hits and a bomb of his own. Paul Ligouri had two big hits. Craig Smith had a clutch double. Paul Selfrige played great defense at short and added a double to lead off the game.
The Westford Over 30 championship round has begun and the Nashoba Valley Veterinary Mustangs, after losing game one, now lead the series 2-1. After losing 20-9 in the opener, the Mustangs have come back with two 22-run efforts to get within one game of again hosting next year's opening day cookout.
Floral Arts 22 - Nashoba Valley Veterinary Mustangs 9
On Sunday night, in the first game of the best-of-five playoff finals, Floral Arts gave up seven runs in the first inning to the Nashoba Valley Veterinary Mustangs, but then chipped away to ultimately win the game, 20-9. Floral pitcher Larry Mardany settled down after the first inning, only allowing two more runs on a handful of hits. Roger Whittlesey (4-for-4, home run, three RBI) hit a single in the first inning and was knocked home on a Jim Peloquin home run. Simon Tripp (2-for-4, two RBI), Rob Beaudette (2-for-4, three RBI), Ryan Dunn (2-for-3, three RBI), and Mike Alonardo (2-for-2, two BB, four RBI), and Chad Kirby (2-for-5) also hit home runs for Floral. Beaudette, Alonardo, and Kirby each made nice running catches in the outfield. Matt Critch (3-for-4) played well at first base for Floral. The Mustangs were still only down three going into the last inning when Floral pulled away. Mustang homers were hit by Mike Kennedy and Billy Knute. They both played excellent defense along with Jim Ward and Paul Selfrige (three hits), who turned an infield double play. Craig Smith added two hits for the Mustangs.
Nashoba Valley veterinary Mustangs 22 - Floral Arts 17
Mustangs overcame a 13 run inning by Floral to take a one run lead into the top of fifth inning when Paul Selfrige did his best Roy Hobbs impression from The Natural and drilled a homerun laser off the electric wires in left center and blew out the lights on all three outfield light poles. The game had to be continued the next night when Bill Knute hit the Mustangs last home run, a clutch three-run shot in the fifth to give the winners some needed insurance runs. Mike Kennedy and Dan Crogan (diving stop and throw from second) in the Mustangs infield made some big plays late in the game to help the Mustangs hold off Floral. Paul Selfrige continued his hot streak, going 5-for-5 with two home runs. Other Mustang long ball hitters were Knute (two), Don and Mark Cusano (four hits), and Kennedy. Jim Ward caught several bullets in left center for the winners and set the table nicely in the two spot with four hits.
Due to a failure of the lights at the ballpark, Game 2 of the Finals series between the Mustangs and Floral Arts was suspended in the top of the 5th inning with the Mustangs holding a 15-13 edge.
Floral Arts holds a 1-0 series advantage thanks to a 20-9 win in Game 1.
Game 2 will be resumed tonight at 7 PM with Game 3 now scheduled for Friday night.
