2024 55+
55+ Division
Mustangs Baseball Club East 13, 3n2 Rangers 12
‘55+ MUSTANGS BASEBALL CLUB EAST TEAM COMES FROM BEHIND IN THREE GAMES TO WIN THE LAS VEGAS OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP’
Submitted by Mike LaComb, Mustangs manager
The tournament started out with a wild round-robin game between the 3n2 Rangers and the Mustangs Baseball Club East, (MBC East). The hard-hitting Rangers jumped out to a 12 to 2 commanding lead. But MBC East managed to climb back into the game, as Tony Moore, Mustangs relief pitcher, was able to keep the Rangers in check. In the last inning, MBC East scored two runs to finish the comeback with Joe Walsh delivering the walk-off hit.
In MBC’s second game, Robert Calvert, coming off knee replacement surgery just 11 weeks earlier, stood tall versus the Cal Vets. And, the MBC bats scored 19 runs to back him up.
Heading into the final round-robin game, MBC East was pitted against the Sacramento Rockets, with both teams at 2-0, and competing for top seed for the playoffs. Ken Prohoniak took the mound for MBC East, and pitched some strong innings, but the Rockets grabbed a five-run lead. Relievers John Denney and Erik Cary kept the game close and Jeff Hunter, aka ‘Catfish’, came in to get the close, as the team rallied back to erase the deficit and earned the # 1 playoff seed.
In the semifinals, Wilson Reyes took the mound for MBC East against the Rockets, and pitched a complete game hard fought win. He dedicated the win to our former pitching ace, Buzzy Jackson, who recently passed away.
Throughout the weekend, Ernie Lujan, Nick Arico, Sean Cohan, and Dave Kaufmann played every inning of every game on defense. Joe Walsh, Erik Cary, Mike Burton, and James Hutmacher, handled the catching in the 97-degree heat.
MBC East’s offense was powered by Catfish, Erik Cary, Ernie Lujan, Mike Burton, Tony Moore, Ralph Rodriguez, Dave Kaufmann, Kirk Douglas, Sean Cohan, and Ken Prohoniak, all ending the tournament with OBPs over .500.
In the championship game, MBC East once again clashed with 3n2 Rangers, who had beaten the Mustangs West team by one run in the other semifinal match. Once again, the Rangers got off to a great start with an 8-run lead. But MBC East bounced back to tie the game in the fifth inning. Tony Moore took the mound in the sixth inning and finished the game to get the win. The game went back and forth between the two teams. In the bottom of the ninth, with the bases loaded with two outs and two strikes on the batter, Erik Cary smashed a triple over the center fielder’s head to clear the bases and seal the walk-off win. BEATING THE ODDS IN VEGAS!