Merrimack Valley Senior Softball Association

https://photos.app.goo.gl/VLozCfyftUwdNfNx6

The high-powered Citywide Designs team, coached by Colonel Slushie himself (Gary Johnson), won the 2025 MVSSA championship today, defeating Cornerstone Services in game 4 of the best-of-five finals series by a score of 16-5. Citywide finished the season with a record of 23-7, while Cornerstone finished 18-12.

Game 3 summary: Cornerstone came out swinging early in the game, and combined with a few Citywide miscues, they led 10-1 after 5 innings. Cornerstone then put up a 5-spot in the 6th inning, and things looked pretty bleak for Citywide. After Citywide scored 2 runs in the bottom of the 6th to make it 15-3, the "flip-flop" rule kicked in, allowing them to bat in the 7th right away. The Citywide lineup got 10 hits in the inning for 9 runs, but Cornerstone survived for a 15-12 victory, avoiding the sweep and forcing a Game 4. MVSSA rookies Brian McCormack and Pat Collins (HR, triple, 3 RBI) led the way for Citywide with 3 hits each. Bob Wogan had a triple in the 9-run inning, while Mike Simard had a double. Pat Lavanga went 4-4 with 2 RBI and 3 runs scored for Cornerstone, while Charlie Kacamburas and Greg Elwell had 3 hits each. Denis Higgins chipped in with 2 hits and 3 RBI.

Game 4 summary: the last inning of the previous game apparently awakened the bats for Citywide Designs, as they scored in every inning of game 4 for a 16-5 victory and the championship. Citywide got 5 runs in the 2nd inning on 6 consecutive hits, highlighted by a bases-loaded double by the oldest guy on either team, septuagenarian Jack Gilhooly. Mike Bergeron, Brian McCormack, and Gary Desrochers all had RBIs in the 3-run 3rd inning, and Jack G drove in another run in the 4th. McCormack, Desrochers, and Bob Wogan all drove in runs in the 5th inning, and Citywide tacked on 3 more runs in the 6th on hits by Bergeron and Mike Perrone to make it 16-3. Cornerstone got 2 runs in the bottom of the 6th, and the flip-flop rule kicked in again. Cornerstone went quietly in the 7th, and the 2025 title belonged to the guys in the slushie-red shirts. Final score - 16-5. Gilhooly and Bergeron had 4 hits in the game, and Mike Cusack had a big game with 3 hits. The winning pitcher was Mike Simard, now a 3-time MVSSA champion. The old guy picked up his 7th championship in the 11 year history of the MVSSA. For Cornerstone Services, Jeff Kelly, Barry Bertwell, Mike Morgan, and Denis Higgins all had 2 hits.

Congratulations to both teams on a great season, and thank you to all 84 players who competed in our league this year. We hope that everyone comes back in 2026. Registration for next year will open up soon.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/ZYUMoYacp1kHS9SJ6

• 2025 - Citywide Designs - Manager, Gary Johnson
• 2024 - Lawrence British Club - Manager, Chris Sadler
• 2023 - The Loft - Manager, Jack Gilhooly
• 2022 - Marks Properties - Manager, Dave Stupack
• 2021 - The Limpians - Manager, Dave Stupack
• 2020 - Geezers - Manager, Jack Gilhooly
• 2019 - Relics - Manager, Jack Gilhooly
• 2018 - Relics - Manager, Jack Gilhooly
• 2017 - Purple Gang - Manager, Buddy Wood
• 2016 - Relics - Manager, Jack Gilhooly
• 2015 - Limpians - Manager, Matty LaScola

Citywide Designs took the 1st two games of the best-of-five series of the MVSSA finals today, 8-6 and 15-11. In a low-scoring game 1, the score was 5-5 after 7 innings. Cornerstone Services scored 1 run in the top of the 8th to go up 6-5, setting up an exciting finish to game 1. With runners on 2nd and 3rd and 2 out, Mike Bergeron hit a 3 run HR to centerfield to win it for Citywide. Pat Collins had 3 hits for Citywide, including a double and a triple, and Bergeron, Brian McCormack, Chris Souza, and Mike Perrone all had 2 hits. On the Cornerstone side, there were plenty of missed opportunities to score runs. Cornerstone had 14 baserunners, but could only plate 6 of them. Hitting into two double plays didn't help. The top hitting contributors for Cornerstone were Pat Lavanga, who went 3-3 (single, double, triple), and Denis Higgins, with 2 RBI.

In game 2, Citywide moved one step closer to the championship with a 15-11 win. Cornerstone took a 8-5 lead after 4 innings, but Citywide put up 5 runs in the top of the 5th, powered by doubles from Brian McCormack, Pat Collins, and Mike Simard. Citywide scored 2 more runs in the 6th on a opposite field single by septuagenarian Jack Gilhooly, then 3 more in the 7th on a Mike Simard single and a sac fly by Chris Souza. Left-fielder Mike Perrone made an amazing catch on a long fly ball up against the fence to end the game. Cornerstone hit better this game, but squandered a late inning lead. Dan Downs was 4-4 with 3 RBI, Pat Lavanga was 2-4 with 2 RBI, and Mike Morgan was 2-3 with 2 RBI.

The series will continue next Sunday at 9 AM on Field 1.

Citywide Designs and Cornerstone Services advanced to the MVSSA finals today, and will begin the best-of-five series on September 14th. Citywide defeated the Lawrence British Club 15-14 in the first game, then put up 8 runs in the 7th inning of the 2nd game to break open a close game, winning 20-8. Pat Collins was the hitting star for Citywide, going 7 for 7, with 3 triples and a pair of doubles. Brian McCormack had a grand slam HR, Bob Wogan had 6 hits in the DH, and Mike Bergeron smacked a 2 run HR. Cornerstone won two low scoring games, 6-1 and 5-3, as veteran pitcher (and coach) Eric Pellerin shut down the high scoring Loft offense.

All of the higher seeds won and advanced to the semifinals next week.

• 10/3 - Jamie Crane
• 10/5 - Bruce Botelho
• 10/5 - DJ Fontaine
• 10/6 - Kevin Dzioba
• 10/6 - Lee Stewart
• 10/12 - Ken Bisson
• 10/25 - Scott Pelletier
• 10/31 - Jeff Kelly
• 10/31 - Mike Cusack

https://photos.app.goo.gl/Ybf3TxDkSSjwpsDS9

Thank you goes out to Mark Cockroft for taking today's photos and putting the album together for everyone. Much appreciated.