Cubs Win Mustang Division

Heading into this week’s final rounds of the Palisades Pony Baseball Association playoffs, one team stood out as a potential juggernaut: the Mustang Cubs, coached by Mike DeSantis. The National League champion Cubs dominated during the regular season and continued their winning ways in the playoffs, beating the Phillies (14-2), the Yankees (10-7), the Tigers (6-4) and the Red Sox )11-5) to win the championship. The Cubs finished the season with an astounding 19-2 record. “What can I say? The kids practice a lot and played hard every game,” DeSantis said. “I’ve been coaching [PPBA] for 11 years and this is the best team I’ve had by far.” In the Bronco Division, the Dodgers beat the Tigers, 6-4, on Thursday on a last-inning home run by Nick Rivera. The Dodgers beat the Red Sox (15-2), the Tigers (4-1) and the Yankees (9-6) on their way to the finals. The Tigers, meanwhile, rebounded from their loss to the Dodgers by advancing through the loser’s bracket and winning Wednesday’s first game, 9-6. The Cubs won the Pinto Division with a 8-3 victory over the Orioles on Thursday. Coached by David Howard, the Orioles were the surprise of the playoffs. They finished second in the American League, yet three posteason wins landed them a spot in the finals against the Cubs, who won 10-0 on Wednesday to force a winner-take-all second game.