Freshman Jeff Palczewski had two hits, including a home run, and batted in three runs in OP’s 7-2 win over Niagara Falls. File photo / James Goller

Orchard Park earned a trip to the Class AA playoff semifinals with a 7-2 win over Niagara Falls Wednesday.

OP starting pitcher Andrew Sipowicz held the Wolverines hitless into the fifth inning and scoreless through six. Sipowicz tossed 6 2/3 innings, allowing just three hits.

The Quakers scored three runs in both the third and fifth inning, and added another run in the sixth.

Junior Ryan MacCarrick went 3-of-4 at the plate. Freshman Jeff Palczewski had two hits, including a homerun.

Orchard Park collected 8 hits, 8 bases on balls, and 8 stolen bases.

The Quakers have won six straight games dating back to its last loss versus Clarence, May 8.

Orchard Park, seeded fourth in the playoff bracket, will travel to play top-seeded Clarence Friday. The Quakers (16-4) lost both regular season meetings versus the Red Devils.

Brandon Nicholson

Walk-off single by Nicholson gives Quakers win versus Jamestown

Sophomore Brandon Nicholson singled home the game-winning run in the bottom of the seventh inning to give Orchard Park  a 9-8 win over visiting Jamestown Thursday.

Nicholson, who hit a double earlier in the game, was among six Quakers who earned two hits.

Jake Dogal picked up the win on the mound. The sophomore allowed one hit over three innings of relief.

The win closes out the league schedule for Orchard Park with the Quakers finishing at  8-4 in ECIC I. OP has a 13-4 overall record.

Orchard Park has two non-league games scheduled at Hamburg (Friday) and home versus Lake Shore (Saturday, 10 a..m) before playoffs.

Go Reds!

The Orchard Park Little League hosted its opening day parade and ceremony, Saturday, May 4.

At the ceremony, service men and women were thanked, as well as parents, volunteers, elected officials and sponsors.

The fields now boast lights for night games.

View photos from the event: HERE

Bubba Hollins turns a double play during OP’s 9-3 win at West Seneca West Friday. Photo / James Goller

Quakers win sixth straight

Orchard Park earned its sixth straight victory with a 9-3 win at West Seneca West Friday. The Quakers plated seven runs in the third inning to take control of the contest.

Every Quaker starter earned a base hit with four players – Bubba Hollins, Tommy LaCongo, Jordan Iannarelli, and Andrew Sipowicz – earning two hits each.

Junior Tyler Hoch picked up the win on the mound with the help of a solid defensive effort.

“It gives the pitching staff a lot of confidence when all the fielders make plays,” said Hoch, who threw six innings and allowed four hits. “All you have to do is throw strikes, because I know the team has my back.”

Despite the big lead earned in the third inning, Hoch said he stayed the course on the mound.

“You want to have the same mindset,” Hoch said of pitching with a lead. “You want to go hard out there, and not ease up. That’s how lost some games this year. You just have to keep going hard.”

Orchard Park improved to a 9-2 record and has been mentally focused, according to freshman third baseman Jeff Palczewski.

“We want to play,” said Palczewski. “We have that hunger. We want to win. We have fight in us, and we’re starting to hit the ball a lot.”

Orchard Park will play its sixth game in six days when it travels to play Canisius High School at Delaware Park, Saturday, May 4 at 3:30 p.m.

Photos from Orchard Park – West Seneca West

Jordan Iannarelli hit a bases loaded double to push Orchard Park past Williamsville North Tuesday. File photo / James Goller

Senior Jordan Iannarelli’s two-run bases loaded double in the bottom of the sixth inning pushed Orchard Park past visiting Williamsville North to give the Quakers a 9-7 victory Tuesday.

Despite leading 6-0 after two innings, the Quakers relinquished the lead when the Spartans scored five runs in the top of the sixth inning with the help of a grand slam that tied the game at 7-7.

In the bottom half of the inning, sophomore Brandon Nicholson singled to start the inning. Junior Bubba Hollins and senior Tommy LaCongo were hit by pitches to give the Quakers the bases loaded with one out for Iannarelli.

“I was trying to get a line drive, and not pop up,” said Iannarelli. “A few times this year, I have been at bat with the bases loaded and popped up. This time, I was ready to go on a first pitch fastball.”

Iannarelli was quick to mention the possibility of knocking in the game-winning run would not have been possible if not for his teammates.

“Nothing would have happened if we didn’t have those guys on base,” he said. “Everyone had a part.”

Williamsville North had runners on second and third with one out in the seventh inning, but did not score.

The win moved the the Quakers to an overall record of 6 wins and 2 losses with a 5-2 mark in ECIC I.

Photos from the Orchard Park baseball season

Quakers have won nine straight games versus rival Frontier

Ryan MacCarrick leads OP in batting average (.500) and stolen bases (10) for the 5-2 Quakers. Photo / James Goller

The Orchard Park baseball team picked up a decisive 16-4 win at Frontier Monday. The lopsided victory marked the ninth consecutive win for the Quakers versus their rival Falcons.

“I’d say for Frontier, we usually get pretty pumped since they are a huge rival of ours,” said senior right-fielder Jordan Iannarelli. “All the guys on the team bring there ‘A’ game when we play them.”

The Quakers pounded out 19 hits, including three each from Bubba Hollins and Jeff Palczewski. Twelve different Quakers earned a base hit. Andrew Sipowicz won the game on the mound.

The last time the Quakers fell to Frontier was back on May 7, 2009. The Quakers led 5-3 heading into the final inning, but could not hold the lead and allowed six runs to drop the contest, 9-5.

This season, Orchard Park has earned a 5-2 record with both losses coming in one-run contests and after the Quakers held the lead.

OP lost at Clarence, 4-3, on April 22, after building a 3-0 lead and allowing two runs in each of the fifth and sixth innings. On April 25, the Quakers lost at home to Lancaster, 4-3, despite holding a 3-1 lead. The Quakers allowed three fifth-inning runs.

“Right now, for how young we are, we are on the right track,” Iannarelli added. “There are a few places where I think we could have stepped up and got the win versus Lancaster and Clarence, especially since we had the lead. Overall, for being this young, we are definitely on the right track to being the dominate team this season.”

Despite the team’s youth, the Quakers are confident they can win the section.

“I do think we definitely have potential, because many guys have stepped up and did their jobs,” said Ryan MacCarrick, the team’s leading hitter with a .500 batting average. “(We need to) push ourselves and our teammates to get better and better every day.”

See photos from the Orchard Park baseball season

Tommy LaCongo enters his third season as OP’s starting catcher. Photo / James Goller

The goal remains the same, but the methods of reaching that goal will be different for the Orchard Park baseball team as it seeks a section title with a very young roster this season.

Among the team’s 23 players, there are only four seniors. The team boasts eleven juniors, and seven sophomores, and a freshman.

“It’s been a long time since we’ve had a team this young, but these kids are here not because we needed them, but because they’re that good,” said coach Jim Gibson. “These guys can play.”

The Quakers will not boast the same hitting power and pitching as seasons ago, but they can hit, run, and play defense.

“We’re not going to hit for power, but we’re going to run a lot more,” said Gibson. “We have guys that can run. We’re going to be the team that hits line drives and runs.”

While the majority of the roster is young, the team has a set of veterans with the experience to help lead the team to success.

Senior Tommy LaCongo enters his third season as the the team’s starting catcher. Last season, LaCongo batted .333 with a .379 on-base percentage. Senior right-fielder Jordan Iannarelli possesses a strong arm and hit .286 with five doubles in 2012. Junior shortstop Bubba Hollins batted .319 with an impressive .431 on-base percentage.

“LaCongo, Hollins, and Iannarelli – those three guys all started for us and played every inning of every game last year,” Gibson. “They’re hitting three-four-five. They’re the heart of the order.”

Junior Jon McCarthy returns after posting a .382 on-base percentage last season.

“Once the young guys get their feet wet, they’re going to be fine,” Gibson added. “The biggest question mark is our pitching. We’re going to have to pitch by committee, give everyone a chance, and see who steps up.”

The Quakers graduated its top four pitchers from last season, who accounted for over 97 percent of the team’s innings pitched, and will rely on a young crop of hurlers whose focus will be to throw strikes and utilize the team’s strong defense, according to Gibson.

“We’re going to be a great defensive team,” said the coach. “Probably the best defensive team we’ve had in a long time. It depends a lot if our pitchers throw strikes. If we’re giving guys free bases with that defense behind them, it’s not going to be good. We have to throw strikes.”

Orchard Park Baseball Roster – 2013

Tyler Hoch pitched the seventh inning in relief of Pat Sheehan in Orchard Park’s 8-4 win over West Seneca West Wednesday. Photo / James Goller

Orchard Park baseball picked up a 8-4 win over West Seneca West in the team’s home-opener Wednesday.

The Quakers scored twice in the opening inning and followed with four more runs in the bottom of the fifth inning  to go ahead, 6-0. West scored twice in each of the sixth and seventh innings, but fell short of a complete comeback.

Jordan Iannarelli had two hits and two runs batted in, while Tommy LaCongo had two hits, including a double. Ryan MacCarrick scored three runs.

Pat Sheehan earned the win on the mound pitching six innings and allowing three hits. Tyler Hoch pitched the seventh.

Orchard Park hosts non-league opponent Saint Francs Thursday at 4:30 p.m.

OP THUNDER

The Orchard Park Thunder 12U baseball team is leaving today for a 104-team nationwide tournament held in Cooperstown, NY. Opening ceremonies and skills competition are on Saturday with games starting on Sunday.

The Thunder will play 6 preliminary games Sunday through Tuesday. Teams will then be seeded for a single elimination tournament starting on Wednesday. Closing ceremonies will take place on Thursday night.

Here are the players participating for the Thunder: Matthew Bruno, Alex Allesi, John Emmerling, Ethan Falsone, Patrick Gavigan, Troy Hattala, Michael Keane, Evan Kraus, Jordan Lewis, Liam McGowan, John Minogue, David Morris and Colin Pytlak. Don Goller will be the team umpire. (Each team is required to bring an umpire.)

Here is the team’s schedule:

8/26 11:00 am vs. Long Island Rockets (NY) – WIN, 8-7
8/26 7:00 pm vs. Tri-State Arsenal Royal (NJ) – Loss, 18-0
8/27 1:45 pm vs. Dover Sherborn Raiders (MA)*** – WIN, 3-1
8/27 7:00 pm vs. Upstate Warriors (NY)*** – Loss, 5-4 (8)
8/28 11:00 am vs. Santa Cruz Mountain Lions (CA)*** – WIN, 8-7
8/28 4:30 pm vs. SJ Elite Baseball (NJ) – Loss, 24-2

*** Games to be shown live on www.cooperstowndreamspark.com on Dreams Park TV

UPDATE: The Thunder has earned the 61st seed in the 104-team tournament and will play on Wednesday, August 29 at noon. The game will be shown online live.

8/29 vs. Bayonne Barracudas (NJ) – WIN, 8-3
8/29 vs. Foxboro Warriors (MA) – Loss, 14-0

Kyle Hoppy

Kyle Hoppy to play in Jamestown and Batavia this weekend.

After being released by the Baltimore Orioles in mid-June, 2009 Orchard Park High School graduate Kyle Hoppy kept working toward his goal of being a pro ball player. A second chance – with the Philadelphia Phillies – has the former Quaker making the most of the opportunity.

“Over the five weeks I was out of pro ball I tried to keep myself in a positive state of mind,” Hoppy said in a recent interview. “I showed a lot of improvement in my last spring training and extended spring training with Baltimore, and I felt I have a lot more to show. I knew I had to be patient with my release coming right after the (2012) draft. I knew if I kept working hard I would get my second chance.”

Upon his release from the Orioles, Hoppy began playing for the Orchard Park Sox of the AAA Muny league – an amateur league in Western New York – and continued to focus on getting back into pro ball. During a Sunday afternoon game at Green Lake in Orchard Park on July 22, Hoppy run in from his outfield position to the bench between innings where he was greeted by Sox manager Shawn Gavigan, who told him that he was being pulled from the game. Gavigan received a phone call that the Phillies wanted to sign him.

“It felt just as good as the day I was drafted,” said Hoppy, who was originally selected by the Baltimore Orioles in the 28th round of the 2009 Major League Baseball Amateur Draft.

Hoppy travelled to Williamsport, Pa. the following day to take a physical and finalize paperwork before joining the Phillies’ NY-Penn League affiliate.

“I am very thankful that I have received another chance with a new organization to fulfill my dream of becoming a pro ball player,” said Hoppy. “I’ve learned a lot from my experience with the Orioles and I’m looking forward to learning from those experiences. I plan to continue to work hard and give it all I have with the Phillies.”

When Hoppy was released by the Baltimore Orioles baseball organization, he boasted a mere .117 batting average for the Delmarva Shorebirds of the South Atlantic League. It took some time for Hoppy to re-adjust back to pro ball upon joining the Williamsport Crosscutters, but the center fielder is currently on a six-game hitting streak where he has gone 11 for 27 at the plate with a homerun and two doubles. Hoppy is hitting .241 with an impressive .349 on-base percentage.

“My plan was to keep working as hard as I could to get another shot at pro ball and thankfully I got that chance,” Hoppy added. “It has been my dream since I was little to be a professional baseball player and I plan on leaving everything I have on the field to either fulfill that dream or know that I gave it my all trying to achieve that goal.”

You can watch Hoppy play this weekend when the Williamsport Crosscutters play in Jamestown on Friday, Aug. 10 (7:05p), and in Batavia on Saturday, Aug. 11 (7:05p) and Sunday, August 12 (1:05p).

Kyle Hoppy

Kyle Hoppy, a 2009 Orchard Park High School graduate, is set to sign with the Philadelphia Phillies professional baseball organization.

Hoppy was originally drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in the 28th round of the 2009 Major League Baseball Amateur Draft. After spending parts of three seasons playing for minor league teams in Bluefield, Aberdeen, and Delmarva, he was released from the organization on June 14.

Upon passing a physical and officially signing, Hoppy will play for the Williamsport Crosscutters of the NY-Penn League before heading to play for the Lakewood Blueclaws of the South Atlantic League.

Hoppy has recently been playing for the Orchard Park Sox of AAA Muny – a premiere amateur baseball league in Western New York.

Hoppy is Orchard Park High School’s all-time leader with 117 career hits and second in career runs batted in (88). He boasts the single-season record for on-base percentage (.688) and holds the second highest single-season batting average (.551). In his senior season at Orchard Park in 2009, Hoppy broke the single-season mark for triples (8) and runs (43) and tied for most single-season doubles (13) and hits (43).