Orchard Park is on a three-game streak of home wins, while McQuaid Jesuit is on a three-game streak of away wins: one of those streaks is about to end. The Quakers will welcome the Knights at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday. The two teams are strolling into their matches after big wins in their previous games.
Orchard Park barely beat Jamestown the last time the pair played, but that sure wasn't the case this time around. The Quakers' pitchers stepped up to hand the Red & Green an 11-0 shutout on Wednesday. With that win, the Quakers brought their scoring average up to 6.5 runs per game.
Zach Nalawadi made a splash no matter where he played. On the mound, he didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit while striking out six over six innings pitched. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in four consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-4 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one run. That stolen base marked the first that he has snagged this season.
In other pitching news, James Taips looked comfortable as he pitched one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than one hit any time he's pitched this season.
Brody Monaco
| 05/07/25 @ Jamestown | 3 |
| 05/07/25 @ Jamestown | 1 |
| 04/30/25 @ Frontier | 1 |
| 04/29/25 vs Frontier | 1 |
| 04/23/25 @ West Seneca West | 1 |
Back at the plate, Brody Monaco was incredible, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with three stolen bases, two runs, and one triple. Those three stolen bases gave him a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Will Newlove, who got on base in three of his four plate appearances with three runs, one stolen base, and one double.
Orchard Park was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .387. That's the best batting average they've posted all season.
The home team had won the previous three meetings between McQuaid Jesuit and Aquinas Institute, and McQuaid Jesuit kept the tradition alive. The Knights were the clear victors by an 8-1 margin over the Little Irish on Wednesday.
McQuaid Jesuit is on a roll lately: they've won six of their last eight games. That's provided a nice bump to their 8-5 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 6.3 runs over those games. As for Orchard Park, their win bumped their record up to 7-3.
Orchard Park suffered a grim 13-1 defeat to McQuaid Jesuit when the teams last played last Sunday. Will the Quakers have more luck at home instead of on the road? Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other baseball content.
