The Orchard Park Quakers will face off against the Hamburg Bulldogs at 12:00 p.m. on Saturday. Orchard Park has given up an average of 6.5 runs per game this season, but Saturday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
Orchard Park is probably headed into the match with a chip on their shoulder considering McQuaid Jesuit just ended the team's four-game winning streak on Thursday. They lost 20-9 to the Knights.
Richard Pinkoski was cooking despite his team's loss, going a perfect 1-for-1 with two runs, one stolen base, and one double. Zach Bernas also deserves some recognition as he brought in his first RBI of the season.
Meanwhile, Hamburg has relied on a stalwart pitchers averaging 3.92 runs allowed per game, but that average took a hit on Friday. They fell just short of Frontier by a score of 10-8. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest loss the Bulldogs have suffered since May 14, 2024.
Jonah Moscato made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and went a perfect 4-for-4 with three runs, three RBI, and one triple. Another player making a difference was Max Gladke, who went 2-for-4 with two runs, one triple, and one stolen base.
This is the second loss in a row for Hamburg and nudges their season record down to 8-4-1. Even worse, they were so close both times: the defeats came by an average of only 1.5 runs. As for Orchard Park, their loss dropped their record down to 7-4.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Saturday as neither team is afraid to steal. Orchard Park has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 2.7 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Hamburg struggles in that department as they've been averaging 3.2 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Orchard Park took their victory against Hamburg in their previous matchup back in April of 2024 by a conclusive 14-5 score. Do the Quakers have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Bulldogs turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
