2024 Buffalo Nine Complete Perfect Summer in 45+ Division of MUNY-Buffalo MSBL
MUNY-Buffalo MSBL, 45+ Division
Buffalo Nine 8, Buffalo Anvil 2
Submitted by Jim Lacki
Buffalo, NY — Another baseball season has come and gone in the MUNY-Buffalo MSBL and the Buffalo Nine returned to a familiar place — the Championship game. After finishing the regular season with a perfect 10-0 record, the Nine entered the playoffs as the favorite to capture another title.
The regular season saw the Nine outscore their opponents 97-27. The team batted .401 while the pitching staff posted a 2.96 ERA with three shutouts. The hitting and pitching prowess continued in the playoffs.
In the semi-final, the Nine knocked off Kuhn Contracting, 10-2. The Nine plated six runs in the first inning and never looked back. Jeremy Ross led off the bottom of the first inning with an inside-the-park home run. Seven consecutive hits in the inning scored the remaining five runs. Two runs were scored in the fourth and fifth innings to finish the scoring for the Buffalo Nine. 
The hitting statistics for the Nine were quite impressive; Ross (2-3, 2 runs, 1 HR, 1 RBI,), Chris Snusz (2-3, 1 run, 3 RBI, 1 2B), Scott Lauck (2-3, 3 RBI) and Dan Potwora (2-4, 1 run, 1 RBI). Mike Webster, Joe Ferrando, and John Catanzaro collected two hits apiece for the Nine. Mike LaRosa scattered seven hits over five innings, allowing two runs with nine K’s. Jim Poulos relieved LaRosa and did not allow a hit over the final two innings.
The championship game featured the Nine squaring off against a familiar opponent, Buffalo Anvil. These two teams have met in multiple championship games since the division’s inception. The Nine came away with an 8-2 victory.
The game was close through the first five innings. The Nine took a 3-0 lead into the bottom of the sixth before exploding for five runs in the bottom of the sixth. Lauck had the big hit in the inning; a bases-clearing double. LaRosa, getting another start, tossed five innings of four-hit ball, allowing zero runs with two K’s. LaRosa’s pitching and some stellar defense stranded seven Anvil runners on base through the first five innings.
Anvil scored two runs in the top of the seventh inning, but the victory had pretty much been sealed. Lauck (2-3, 4 RBI, 1 2B) and Fred Falkowski (2-3, 1 RBI) led the hitting attack for the Nine. Ferrando contributed two hits, while Ross, Webster, Potwora, LaRosa, Catanzaro, and Craig Leone had one hit apiece.
Lauck was named playoff MVP after finishing the two games 4-6 withseven7 RBI’s.
This was the Nine’s second championship in a row and sixth in the past eight seasons.
Other members of the team are Dave Dukoff, Jim Lacki, (co-manager), Ralph Proulx, Steve Wellenc, Dan Wierczbicki (co-manager), and Paul Yemma.