2025 Erie-Buffalo Repeats as MUNY AA Champions in Thrilling Fashion
MUNY AA Buffalo MSBL, Open Division
Erie-Buffalo 9, Orchard Park Sox 4 (Deciding Game three of Championship Series)
Submitted by Ralph Proulx, Erie-Buffalo manager
For the second straight year, Erie-Buffalo stands tall as champions of the MUNY AA Buffalo MSBL Open Division. Powered by a dominant pitching staff and timely clutch hitting, the squad once again proved they’re the gold standard of summer ball.
All season long, the numbers told the story. Outscoring opponents by a 3-to-1 margin, Erie-Buffalo’s arms combined for a stingy 3.241 ERA. Anchoring the rotation were Matt Keating (7–0), Chris Newman (4–1), Alex Fetter (3–0), Andrew Tobias (2–1), and Alex Kubera (1–1). In the bullpen, relievers Brayden Willats and Josh Pieczynski held down the middle innings, while Cade Neubauer locked down the setup role in front of closer Jesse Zellner, who was simply untouchable with a sparkling 0.00 ERA.
That formula carried Erie-Buffalo to a 15.5–1.5 regular season record and a semifinal sweep of the Erie Lakers, outscoring them 14–1 in two games. But the championship finals would be a true test against the scrappy 3rd-place Orchard Park Sox.
Game 1 looked like a runaway when Erie-Buffalo jumped to an 8–0 lead. But Orchard Park stormed back, stunning the crowd by taking an 11–8 advantage into the seventh inning. That’s when playoff magic struck. With two outs, Jordan Kowalski stood on third, Alex Seifert on second, and Eric Flynn, already having a monstrous postseason, delivered a no-doubt, game-tying homer. In extra innings, it was Nate Kinder’s turn to shine, launching a walk-off bomb to right-center for a thrilling 12–11 victory.
Game 2 belonged to Orchard Park, who evened the series with a convincing 9–4 win. That set up a decisive Game 3 back at Sheridan Park, where Erie-Buffalo’s resilience would shine once again.
The Sox struck early with a 3–0 lead, but Erie-Buffalo answered quickly. Captain Alex Seifert and Eric Flynn each smashed solo shots in the third to cut the deficit, then in the fourth, Flynn came through again, delivering a bases-clearing double to put EB on top for good.
Kinder followed with a triple, and clutch hits from Brandon Caboot and Shane Kowalski extended the lead to 8–3. Tobias gave the team a strong start before Zellner handled 2 2/3 innings of shutdown work. Neubauer then entered to record the final out, sealing a 9–4 victory and back-to-back championships.
Flynn’s playoff heroics earned him MVP honors, while steady contributions throughout the season came from the team’s trio of catchers—Tom Anderson, Nate Kinder, and Andrew Czubaj—as well as consistent play from Konner Hauck, Dan Hurliman, Owen Silliman, Jeff Wilson, Keith Somerville, Joe Ferrando, and Joey Villafranca.
Special recognition goes to coaches Glenn Hauptman and Jim Galbo, who helped guide this powerhouse roster through another championship campaign. Special thanks to our scorekeeper, Dean Adams.
With the trophy once again in hand, Erie-Buffalo’s sights are already set on 2026. For now, though, this team can savor another summer of dominance—proving once again that when the lights shine brightest, champions rise to the occasion.