Tag Archive for: Lions

ORANGE FINDS THE WINNING WAY

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By Noah Ricks

MORELAND HILLS, OH – The Orange baseball team has dealt with a rocky 2025 campaign. However, coach Fred Zupancic kept his guys grounded and towards the end goal. His leadership was on full display as after falling behind 2-0, he and his team mounted 3 unanswered runs to upset visiting Wickliffe 3-2.

Following a scoreless first two innings, Wickliffe got on the board in the top of the third as Dominic Porcello hit a single, sending Nunzio Zivnoska home for the RBI and a 1-0 Blue Devil lead. He would then pick up another RBI in the top of the fifth with a well-rounded triple after Frankie Bucar hit home plate.

Coach Zupancic then went to his bench in the bottom of the same inning, calling in senior Major Calhoun, who started the Orange rally with an RBI single of his own, bringing in Tyler Diviney. Shortly after, a costly error in the infield by Wickliffe brought Jake Valone to home plate to tie up the scoring. That would help set the key moment in the bottom of the sixth inning as Russell Melvey hit a sac fly in the outfield, opening up home for Alexander Carlisle-Winston to give the Lions the 3-2 advantage.

Orange sealed the deal in the top of the seventh with three consecutive putouts by first baseman Branden Wang, two of those coming from Diviney at third base. The Lions also had a field general at the pitcher’s mound in John Neal. The Baldwin Wallace commit held the Blue Devils at bay, compiling seven strikeouts on the evening in six innings pitched.

Orange will now play host to Bristol Friday evening in the second day of a consecutive three-day stretch. With Coach Zupancic dialing up the tricks in the dugout, the Lions have shown that they are far better than their record shows.  You can watch a full interview with coach Fred Zupancic below:

COLUMBIANA BRINGS OUT THE BIGGER BATS

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COLUMBIANA OH- Columbiana turned a tight game into a blowout with a monster sixth inning and walked away with a 13-7 win over Heartland Christian on Wednesday.

After falling behind 1-0 early, the Clippers punched back in the third with five runs—capitalizing on some defensive miscues and timely hits to flip the game.

The real dagger came in the sixth. Columbiana exploded for seven runs, stringing together base knocks and cashing in with runners on. Doubles, singles, and aggressive baserunning helped open the floodgates and bury any hopes of a comeback.

Columbiana’s offense finished with 10 hits and seven walks, while swiping 10 bags to keep the pressure on. A trio of players racked up multiple steals, while one bat in the heart of the order drove in three and another racked up three hits—including a pair of doubles.

On the bump, the Clippers’ starter went five innings, striking out nine and working around five hits and four runs before handing things over to the bullpen to close it out.

Heartland showed patience at the plate with 11 walks and five hits, but couldn’t come up with the big hit when it counted. Next up for Columbiana: a Thursday trip to Beaver Local.

PIRATES GET SECOND STRAIGHT ONE RUN WIN

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PEPPER PIKE OH- Perry pulled out a gritty 4-3 win over Orange on Tuesday, leaning on clutch hitting and solid work from the bullpen to seal the deal.

The Pirates cracked the scoreboard in the third. Carter Crofoot drove a single into center to bring one in, and an Orange miscue allowed another run to cross, giving Perry a 2-0 edge.

Orange came right back in the bottom half, tying things up with a double and a run-scoring single to make it 2-2.

Perry answered fast. In the fourth, Luke Sivon knocked in the go-ahead run with a base hit, and Crofoot added a sac fly to pad the lead to 4-2. That was all the cushion they needed.

Carter Hopkins picked up the win, tossing four innings while striking out seven. He gave up six hits and three runs, but kept Perry in control. Trent Taylor came on in relief and slammed the door with two scoreless frames, and Logan Buehner locked it down for the save.

Crofoot led the way with a pair of RBIs, while Michal Niedzwiecki chipped in with two hits. Perry’s defense was clean all game—no errors—with Owen McKoon handling 11 chances behind the dish and in the field.

Orange got RBIs from Carlisle-Winston, Tyler Diviney, and McKinnon, and even turned two double plays, but couldn’t push across the tying run late. Next up, Perry heads to Jefferson Area for another tough test on Thursday.

QUAKERS END UP SHINING UNDER THE LIGHTS

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SALEM OH-  Salem shook off a long weather delay and came out on top Monday night, grinding out a 6-4 win over Heartland Christian under the lights.

Heartland came out swinging, jumping on the board in the first thanks to a fielder’s choice and a two-run single from Brennan Murray to grab a quick 3-0 lead. They added another in the third on a Brady DeSantis RBI knock to make it 4-2.

But the Quakers didn’t blink. In the bottom of the third, Colin Riesen came through with an RBI single to close the gap, then chaos on the basepaths and a defensive miscue let two more cross the plate, flipping the scoreboard and giving Salem a 5-4 edge. That was the turning point.

Brady Hendricks came in and shut the door from there, working 3.2 strong innings and punching out five while giving up just one run. Derek Oesch started the game and Troy Gibson closed it out, with all three arms helping Salem weather the early storm and finish strong.

Offensively, Riesen and Logan Sheen each knocked in a run, while Oesch did a little bit of everything—going 2-for-2 and swiping three bags. Salem kept the pressure on with four stolen bases total, keeping Heartland’s defense guessing.

The Quakers did enough to get it done after the delay and will look to ride that momentum into the next one.

VARGO BLANKS THE LIONS WITH A NO HITTER

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EAST PALESTINE OH-  Leland Vargo was untouchable Thursday night, throwing a no-hitter and striking out 10 as Newton Falls cruised past Heartland Christian 11-0 in five innings.

Vargo faced just one over the minimum, walking one but slamming the door on any hopes of a hit. Straight filth on the mound from start to finish.

The Tigers didn’t waste any time backing him up either. They got rolling in the first with a groundout RBI and a knock up the middle to take an early 2-0 lead.

Then the floodgates opened in the second—five runs on four hits, plus a couple of errors from Heartland that didn’t help their cause. Ethan Powell and Trevor Ruscoe stayed hot at the plate, each driving in runs, and Michael Bennett chipped in with an RBI knock to help blow the game wide open.

By the third, Newton Falls was in full control. Another miscue by Heartland and a bases-loaded walk made it 9-0. Two more in the fifth sealed it.

The Tigers racked up 10 hits. Powell and Ruscoe each had a pair of hits and drove in two, while Wyatt Wheeler added two hits of his own. Powell also swiped two bags as the Tigers ran free, finishing with four steals on the day.

Heartland turned a nice double play late, but it was too little, too late against a team firing on all cylinders. Next up for Newton Falls is a home showdown with Champion on Monday.

VIKINGS TAKE THE TEETH OUT OF THE LIONS

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EAST PALESTINE OH-  LaBrae kept the bats steady and the arms sharp on Wednesday, shutting out Heartland Christian 7-0 behind a balanced effort on both sides of the ball.

The Vikings didn’t waste time getting on the board, cashing in a run on a passed ball in the second, then adding two more in the third with back-to-back RBI doubles from Austin Rowe and Nathan Goldner.

Rowe got the start and punched out four across two quick innings, giving up just a pair of hits before handing it off to Owen Boone, who slammed the door over the next five. Boone was lights out, striking out six and allowing just two hits and one walk the rest of the way.

LaBrae’s offense never really let up. They piled up 12 hits on the day—Goldner led the charge going 3-for-4, and Rowe drove in a pair while picking up two knocks of his own. Easton Armstrong chipped in with a couple hits and held it down defensively with nine plays in the field.

The Vikings also turned a clean double play and played error-free baseball from start to finish.

Heartland scratched out four hits, but couldn’t find any momentum against LaBrae’s pitching combo. They’ll look to bounce back, while the Vikings gear up for a road test at Struthers on Saturday.

ROCKETS RED HOT TO START THE WEEK

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LOWELLVILLE OH — The Rockets wasted no time lighting it up on Monday, dropping an 11-run first inning on Heartland Christian and never looking back in a 14-3 win.

Geno Perry was dialed in at the plate, going a perfect 3-for-3 with a triple and two singles. He knocked in a pair with that triple in the second and was all over the bases all night.

Lowellville’s first-inning outburst was pure chaos. Cody Nolfi kicked things off with a two-run single, Zak Sargent added another RBI knock, and Perry, Liam Bartlett, and Tyler Tuscano all drove in runs as the Rockets ran wild. Tuscano capped the inning with a two-run double that sent the message loud and clear.

Bartlett got the start and slammed the door early, striking out six in two clean innings. Tuscano and Kaden Primous came in to mop things up, and the Rocket defense stayed sharp—no errors on the night.

At the dish, Bartlett, Tuscano, and Nolfi each had multi-hit games, and Sargent swiped two bags as part of a four-steal night for the Rockets.

Heartland had nine hits of their own, but just couldn’t string enough together to climb back in. Evan Farrell and Owen Bender both went 2-for-3, with Farrell picking up a couple RBI. Lowellville looks to keep the momentum rolling Tuesday when they host Mathews.

ORANGE NEVER SAYS DIE

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By Noah Ricks

PEPPER PIKE, OH – It was comeback season out in Pepper Pike as the Orange Lions and NDCL Lions squared off in a thriller. Trailing 7-5 after three, Orange scored 3 unanswered goals to steal one from NDCL 8-7 in the Battle of the Lions.

Despite falling behind 1-0, Orange would dominate the first half, which included one of Courtney Norton’s two penalty shot goals to give the Lions a 3-2 lead after one. That kind of fire power was enough for the team to take a 5-2 lead at intermission, as five different girls for Orange were able to get on the board for the entire evening.

The Lions of NDCL, however, outscored Orange 4-0 in the third period, with 2 of those goals coming from Grace Hinkel. The Orange Lions, though, started the fourth off strong with Norton hitting her second penalty shot goal to bring the game to 7-6. Shannon Ahearn then capped off the comeback by scoring the final two goals, with the last one being assisted by Natalie Abruzzo. Ahearn finished with a total of 3 goals on the night.

Orange (2-3) will enjoy the exciting victory by taking a week off from games before welcoming Cleveland Heights on the 23rd. Head coach Chris Apanius instilled a sense of belief in his girls despite the adversity late. With his mentoring and leadership, the Lions of Orange were able to play together as a unit all night long.  You can watch an interview of Coach Apanius below:

EAGLES BRAVE THE WEATHER FOR A WIN

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HANOVERTON OH-  United put on a show Tuesday night, steamrolling Heartland Christian 18-1 behind a mix of patience, power, and aggressive baserunning.

Josie Wargo led the charge with four RBIs—she launched a three-run bomb to left in the third and drew a bases-loaded walk back in the first to kickstart the scoring.

United wasted no time jumping out front, putting up three runs in the first thanks to a Payten Kekel RBI single and a couple of freebies from the Heartland defense.

The second inning was more of the same—just one hit, but it was a big one. Chloe Angelo ripped a two-run triple, and United took advantage of a groundout and a hit-by-pitch to tack on three more.

Then came the third. Seven runs flooded in, capped by Wargo’s no-doubt homer. Angelo kept her hot bat rolling with an RBI single, and Kekel added another RBI by drawing a walk. The Eagles were relentless.

In the circle, Jillian Dietrich locked things down. She went four strong, giving up just three hits and striking out six without a single walk. Grace Coffee came in to finish things off after Dietrich had already put the game out of reach.

Angelo went 3-for-4, Coffee chipped in a pair of knocks, and Allyson Lacey showed off her plate discipline with four walks. As a team, United drew 15 free passes on the night—turning patience into production. United will look to keep the momentum rolling Thursday when they host East Palestine.

LATE RUNS LET THE LIONS GET THE SWEEP

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*Contributed By Tim Porter


CHAGRIN FALLS, OH — The Orange Varsity Lions built a commanding lead early and held their ground late, staving off a dramatic Chagrin Falls comeback to secure a 10-8 win on Tuesday.

Tyler Diviney was a spark plug for the Lions’ offense, going 3-for-4 at the plate with singles in the first, third, and fourth innings. His steady bat and a timely outpouring of offense in the middle innings gave Orange the cushion they would need to survive a furious sixth-inning rally by Chagrin Falls.

Chagrin Falls opened the scoring in the bottom of the first with an RBI single by Finn Johnson, but the Lions answered quickly. In the top of the third, Alex Carlisle-Winston grounded out to drive in a run and Johnny Neal followed with a sacrifice fly to put Orange ahead.

The Lions blew the game open in the fourth, plating five runs on four hits. George Gallup started the scoring burst with a double, Diviney followed with an RBI single, and after a miscue in the field brought in another run, Neal and Branden Wang added run-scoring hits of their own to make it 7-1.

Orange tacked on more in the fifth and sixth to stretch their lead to 10-2, but Chagrin Falls wasn’t done.

In the bottom of the sixth, the Tigers roared back. A pair of costly errors by Orange allowed four runs to cross the plate, then Johnson capped the rally with a two-run homer to left, cutting the deficit to just two. But that’s where the comeback stopped.

Diviney took the mound in relief and shut the door, tossing a scoreless seventh to preserve the win.

Neal earned the win for Orange, giving up four runs over five and one-third innings while striking out seven. Diviney not only contributed at the plate but also earned the save with his inning of shutdown relief.

Orange spread their offense around with 10 hits total. Neal, Carlisle-Winston, and Wang each drove in two, while Gallup and Diviney each tallied multi-hit games. The Lions also showed their speed, swiping eight bases, with Carlisle-Winston and Avery Goldman each stealing two.

Chagrin Falls had nine hits of their own. Henry Cimperman led the way, going 3-for-4 with two stolen bases. Johnson and Will Murray each drove in three runs for the Tigers, who also turned a double play on defense.

The Orange Varsity Lions improve to (2-4) and will look to keep the momentum rolling when they travel to University School on Wednesday.