Honesdale Little Baseball Association Hosts Opening Day Ceremonies
HONESDALE — Hundreds of local fans turned out on a picture perfect evening to help the Honesdale Little Baseball Association celebrate Opening Day of the 2023 season.
The gala event was held Monday at the Scott Kinzinger Memorial Complex, located on Grove Street. It had originally been scheduled for May 1, but was postponed due to rain.
Longtime HLBA President Charlie Rollison once again organized and oversaw the ceremonies, which officially kick-off this year’s campaign.
“It’s a fantastic day!” Rollison exclaimed. “Mother Nature cooperated and now baseball is finally here. It’s so great to see everybody and we’re definitely looking forward to an exciting season.”
This year’s edition of the venerable youth diamond league consists of 14 teams in three divisions: T-Ball, Rookie and Senior. All told there are approximately 160 players ranging in age from 4 to 12.
Weather permitting, the 2023 HLBA schedule will run from now until the end of June. Senior Division championship and consolation games are slated for Thursday, June 29, while the Rookie Division playoffs will conclude on Friday, June 30.
On the diamond
Opening Day’s feature game pitted the Wayne Bank Dodgers versus the Honesdale National Bank Phillies.
The contest took place on Fred Reisch Memorial Field and ended with the Dodgers posting an impressive 10-3 victory.
Isaiah Young drew the initial mound assignment for Wayne Bank. He worked the first two innings and earned the win while racking up five strikeouts. Abel Brand came on in relief and pitched the final three frames.
Offensively, JW Rickard paced the Dodgers’ attack, ripping an RBI triple to the base of the wall in centerfield. Rickard was also a vacuum at first base defensively.
Colton Krupa contributed a key hit and also stole home. Aven Hafler and William Jos chipped in with timely base knocks. Mike Suhosky also earned high marks for his rock solid play behind the plate.
For HNB, Jayce Kinney started on the hill and eventually suffered the loss. Kaylem Kresge and Charlie Rollison also pitched in relief.
Jackson Kline turned in a stellar defensive effort. The hard-nosed Phillies catcher ran down a foul pop, then pounced on a bunt and threw the batter out at first. Kline also held his ground while fielding a throw from the outfield, resulting in a highlight reel play at the plate.
Luke Reece led the way for HNB. A talented and versatile young man who plays both third base and the outfield, Reece roped a pair of basehits, scored one run and drove in another.
Meanwhile, the Dirlam Brothers Braves squared off against the Elegante Giants at Joe Cobb Memorial Field.
This was a wild, high scoring affair and when the dust finally settled the Braves emerged with an 18-10 win.
Ruhlin Sullivan started on the mound for Dirlam Brothers. Alex Engvaldsen and Logan Garing took turns toeing the rubber as well.
Libby Sullivan, Luke Erbach, Tucker Gardner and Tyler Garing all came through with extra base hits. Jackson Scarpa and Jack Bosi each added clutch singles for the Braves.
Ashlyn Engvaldsen, Cooper Sullivan, Amelia LaTournous and Joseph LaTournous flashed Gold Glove leather in the field while also contributing at the plate and on the bases.
Meanwhile on the Giants’ side of the ledger, Logan Rickert earned the start and received relief help from Mason Diehl.
Scott Wentzel, Bill Canfield, and Owen Cutis all had multiple hits. Colby Bunting, Jordan Verola, Rocco Hynes each scored a run. Garner Schweighofer and Dylan Fuller played well in the field.
A bit of history
The Honesdale Little Baseball Association was founded back in the middle 1950s.
It began modestly with just a handful of teams playing games on Clarke Romich Memorial Field, which was located at the present-day site of Dave’s Super Duper.
Then, in the late 1970s, the burgeoning league expanded to include a brand new field at what was once the borough dump. That diamond, which was named in honor of the late Freddie Reisch, hosted its first title tilt in 1979.
In the intervening decades, two more fields were added in memory of Joe Cobb and Ed Rickard.
Today, the Scott Kinzinger Memorial Complex, boasts three state-of-the art fields, a concession stand, lights and all the modern conveniences for fans.
Rollison has been a big part of HLBA’s history for over three decades. He’s also been league president for more than 20 years. He is an advocate of teaching the fundamentals and fostering a love of the game.
“Being a good teammate teaches lessons that the kids can use the rest of their lives,” Charlie said. “Working together and learning to communicate with all different kinds of people is something that’s very important.”
This article originally appeared on Tri-County Independent: HLBA Opening Day is an unqualified success at Kinzinger Complex
