LWA Tigers Rip Apart Luther Cougars, 13-2

By Scott P. Moore

Left fielder Benny Schulman fires a ball to home plate after what turned out to be a sacrifice fly. Photo by Scott P. Moore.

The Lawrence-Woodmere Academy Tigers took out the heavy lumber against the Martin Luther Cougars on Monday afternoon, pummeling their opponents in a 13-2 mercy-rule shortened victory.

The Tigers picked up their runs early and often, with the first four batters getting on base and eventually coming around to score. Several fielding miscues by Luther were capitalized on, including one instance where an easy fly ball fell between two outfielders that did not call each other off, eventually leading to LWA picking up five runs in the first inning.

“Getting a few bounces here and there got everyone’s confidence way up,” said LWA Head Coach Michael Cohn. “We continued to make good contact and it’s something I always tell these guys – keep putting the ball in play and good things are going to happen.”

The onslaught continued in the second with 11 batters coming to the plate for the Tigers. LWA’s first three men reached base and eventually scored during the inning. Three more runs crossed the plate before the Cougars made the third out. After just two innings, LWA led 11-0.

The Tigers ended their day with 13 runs total off of 13 hits.

Equally as dazzling as their hitting was the pitching effort by Tigers’ starter Westly Gladstein. The tall righty pitched all five innings of the mercy rule shortened game and allowed only one earned run on two hits and four walks while striking out 11 hitters, many of them looking.

“He located his fastball very well,” said Cohn. “It was his first start out there and he’s a big, imposing kid. He was relaxed and pitched a really nice game.”

LWA lost a game against Luther earlier in the season, Cohn noted, and the team was out to seek its revenge.

“To get off on a good note here and start this week off like this, it’s a nice thing,” he said.

LWA (3-4) will return to the baseball diamond next week with a doubleheader at home against Friends Academy on Saturday, May 5th starting at 12:00 p.m., and away games at Bay Ride on Monday, May 7th and at Nazareth on Wednesday, May 9th, both starting at 4:15 p.m.