SOUTH ORANGE/MAPLEWOOD, NJ – The South Orange-Maplewood 10U Red Cougars baseball team had another great week. The team improved to 7-2-1.
After a one-run loss to Summit on July 7, the Cougars posted consecutive walk-off victories against Berkeley Heights and Livingston, on July 8 and July 9, respectively, followed by a scoreless tie against a good Scotch Plains team on July 12.
The Cougars played a back-and-forth affair in Summit that featured a lot of offense. The Cougars, however, lost, 8-7.
The Cougars defeated Berkeley Heights, 5-4. Berkeley Heights tied the game in the top of the sixth inning. Brendan Kouyoumdjian singled to center to lead off the bottom of the sixth. Benji Josefsberg hit the game-winning walk-off RBI on a line drive to center field, scoring Brendan.
In the first inning, Blake Gordon had a two-run single to center field. In the third inning, Joey Kerner scored on Luke Hall’s double to center field. After Berkeley Heights tied it in the top of the third inning, Jude Franco scored on a fielder’s choice off of Brendan’s groundout to third.
Langston McDonald pitched three complete innings and allowed four hits, three walks and three earned runs, striking out three.
Blake pitched the second half of the game and gave up only two hits and one unearned run while registering four strikeouts.
The Cougars defeated Livingston, 2-1.
Runs were at a premium in this game, which featured outstanding pitching by both teams. The Cougars used four pitchers to pull out the victory. Gavin Lubomski was the team’s starter and threw two complete innings of shutout ball. He also only issued two walks. Benji pitched one inning and gave up only one run, walked four and struck out one. Joey pitched the fourth and fifth innings and didn’t allow a run. Luke Hall closed the game without giving up any runs while striking out three.
Offensively, Anthony Novemski was the hero of the game. He knocked in both the game-tying run in the bottom of the third inning on a ground ball to shortstop, and had the game-winner in the bottom of the sixth on a hard line drive to right field.
In the scoreless tie with an 8-1 Scotch Plains team, the game featured outstanding pitching and fielding.
Langston (2 1/3 inning pitches), Blake (2 2/3 innings) and Luke (1 inning) combined for a four-hit shutout. Langston led the way with four strikeouts. Blake had three strikeouts and walked only one batter. Luke was lights out, closing the game by striking out two of the three batters he faced.
Defensively, Owen Schubart and Langston made highlight-reel catches in center field to preserve the shutout.
With that tie, the Cougars moved into third place in the 13-team NPGL 10U Gold division.
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