Schick’s Shutout Brings Title Home To Maspeth
Behind Kevin Schick’s complete game performance-striking out 11 batters and having a no hitter for 6 2/3 innings-the Martin Luther School Cougars baseball squad beat Brooklyn Friends 3-0 for the PSAA Division II Baseball Championship.
When the team got on the bus headed to MCU Park Coach John Della Marco, half-kidding, said to Schick, “You need to be perfect today.” Perfection was close. Schick walked one batter in the first inning, picked him off and then did not allow a runner to reach first base or a base hit until two outs in the seventh inning.
“He has been dominant for us throughout the season but the last four games he was in another zone,” Della Marco stated.
Schick complied an 8-3 record with seven complete games and broke the season single strike out record of 78 held since 1977 for MLS. Schick had 90 strikeouts in 2012 and won 72 percent of the team’s games.
The Cougars had some help defensively from freshman second baseman Ervin Acosta making three line drive put outs, sophomore right fielder Thomas McLaughlin with a sensational over the head catch in right field, junior shortstop Patrick Kelly going to his left and making a spectacular catch and throw to first base for the out and junior first baseman Eduardo Mamut going full speed and flipping over the dug out rallying to make a great catch.
Brooklyn Friends pitcher Misha Holzman struck out 13 MLS batters and only allowed three hits. The Cougars once again had to manufacture runs as they did throughout the season. Two bunt base hits and an infield single is all they could muster.
In the third inning, with Mamut on third, Raul Figueroa broke from first as Holzman, attempted to pick him off. Figueroa was caught in a rundown and was tagged out, but it was a designed play that allowed Mamut to score.
The Cougars scored again in the sixth and seventh innings, both times as base runners stole third and advanced home on wild throws.
Martin Luther ended their run by winning five straight games and winning on the last day of the regular season to advance to the playoffs. Then in the semifinals they upset co-league champion BRP 6-4.
Kevin Schick was named the Playoff MVP.
This is Martin Luther’s 3rd PSAA Championship (two by Coach Della Marco in 1993 and 2012) and 2002 by Coach Hicks. The team complied an 11-7 overall record.
