Ladue Opens Season With 7-6 Win over St. Louis U. High

Ladue had just beaten St. Louis U. High in baseball again, but most everybody around the new West Campus field (former grounds of Westminster Christian Academy) couldn’t remember when.

It probably happened in the Jim Wolfe era who was in attendance, taking in the game.

The Rams opened up the 2012 season with a narrow 7-6 win in the opening round of the Ritenour tournament Saturday.

The lush diamond was splashed with glorious sunlight, and a large group of fans on both sides pulled up lawn chairs and took in the action.

The Rams did not disappoint. This team is loaded with talented juniors and seniors who figure to be a playoff bound team this May.

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Moments after John Cline grabbed a liner to right off pinch hitter Charlie Nestor to end the game, Coach Rob Garrett addressed his team. “Everybody on this team contributed in one way or another. That includes all the players who were on the bench. This game has elevated us onto the radar screen. We won’t be facing any easy teams this season,” he said.

The Junior Bills, who came into the game with two wins in two tries were first to get on the board. They scored one in the first, then Ladue roared back with three of their own in the home half of the first.

Right fielder Lucas Tamaren, who has design on playing collegiately led off with a double and Lex Kaplan, talented junior center fielder drove him home with a single. Then junior catcher Turner Miller smacked an RBI single, driving home scoring Kaplan, and when Jason Sandler the starting junior pitcher scored, the Rams had a 4-1 lead.

The Rams came back with three more in the second when Tamaren reached on an error and scored on a hit by first baseman Matthew Munfakh and then drove home left fielder, Jason Blanke, a junior.

Kaplan hammered a solo home run to make the lead 7-3 in the home half of the fourth.

St. Louis U. High narrowed the lead with a two RBI double by Paul Simon, narrowing the lead to 7-5 in the top half of the fifth.

Greg Gannon came in to give Ladue three good innings of relief, and Kaplan shut the door on the Junior Bills in the seventh.

All Kaplan could think of was firing strikes when he got the relief call in the seventh. “It’s great to beat SLUH. This is a great start to the season. We need to keep on playing like this,” said Kaplan.

Tamaren was pleased to step off on the right foot. “We have a lot of athletes on this team. We just need to go out and not play tight,” said the right fielder.

Sandler, who played a solid game was relieved to get the win. “Coach just said we should play lose and give it our best. This is a very close team. We’d like to win our district this year,” he said thinking ahead.

There will be plenty to deal with. Among others, the Junior Bills are in that district, and they will be out for revenge.