Calhoun comeback seals title

No author could have scripted the finish to Calhoun's Nassau Class AA baseball championship better than the Colts did on Wednesday.

In one fell swoop, No. 2 Calhoun (20-5 overall) overcame a seven-run deficit by exploding for eight runs in the sixth inning of its Game 2 battle with top-seeded MacArthur, sweeping the best-of-three series with a thrilling 8-7 win at Farmingdale State College.

"We had some clutch hits and there were some key errors on MacArthur's part [in the inning]," Colts coach Joe Corea said.

Calhoun takes on Suffolk County Class AA champion Lindenhurst this Sunday at Farmingdale at 6:30 p.m.

Sophomore Cleanup hitter Robbie Rosen skied a two-out bases-loaded fly ball to shallow left that glanced off the left fielder's glove, who then booted it across the outfield. The error allowed junior Jake Thomas to score the go-ahead run all the way from first base and capped a furious comeback that he started with an innocent walk earlier in the inning. "They all seem to do the right thing," Corea said of his team's baseball instincts. "Jake was hustling right away, and once the ball was bobbled and kicked away we kept sending him."

Senior Joe Saladino, who relieved senior starter Jon Mekleburg in the fifth, retired the Generals in order in the seventh inning to close out the game and the series. "He came in and threw strikes," Corea said, noting the efficiency of the bullpen all season. "It's nice to know that we have talented kids that can come out of the pen and do the job."