By STEVE SINISKI
„We swung well versus Plainedge,¾ Rams coach Tom Abruscato said. „They¼re a well-coached and well-executing team. We beat a [pitcher] that throws three or four pitches for strikes and got quality at bats.¾
Dan Mooney is one of the rare high school pitchers confident enough to throw more than just a fastball when he¼s behind in the count. Against the Rams, he let loose with change-ups, sliders and curves in an effort to keep them off-balance. Mike Appell blasted a home run and drove in three to lead the offense.
The scary part for the opposition is the fact Abruscato feels his lineup isn¼t quite in midseason form. Though the runs have been consistent, the Rams¼ one loss was a 2-1 defeat to Division on April 3 that snapped a school-record 26-game winning streak dating back to last season. „Good pitching beats good hitting,¾ Abruscato said of the defeat played on a rain-soaked field. „Against Division we didn¼t swing the bats well. We have a very strong lineup and it hasn¼t clicked yet. We have a few guys struggling that are just starting to come around. We just need quality at-bats.¾
Even at 4-1, Clarke is still looking to continue taking forward strides, and the biggest may yet come from the pitching rotation. Eddie Luft is locked in as the ace, pitching up to the moniker every time he sets foot on the mound. In his final start before the holidays, Luft handled Plainedge, allowing just three hits and a walk while striking out seven. Bryan Russo, meanwhile, was the pitcher of record in the win over Westbury. He fanned 12 batters in six innings. Adam Stern came out of the bullpen to finish the game by striking out the side in the seventh. „Hopefully he¼ll keep doing what he¼s doing and solidify [the rotation],¾ Abruscato said of Russo, who has 26 strikeouts and just three walks in his two starts.
An injury to John DeLeo may have opened up the third spot in the rotation with Mickey Rogers, Appell and Stern all candidates to take the mound if Abruscato needs an arm.
The weeks ahead don¼t get any easier for the Rams, who come out of the holiday break to play unbeaten Seaford (5-0) three times and then face Valley Stream South for another three-game set. „This league is as tough as it gets,¾ Abruscato said. „It¼s by far the toughest league I¼ve seen. From here on out every game is a playoff-type game,¾ Abruscato said.
The Rams close out their three game series with Seaford on the road on April 20 at 10:30 a.m. A non-league matchup at home with New Hyde Park is up the following day at 10:30 a.m., followed by a series with Valley Stream South. It begins on April 24 at Clarke high school (4:30 p.m.), continues at the Falcons home field the next day (4:45 p.m.) and concludes at Clarke on April 27 (4:30 p.m.).
