By Steve Siniski
In defending their Nassau County crown on the baseball diamond, the Rams knocked off top-seeded MacArthur (23-4) for the second straight year with an 8-4 win in the rubber game of the best-of-three championship series last Saturday.
The Rams advanced to the Long Island Championship on June 2, but lost to Half Hollow Hills West (see page 14).
Sophomore Steve Stewart, in his first-ever varsity start, spun a two-hitter through the first six innings before the Generals scored three runs in a last-gasp effort to wrestle the title away from the Rams. Stewart induced a flyout to rightfielder John Salter to end the threat and the game.
Because of rainouts, the Rams played four games in four days, depleting the pitching staff and forcing coach Tom Abruscato to go with a fresh face in the season's biggest game. Suffice it to say Stewart didn't disappoint.
"He was so poised," said Abruscato of his sophomore, who walked three batters through the first two innings before settling down and retiring nine of 10 batters between the fourth and seventh innings. "I knew he wouldn't be nervous, and that he'd do well."
Stewart walked five, allowed just four hits and struck out three. His biggest play, however, may not have been with his arm but rather his reflexes, on a line drive hit right at him. The Generals were threatening to draw first blood with runners on first and second and just one out in the second inning thanks to a pair of walks. But Stewart -- partially in self-defense -- snared a drive and caught the runner off first base. His throw to Mike Appell at first completed the double play and set the tone for the Rams' game-breaking explosion at the plate in the top of the next inning.
Bolstered by the defensive play by Stewart, Clarke got offensive. Catcher John Diaz got the rally started with a single, and that drop of rain slowly turned into a full-fledged hitting storm. Eddie Park followed with a single, and shortstop Matt Sollecito executed a perfect sacrifice bunt to advance the runners. Centerfielder Joe Barracato then laced a two-run single, and third baseman Ryan Levine hit a moonshot to left centerfield that one-hopped over the wall for a double.
He came around to score two batters later on an error to give the Rams a commanding 4-0 lead.
Levine, who's been pitched around often this year, came alive in the series with MacArthur. He had a pair of doubles -- both of which were within five feet of going over the wall -- and a single, scoring twice and driving in another run in the deciding game.
"In this series, he was getting up with a guy on first base so they couldn't take the bat out of his hands," Abruscato said. "He's as hot as any hitter I've ever seen in a playoff series."
Just getting to the championship round was tough enough, as Clarke had to beat Wantagh in a game that took place over two days thanks to inclement weather.
The Rams broke through for a run in the bottom of the seventh to sweep the series with Wantagh, winning the final game 1-0. The first matchup with MacArthur started minutes later the same day, so there was little time to savor the win.
In that first game against the Generals, the Rams found themselves in a 5-3 hole with two outs in the seventh inning before the juice started flowing in their bats. They scored three runs with their backs against the wall, squeezing out a 6-5 win to take a 1-0 lead in the series.
"To do what we did against Wantagh was a nice momentum builder," Abruscato said. "But the way we came back against MacArthur was something you don't always see. The guys definitely picked me up."
MacArthur won the middle game last Friday, 7-3, although the Clarke bats gave a hint of what was ahead in the tie-breaker, scoring two runs off the Generals in the top of the seventh.
"It helped that we knocked [Dan] Horvath out," said Abruscato of chasing MacArthur's undefeated starter in the seventh inning. "We were hoping to put a little thought in their minds that we never quit."
