Clarke stays hot after bye

Clarke hit its bye week riding the wave of a four-game winning streak on the baseball diamond. The Rams increased it to five when they returned to the field with a 4-2 victory over Mineola on Monday.

Matt Boyko spun a complete game — his third straight start of seven innings pitched — allowing seven hits and a walk and striking out seven for his first victory of the season.

In the last game before a week off, which was filled with scrimmages to keep the team sharp, Clarke (5-2 overall, 5-2 in Conference A-IV) knocked off Island Trees, 12-2, on April 7, behind a 5-for-5 performance from junior EJ Cumbo and three hits and a pair of runs batted in from senior Brendan Hanrahan. Junior Kemal Deljannin picked up the win on the mound. “Even as a sophomore [last season] he had great at bats and a great approach,” coach Tom Abruscato said of Cumbo, whose perfect batting line also included a pair of doubles, two runs, two steals and a pair of runs batted in. “He went line-to-line with his five hits. He went from the left-field line to the right-field line.”

Senior Kyle Pitone went the distance on the mound one day earlier against the Bulldogs and didn’t allow an earned run in an 11-2 victory. He also helped his own cause at the plate as the cleanup hitter, banging out a pair of hits and driving in two runs. “We played well against a good Island Trees team,” Abruscato said. “They did a nice job [the Bulldogs pitchers] of attacking the zone hitting all three of their pitches. But our biggest improvement from last season is that we’re tough to strike out.”

Cumbo was front-and-center in Clarke’s extra-inning victory over Island Trees in the series opener, a 5-4 decision on April 5. He led off the bottom of the ninth with a single, stole second with one out and came around to score when Pitone singled him in. Ryan Ciardullo picked up the win with a pair of scoreless innings in relief of Boyko, who pitched seven innings and allowed just four hits and no runs in his second straight no-decision. “He’s had a little tough luck,” Abruscato said of Boyko, who lost a season-opening 2-1 decision to Seaford on a wind-aided home run on a day with gusts hitting close to 30 miles per hour. “He’s been solid and giving us complete games. He’s just come out on the wrong side with no decisions.”

Senior Robbie Callaghan has been among the pleasant surprises for Clarke during the first two Conference A-IV series, forcing his way into the lineup by swing a hot bat and providing the Rams with strong defense at third. In helping get the Rams on the winning track after two straight losses to Seaford to start the conference season, Senior Rob Ciorciari Had three hits, stole a base and drove in a run helping lead the Rams to a 9-4 win on March 31.