By Steve Siniski
For the first five-plus innings, the Rams used a combination of outstanding defense, timely pitching, guile and small ball to forge a 6-5 lead.
Then Kevin Sluka stepped up to the plate with the bases loaded in the bottom of the sixth and Wildcats reliever Ryan James facing just his second batter. From Shoreham-Wading River's point of view, Sluka didn't extend a nice greeting.
The senior lived up to his billing as cleanup hitter, crushing a 400-foot, bases-clearing double to dead centerfield, missing a grand slam by just 10 feet, and giving Clarke its final margin of victory.
Clarke took home the Long Island Championship with the win over Shoreham-Wading River at Herricks High School on June 3. The Rams advance to the New York State Final Four this Saturday in Utica.
"The top of the order has been there all season for us," Clarke coach said of his first four batters, who combined for nine of the team's 11 hits, eight runs and four stolen bases. "The seniors found themselves in this situation last year and learned from it. They stayed calm and relaxed; there's not a jumpy guy among them."
Indeed, merely taking the lead in the bottom of the fifth was anything but a cakewalk for the Rams, who led 2-0 after the first but battled back twice from one-run deficits. Senior pitcher Mike Bradham, who had earlier pitched a no-hitter and lost, 1-0, didn't necessarily have his best stuff in allowing seven hits and walking seven. However, he showed why guts and experience can sometimes overcome any opponent, as he settled down and limited the Wildcats to just two hits over the final three innings, during which time he recorded three of his five strikeouts.
"Bradham really gutted out that last inning," Abruscato said of his No. 1 pitcher, who delivered a knee-bending curve for the second out in the top of the seventh. "He didn't have much left, but he reached back for us."
And when Bradham did find himself in a jam, his defense was there to put out the fire. Along with picking a Wildcat runner off second base in the fifth, the Clarke right-hander got a big lift from his centerfielder.
Kyle Klimkowski, who was equally as good with the glove (five putouts) as the bat (2-for-3, three runs and a stolen base), changed the complexion of the entire game in the top of the fourth inning.
Shoreham-Wading River took a 5-4 lead with two runs in the top half of the stanza and had the bases loaded with just one out when Klimkowski turned a fly out into a double play at the plate. He launched a perfect throw to Sluka at home, and the catcher finished off the bang-bang play by blocking the plate and tagging the Wildcats' Joseph Sorrentino.
"Kyle ended what could have been a huge inning" for Shoreham-Wading River, Abruscato said. "He's come up big for us all year, and that's why he's an All-County player. He deserves" the honor.
Clarke took the lead for good in the bottom of the fifth thanks to aggressive base running. Bradham and Sluka both reached on sun-aided base hits and then pulled off a double steal to put runners at second and third with no one out. Bradham tied the game when he scored from third on a wild pitch, and Sluka advanced to third. Following a walk to Ryan Levine, Joe Barracato came in as a pinch runner at first base and promptly took Wildcats pitcher Bryan Sabatella out of his game. On the second throw over to try and catch Barracato napping, the ball got away and Sluka was able to come in with what turned out to be the game-winning run.
"He has a high leg kick, and we run well," Abruscato said of his Rams, who totaled five stolen bases. "But [in that situation,] we were just looking to stay out of the double play and force a turn at second base."
