Postgame interview with JJ Palumbo who went 3-for-4 with the go-ahead 2-R double in the 3-1 victory for Clarke pic.twitter.com/Rn6rnlCJtW
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) May 29, 2022
Sometimes when you face an ace, you have to tip your cap and hope to bounce back the next day. Other times, you can overcame a late game deficit with a clutch, two-run double to steal a playoff game and go up 1-0 in a best-of-three.
Fortunately for the Clarke Rams, it was the latter. They were trailing 1-0 against Calhoun with ace and Diamond Award favorite Brian Chin on the mound. After squandering plenty of opportunities throughout the game including getting a runner thrown out at the plate in the 1st inning, they were able to pull through in a big way in the sixth inning. Designated hitter JJ Palumbo (3-for-4), who joined the team in April, ripped a two-run double down the left field line to give the Rams a 3-1 lead. They had tied the game up just before that on an RBI single by Nick Giardino. It was the type of late game heroics you expect from a team like Clarke who have routinely played high-intensity games and won the County Championship in 2019 while just coming up short last season against Island Trees.
Here is the go-ahead hit by Palumbo. Clarke is 3 outs away and have ace Sean Welsh warming up pic.twitter.com/8KYITmI95B
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) May 29, 2022
Their starting pitcher was Nick Berasti, a hard-throwing sophomore who allowed just a first inning sac fly but was able to settle down and keep Calhoun off the scoreboard despite some traffic on the bases during the game. One brief scare was in the sixth when Charlie Imhof launched one to dead center and it was caught on the warning track to end the inning. The fence at Farmingdale State College is about 390. In most high school parks, that’s a game-tying blast. He allowed just two hits but walked five and struck out none. He was able to get the ball to senior ace Sean Welsh who fired a scoreless seventh inning to lock down the save.
Clarke lost their first playoff game against Mepham, 6-5, and since then has turned on a switch. They are now 7-2 in the postseason including a grueling semifinals against MacArthur in which they lost the first game of that series as well. They have played their best baseball in the most crucial moments.
They will look to seal the County Championship today at Farmingdale State College. First pitch is scheduled for 2pm and they will likely have ace Welsh available to start. They will also hope they have first baseman Justin Rindner available who was drilled in the helmet with a fastball and exited the game.
