by Tucker Terranova
(Photo: Catherine Scarantino)
Nick Berasti delivered a performance for the ages today for Clarke. He broke down what worked for him in a postgame interview with Axcess Baseball. pic.twitter.com/NxseFThmYA
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) May 28, 2024
In the bottom of the seventh inning, with the bases loaded and one out, the Clarke Rams fell just short of stealing a win, losing the first game of their best-of-three series against the Wantagh Warriors by a narrow 4-3 margin, facing the brink of elimination.
Such a devastating playoff loss might have broken most teams, but Clarke’s dugout remained resilient.
They bounced back in Game 2 with a decisive 7-3 victory, setting the stage for a thrilling Game 3 that was the only fitting way to conclude this back-and-forth series.
Senior pitcher Nick Berasti, who took the mound for Clarke in this afternoon’s decisive game, was confident his team would stay locked in, citing Clarke’s history on this stage.
Top 6: Wantagh 0 | Clarke 5
Nick Berasti works out of a bases loaded, one out jam.
His line so far:
6 IP, 0 R, 4 H, 5 K, 1 BB, 87 pitches pic.twitter.com/XscLWqZs1v
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) May 28, 2024
“Being in three county championships, it’s been hard,” Berasti shared with Axcess Baseball after
the game. “I knew this team would back me up, and I was confident in them.”
A team that prides itself on timely hitting, aggressive baserunning, and clutch pitching, the Clarke Rams checked off each of those boxes today. Seven of the nine starters reached base, the offense delivered repeatedly, and Berasti pitched a complete game, leading Clarke to a 5-0 shutout victory and their first championship since 2019 in a brisk 1 hour and 46 minutes.
Wantagh starter Paul Fontana immediately worked himself into trouble in the bottom of the first, plunking Giancarlo Rengifo and issuing free passes to AJ Cumbo and Matthew Kurz on eight consecutive balls, loading the bases for Dylan Vikara with nobody out.
Vikara, the hero in Game 2 with a 3-hit, 4 RBI performance, roped a line drive to medium-depth center field. Although Jack Tate tracked it down, it was deep enough to score Rengifo, giving Clarke a 1-0 lead.
The first hit of the afternoon came in the bottom of the third courtesy of a hard-hit single to left field from Rengifo. Cumbo followed suit, perfectly executing a hit-and-run that landed mere inches past the reach of Wantagh first baseman Gavin Diegnan.
Vikara ensured Clarke wouldn’t leave the inning without some insurance, staying red-hot with an RBI double off the left-field fence. Fontana’s control struggles continued as Jaret Sarrantonio followed with a bases-loaded walk, giving Clarke a 3-0 advantage through three innings.
On the flip side, Berasti was sensational in the early going, holding Wantagh hitless through the first 3.2 innings.
“All my pitches were working well throughout the game, but especially early on I leaned on my sinker,” Berasti said.
Pitching on two days’ rest after starting in Game 1, Berasti twirled a gem for the Rams.
“I came into this game with the same mentality I had in the first game,” Berasti said. “I felt great and wanted to do whatever I had to today.”
The senior right-hander, who will be taking his talents to St. Thomas Aquinas this fall, went the distance for Clarke with a complete game shutout on 99 pitches. He surrendered five hits, issued one free pass, and struck out five, earning himself the win.
Looking to support their ace’s efforts, the Rams’ offense kept the foot on the gas in the bottom of the fourth.
Bottom 4: Wantagh 0 | Clarke 5
Giancarlo Rengifo ropes an RBI triple and scores on the throwing error pic.twitter.com/QiGQjOmUBa
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) May 28, 2024
James Beckworth kickstarted the inning with an infield single on a swinging bunt. Rengifo followed by crushing Fontana’s offering off the left-center field wall, narrowly missing a home run. However, it wouldn’t matter as Rengifo came around to score on the play after a throwing error by shortstop Ryan Conigliaro, extending Clarke’s lead to five.
Wantagh manager Keith Sachs had seen enough from Fontana and turned the ball over to Will Windisch after three innings of work from the right-hander.
Wantagh’s best chance of cutting into Clarke’s lead came in the top of the sixth. Tommy Wunderlich kicked off the rally with a single, followed by a double down the left-field line from Jack Tate, barely escaping the diving reach of Rengifo. Fontana wore Berasti’s offering off the elbow guard, bringing up Ryan Tullo with the bases loaded and one away.
Keeping with the theme of today’s action, Berasti rose to the occasion, thwarting Wantagh’s comeback efforts by emphatically striking out Tullo and Conigliaro, holding the Warriors scoreless through six innings and energizing a Clarke dugout that was now only three outs away from a dogpile.
Even with 87 pitches recorded, it was no surprise when Berasti emerged from the Rams’ dugout to finish the job in the seventh.
Berasti kicked off the inning by inducing soft ground balls to second base and shortstop, retiring the first two batters easily.
Facing Cole Spinelli, Wantagh’s last hope, Berasti once again forced a weak grounder to the second baseman.
By the time Vikara secured the final out at first, a stampede of Rams emerged from the bench, dogpiling their pitcher and commencing the celebration.
Next up for Clarke is the Long Island Class A Championship Game against Kings Park on June 1st at Middle Country Athletic Complex. First pitch is slated for 11 am.
