Championship Bound: Colts Rally Back Against Carey to Punch Ticket to County Finals

The Calhoun baseball team surely has a flare for the dramatic. 

On two occasions in the seventh inning Tuesday evening, the Colts were down to their last strike, but Robbie Rosen doubled, and then Frank Trimarco laced a two-run single to tie the game. Ryan Kass lined an RBI double in the eighth to seal the deal in a 4-3 victory for the Colts over Carey to sweep the best-of-three Class AA semifinal.

"The kids kept fighting hard," Calhoun coach Mike Marino said. "We came up with some clutch hits, and I was very impressed with that."

The Colts (18-5) looked like they were going to be on fire offensively from the start. Kass hit a one-out single to left that was mishandled, and he ended up on second. Jake Thomas singled, and that put runners on first and third with one out. Thomas headed toward second, and the throw was wild, and that allowed Kass to score.

"Jake did a nice job of making something happen," Marino said. "You never know how things are going to go."

From that moment on, Carey starting pitcher John Daddino mowed down the Colts. That is...until the seventh inning.

Carey tied the game against Trimarco in the bottom of the second when Harry Smith singled in Al Gentile, who had walked to lead off the inning. But Trimarco came up big in stranding two runners on base after that, and he made a habit of doing that throughout the evening.

The game remained 1-1 until the bottom of the fifth when Carey's Anthony Licata executed a perfect suicide squeeze play to score Kyle Demeo from third. Carey would try to repeat that in the bottom of the sixth, but Calhoun sniffed it out.

Carey was able to add insurance in the sixth when Gentile stroked a bomb to left center, and it looked like the series was going to be tied at one game apiece.

But not so fast.

Daddino's biggest mistake of the night came with one out in the top of the seventh inning when he plunked Kass. After Thomas was retired for the second out, Rosen came up, and that's when things got interesting. Rosen hit two foul pop ups that were catchable, and neither was handled, and then Rosen smashed a ground ruled double to keep the game alive.

"We definitely got a couple of breaks," Marino said. "But that's definitely part of the game."

Rosen felt fortunate as well.

"I just kept my hands inside the ball," Rosen said. "I was able to fight it off down the line, and it rolled out of play."

Trimarco then laced a single to left center to score two runs, and that sent the game to extra innings.

"I had a good battle at the plate," Trimarco said. "I got one good pitch to drive up the middle, and I was successful with it."

Then Joe Saladino took over on the mound, and he was absolutely splendid. Saladino pitched two scoreless innings and didn't allow a run. He also struck out three. Saladino earned the win in relief, and he loves the situation his team is currently in.

"It feels good," Saladino said. "I love to come in for the pressure situation. That's when I do my best."

In the top of the eighth, Dan Sullivan singled to get things started for the Colts, and the ball skipped by Mike Marino. Sullivan ended up on third, and Carey brought the infield in, and that's when Kass launched a game-winning RBI double off of the fence. Saladino took care of the rest in the bottom half, and Calhoun clinched a trip to the finals.

"I was looking fastball," Kass said. "I was able to put the bat on the ball, and I'm happy I did so."

Daddino pitched unbelievably for Carey, as he struck out 13 batters in six and two-thirds innings.

"He's one of the best pitchers in the league," Marino said of Daddino.  "He pitched great."

Calhoun now prepares for game one of the county championship series against top-seeded MacArthur (20-3) next Monday at noon at Farmingdale State University.  Calhoun dropped both regular season matchups with the Generals, but the Colts remain optimistic heading into the series.

"I think as long as we hit we can win," Rosen said. "Most of time people say pitching and defense are key, but when it comes to MacArthur, we need to hit."