Rocks continue late-inning magic

Most successful baseball teams have an identity. Some have dominant pitching, some rely on power hitting, and others get runners across the plate by playing small ball. The East Rockaway Rocks are not outstanding in any of those categories, but they are gaining a reputation as a team that thrives in the clutch.

Senior Danny’s McClure’s two-run single in the bottom of the seventh inning capped off a four-run rally Monday to give the host Rocks a 7-6 baseball win over Wheatley. Three of East Rockaway’s four conference victories have seen the Rocks pull out a win in their final at bat. McClure pitched a scoreless seventh to earn the win in relief.

Coach Dan Vito likes his team’s ability to fight back. “Sometimes it takes us a few innings to figure a pitcher out, but eventually we break through,” Vito said. “We haven’t put together a complete game yet, but we never feel like we’re out of it. Because of a few key injuries, we’ve asked guys to step into roles that they didn’t plan on having at the beginning of the season. For the most part, they’re getting it done.”

Wheatley held a 6-3 lead as the game went to the bottom of the seventh, and starting pitcher Lambert Chu was throwing a gem. After a one-out triple by David McClure scored Michael Lores, a single by Sean Bohan got East Rockaway (4-2 in Conference BC, 5-3 overall) within a run.

A fielding error by Wheatley put two Rocks in scoring position with one out, setting the stage for the game winner. Danny McClure drove a 1-2 pitch through the hole between short and third to score Bohan and Billy Humes with the tying and winning runs. 

In the series opener against Wheatley, junior pitcher Eddie Carneglia allowed just one run and one hit while striking out 10 over six strong innings as the Rocks beat the Wildcats 8-4. 

Carneglia (2-0) also earned the win in a game that needed an extra inning at Malverne. With the scored tied at 4, David McClure, who has hit safely in all eight games, led off the top of the eighth inning by clearing the right field fence. Danny McClure added an RBI single to give the Rocks an insurance run. Carneglia shut down the Mules in the bottom of the eighth to earn his first varsity win.

Seven innings wasn’t enough to decide the second game of the series. With East Rockaway trailing 10-9, Lores smacked a two-run single with two outs in the bottom of the eighth to give the Rocks the win. 

The Rocks welcome in undefeated Oyster Bay on Monday at 4:30 p.m.