Lefties lead Calhoun over Carey

It must've looked like a mirror image to Carey -- that seemingly endless stream of lefties stationed atop the Calhoun lineup and another, perhaps slightly less familiar one, on the mound.

The visiting Colts, after all, have been working without ace righthander Joe Christopher. Thomas Viverito, the southpaw taking the hill, a starter-turned-reliever-turned-starter again, turned out to be an equally unwelcome sight.

As for that lineup? It was a one-through-five lefty contingent, led by Jake Thomas and switch hitter Robbie Rosen, that notched six of Calhoun's eight hits on its way to a 6-3 win in a Nassau Conference AA-III baseball game Thursday.

"Having five kids at the top of the lineup who can bat lefthanded is crazy," said Thomas, who went 2-for-3 with two RBIs, two runs and a walk. "We have a good offense. Everyone is willing to step up at any time."

Few things showcased that better than the third inning when the Colts (6-0) scored three times to break a 2-2 tie. Frank Trimarco and Thomas walked to lead off the inning, and Rosen laced a ground-rule double to score Trimarco. Viverito added a long RBI double to right-center. One out later, Alex Ras singled to left for the third run of the frame.

The top five spots combined for all six runs and four of the team's five RBIs against Carey righthander Ron Licciardi. Carey is 3-3.

"It gives us a little bit of an advantage because we face mostly righthanded pitchers," Calhoun coach Joe Correa said. "Whether they're lefty or righty, they all swing the bats real nice."

SEE PHOTOSCalhoun 6, Carey 3

Offensive production hasn't been the problem for Calhoun, which has outscored league opponents 36-10. The bigger question was what to do without Christopher, the St. John's-bound senior who is suffering from a coldness in his shoulder, the coach said

Christopher (5-1, 1.18 ERA last season) is expected to return to the rotation any day, but Calhoun has had to do without him so far this season.

Cue Viverito, who, with his drifting fastball and looping curve, has proved a more than capable No. 3. He's 3-0, and has been bolstered by Trimarco and Alex Vagas ahead of him in the rotation.

He allowed two earned runs on six hits with three walks in the complete game.

"There's more adrenaline [involved] when you pitch in relief," Viverito said. "But we have a lot of people on our team that can step up and play. We're former county champions. We have a lot of talent. We know how to play the game."

Turns out, big injury or not, these kids are all right.