Clarkstown Ekes Out a W Against Nanuet

The Clarkstown South Vikings needed the fabulous play of only two players Friday night in order to get their third win of the season.

Pitcher Luke Laclair and third baseman John Kukura combined for a spectacular performance in a 6-5 victory over the Nanuet Knights.

Laclair pitched 5 1/3 solid innings in which he gave up just one earned run and four hits, earning him the win. Kukura on the other hand racked up three RBIs and two runs scored. He went 3-4 on the night, coming up just a triple shy of the cycle, including a single in the first inning which led to a run scored when he reached home on a wild pitch. However, his biggest contribution came in the fourth inning, with his team down 4-2 when he launched a mammoth, 400-foot, three-run blast over the Rockland Bakery sign in left-center field. The colossal homer gave the Vikings a lead they would never relinquish after Laclair scored on Jack Kelly’s sacrifice fly later in the inning.

Kukura’s day looked like it was heading in the wrong direction in the opening frame when he booted a grounder that would have ended the inning. His error allowed Nanuet an extra opportunity and they took advantage when Matt Dillon smoked a triple into right-center field to give the Knights an early 3-0 lead. (Dillon scored on the play because of an overthrow by shortstop Anthony Morris.) But Kukura got the last laugh with his three hits and towering homer.

Chris Schutz shut the door in the seventh when he got John Vorwoert to line out to right field with the bases loaded to win the game for the Vikings.

Friday night’s victory for South was no doubt a team effort, but standout games for John Kukura and pitcher Luke Laclair helped them secure the come-from-behind W.