By: Ken Weingarner
After seeing his Monroe High baseball team put on a hitting performance unlike any other he had seen in recent memory in a 10-0 win over New Brunswick, coach Greg Beyer was feeling very good about his Falcons.
A week later, however, Beyer was scratching his head after Monroe dropped games against Carteret, 3-0, and Colts Neck, 10-6, to fall to 2-3 on the young season.
The Falcons pounded out nine extra-base hits, including a two-run homer by Mike Doros and a pair of triples by Anthony Viani, in their rout of New Brunswick. The game was halted after six innings because of the 10-run rule.
"There have been games where we’ve scored more runs, but (against New Brunswick) we hit the ball better than I can remember seeing," Beyer said. "When you get nine extra-base hits, that’s something. Then against Carteret it was the complete opposite. We struck out eight times. We had some chances early, but we couldn’t get a run in."
Scott Basarab got the win against New Brunswick, allowing two hits and no walks while striking out five. He faced the minimum 18 batters in the game as catcher Jarred Jimenez threw out the Zebras’ only two baserunners attempting to steal.
Jimenez had two hits, including a triple, three stolen bases, an RBI and scored three runs. Eddie Klecan also tripled and Nick Tauriello had an RBI single that preceded Doros’ homer in the first inning. A single down the line by Viani in the sixth would have gone for extra bases, but it plated the Falcons’ 10th run to end the contest.
Against Carteret, the Falcons’ thundering bats were silenced by Greater Middlesex Conference White Division all-star Will Negron, who gave up just two hits. Basarab again pitched well, yielding only one earned run.
"We made five errors and two of them hurt us," Beyer said. "We just didn’t come out with the same intensity that we had against New Brunswick. Carteret is a real good team and they threw their ace against us. Even if we didn’t make an error, we probably still lose, 1-0."
At Colts Neck on Wednesday, the Falcons saw their hosts take advantage of three walks and a hit batter to score five times in the second inning.
With the score 7-3 in the top of the fifth, Doros pulled Monroe within a run with a bases-loaded double. But Colts Neck regained momentum in the bottom of the frame by scoring on a walk, two stolen bases and a wild pitch.
Nick Alberino paced the Falcons’ attack with three hits in four at-bats.
Monroe knows it has an ace in Basarab, a White Division all-star last year, but the remainder of its starting rotation is going to have to step up now that the Falcons have lost pitchers Ryan Cushman and Mike Sweeney to injuries. Sweeney appears to have suffered torn cartilage in a knee during his first start of the season and is awaiting further word from doctors about his future.
"The real season starts now," Beyer said. "Everybody’s been throwing their No. 1 pitchers, and now you have to dig into your staff. Probably by the end of the week we’ll have to dig into our junior varsity staff to get some innings. We’re eating through our pitching depth."
Pitching will be a key factor as Monroe looks to remain competitive in the tough White Division. The Falcons played Sayreville yesterday and are scheduled to visit non-league Allentown on Saturday, a game that begins a string of six consecutive road games.
"Everybody’s good this year," Beyer said. "I don’t think New Brunswick has lost since we beat them. Everyone is going to knock each other off. You go out there and throw who you can and see how you fare. We’re grinding it out. We just have to continue to get better. And we’re going to get better. The big thing is we’re competitive in each game."

