By: Ken Weingartner
Last week, after the Monroe High baseball team fell to 2-3 with a loss at Colts Neck, a team that was coming off a 10-run setback one day earlier, coach Greg Beyer let his Falcons know in no uncertain terms he thought they weren’t playing to their potential.
Beyer’s words, apparently, had a great impact on the players.
Monroe erupted for seven first-inning runs the next day in posting a 7-2 win over Sayreville.
"We wanted to take charge and get the win for that game," junior Eddie Klecan said. "Scoring seven runs in the first inning was a big stride. We had a lot of confidence and effort. The speech helped us."
Klecan and Mike Doros both drove in a pair of runs for Monroe in the opening inning. Staff ace Scott Basarab tossed six scoreless innings in getting the win.
"We were ready to go," Doros said. "Coach even said after the game that he guessed his talk did something. We were frustrated. We know we’re a better team than what we showed, and that’s what he was upset about."
Beyer’s speech not only produced results, it’s an indication of how expectations have changed for the Falcons. Monroe won a total of eight games over the previous two seasons while playing mostly underclassmen. This is the year the squad should reap the benefits of seeing those youngsters mature.
"I think we can beat anybody in the county; I know we can," Doros said. "It just depends how good we play. Sometimes we don’t bring out our best game. That’s mainly our problem. It’s tough for us because it’s our first year of being a solid team. We’re learning to win.
"Last year and the year before, we didn’t get much learning to win. I think mainly it’s going to be us having the mindset that we can win all the games and knowing we can win. We just have to realize that and play like that. All the talent is there; we just have to utilize it."
Monroe followed its win over Sayreville with a 10-5 victory over Allentown, a non-conference opponent from Monmouth County. Anthony Viani had two hits and two RBI while Marc Povlosky pitched five strong innings, striking out five, to get the triumph. Povlosky also had a two-run triple.
The Falcons saw their bid for a third straight win end with a controversy-filled 11-4 defeat Tuesday to Colonia. The Patriots scored eight runs in a wild second inning that saw Basarab ejected from the game. Basarab hit a Colonia batter with a pitch with the bases loaded, but Monroe argued the player had swung at the pitch. Nonetheless, the umpires awarded first base to the batter, forcing in the Patriots’ first run.
"I don’t know if Scott said something because I was in the outfield, but they threw him out of the game," Klecan said. "That’s when all the chaos started to happen. I think it might have knocked us down. We tried to get back in the game, but it was hard after the second inning. Sometimes, stuff like that happens.
"But I think it’s just going to make us stronger as a team. We’re just going to strive harder to win the next one, to put a ‘W’ up."
Doros and Jarred Jimenez each hit two-run homers against Colonia for the Falcons, who were 4-4 entering yesterday’s game against North Brunswick.
"If we lose a game, it’s always a tough loss," Doros said. "The guys here really care and want to play well. That’s what will keep us going. We know (Sayreville) is a good team. That showed us what we could do."
