By: Lance Manion
The Monroe High School softball team has officially hit its stride.
After opening the 2006 season with a disappointing 3-5 record, including a 2-4 mark in Greater Middlesex Conference White Division play, the Falcons have gone 8-4 since, including a 5-3 mark in the White. The surge not only lifted Monroe into contention to snag a high seed for the upcoming GMC Tournament the seeding meeting is scheduled for this Monday, with first-round action beginning two days later but it rocketed the team straight into the state playoffs.
Thanks to a 10-1 win over North Brunswick and a 16-0 drubbing of Cardinal McCarrick last week, the Falcons earned the requisite .500 record by the cutoff deadline and officially qualified for the NJSIAA Central Jersey Group III tournament, slated to begin in late May.
Causes for the turnaround can’t be pinpointed to one player or one trend. The Falcons have won games with offensive punch (7-5 over Metuchen, 6-5 over Carteret) but also with strong pitching and defense (3-0 over Howell) over the past month. They have fought from behind to win games at times, and they’ve built early leads at others. They’ve produced extra-base hits in droves, but also proved they can play small ball.
Freshman pitcher Andrea Carinni, sophomore pitcher Carly Keane, junior catcher Mai’Lee Paselio, and senior second baseman Lisa Varacallo have been equally instrumental in the team’s success.
One thing is certain, however: Monroe’s 7-0 win on May 3 over J.F. Kennedy, which is highly regarded as one of the top teams in the county and state, was a statement game.
The Mustangs had won nine of their previous 10 games heading into that day, and had not allowed more than four runs all season (they hadn’t even allowed more than two runs in 15 of 16 prior contests). Kennedy won the first meeting between the two teams by a score of 6-0.
Keane earned the win that afternoon, holding one of the top lineups in the county to three hits, while her Falcons teammates banged out 10 hits of their own, scoring four times in the first inning and never looking back. Both Paselio and teammate Lindsey Curran hit triples.
The Mustangs (18-3) are set to earn a top-five seed in the GMC Tournament. The Falcons likely won’t have that luxury, but will enter the event knowing they can compete with any team they are due to face.
