By: Sean Richards
It’s past the point of will the Monroe Township High School softball team will have a monster season. It’s now a matter of how truly great this campaign will be when all is said and finished.
Although it lost its second game of the year over the last week when it dropped a one-run heartbreaker to state-ranked JFK of Iselin, the Falcons also won three more. This leaves the team with a record of 14-2 and primed for the upcoming Greater Middlesex Conference and state tournaments.
How good has Monroe been to date?
Consider the fact the team has given up only 19 runs in 16 games and has often stomped the opposition such as Tuesday’s twin killing of North Brunswick, 10-0, and Spotswood, 9-0.
"When you’ve allowed just 19 runs in that many games, you’ll probably win a game or two," said coach Keith Hudek with a chuckle. "We’ve given up the least amount of runs of anyone in the county."
It all starts with the pitching, where Carly Keane has been lights out. Against Spotswood, Keane cranked up a one-hitter – the lone hit was an infield blooper – and struck out a whopping 15.
"She’s only a junior and just keeps getting better," said Hudek of Keane, who was clocked around 60 mph earlier in the season and can fire her heater even a little higher on a good day.
"Carly also mixes up her speeds very well. She’s got a great change and a hard curveball that can really be hard to hit when it’s on."
Although Keane handles the bulk of the pitching, her sophomore backup Theresa Paradise can hold her own. Paradise got the ball against North Brunswick and responded with a two-hitter. At one point in this game she extended her string of no-hit innings to 11.
Also in the North Brunswick game, standout senior catcher Mai’Lee Paselio went 3-for-3 with a home run, double and three RBIs. Paselio came into the game hitting over .500 and has been pounding the ball with authority all year long.
Among the other players who has also been making quite an impression is junior shortstop Lindsey Curran. After batting .405 a year ago, Curran got off to a slow start in the first eight games. But since then she’s had more hits than Elvis and has raised her average to .395.
Getting back to the Kennedy of Iselin game, it was a nine-inning classic before the home team prevailed, 3-2, to run its winning streak to 15 straight. Monroe, which has lost only to the Iselin team this year, took a short-lived 2-1 lead in the ninth when Curran led off with a double and scored on a two-out single by freshman Courtney Baron.
Also from last week, Monroe bashed Colonia, 10-0. Keane hurled a one-hitter, while Curran doubled twice and drove in a run, and Paselio and Kelsey Schobert each had two RBIs.
Monroe was to have played Colonia Wednesday and Carteret yesterday.
The GMC seeding will be held Monday night and Monroe will probably go off as the third seed behind JFK and Bishop Ahr. The GMCs start Wednesday with outbracket games, which will not include Monroe. That means the Falcons will play their GMC opener a week from tomorrow.
Monroe will also get a very good seed in the Central Jersey Group III Tournament. The No. 1 seed right now looks like Wall, but the Falcons have a good shot at No. 2 if they beat Colonia and Carteret.
