Franklin Ettinger  HOLMDEL, NJ (July 17, 2011) - Willie Mays Hayes: “Don’t you guys go anywhere. I plan to put on a hitting display.” – Major League (1989)

Any hitter would have been proud of the hitting display that manifested itself Sunday at St. John Vianney High School. The Monmouth Monarchs creamed the Langan Falcons for a 16-3 score in the first game of the Sunday twin bill, but were themselves mashed in a 12-9 slugfest in the second game. 

The Monarch bats simply dominated in the first game. The Falcons came out swinging, scoring two in the first and another in the third, but this hot start left them with a 3-2 heading to the bottom of the fourth – which is where the Monarch hitters hit their stride. 

The Monarchs truly put the hurt on Falcons pitching in the fourth, scoring eight runs as fourteen hitters came to the plate to give them a 10-3 lead. Joe Babuca (Delaware State University; hometown Camden, DE) had two of the eight singles featured in the fourth-inning hit parade but up and down the order the whole team was producing.

With one out in the fifth inning Austin Catherina (Greensboro College; hometown Hopewell, NJ) was left as the only Monarch in the lineup who had yet to get a hit. Catherina responded by ripping a three-run shot to put the Monarchs ahead 15-3.  When the game ended the score was 16-3.

Six of the Monarchs starters had posted multi-hit games. Jon Cohen (Bryant University; hometown Norwalk, CT) was 4 for 4 and scored four runs (and would go 7-for-8 on the day). Matt Ray (Davidson College; hometown Long Valley, NJ) was 3 for 3 scoring twice and reaching in an additional trip on a walk. It had been an offensive explosion to behold.

Starting the second game it seemed as though the Monarchs might just keep on going. In the first inning Joe O’Connor (Kean University; hometown Wharton, NJ) launched a two-run bomb to give his team a 2-0 lead. In the second inning catcher Jon Scott kept the momentum alive with an opposite-field blast to put the Monarchs on top 4-0. But this time the Falcons would bring some punch of their own.

The Falcons responded with four runs in the 3rd to briefly tie the score at 4-4. The Falcons, though, really turned it on in the 5th inning when they brought 12 hitters to the plate, scoring eight runs – capped by a three-run double from outfielder Craig Sweeney (Monmouth University; hometown Red Bank, NJ). With the inning over the score now stood at 12-5 in favor of the Falcons.

Joe O’Connor, who had been on the mound for the Monarchs during the fifth, sought to help his team overcome the deficit saying; “Now I’ll need to hit two grand slams to make up for it.” As the day had gone this did not sound as far-fetched as it appears in print – but even though the Monarch would post another four runs the grand slams were not forthcoming and the final was a 12-9 Falcons victory.  

Fans of both teams are encouraged to attend the 2011 ABCCL All-Stars vs State Troopers game to be held at First Energy Park, home of the Lakewood Blueclaws on July 31 (7 pm start time). The game will be a good chance to see how the best of the league faces up to New Jersey’s ‘finest,’ and is a fundraiser for the ABCCL’s official charity Camp Quality NJ (http://www.campqualitynj.org/).

Also on the docket for ABCCL fans will be the annual ABCCL DreamMakers All-Star game which will feature a pregame tryout for major league scouts, game to be played August 1 at the home of the Trenton Thunder (3 pm start for scouts workout, 5 pm for the game). Information and directions for these games are available on the league website or ABCCL facebook events page.