Frank Ettinger - SOUTH AMBOY (July 22, 2011) - The Monmouth Monarchs found the magic for some late inning heroics to eke their way past a hard charging Middlesex Rays team. In a game that was the polar opposite of the 18-0 blowout the day before, the Monarchs and Rays swapped leads six times over the course of the game.

In a matchup between two starters with solid command of the strike zone, it took until the third inning before a run was scored. The Rays were first on the board as Austin Tomaszewicz hit a leadoff double, moved to third on a base hit, and scored when a teammate hit into a double play. The 1-0 lead was very short lived. In the top of the fourth the Monarchs bounded ahead with a single, a mishandled bunt, and an error that gave them a 2-1 lead.

This deficit did not sit well with they Rays, so they rectified the situation fortwith, posting two runs in the bottom of the fourth to once again go ahead, this time with a 3-2 lead. A hit batsman and a walk set up a sacrifice to put two runners in scoring postion, and after a groundout, Drew Obergfall delivered with a two-run single. This crisp offensive execution gave the Rays a lead they would hold until the seventh inning.

Meanwhile, starting pitchers Brandon Yarusi and John Torregroza each turned in admirable work. Neither would wind up as pitchers of record due to a late inning turn of events, but both had decent line scores at the end of the day. Yarusi pitched 6.1 innings allowing seven hits, three runs, and struck out 5 Rays hitters. Torregroza pitched 6.2 innings, allowing six hits, four runs, and struck out 8. Each pitcher only allowed one walk.

The top of the seventh started innocently, with a pop fly to first base. But singles from Joe O’Connor, Will Mooney, and Anthony Packer drove Torregroza from the game and again gave the Monarchs the lead, this time they were up 4-3.

As had always been the case in this game, the Rays had an answer.  In the eighth inning, the Rays used a combination of clever managerial decisions and hits to make the most of the Monarchs mistakes.  After righty David Schilling had sliced through three straight hitters inducing weak popouts, Rays coach John O’Neill came up with a plan to get him removed from the game.  Seeing lefty Jon Cohen warming up for the Monarchs he sent the left-handed hitting Kyle Aldrich into the on deck circle to see if he could get the Monarchs to react.  The Monarchs did, bringing in Cohen for what they thought was the favorable lefty-lefty matchup, but O’Neill pulled Aldrich back into the dugout and allowed righty Jay Stolz to face the left handed pitcher. The ploy worked as Stolz hit a single to start a rally.  The Rays came back into the dugout having turned the tables for a 6-4 lead with only three outs standing between them from tieing the series at one game apiece.

Tom Goulian led off the inning for the Monarchs by striking out, then L.K. Thompson popped a short fly behind second base where shortstop Paul Nyitray gloved it for the second out.  The situation was primed to force a game three, but Joe O’Connor singled to keep the game alive for the Monarchs.  Reliever Connor Carr, who had just retired six straight hitters before this, suddenly lost the strike zone and walked the next two hitters. Anthony Packer than came through with the clutch moment of the game, a single that brought all runners around to score, in part thanks to an overthrow that went to the backstop on the relay to the plate.  Joey Babuca brought Packer home with a double to left, and when the stunned Rays jaunted back to the dugout the score was now 8-6 in favor of the Monarchs.

Drew Obergfall, who had collected two big hits in his previous at bats, smashed a long fly ball deep to center but Babuca raced back to record the first out.  Kyle Alderich pinch hit for real this time, and drew a walk, but closer Tom Cole shut the door and preserved the two-run lead by striking out the final two hitters.

Thus ended the season for the Rays.  Their players will return to there respective colleges hopefully having learned new skills, made new friends, and with better preperation for what lies ahead.  For the Monarchs the season will continue for at least another round in these playoffs, matching up next against the winner of the Protocall Starz and NJ Marlins series. Check back with the ABCCL web site for details on where and when the next round will be played.