No. 5 Monroe goes on the attack early, hangs on to stun state-ranked Red Bank Catholic, 5-2, in Autism Awareness Challenge; plus all weekend Challenge scores

Monroe head coach Sean Field knew what kind of challenge his Falcons would be in for when they picked up Red Bank Catholic for their Autism Awareness Challenge game this weekend at North Brunswick’s Community Park.

What he didn’t know is that his team would enter the weekend having lost four of their last five games, coming off a two-game sweep at the hands of Woodbridge.

They got back on the right track with an 8-4 win at St. Thomas Aquinas Saturday, then got thrown a curve when a rainy forecast moved their game with the Caseys to Mannino Park in Old Bridge.

But on the way to the game, Field said to his assistant, “You know, if we could get up on these guys early…”

Turns out, that’s just what they did.

The Falcons – who are 7-4, and the No. 5 team in the Bellamy & Son Paving Top 10 – scored five times in the top of the first, then hung on til the seventh, when starting pitcher Aadi Shah allowed two runs on a two-out single. But he got out of it, and the Falcons hung on for a 5-2 win over the perennial state power Caseys, who were ranked No. 18 in the state Top 20 heading in.

After a leadoff walk, a double, and a strikeout to start the game, Alex Marcus made it 1-0 with a single. Ben Faigin, who’d doubled, scored on a passed ball for the second run. Michael Cinque doubled for the third. Matt Linke scored on a dropped third strike to Rob Profaci to make it 4-0, and Christian Luciani drove in the last run on a sac fly to right.

That was all the scoring until the seventh, when Red Bank Catholic (6-2) loaded the bases with one out via a double, single and a six-pitch walk. After Shah got a swinging strikeout for the second out, Luke Lonczak singled to right field, plating two, but Shah then got Charlie Stumberger to ground out to second.

Now, the Falcons are back on a two-game win streak, with St. Thomas Aquinas coming down to Monroe Tuesday to finish their two-game GMC Red Division set.

Click below for postgame reaction from Monroe head coach Sean Field with Central Jersey Sports Radio’s Mike Pavlichko:

Here’s the weekend roundup of baseball scores from the Autism Awareness Challenge:

THURSDAY:

• Roselle Park 10, Bound Brook 3
• South Amboy 22, Rahway 10
• Scotch Plains-Fanwood 13, East Brunswick 3
• Piscataway Magnet 17, East Brunswick Magnet 6

FRIDAY:

• Middlesex 11, Voorhees 12
• Rutgers Prep 17, Union Catholic 10
• Spotswood 5, Somerville 4
• Delbarton 11, Randolph 10

SATURDAY:

• Barnegat 11, JP Stevens 1
• South Plainfield 4, Millburn 2
• Sparta 9, Steinert 3
• Ramapo 15, Holy Spirit 6
• Jackson Twp. 10, Livingston 4
• South River 14, Weehawken 2
• Carteret 13, North Brunswick 0
• Metuchen 8, South Brunswick 3

SUNDAY:

• Monroe 5, Red Bank Catholic 2
• St. Joseph-Metuchen 7-6
• Sayreville vs. Mainland (called in 3rd inning due to rain)
• Gloucester Catholic 8, Governor Livingston 7
• Columbia 10, Edison 4
• Gill St. Bernard’s vs. Notre Dame, 4 pm
• Westfield 4, Old Bridge 3
• St. Thomas Aquinas vs. Oratory Prep, 7 pm