EAST BRUNSWICK, NJ — Against a pitcher as good as Monroe's Rutgers University commit Ben Faigin, South Plainfield knew there was no margin for error.
And for 6 2/3 innings, Tigers' senior left-hander Aiden McCarthy matched Faigin zero for zero, if not strikeout for strikeout.
But ninth-seeded Monroe broke through for a two-out run in the top of the seventh inning and Faigin finished off a one-hitter with 13 strikeouts for a 1-0 victory over fifth-seeded South Plainfield in the semifinal round of the Jim Muldowney/Greater Middlesex Conference Tournament on Saturday.
South Plainfield (13-11) defeated Monroe (12-12) twice in the regular season, with McC
arthy gaining one of those victories, but the Tigers had not faced Faigin, a junior left-hander, until Saturday. He struck out the first five Tigers he faced before sophomore shortstop Anthony Cicenia lined a clean single over the second baseman's head with two out in the second inning for what turned out to be South Plainfield's only hit.
Freshman Gabe Garcia drew a walk after Cicenia's hit, but Faigin got out of the inning with a called strike three on a slider past South Plainfield's next batter — one of five lefty hitters the Tigers had in the batting order against southpaw Faigin.
"We barely put the ball in play today," South Plainfield head coach Scott Gleichenhaus said. "We faced a tough pitcher, and the only way to come out on top when all is said and done put the ball in play and make those guys make plays, and when we did put the ball in play, they made the plays. They made a couple of nice plays, the left fielder made a catch rolling over, and the second baseman against Dom. But their guy commanded the zone all day and we just couldn't connect, unfortunately. Pitching and defense win championships, and you just hope you get guys on base and scratch a couple runs across and the defense holds. We just couldn't get anybody on base today and get any breaks."
But South Plainfield's Rutgers-Newark commit McCarthy was up to the task of matching up with Monroe's Rutgers-New Brunswick commit Faigin. McCarthy, after giving up a ground single past his cleats and a walk to Monroe's first two batters of the game, escaped that first-inning threat with a strikeout and two popouts, then went on to allow a total of one run on six hits over seven innings with six strikeouts and one unintentional walk.
"That's happened a lot this year," McCarthy said of first-inning trouble in his starts, "but like my Mom always says, my thing is resilience. I battled through when there's people on base, and I knew there was a lot of game ahead of us, so I just tried to continue to do what my plan is, and they didn't score. I was kind of a little frustrated with the bat, and I took the energy out with me to the mound, and it helped me get through those middle innings with a lot of energy. In terms of swings and misses, I got more than usual with my fastball. Usually it's my changeup where I get those."
McCarthy got help from a South Plainfield defense that turned in several outstanding plays, notably by shortstop Cicenia, first baseman Andrew Bena, left fielder Ed Budzinski and right fielder Joe Stanzione.
But on those few occasions that South Plainfield was able to put the ball in play against Faigin, the Falcons also played championship level defense behind him, with catcher Justin Mangano, second baseman Mike Cinque and left fielder Alex Marcus shining in the field.
"I think he just got ahead (in the count) a lot, and then with him, someone throwing upper 80s to low 90s, when you're with two strikes, he can kind of do what he wants with you," McCarthy said of Faigin's dominance on the mound. "And I think we just got too deep in counts today."
Faigin has 68 strikeouts in 38 2/3 innings this season.
After Stanzione had made a diving catch in right field to rob Monroe's leadoff batter in the top of the seventh, Tyler Bacon lined a single over second baseman Garcia's head. Bacon stole second, but McCarthy struck out the next batter on an off-speed pitch, leaving him one out away from getting the Tigers to the bottom of the seventh still tied.
But Mangano, who had two of the six hits against McCarthy, sliced an opposite-field line drive that stayed inside the right-field foul line for an RBI double.
South Plainfield put together some good at-bats in the bottom of the seventh as Faigin's pitch count approached the 110 limit. Leadoff batter Chris Loniewski hit a line drive to left field, but Marcus denied him with a diving catch. Ed Budzinski hit the ball solidly but flied out to center. Cicenia followed with a walk, and he ended up on third base after a wild pitch and then a passed ball before Faigin got a strikeout on a 3-2 pitch to end the game.
Despite the loss, McCarthy (6-2) lowered his earned-run average on the season to 2.43. He has walked just nine batters in 49 innings this season.
"Aiden was Aiden. Aiden was awesome," Gleichenhaus said. "Their hitter in the seventh inning just put one over our first baseman's head, but the kid put a good swing on it, and sometimes you've got to tip your cap to the hitter. That was the difference in the game, one at-bat."
Monroe actually came into the tournament having lost eight of its last nine games, but the Falcons have knocked off three higher seeds — No. 8 Colonia, No. 1 Edison and No. 5 South Plainfield — to reach the final.
Monroe will play either third-seeded Old Bridge in next Saturday's GMCT championship game at Rutgers University.
MONROE (12-12) 000 000 1 – 1 6 0
SOUTH PLAINFIELD (13-11) 000 000 0 – 0 1 1
WP-Faigin (6-1, 1.27)
LP-McCarthy (6-2, 2.43)
Baseball: Rutgers Commit Faigin One-Hits South Plainfield; Monroe Advances Past Tigers, 1-0, in GMC Tournament Semifinal | South Plainfield, NJ News TAPinto | TAPinto
Faigin’s one-hit gem, Mangano’s double in 7th send Monroe past South Plainfield in GMCT semifinals
When the last swing-and-a-miss on Monroe starting pitcher Ben Faigin’s 13th strikeout Saturday ended the GMC Tournament’s first semifinal of the day, he threw his glove up in the air, partying like it was 2017, or maybe 2015.
2015 was the last time the Falcons won the GMC Tournament , and 2017 was the last time they made it to the title game.
Now, they’re back in it, and will play next Saturday at 2 pm in the GMC’s Jim Muldowney Tournament final at Rutgers’ Bainton Field in Piscataway against the winner of today’s second semifinal between two-seed Middlesex and third-seed Old Bridge.
And the win was not just thanks to Faigin, but also to his catcher James Mangano, who besides calling and backstopping a fantastic game for his senior, Rutgers-bound starter, delivered a two-out double in the top of the seventh inning to drive in center fielder Tyler Bacon, who’d reached on a one-out single.
A pitchers’ duel all the way, Faigin and South Plainfield’s Aiden McCarthy were cruising, even though McCarthy nearly gave Monroe a lead in the top of the first. Mangano led off with a second-pitch single, and McCarthy walked – maybe pitched around? – Fagin, hitting .522 entering the game. But he got a strikeout, pop out and fly out to end the inning, the biggest threat by either team until the seventh.
And after Monroe took the 1-0 lead, South Plainfield still had a chance in its final at bat, with Faigin only having 15 pitches to work with before hitting the 110 limit. With two out, Anhtony CIcenia walked, bringing up freshman second baseman Gabe Garcia.
He worked a 3-2 count, and during that, Cicenia stole second on a pitch that went to the backstop, but came quickly back to Mangano. Cicenia beat the throw, overslid the base, but it was ruled he got back in time to avoid another tag.
But Faigin bore down and got the strikeout, sending Monroe to the GMC title game.
Faigin’s one-hit gem, Mangano’s double in 7th send Monroe past South Plainfield in GMCT semifinals – Central Jersey Sports Radio
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Monroe (12-12)
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South Plainfield (13-11)
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WP: Ben Faigin LP: Aiden McCarthySouth Plainfield Batting
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