Monroe right-hander Miguel Reyes dropped his glove after the final out was recorded and pumped his fists. Teammates mobbed him on the mound as the home crowd roared its approval, screaming until they were horse and making noise with an assortment of drums and bullhorns.
The seventh-seeded Eagles had only won a PSAL Class A second-round matchup over No. 23 Bryant, blasting their way to a 9-4 victory. The quarterfinals have rarely been a cause for celebration in Mike Turo’s three-decade-long tenure. Yet, as the longtime coach has repeatedly said, this isn’t a typical Monroe team.
This was his youngest group ever, with just two seniors starters, shortstop Luis Santini and second baseman Ramger Igelsias. His most productive run producer, catcher Braian Angelista, was lost to academic ineligibility a month ago. And his top pitcher, Ricky Parra, hasn’t toed the rubber for three weeks because of forearm soreness.
“People think because we’re a young team we can’t do what past Monroe teams did,” junior Randy Perez said. “But I believe we can do the same things past teams did.”
They’ve proven it on the field.
Monroe still won PSAL Bronx A East and is back in the final eight after a two-year absence. It will face No. 2 Grand Street in the quarterfinals on Tuesday. The Wolves beat Monroe in its host tournament in extra innings.
“We’re excited to see Grand Street again,” Perez said.
Friday’s two key contributors – Reyes and Perez – weren’t even on the team last year. Perez landed at Monroe this fall from Morris after receiving a safety transfer and Reyes was nearly cut in the fall.
“It was a big choice,” Perez said of leaving Morris. “I had family in this school and I feel safe here. When I got an opportunity to play baseball for this team, my eyes opened up to a whole new world. … Playing for Monroe is my dream. It’s like a kid from The Bronx getting to play ball for the Yankees.”
The two have emerged this spring, Perez producing out of the fifth spot in the batting order and as the team’s ace and Reyes as Turo’s most consistent pitcher. Perez drilled a two-run homer in the Eagles’ four-run third inning and had two hits, three RBIs and scored three runs to pace Monroe’s eight-hit attack.
Reyes came on for struggling starter Luis Garcia in the third with two on and one out and went the rest of the way. He walked his first batter, but then got Justin Valentin to hit into an inning-ending double play when left fielder Carlos Cortijo turned what seemed to be a sure sacrifice fly into a twin killing.
Nick Alvarez seemed to beat the play at the plate, which would have given Bryant a 2-1 lead. Instead, he was called out and Monroe opened up a four-run lead an inning later.
“That was the turning point,” Turo said.
Aside from a rocky sixth, in which Reyes yielded a three-run double to Alvarez, he was in complete control. He pounded the strike zone and kept the Owls off balance by working both sides of the plate and effectively changing speeds.
Bryant did have plenty of chances, first against Garcia and later Reyes. But the Owls, a quarterfinalist last year many expected to be among the city’s elite this spring, failed to capitalize, a season-long trend.
Turo told his players not to celebrate too excessively as they went out for the seventh inning, out of respect for Bryant and because getting to the quarterfinals isn’t their ultimate goal. He was happy to see them take in the moment, however.
“I didn’t want to hold them back,” he said. “They haven’t tasted this yet. They should enjoy it.”
Back in March, his goal was just to win Bronx A East. Now, with Parra possibly returning – he threw a bullpen session the other day and said he was pain-free – Turo is raising expectations.
“We want to get to the semifinals,” he said. “If we get Ricky back, with him and Randy, they can beat anybody in the city.”