Monarch Prevails In Pitchers’ Duel With Coral Glades

Solid defense and superb pitch selection are things that are seldom appreciated at the end of a baseball game.

Sometimes the biggest heroes don’t even show up in the box score.

On Wednesday night, that hero role went to Monarch senior catcher Josh Mila, as he helped set the defensive tone in a tightly played pitcher’s duel that Monarch ultimately won 2-1 over Coral Glades.

Monarch evens its record at 1-1 in the opening round of the HSBN/Perfect Recruits Fall Classic, while the Jaguars fall to 0-2 in Group 5, played at Davis Field at Northeast High.

Mila was instrumental in guiding his pitchers and teammates through a tough game that was scoreless until the bottom of the sixth inning.

“He gives me motivation,” Monarch starting pitcher Andrew Rohloff said of his catcher. Rohloff pitched five scoreless innings while throwing 52 of his 76 pitches for strikes and finishing with seven strikeouts. He was aided by his catcher keeping all the low pitches in front of him on the night.

Between the impressive pitching of Rohloff and the solid game-calling behind the plate from Mila, the Knights were able to work their way out of numerous jams and keep Coral Glades off the scoreboard until the seventh inning.

“Catcher’s don’t need to hit; they just need to catch,” said Monarch coach Joe Franco. “Mila has been a rock for us and he really commands the defense.”

Mila was certainly not the game’s only standout as both Rohloff and reliever David Webb continually dug down to make the right pitches when they really needed to.

After allowing consecutive singles to Francisco Rodriguez and Jacob Melton to lead off the top of the second inning, Rohloff bounced back to strike out the next two batters and then forced a groundout to escape what would be the first of several close calls on the night.

“My curveball and my two-seam fastball were working tonight,” said Rohloff, who was making only his second start of the fall after being used primarily out of the bullpen. “I usually like to come out of the bullpen, but tonight I really wanted this opportunity.”

Meanwhile, across the diamond, Jaguars’ starter Alex Kline matched Rohloff pitch for pitch, also throwing five innings and recording nine strikeouts on 84 pitches. In the bottom of the second, Kline worked his way out of the only trouble he saw when he recorded a strikeout and then forced a groundout with runners on second and third.

But after being limited to just a first-inning single by James Buckley, the Knights finally got all the offense they needed in the bottom of the sixth.

With one on and one out, Mila drew a walk and was then lifted for courtesy runner Nick Ritornato. The Knights were able to advance on a double-steal that went for an error, putting courtesy-runner Anthony Morales on third and Ritornato on second.

Gino Poliandro followed with the biggest hit of the game as he blasted a liner straight up the middle on a 0-2 pitch that brought in Morales, and Ritornato was able to follow him in for the decisive run off a throwing error on the play.

“I was looking for the curveball, but he threw the fastball and I just tried to send it right up the middle,” Poliandro said. “It’s a great feeling. I like a 0-2 count because I can just swing away.”

Although it was only Monarch’s second hit of the game, it ultimately proved to be enough as Webb was able to work out of a jam to close it out and earn the victory. Mila was again instrumental, as he blocked a pitch in the dirt with runners on second and third and the Knights clinging to the one-run lead after the Jaguars pushed Kline across the plate on a perfectly executed sacrifice bunt.

Both teams will play next during a Saturday doubleheader, with Coral Glades facing Douglas in the matinee contest and Monarch facing off with Group Five host Northeast in the late game.

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