Monaghan Leads Nova To Second Consecutive Titans Classic Championship

After getting head coach Pat McQuaid his 800th victory in a semifinal game of the Titans Classic on Monday, the championship could have felt a bit anticlimactic for the Nova Titans baseball team. West Broward, the Titans’ opponent in the title game, made sure that was not the case. The Bobcats did their best to try to derail the Titans, but a first-inning offensive explosion and a strong relief effort by Trent Monaghan assured Nova of its second straight Titan Classic championship.

The Titans scored four runs in the opening frame and then turned to Monaghan, who threw five shutout innings to close out the hard-fought 4-3 win Tuesday night. It was victory 801 for the legendary head coach, but as he has done so many times in the past, McQuaid kept the focus on his players.

“We’re better than what we thought we would be right now,” McQuaid said. “We still have to focus on getting the top seed in our district. We’ve been very fortunate that we’ve jumped out in a bunch of ball games, because this year, with the new bats, I don’t think your going to see a lot of big comebacks. I’m happy with where we are as a team, and we’ll continue to practice and get better and see where we are at the end of the year.”

Where the Titans are right now is at 10-0, with a two-game lead in District 7A-16, while also holding tiebreaker advantages over both Plantation and St. Thomas, who are tied for second.

The championship Tuesday came down to some big hits early in the game, and then a dominating performance by Monaghan. The Nova senior threw five innings of one-hit ball and also contributed a single and a run in the Titans’ four-run first.

“I’ve wanted this game since Saturday,” Monaghan said. “I got my chance to pitch tonight, and I wasn’t going to let my teammates down. I love these guys, and I’m just so excited about this win. I can’t wipe the smile off my face. When I know these guys are behind me, it makes me want to compete even harder, and tonight was a great win and a great feeling.”

Most of the offense in this one came early on. West Broward scored one in the first after lead-off hitter Mike Mordente’s single was followed by a Xavier Beltran base hit. An infield hit by third baseman Mark McGinnity loaded the bases, but Nova starter Dean Pelham was able to work out of the jam after allowing only one run.

In the Titans’ half of the first, Troy Massero, Monoghan and Matthew Zanis singled with Zanis’ hit resulting in the game-tying RBI. After a Ryne Saxner base hit, Pelham helped his own cause by driving in two runs with a single. A fly ball in foul territory by Pelham earlier in the at-bat could have ended the inning, but the ball was misplayed, allowing the at-bat to continue. By the end of the inning, Nova had scored four runs to take a 4-1 lead.

For West Broward starter Austin Gray, those four runs would be the only ones he allowed in five innings of work. Bobcats head coach Sergio Ambros was appreciative of the effort his starter gave on this night.

“He made big pitches when he needed to tonight,” Ambros said. “Even in the first, a fly ball that should have been caught, and basically he gave up only two earned runs through five plus. We make one play, or we come up with one hit when we have bases loaded, and the outcome is completely different, but that’s baseball. I’m proud of the way my guys played in this tournament, and we’ll learn from our mistakes.”

As for the current group of Nova players, it can now go down in history as staking claim to one thing previous Titans team have never done, and that is getting their coach his 800th win.

“We didn’t even know it was his 800th win until he told us afterwards,” Monaghan said. “It was great to contribute to that. I love this team, and I’m glad we could be a part of this big week for coach McQuaid.”

Asked why he kept his players from knowing they were playing Monday for his 800th win, McQuaid expressed a humbleness about the situation.

“There was no need,” McQuaid said. “It wasn’t like it was the end of the year, or they needed to get that win before I retire. They didn’t need to know that. I told them afterwards so there was no pressure. I’m not going to get a raise because I won 800 games, and it’s not going to make me a better coach. So it’s just something they didn’t need to know about before it happened.”

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