Monroe Gets the Message, Title Shot

Scribbled on the underside of Tim Costic’s Monroe High baseball cap were three messages, a series of string-around-the-finger reminders in case his mind wandered during the City Section 4-A Division playoffs.

The first read “Beat the Parrots,” a reference to Poly, which Monroe defeated in the first round on an eighth-inning hit by Costic. The second said “Beat the Pilots,” a reference to Banning, which Monroe beat thanks to a complete-game pitching effort and a three-run home run from Costic.

And, of course, with respect to Monroe’s semifinal opponent, Canoga Park, the third message said “Beat the Hunters.”

Thanks to another complete game and two more runs batted in from Costic, Monroe did just that Tuesday at Birmingham High. The Vikings scored five runs in the fourth and held off Canoga Park, 9-7, to advance to Dodger Stadium and the City championship game Thursday night.

Improbably, lightly regarded Monroe (12-16) will face San Fernando (14-6) in the final. Pretty heady stuff for a team that was 5-10 in Mid-Valley League play and qualified for the playoffs by winning a league tiebreaker. Will there be any room for “Beat the Tigers,” what with the possible swelling of Costic’s head?

“It’ll stay normal until after that game,” Costic, a junior left-hander, said of his hat size. “If we win there, though, it may get a little big.”

Only if it stops spinning, which is what Monroe Coach Kevin Campbell’s head was doing after watching his team nearly blow a four-run lead in the top of the seventh.

“We’re so pumped now that it’s hard to describe,” Campbell said. “It’s like we’re in a zone.”

Monroe had 11 hits and scored in three of the first four innings against Canoga Park senior right-hander Mike Kerber (4-4), last season’s City Player of the Year, who called his performance “disgusting.”

“Am I upset? That’s not even close to being the right word,” said Kerber, who walked three and struck out five in five innings. “I couldn’t get the ball down, and anybody can hit the high pitch.”

A sky-high Monroe team hit him early and often, scoring three runs in the first inning. Costic, who has 24 hits in his past 35 at-bats (.686), doubled home Tom Konkel, who had walked and moved to second on Joe Marquis’ single. Marquis scored the second run of the inning on a passed ball by catcher Brian Hoffman and Adam Clark gave the Vikings a 3-0 lead with a sacrifice fly to center, scoring Costic.

Canoga Park (13-8) answered with four runs in the third. Juan Soriano doubled to open the inning and moved to third on Mike Roberts’ single. After Jason Mitchell walked to load the bases, Adam Schulhofer was safe on first baseman Sean Henson’s fielding error, scoring Soriano. Ricky Banuelos singled in Roberts, and, one batter later, Jason Sclimenti singled home Schulhofer and Banuelos to give the Hunters a 4-3 lead.

“I was getting really nervous then,” Costic said. “I didn’t have much out there today.”

He had plenty of offensive support, however. After Monroe tied the score, 4-4, in the third on Clark’s RBI single to right, the Vikings came back with a five-run rally in the fourth.

Konkel keyed the inning by driving home two runs with a double to right-center, and, one batter later, Brian Eldridge doubled in two more with a line drive to left-center.

But Costic was hardly out of trouble. Monroe took a 9-5 lead into the seventh, and Costic retired the first two batters and had two strikes on Sclimenti, the third batter of the inning. Sclimenti, however, reached base on third baseman John Langley’s throwing error. Del Marine followed with a line drive to center that Mike Enriquez misjudged and allowed to go over his head for an inside-the-park home run, cutting the lead to 9-7.

“That last inning, I needed some help, that’s for sure,” Costic said.

He received it one batter later. Garcia looped a fly ball over Henson’s head at first for a single, and, with the tying run coming to bat, tried to stretch it into a double. Konkel recovered the ball in short right and fired to Eldridge to nail Garcia and end the game.

“I was just screaming ‘Two, two, two,’ ” Costic said of Konkel’s throw to second. “Thank God somebody heard me.”

And for heaven’s sake, who says Monroe can’t go all the way?

“After we beat Poly, we started thinking we could beat anybody,” said Eldridge, in reference to the Vikings’ first-round upset. “We didn’t do much in league, but this is what counts right now.”

Monroe has never beaten San Fernando in Eldridge’s three years on the varsity, which, of course, means most people will tab the Vikings as a huge underdog.

“Well, nobody thought we’d be at Dodger Stadium, either,” Eldridge said. “Whoever (we play) better look out, because we’re playing good ball--the best we’ve ever played.”