Monroe’s Uphill Climb Ends at the Summit in 3-2 Victory : Costic, Henson Lead Vikings to 1st Title in 14 Years

It might have been remembered as the Summit of the Not-So-Superpowers with Monroe and San Fernando highs emerging from Mid-Valley League mediocrity to reach the City Section 4-A Division championship game Thursday night at Dodger Stadium.

Monroe, however, proved it had the arms to compete. Sophomore pitcher Sean Henson pitched a complete-game five-hitter with 10 strikeouts and first baseman Tim Costic delivered a seventh-inning run-scoring double as Monroe--the only fourth-place team to play for the City title--concluded an improbable ride through the playoffs, beating San Fernando, 3-2, before a crowd estimated at 4,100.

Monroe won its first City championship since 1974, ending the season with a five-game win streak that still left the Vikings three games under .500. Monroe (13-16) finished the regular season tied for fourth in its league and needed a 13-4 win over Birmingham in a tiebreaker game to reach the playoffs.

“The way we’re playing, I think we can beat anybody,” Monroe Coach Kevin Campbell said. “These kids haven’t been intimidated.”

Said San Fernando Coach Steve Marden: “We just didn’t hit the ball well at all. Take nothing away from Henson, but we didn’t play the kind of game we’re capable of playing. They outplayed us today.”

Especially Costic, who was 2 for 4 and delivered his third game-winning hit in postseason. He smacked a Vince Ortega fastball into right field that scored Joe Marquis from second base with the winning run.

“It was an inside fastball and, of course, I dreamed of hitting a home run in Dodger Stadium, but it wasn’t that situation. I just wanted to get a hit,” he said.

The Tigers (14-7) wouldn’t die easily. Henson (4-4), who was academically ineligible the first half of the year, survived a scare in the bottom of the seventh when Richard Ortiz’s looper to left field landed foul by a few feet with Jesse Romero, the tying run, at second.

Henson, who earlier had struck out Alfredo Nevarez for the first out of the inning and retired Josh Bergara on a fly ball to right, induced Ortiz to pop out to third baseman John Langley to end the game.

San Fernando had tied the score, 2-2, in the fifth. With two out, Albert Torres, who batted a school-record .514 this season, singled and stole second. Bobby Corrales then drilled a line drive to center to score Torres. Henson escaped the inning, however, when catcher Adam Clark gunned down Corrales attempting to steal second.

Monroe touched Rudy Vargas and reliever Hector De La Cruz for two runs in the fourth. Costic reached first when Ortiz stabbed his grounder from his second base position but threw wildly to first.

After Clark followed with a single to left, Mike Enriquez laid down a sacrifice bunt but Vargas threw late to third in an attempt to force Costic, loading the bases.

De La Cruz replaced Vargas and walked Henson to force in a run. After De La Cruz struck out Langley on three pitches, he hung a 2-2 curve that designated-hitter Mike Bargerstock slapped to right to score Clark for a 2-1 Monroe lead.

Ortega replaced De La Cruz and ended the inning, inducing Tom Konkel and Joe Marquis to ground into force outs.

San Fernando scored its first run on a miscue by Marquis in the second inning. After Robert Chavez worked Henson for a leadoff walk, Marquis overran Rudy Sanchez’s line drive and the ball rolled to the left-center-field wall. Chavez scored easily and after Enriquez bobbled the carom in center, Sanchez made a headfirst slide safely into third.

Henson escaped numerous jams with timely strikeouts. In the first, Henson caught Bergara looking at a third strike and blew down Torres, stranding Ortiz at first.

In the second, Henson struck out Andrew Munoz looking for his third strikeout and fanned Romero looking with Sanchez at third.

In the fourth, San Fernando placed runners at second and third with one out. But Henson quickly ended the threat by striking out Nevarez and Romero.

Vargas benefited from some fleet-footed fielding to escape first-inning trouble. After a one-out bloop single by Marquis, Ortiz ran down Brian Eldridge’s looping liner to short right field. Chavez, who made several running catches in left field, ended the inning by hustling in from deep left field to catch Costic’s sinking pop fly behind third.