New Rochelle, N.Y. - The NJCAA Division I Region 15 baseball championship tournament got underway on Saturday at City Park in New Rochelle. Top-seeded Monroe faced second-ranked ASA in the main event after the Avengers beat Globe in the opener, 9-8. Tony Hernandez took the mound intent on putting the Mustangs in a strong position heading into Sunday's championship, and got off to a strong start.
A first-inning single was erased after John Russo threw the runner out on an attempted steal. In the second inning, a lead-off double was taken care of on a sacrifice bunt and a pair of ground outs to Endy Villalona, leaving ASA off the scoreboard for the first two innings.
The Mustangs' bats came out on fire starting from the first inning. Villalona had a single through the right side, and Isaiah Thomas followed with a base hit the other way. From there, Lewis Gonzalez, who was batting cleanup instead of his normal fifth spot, laced a line-drive to right for a single that loaded the bases. However, Cam Crabbe struck out and Russo fouled out, leaving the game 0-0 going into the third.
Two singles in the third -- the first a line drive to right, the other a base hit -- put two runners on base for ASA's best hitter, Manuel Mesa. Hernandez reached back and struck him out. He got the next batter to hit into a double-play.
Strong winds swept across City Park in the fourth, quickly turning the warm spring evening into a chilly night. Hernandez, unaffected by the storm, toiled onward, escaping a jam in the fourth with a groundout and strikeout. In fact, he retired 10 of the first 15 batters over the first four innings.
The Mustangs finally broke through in the bottom of the fourth. After Ramger Iglesias reached on a bunt single and advanced to second, De La Cruz blasted a pitch to the wall in left-center, easily scoring the speedy Iglesias and giving Monroe a 1-0 lead. He stole third and scored on a wild pitch to put the Mustangs up, 2-0.
Cam Crabbe led off the fifth with a line drive to center that he turned into a double. He would be stranded at third, however. Monroe led 2-0 after the fifth inning.
The Mustangs added a key insurance run in the sixth. De La Cruz ripped a single to left, stole second, and subsequently moved to third on a ground out. From there, Isaiah Torres walked and stole second; De La Cruz took home on the next throw.
Hernandez was in control until the seventh. The southpaw, who was recorded at 95 MPH on the radar gun, didn't allow a single hit between the third and seventh innings. During the latter, he felt some pressure. After striking out the lead-off hitter, ASA loaded the bases on a walk, a single and a hit batter. From there, ASA got on the board on a wild pitch. Later in the inning, a fielding error yielded a second run. With the tying run 90 feet away and the go-ahead run on first, Hernandez fanned his third batter of the inning and Monroe kept a slim 3-2 lead.
ASA threatened again in the eighth. Shortstop L.J. Abreu reached on a throwing error. He moved to second on a groundout, and a walk put runners on first and second. Osvaldo Duran came in to relive Hernandez with two outs and two on in the eighth. Duran hit the first batter he faced, allowing the Avengers to load the bases. From there, Duran struck out Oliver Liranzo to escape trouble and hold the 3-2 advantage.
Monroe added an insurance run in the bottom eighth. De La Cruz lined a triple up the gap in right-center. He came home when a fly ball to right by Villalona that was caught, but the right fielder threw the ball high when De La Cruz tagged. The Mustangs led 4-2 heading into the ninth.
ASA loaded the bases in the final inning courtesy of two walks and a hit batter. Duran then got some defensive help. On a fly ball to left, Michael Ramirez made the catch and threw out the tagging runner at home to complete the double play and seal the 4-2 win.
With the victory, Monroe moves into the winner's bracket on Sunday. At 4:00 pm, they will face the victor of the 1:00 PM game on Sunday between ASA and Globe.
