Wappingers Falls, N.Y. – The Monroe College Baseball team took a 2-0 lead in the best-of-five Region XV championship with a dramatic, come-from-behind victory over ASA College on Thursday. The Mustangs, who took the game 6-5, look to sweep the Avengers on Friday.
Mustangs' starter
Antonio Frias, who was second on the team in strikeouts in the regular season, pitched three scoreless innings without trouble. He struck out four of the first six batters he faced and fanned five in his 3.1 innings of work. Frias ran into trouble in the fourth and gave way to
Jason Alvarez. After the fourth inning was over, the Avengers had scored five times to take a 5-0 lead.
The Monroe bullpen shut out the Avengers the rest of the way. Alvarez,
Edward Nunez,
Francisco Urena, and
Michael Crispino combined for 5.2 scoreless innings of relief. Nunez picked up the victory, and Crispino got the save.
The Mustangs entered the seventh inning with a five-point deficit.
Shadrach Meulens led off with a double.
Troy Davern followed with a single, giving the Mustangs runners on the corners.
Adonis Garcia got the Mustangs on the board with an RBI ground out.
Andy Karlan reached on a fielder's choice, and Davern was eliminated on the play.
Wayne Roberts singled, and Karlan advanced to third, which put runners on the corners with two outs.
Isaiah Torres singled to center, driving in Karlan and making the score 5-2.
Carlos Torres followed with a two-RBI double that cut the Avengers lead to just a single run (5-4).
Monroe took the lead for good in the ninth. Karlan led off with a walk.
Wayne Roberts followed and was hit by a pitch.
Isaiah Torres then ripped a clutch single to right that brought in Karlan with the tying run. Roberts also scored when the throw home was misplayed by the ASA catcher for an error. The Mustangs ended their half of the ninth with a 6-5 lead. Urena and Crispino pitched the bottom of the inning, and the duo kept ASA off the scoreboard to preserve the come-from-behind victory.
Monroe and ASA will meet in game three of the series on Friday, May 12
th, at noon. The game will be played at Dutchess Stadium.
