TRENTON, N.J., February 28, 2018 – Fueled by 20 base hits across two games, the Monroe College baseball team improved to 3-1 on the young 2018 campaign on Wednesday after sweeping a doubleheader at Mercer County Community College. The Vikings drop to 3-4 after dropping both games to the Mustangs.
 
Game 1: Monroe 9, Mercer County 5
The Mustangs quickly got on the board in Wednesday's opener, scoring their first run in the top of the first. A couple of errors and a base hit by Juan Torres put runners on second and third with nobody out for the Mustangs. Iasid Bernal then grounded out to short, allowing Gustavo Gonzalez to score from third and give Monroe an early 1-0 edge.
 
Monroe's first two batters did not reach base in the second, but Xeno Daal kicked off a rally with a single to center. Joseph Encarnacion then beat out a single to short, followed by a two-RBI single to right by Gonzalez to make it a 3-0 game.
 
With a runner on and two outs in the bottom of the third, Mercer County's Sean McGeehan blasted a two-run homer over the left-field wall, cutting the deficit to just one run.
 
A pair of quick errors in the fifth allowed Mercer County to bring home another run, tying the game at 3-3.
 
In the sixth, Troy Davern was hit by a pitch with one out in the inning. He then advanced to second on a passed ball, and swiped third to give the Mustangs a great chance to score. With two down, Daal legged out a single to third, allowing Davern to come home and put Monroe up, 4-3.
 
Gonzalez was standing on second after a walk and a sacrifice bunt by Torres to open the seventh frame. Bernal then reached on an error by the second baseman, allowing Gonzalez to score and make it a 5-3 Mustang lead. Shadrach Meulens then singled to third, bringing home pinch runner Javier Ortiz to put Monroe up by three. The lead continued to grow on an RBI ground out by Davern, and then Lenyn Napoleon added the big blow, a two-run homer to left, to make it a 9-3 ballgame.
 
The home team managed a short rally in the bottom of the seventh, bringing in runs on a ground out and an error, but it was not enough, as the Mustangs held on for a 9-5 victory.
 
Antonio Frias picked up the win to start the season 1-0 for the Mustangs. He tossed six inning, allowing three runs (two earned) on two hits with five strikeouts. Mercer County reliever Brandon Siroki shouldered the loss after giving up the leading runs in the sixth.
 
Napoleon hit 1-for-4 with a two-run homer in Wednesday's opener. Gonzalez went 1-for-3 with two RBIs and two runs out of the leadoff spot. Daal hit 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run, bringing in the leading run in the sixth. Meulens went 2-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI.
 
Mercer County was led by McGeehan, who hit knocked in three runs and scored one of his own with a home run in a 1-for-3 outing. Domonic Boselli added the only other hit for the Vikings, going 1-for-4.
 
Game 2: Monroe 7, Mercer County 6
The Mustangs had two away and a runner on in the first when Abner Vincenty beat out a slow roller to the pitcher to get two runners on. Kevin Garcia then singled into right field, scoring Edgardo Bernard from second to quickly get a run on the board. Later with the bases loaded, Ryan Hartigan drew a walk, scoring Vincenty to give Monroe an early 2-0 lead.
 
The Mustangs had the bases loaded once again in the second when a wild pitch brought in Edwin Feliciano Jr. to give them a 3-0 lead. Vincenty then roped a single to right, plating Marquis Orozco and Bernard to take a 5-0 lead. Hartigan later hit a sacrifice fly to right, scoring Vincenty to leave the Mustangs with a 6-0 advantage after two turns to bat.
 
Mercer County scored its first run of Game 2 when Tyler Thomas singled with two outs to bring in Collin Sheehan, but another run was thrown out on the play, leaving Monroe up, 6-1, after the second.
 
The Mustangs kept the high-tempo offense going in the third. With runners on the corners, Bernard ripped a single to center, bringing in Ortiz to regain the six-run lead.
 
The Vikings struck again in the home half of the third after loading the bases with one out. A single by Boselli scored Mark Saponara to make it a 7-2 game, and then a single by Sheehan scored McGeehan to cut the Mustang lead to four runs.
 
The Vikings put together a rally in the bottom of the seventh to threaten the Mustangs' lead. The first two batters walked for the Vikings, and then Jimmy Versage doubled to left, bringing in Boselli to make it a 7-4 margin. Later, Sheehan scored from third on a wild pitch to cut the deficit to two. Thomas then brought in Versage on a ground out to second, leaving Monroe up by one with two away. The tying run stood on third for the Vikings, with the winning run on first and McGeehan at the plate. Closer Jay Alvarez managed to get hit to fly out to left, locking up the win and the sweep for Monroe.
 
Francisco Urena got the win in his first start of the season after going five innings, allowing three runs on seven hits while striking out six batters. Alvarez came on with nobody out in the seventh, registering the final three outs to earn his second save of the season. Mercer County starter Andrew Avots fell to 0-1 after giving up six runs in 1.1 frames.
 
Vincenty had a stellar game at the plate for the Mustangs, going 3-for-4 with two RBIs and two runs scored. Garcia hit 3-for-4 with an RBI, and Hartigan brought in two runs despite going 0-for-2. Bernard batted 1-for-3 with two runs and an RBI. Orozco hit 1-for-1 with a single, three walks and a run. Feliciano Jr. hit 1-for-3 with a run scored as well.
 
Monroe's scheduled contest at Rowan College at Burlington County tomorrow, March 1, has been canceled. Therefore, the Mustangs will play next on Friday, March 9, in their home opener against Sullivan County Community College at Dick Caswell Baseball Field at Flowers Park in New Rochelle. First pitch is set for 4 p.m.
 
 
ABOUT THE ATHLETIC PROGRAM AT MONROE COLLEGE
The athletic program at Monroe College encompasses a total of 26 teams competing across nine sports. There are 18 varsity and junior varsity programs, as well as club men's rugby, and the newly added club women's rugby team, competing on the New Rochelle campus as the Monroe Mustangs (NJCAA Division I). The Monroe Express, based out of the Bronx campus, has six teams competing at the NJCAA Division III level as of the fall of 2017.
 
For more information about the Monroe Mustangs, please visit us at www.MonroeCollegeMustangs.com or follow us on social media: Facebook (Monroe College Athletics), Twitter (@Monroe_Mustangs) and Instagram (@monroemustangs).