KEYSER, W.V, April 21, 2018 – Monroe Mustangs' Baseball dropped the first of two against Garrett College in extra innings on Friday by the final score of 12-11 (8), before playing to a 2-2 tie in game two of the doubleheader due to darkness. With the loss and tie, the Mustangs move to 22-10-1 on the season.
 
Game 1: Garrett 12, Monroe 11 (8 innings)
Edwin Feliciano Jr. gave the Mustangs their first base runner of the game in the top of the first, drawing a one-out walk before Iasid Bernal knocked him in with an RBI double, giving the Mustangs a 1-0 lead. Bernal came around to score on a wild pitch, and Monroe led, 2-0, after a half inning of play.
 
The Lakers though, came right back to score three runs in the bottom of the first on Brian Casper's two-run double and Winston Davis' RBI single to take a 3-2 lead.
 
The Mustangs tied things up in the top of the third, as Bernal, who led off and reached base on a throwing error, scored on Lenyn Napoleon's RBI double, before taking the lead in the top of the fifth.
 
After Abner Vincenty and Troy Davern drew back-to-back two-out walks in the top of the fifth, Shadrach Muelens gave the Mustangs a 5-3 lead with a two-run double to left. After the Lakers made a pitching change, Juan Torres singled to left before Gustavo Gonzalez continued the scoring with a two-run triple to center. Marquis Orozco knocked in Gonzalez with an RBI single to center, and the Mustangs led 8-3.
 
But once again, Garrett College came back to take the lead in the bottom of the frame, scoring eight runs on four hits and two Mustang errors to take an 11-8 lead.
 
Both teams went scoreless in the sixth before the Mustangs came to the plate for potentially their final at-bats of the game. Down by three, the Mustangs tagged Cody Hammond with three runs to tie the game and potentially force extra innings.
 
Muelens led off the seventh with a double, and scored when Torres followed with a triple. Gonzalez knocked in Torres with an RBI groundout, and the Mustangs trailed by just one with only one out. Orozco's single to center put the game-tying run on base, before Feliciano Jr. walked and Bernal singled to tie the game, and force another Laker pitching change.
 
With runners on first and second, Napoleon reached on a fielder's choice, but the Mustangs were unable to take the lead, heading to the bottom of the seventh tied at 11.
 
Nicholas Gennarelli worked around a leadoff double to keep Garrett College scoreless and send the game into extras. But after the Mustangs left the go-ahead run on third in the top of the eighth, the Lakers walked-off in the bottom of the inning to pick up a 12-11 victory.
 
Gennarelli (1-1) took the loss for the Mustangs, while Sean Perry (2-0) picked up the win for Garrett College.
 
Five different Mustangs tallied multiple hits, led by Torres, who went 3-for-5 with a triple, two runs scored and an RBI, while Meulens went 2-for-5 with two doubles, two runs scored and two RBI.
 
Game 2: Monroe 2, Garrett 2
Meulens again gave the Mustangs the lead in the top of the first inning of game two, knocking in Orozco with an RBI groundout.
 
Francisco Urena and the Mustangs would hold that lead till the bottom of the third, when the Lakers tied the game and took the lead, scoring two runs in the frame.
 
Urena held the Lakers at bay the rest of the way though, allowing just two runs on four hits and four walks, while striking out eight over 7.0 innings pitched.
 
And after going scoreless for five frames as well, the Mustangs backed Urena up in the top of the seventh, when with two-on and one-out, Feliciano Jr. knocked in Edgardo Bernard to tie the game at two. Monroe would load the bases later in the frame, but once again, were unable to push the go-ahead run across.
 
And after Urena worked around a walk and an error to pitch a scoreless seventh, the game was called due to darkness.
 
The Mustangs will look to bounce back on Saturday, April 21 when they continue their road trip, staying in Keyser, W.V. to take on Potomac State College of WVU in a doubleheader beginning at 12 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).