WAPPINGERS FALLS, N.Y., May 17, 2018 – The Monroe College baseball team earned its way into the winner's bracket of the 2018 NJCAA Div. I Eastern District Baseball Championship after defeated Harford Community College by a score of 7-5 in Thursday's opener at Dutchess Stadium. The Mustangs advance to the winner's bracket, where they will play USC Sumter on Friday, while Harford fell into the loser's bracket against ASA.
 
The Mustangs managed to get the all-important first runs of the game in the bottom of the first in their Eastern District Championship opener on Thursday. Marquis Orozco led off with a single through the right side, but Edwin Feliciano Jr. followed with a fielder's choice that got Orozco out at second. Iasid Bernal then punched a single into right, which was bobbled by the right fielder, allowing Feliciano to come all the way around to score and make it a 1-0 Mustang lead early in the contest.
 
Joseph Encarnacion then ripped a two-out double over the left fielder, plating Bernal to take a 2-0 lead. Troy Davern then singled into center, bringing Encarnacion in from second to push Monroe's lead to 3-0. After a single for Lenyn Napoleon, Kevin Garcia dropped a single into center, scoring Davern to make it a 4-0 ballgame. Gustavo Gonzalez then ripped a ground ball down the third-base line, bringing in Napoleon to take a 5-0 lead. Orozco then singled into right in his second at bat of the inning, bringing in one more run to leave Monroe up, 6-0.
 
Harford began chipping away at the deficit in the top of the sixth. Nick Rowland led off with a walk, but the next two batters struck out swinging. Ryan Calhoun then singled into left, but after trying to get a runner at third, the Mustangs threw the ball into the stands over the first baseman, allowing the Fighting Owls to bring in their first run of the game. Joey Schwartz then drew a walk, and Michael Richardson singled to right to plate another run and make it a 6-2 game. Matthew Shilling followed with a single up the middle, scoring one more run to make it a 6-3 ballgame.
 
The Mustangs turned the tables right back in their favor in the home half of the sixth. Gonzalez doubled down the left-field line once again with one away, and then Orozco singled up the middle, plating Gonzalez to push Monroe's lead to 7-3.
 
With two outs and a runner on second for Harford in the top of the seventh, Nick D'Amore sent a two-run homer over the left-field wall, getting the Fighting Owls within two at 7-5. Jason Alvarez then came on in relief for the Mustangs, and shut down the Fighting Owls the rest of the way.
 
Francisco Justo set a new season-high for the Mustangs with 16 strikeouts while improving to 9-0 on the season with the win. Alvarez earned his ninth save of the season with 2.1 scoreless frames and four strikeouts. Harford starter Nick DeCarlo shouldered the loss to fall to 4-1.
 
Orozco finished 3-for-3 with two RBIs to help lead the Mustangs to an opening-round victory on Thursday. Gonzalez batted 2-for-4 with two doubles, a run and an RBI. Bernal and Davern both went 1-for-3 with an RBI and a run apiece. Garcia hit 1-for-4 with an RBI and a run.
 
The Mustangs will now move on to the winner's bracket, where they will first take on USC Sumter after the Fire Ants defeated ASA, 9-1, in seven innings on Thursday. First pitch of tomorrow's opener is set for 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).