ALVIN, Texas, February 16, 2019 – The Monroe College Mustangs baseball team played a pair of high-scoring matchups at Alvin Community College on Saturday, but came out on the wrong side of both decisions at Phillips Field.
 
GAME 1: ALVIN 14, MONROE 11
The Mustangs got off to a hot start in the top of the first. Neifi Mercedes drew a one-out walk, and then Joseph Encarnacion singled up the middle to get two runners on. With two outs, Freddy Rojas Jr. doubled to left to plate both runs and give Monroe a quick 2-0 lead. Adner Mercado followed with a double to left of his own, bringing in Rojas to give the Mustangs a 3-0 edge.
 
The Dolphins loaded the bases with nobody out to threaten in the bottom of the first. Ricky Otero then got the batter to ground into a double play, allowing a run to score to cut the deficit to two, but helping the Mustangs work out of trouble. He got the next batter to fly out to left, ending the inning with just one run coming in.
 
Javeon Cody led off the bottom of the second with a solo home run over the left-field fence for the Dolphins, cutting the Mustang lead to 3-2.
 
Adner Mercado led off the fourth with a walk for Monroe. With two down in the inning, Jose Martinez blasted a two-run homer to left, pushing Monroe's lead to three. Gustavo Gonzalez then singled on a bunt toward third, then moved up to second on a failed pickoff attempt. Mercedes then singled to left, plating Gonzalez to give the Mustangs a 6-2 edge.
 
The Dolphins got two runs back in the home half of the fourth when Jaylin Turner sent a two-run homer over the right-field fence, making it a two-run game. Cody doubled with two outs, and then Garrett Poston singled into left, scoring Cody to leave Monroe up, 6-5.
 
Daniel Alfonzo and Rojas opened the fifth with a pair of walks. Mercado then hit into a fielder's choice, leaving runners on the corners for the Mustangs. A wild pitch then brought in Alfonzo to make it a 7-5 game. Francisco Paulino then reached on a throwing error by the shortstop, bringing Mercado around to score and leave the Mustangs up, 8-5.
 
The Dolphins quickly got one back when Scott Herrmann led off the bottom of the fifth with a solo homer to right, cutting the deficit to 8-6. Alvin then loaded the bases with nobody out, and brought in another run on a sacrifice fly by Dylan Dougherty, dropping Monroe's lead to a run.
 
The Mustangs loaded the bases with a pair of walks and a single by Alfonzo to start the sixth. A pair of wild pitches brought in two runs to give Monroe a 10-7 lead, and then a fielding error by the third baseman on a ground ball by Rojas brought in one more to put the Mustangs up by four runs.
 
The bottom of the sixth proved to be trouble for the Mustangs. Herrmann hit a two-run double to make it a two-run game. An error on a pickoff attempt brought in another run, and then a bunt that was thrown away allowed two more runs to score and give the home team a 12-11 lead. Cody brought in another run with a sacrifice fly, and a single by Salvador Apud-Martinez added one more to give the Dolphins a 14-11 advantage.
 
Alvin reliever Jacob Whorrall improved to 3-0 with 1.2 scoreless frames. Gabriel Rodriguez took the loss for Monroe to fall to 0-1.
 
Rojas finished 1-for-3 with a double, three RBIs and a run scored. Martinez batted 1-for-4 with a home run, two RBIs and a run scored. Gonzalez hit 2-for-4 with a run and a double, while Mercedes scored twice and knocked in another in a 1-for-3 effort. Mercado went 1-for-2 with a double, a run and an RBI. Alfonzo scored twice in a 1-for-3 outing, while Encarnacion also scored twice after going 1-for-4.
 
GAME 2: ALVIN 12, MONROE 10
Alvin started the scoring in Game 2 in the bottom of the second. A pair of errors and a single loaded the bases for the Dolphins. Then with one out, Odrick Pitre singled through the left side, plating two runs to give the home team a 2-0 advantage. Two batters later, Cody singled to center, bringing in another two runs to make it a 4-0 game. Poston then doubled to left, scoring Dougherty to push the lead to five runs. Samuel Serchey followed two batters later with another double, scoring another two runs to make it a 7-0 ballgame. The Dolphins later loaded the bases with two outs, and a walk brought in another run to make it an eight-run lead for the home team. A triple by Pitre then cleared the bases to make it an 11-0 game.
 
The Mustangs started to chip away in the top of the third. Martinez led off with a single, and then Gonzalez doubled down the left-field line to score Martinez from first and make it an 11-1 game. DJ Gatz drew a walk, and then Rojas singled into left to load the bases. Alfonzo then provided a big blow, smacking a grand slam over the left-field wall to add four runs and make it an 11-5 game.
 
The Dolphins added to their lead in the bottom of the fifth. After singles by Dougherty and Herrmann, Poston singled into left, scoring Dougherty from second to make it a 12-5 game.
 
With one out in the top of the sixth, Martinez tripled to deep center. Gonzalez drew a walk, and then Gatz singled to right, scoring Martinez to make it a six-run game once again. The Mustangs later loaded the bases, and then Adner Mercado blasted the Mustangs' second grand slam of the game to make it a 12-10 game.
 
Alvin reliever Shane Haverfield earned the win, while David Richardson picked up the save. Monroe starter Elvin Ramos shouldered the loss after allowing eight unearned runs.
 
Alfonzo and Adner Mercado each went 1-for-3 with a grand slam apiece, while Alfonzo scored a second time in the game. Gatz finished 1-for-1 with an RBI, two runs scored and three walks. Jose Martinez hit a triple and scored twice in a 3-for-4 outing. Gonzalez batted 1-for-4 with a double, two runs scored and an RBI. Jose Mercado went 2-for-4 in the game.
 
The Mustangs wrap up their trip to Texas tomorrow, Feb. 17, with one more contest against San Jacinto College North. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. EST.
 
ABOUT THE ATHLETIC PROGRAM AT MONROE COLLEGE
The athletic program at Monroe College encompasses a total of 27 teams competing across nine sports. There are 18 varsity and junior varsity programs, as well as club men's and women's rugby, competing on the New Rochelle campus as the Monroe Mustangs (NJCAA Division I). The Monroe Express, based out of the Bronx campus as of the fall of 2017, has seven teams competing at the NJCAA Division III level.
 
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).