NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y., March 19, 2019 – On the backs of a pair of terrific pitching performances, the Monroe College Mustangs baseball team swept a doubleheader against Lackawanna College on Tuesday at Dick Caswell Field. The Mustangs improve to 8-14 with the wins, while the Falcons drop to 10-9.
 
GAME 1: MONROE 5, LACKAWANNA 3
The Falcons caught a break in the top of the third to get on the board first in Tuesday's opener. With two on and two outs, Ryan Cole hit a long fly ball to center field that went off the centerfielder's mitt, allowing both runs to score and give the Falcons a 2-0 lead.
 
Chris Javier walked in his first plate appearance with the varsity team to lead off the bottom of the third. With one out, Gustavo Gonzalez blasted a moon shot over the left-field wall for a two-run homer, tying the game at 2-2.
 
Freddy Rojas Jr. hit a one-out single to right-center in the fourth for the Mustangs. Leandy Castro then drew a four-pitch walk. Adner Mercado followed with a line-drive single over the second baseman, scoring Rojas from second to put the Mustangs on top, 3-2. Javier then hit a fly ball to left, deep enough to score Castro on a sacrifice fly and put the Mustangs ahead by two.
 
DJ Barry-Staszak broke up July Sosa's no-hitter with a leadoff double down the right-field line in the top of the fifth, and then advanced to third when the throw from right hit off the runner's foot and caromed into left field. Owen Kiess then hit a grounder to third, but the throw to first went wide of the base, allowing Barry-Staszak to score and get the Falcons back within a run.
 
Daniel Alfonzo led off the fifth with a walk for Monroe. Iasid Bernal then sacrificed him over to second, and a wild pitch later moved him to third. Pinch hitter Neifi Mercedes then ripped a single through the right side, scoring Alfonzo push Monroe's lead to 5-3.
 
Sosa was excellent in the start, striking out 10 batters in six innings without allowing an earned run on two hits to pick up the win and improve to 2-1. Jacknell Guzman picked up the save with a scoreless ninth, his third of the season. Nate Kitchell took the loss for Lackawanna to fall to 2-1.
 
Gonzalez finished 3-for-4 with a homer, double and single, as well as two RBIs and a run scored. He also stole a base in the win. Alfonzo went 1-for-3 with a run scored. Rojas batted 1-for-1 with a run and a pair of walks. Mercado knocked in a run after going 1-for-3.
 
GAME 2: MONROE 6, LACKAWANNA 3
Starter Brandon Backman had a notably impressive third inning, in which he struck out the first batter, but a dropped third strike put him on base. That runner eventually reached third during the next at bat, but Backman fanned each of the next three batters for a four-strikeout inning and to work his way out of trouble.
 
Joe Rosselli smacked a double straight down the first-base line to lead off the bottom of the third for Monroe. Luis Morales sacrificed him over third, and then Javier hit a slow grounder to short, good enough to bring Rosselli home and put Monroe on top, 1-0. Gonzalez then drew a walk, and then managed to steal second base. Joseph Encarnacion then lined a triple down the left-field line, plating Gonzalez to make it a 2-0 game. Alfonzo followed with an RBI double down the third-base line, scoring Gonzalez to push Monroe's lead to three.
 
With two outs in the top of the fourth, a pair of Falcon hitters were hit by pitches to reach base. Ian Diaz took advantage, smacking an RBI single into left to make it a 3-1 ballgame.
 
Encarnacion led off the bottom of the fifth with a hit-by-pitch. Alfonzo and Rojas both followed with walks to load the bases. Mercedes then roped a double to left, clearing the bases to put the Mustangs ahead, 6-1.
 
The Falcons managed to rally for two more runs in the seventh, but their rally was cut short as the Mustangs held on to win by three.
 
Backman earned the win to improve to 3-1 on the season. He allowed just one run on one hit while striking out 12 of the 24 batters he faced across six frames. Lackawanna starter Brandon Kohn took the loss to drop to 0-2.
 
Mercedes finished 1-for-3 with three RBIs after his bases-clearing double in the fifth. Joe Rosselli batted 2-for-2 with a double and a run scored. Encarnacion went 1-for-2 with two runs, an RBI and a triple in the win. Alfonzo hit 1-for-2 with a double, an RBI and a run scored. Rojas scored a run after going 1-for-2.
 
The Mustangs added a game to their schedule on Tuesday, and are now set to play on Wednesday, March 20, at County College of Morris. The single nine-inning game is set to begin at 3:30 p.m.
 
ABOUT THE ATHLETIC PROGRAM AT MONROE COLLEGE
The athletic program at Monroe College encompasses a total of 28 teams competing across nine sports. There are 19 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 nine varsity and junior varsity 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).