NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y., April 24, 2019 – With another pair of victories over ASA College on Wednesday at Dick Caswell Field, the Monroe College Mustangs baseball team swept the five-game season series against their Region XV foes. The Mustangs picked up an 11-7 victory in Game 1, while earning an 11-1 run-rule win in Wednesday's nightcap. The Mustangs improve to 22-20 overall and finish the regular season a perfect 13-0 at home, while ASA falls to 7-15 on the season.
 
GAME 1: MONROE 11, ASA 7
The Mustangs fell into an early hole in Game 1 when the Avengers took advantage of a pair of errors by Monroe in the top of the second. Those two errors put runners on first and second for ASA with one away, allowing Ezequiel Santana to knock in both runners with a double to left, giving the Avengers a 2-0 edge.
 
The deficit grew larger for the Mustangs in the third when Sammy Cuevas hit a solo homer over the fence in left field to give the Avengers a 3-0 lead.
 
The Mustangs were able then themselves take advantage of what proved to be a very costly error by the Avengers in the bottom of the third. The Mustangs loaded the bases with one out after three straight walks. A wild pitch then scored Javier Ortiz to make it a 3-1 game. Adner Mercado then hit a fly ball to center that was dropped by the center fielder, allowing Freddy Rojas Jr. to score and get the Mustangs within one. With two outs, Neifi Mercedes drew a walk to load the bases once again. Leandy Castro took advantage of the opportunity that he should not have had, launching a grand slam to left to push the Mustangs ahead, 6-3.
 
Mistakes once again came into play for the Mustangs in the top of the fourth. With two runners on, a failed pickoff attempt by the catcher resulted in Ernefi De Leon scoring from second, to get ASA back within two. Keith Hernandez then reached on an error by the first baseman, bringing in Rohandry Javier to make it a one-run ballgame.
 
Ortiz drew a walk with one out in the bottom of the fourth for Monroe. A passed ball then allowed him to move to second. With two outs, Gustavo Gonzalez was hit by a pitch. The Mustangs then went for a double steal, and the throw to third sailed into left field, allowing Ortiz to score and make it a 7-5 game.
 
Mercedes led off the fifth with a single to left for the Mustangs. Castro then continued a big game with an RBI triple to right, scoring Mercedes to push the lead to three. Two batters later, Joe Rosselli beat out a bunt single toward third, bringing in Castro to bring Monroe's lead to 9-5.
 
With two outs in the sixth and Mercado on first, Mercedes reached on an error to get runners on the corners. Castro then walked to load the bases. A wild pitch then brought in Mercado, leaving the Mustangs on top, 10-5, after six.
 
Rosselli walked to kick off the seventh frame, and then Ortiz hit a double into right to put both runners in scoring position. Iasid Bernal walked to load the bases, and then Gonzalez hit a sacrifice fly to left to knock in Rosselli and give the Mustangs an 11-5 advantage.
 
Three straight walks loaded the bases for the Avengers in the eighth without anybody out. Luis Rivera reached on a fielder's choice, scoring Marlon Pertuz from third to make it a five-run game. Santana later managed to steal home to bring the score to 11-7, but that was it for the scoring in Game 1, as the Mustangs held on to win by four.
 
Ricky Otero went five innings in the start in Game 1, allowing three earns runs with four strikeouts to pick up the win and improve to 2-0 on the year. Richard DiMartino took the loss for the Avengers to fall to 0-2.
 
Castro had a stellar first game on Wednesday, going 2-for-5 with a grand slam, a triple, five RBIs and two runs scored. Ortiz finished 1-for-2 with a double, two runs scored and a pair of stolen bases. Mercado batted 1-for-3 with two runs and an RBI. Mercedes scored twice after going 1-for-4. Rosselli matched Mercedes' 1-for-4, scoring once and knocking in another run.
 
GAME 2: MONROE 11, ASA 1 (5 INNINGS)
ASA managed to once again grab an early lead in Game 2. In the top of the first, Pertuz reached on a walk, then stole second with two outs. A pair of passed balls then allowed him to score and give the Avengers a swift 1-0 lead, but that proved to be all the Avengers could muster up in Wednesday's finale.
 
The Mustangs rallied right back in their first at-bat of Game 2. A trio of walks loaded the bases with two outs in the inning. Mercedes then singled to short, plating Rojas to tie the game. Jose Martinez blasted a ground-rule double over the wall in center, scoring Mercado and Castro to put the Mustangs up by two. A wild pitch then plated Mercedes to make it a 4-1 game. Two batters later, a wild pitch brought in Martinez to leave the Mustangs ahead, 5-1.
 
Monroe once again had the bases loaded with two outs in the second. Mercedes then drew a base-on-balls, scoring Gonzalez to give Monroe a 6-1 advantage.
 
Gonzalez singled into right with two outs in the bottom of the third. He then stole second, and then stole third shortly after, but this time the throw got past the third baseman, bringing Gonzalez in to score and give Monroe a six-run edge.
 
Mercado reached on a one-out walk in the fourth, and then Castro sent a ground-rule double over the wall in right to put runners on second and third. Manrique Mora walked in a pinch-hit opportunity, and then Martinez once again took advantage of an at-bat with the bases loaded, singled into right to bring in Mercado and Castro to push the lead to 9-1.
 
The Mustangs rallied once more to end the game in the bottom of the fifth. Rojas and Joseph Encarnacion both walked with one away, and then a wild pitch moved both runners into scoring position. A ground out by Mercado brought in Rojas to give Monroe a nine-run lead, and then a wild pitch brought in Encarnacion to end the game via the run rule.
 
Patrick Morrissey went the complete five frames for the Mustangs in Game 2, allowing just one hit while striking out nine batters to earn his first win and improve to 1-2. Jose Pena took the loss for the Avengers to drop to 0-1.
 
Martinez had a big game in Wednesday's nightcap, batting 2-for-3 with a double, a run, four RBIs and a stolen base to help lead Monroe to another win. Mercedes went 1-for-1 with two RBIs and a run. Castro added a double and two runs scored in a 1-for-2 outing. Gonzalez scored twice after hitting 1-for-3, also stealing a pair of bases in the win. Encarnacion finished 1-for-3, scoring the walk off run in the game.
 
The Mustangs will look to build upon their four-game hitting streak as they head into a four-game series at UConn Avery Point over the weekend. The series begins on Saturday, April 27, with a pair of games beginning at 12 p.m.
 
ABOUT THE ATHLETIC PROGRAM AT MONROE COLLEGE
The athletic program at Monroe College encompasses a total of 30 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 11 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).