BEL AIR, Md., May 12, 2019 – One year after making history and claiming its first-ever NJCAA Division I Eastern District Championship, the Monroe College Mustangs baseball team earned its second straight trip to Grand Junction, Colo., for the Alpine Bank Junior College World Series. The Mustangs defeated Spartanburg Methodist College on Sunday, 8-3, completing a perfect 3-0 weekend at the Eastern District Championship tournament to secure their second consecutive district title.
 
Gustavo Gonzalez was named the Eastern District Championship Most Valuable Player after a stellar performance throughout the weekend. In three contests, Gonzalez batted .429 (6-for-14) with seven RBIs, three runs scored, three doubles, and played and incredible second base all weekend.
 
The Pioneers had runners on second and third with just one away in the top of the second. Dayton Brune then blooped a single over the third baseman to bring in a run, then the throw home from the shortstop got past the catcher, allowing another run to come in and leave the Pioneers up, 2-0.
 
The Mustangs got a pair of singles from Leandy Castro and Neifi Mercedes in the home half of the second, and Joe Rosselli drew a walk to load the bases with two down in the frame.  Gonzalez came through with a long fly ball to the wall for a three-RBI double, pushing the Mustangs into the lead, 3-2.
 
With two outs in the bottom of the third, Castro launched a high fly ball just over the left-field monster for a solo homer, pushing Monroe's lead to 4-2.
 
Mercedes and Adner Mercado hit back-to-back singles to kick off the fourth for Monroe. Rosselli then dropped down a sacrifice bunt, but the throw just got away from the first baseman, allowing Mercedes to come around and score and make it a 5-2 ballgame. Gonzalez then grounded into a double play, but Mercado scored on the play, leaving the Mustangs up, 6-2.
 
Rosselli hit a one-out double in the bottom of the sixth. Two batters later, Freddy Rojas Jr. hit a two-out RBI single into right, scoring Rosselli to put the Mustangs ahead, 7-2.
 
Donald Hansis reached on a dropped pop up to third with one away in the top of the seventh for the Pioneers. A balk moved him to second, and a stolen base left him on third. A grounder toward third then took a bad hop off the turf, giving Rome Wallace an RBI single and bringing the score to 7-3.
 
The Mustangs padded their lead in the bottom of the eighth. After a walk by Rosselli with two outs, Gonzalez doubled to deep right, plating one more run to push the lead to 8-3.
 
Patrick Morrissey got the start and went six frames for the Mustangs, allowing just five hits and two runs while striking out eight batters to earn the win and improve to 2-2 on the season. Elian Oda was strong in relief, tossing the final three frames while allowing no earned runs on two hits to secure his second save of the year. Spartanburg Methodist starter Charles Schaum took the loss to fall to 3-4.
 
Gonzalez finished 2-for-5 with four RBIs and a pair of doubles in the championship victory. Mercedes hit 3-for-4 with a pair of runs. Rosselli scored three times after hitting 1-for-1 with a double and two walks. Castro swatted his second home run of the weekend and finished 2-for-4 with an RBI and two runs.
 
The Mustangs are now set to compete in their second straight JUCO World Series, which runs from May 25 through June 1 at Sam Suplizio Field in Grand Junction, Colo. The Mustangs were the first team to qualify for the JUCO World Series this season. The rest of the field will be determined in the next week.
 
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).