GRAND JUNCTION, Colo., May 27, 2019 – A pair of big rallies for No. 12 Cowley College in the sixth and seventh frames were too much to overcome, as the Monroe College Mustangs baseball team dropped a 16-6 decision to the Tigers on Monday in a 2019 Alpine Bank Junior College World Series elimination game, ending the Mustangs run in Grand Junction.
 
The Tigers grabbed the early lead, scoring in similar fashion in both the first and second innings. Cody Milligan led off the game with a triple to left-center, and then Carson Sader grounded out to second, bringing him in from third to quickly put the Tigers up, 1-0. In the top of the second, George Specht hit a leadoff triple off the wall in right, and then a sacrifice fly by Parker Dunn brought him in from third to push the lead to 2-0.
 
The Mustangs broke through in the home half of the second. Leandy Castro snuck a ground ball through the right side with one out, then Iasid Bernal dropped a single in front of the center fielder to get two runners on. A wild pitch moved both runners into scoring position, and a long fly ball to left field by Neifi Mercedes brought Castro in to score and cut the deficit to 2-1.
 
Joe Rosselli hit a line drive just out of the left fielder's reach for a leadoff double to start the bottom of the third. A wild pitch moved him over to third, and then a balk on an aborted pickoff attempt brought him in to score and tie the game at 2-2.
 
With one out in the fourth, Bernal hit a hard grounder just off the first baseman's glove for a single. The first baseman then bobbled the ball, allowing Bernal to advance to second. Mercedes followed with a walk to get two runners on. Jose Martinez, making his first start of the week, followed with a laser over the left-field wall for a three-run blast, putting the Mustangs ahead, 5-2.
 
The Tigers had two on with two outs in the top of the fifth for Grady Davenport. Davenport came through for Cowley with a single to left, bringing in a run to cut the deficit to 5-3.
 
Patrick Morrissey found himself in trouble in the top of the sixth, allowing two singles and a walk to load the bases with nobody out. Elian Oda took over from there, but he walked his first batter to allow a run to come home and cut Monroe's lead to 5-4. Tyler Halstead followed with a two-RBI single up the middle, putting the Tigers ahead, 6-5. Milligan then drew a walk to reload the bases, and then a pinch-hitting Blaze Brothers hit a grand slam off the light pole beyond the left-field fence, giving the Tigers a 10-5 advantage, chasing Oda from the game as well. Jacknell Guzman took the hill from there. The Tigers managed to load the bases again, but Guzman was able to force an inning-ending double play to keep the Mustangs within five.
 
The Tigers added to their lead with a single, followed by three straight walks to open the seventh, pushing the score to 11-5. Davenport then singled up the third-base line to bring in another run and make it a 12-5 game. Cade Stephens followed with a double to the wall in left to bring in two more and bring the score to 14-5. A ground out to second by Daniel DeSimone added another run to push Cowley's lead to 15-5. A sacrifice fly to center by Corbin Lill made it a 16-5 ballgame.
 
Gustavo Gonzalez hit a one-out double in the seventh, then moved to third on a ground out. A wild pitch then brought him in to make it a 16-6 game, but it was not enough to extend the game for the Mustangs.
 
Morrissey went five-plus frames for Monroe, allowing seven runs (six earned) with seven strikeouts to shoulder the loss. Miguel Obeso picked up the win in relief for the Tigers.
 
Martinez finished 1-for-3 with a three-run homer for the Mustangs in the game. Bernal hit 2-for-3 with a run scored. Rosselli scored a run after going 1-for-3 with a double. Gonzalez also hit a double in a 1-for-4 effort.
 
The Mustangs' season comes to an end with Monday's defeat to Cowley. Monroe finishes the year at 33-19 overall after making their second straight appearance in the JUCO World Series. The Mustangs won their second consecutive Eastern District Championship in 2019, and their fifth Region XV title in a row.
 
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).