EUNICE, La., February 22, 2020 – In the second game of a three-game series at NJCAA Div. II No. 1 LSU-Eunice, the Monroe College Mustangs baseball team dropped a 13-3 decision in seven innings to the Bengals at Bengal Field. The Mustangs fall to 2-3 on the season, while the Bengals remain unbeaten at 11-0.
 
The Bengals grabbed an early lead with a run in the bottom of the first. River Town singled with a runner on second, and an error on the play allowed Javier Vaz to score, making it a 1-0 game.
 
LSU-Eunice put together a big rally in the bottom of the third, beginning with a leadoff triple by Reed Babin. He was then knocked in on a sacrifice fly by Brady Hebert to make it a two-run game. With two runners on later in the frame, Scott Jones singled up the middle, plating Town and Jack Merrifield to push the lead to four. Jase McDonald followed with a single to right, bringing Jones home for the Bengals' fifth run of the afternoon. Thomas Stevens followed that up with a double to right, scoring McDonald from first to make it a 6-0 game.
 
The Mustangs chipped away at the deficit in the top of the fourth. Jared Paladino led off the inning with a double, and then moved to third on a passed ball. Leivin Rodriguez followed with a walk to put runners on the corners. After Rodriguez took second, another passed ball allowed Paladino to score and get the Mustangs on the board. A groundout by Emile Boies then brought in Rodriguez to make it a 6-2 game.
 
The Bengals were able to negate the Mustangs' runs in the bottom of the fourth. Brady Hebert and Vaz both walked, and with runners on the corners, a sacrifice fly by Town brought in Hebert to make it a five-run game. Stevens was later hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to push LSU-Eunice's lead to 8-2.
 
The Mustangs got a run back after putting runners on the corners in the top of the sixth. Joe Rosselli reached on a fielder's choice toward first, bringing in Boies to make it an 8-3 game.
 
The Bengals strung together one final rally in the bottom of the seventh. Hebert beat out an infield single with runners on second and third to bring in the first run of the inning. Town walked with the bases loaded to bring in another. Then Merrifield hit a bases-clearing double to left, scoring three runs to end the game via the run rule with LSU-Eunice winning, 13-3.
 
Jerry Couch earned a win for the Bengals after allowing two runs across five innings to improve to 3-0. Vladimir Ceverino shouldered the loss for Monroe to fall to 0-1.
 
Joseph Caba finished 2-for-3 with a double in the game. Paladino also hit a double in a 2-for-4 effort. Rodriguez finished 1-for-2 with a run. Ian Clemente and Nathaniel Alvarez each batted 1-for-3, while Joan Sosa went 1-for-2. Boies did not record a hit, but still managed to knock in a run and score another himself.
 
The Mustangs will look to bounce back tomorrow, Feb. 23, when they wrap up the three-game series at LSU-Eunice. 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 31 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 Mustangs (NJCAA Division I). The Monroe Express, based out of the Bronx campus, has 12 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 Mustangs), Twitter (@Monroe_Mustangs) and Instagram (@monroemustangs).