SELDEN, N.Y., April 2, 2021 – In the fourth matchup of the season between the two teams, the Monroe College Mustangs baseball team rolled to a 15-1, run-rule victory at Suffolk County Community College Friday afternoon. The Mustangs improve to 13-2 overall with the win, while the Sharks fall to 2-6.
 
The Mustangs jumped out to a quick start in the top of the first. Leivin Rodriguez hit a one-out triple to right, then scored on a ground out by Anthony Fontana for an early 1-0 lead.
 
Dante Paolucci led off the second with a double to right, then Jose Martinez beat out an infield single to put runners on the corners. Martinez then stole second, and the throw allowed Paolucci to score and double the lead. Martinez later stole third, and scored on a single to right by Miguel Toribio to push the score to 3-0. Joan Sosa followed with a triple to right to expand the lead to four, and then Rodriguez singled him in to leave the Mustangs up, 5-0.
 
Jared Paladino opened the third with a single into right. He then stole second, and moved to third when the throw got away. Paolucci then hit his second double of the game, scoring Paladino to make it a 6-0 lead. Martinez walked and then took second to put both runners into scoring position, and then John Garcia singled up the middle to bring in Paolucci. Toribio then reached on an error to score Martinez for an eight-run edge. Later in the frame, Salix Felix walked with the bases loaded to put the Mustangs on top, 9-0.
 
Paolucci walked with nobody out in the fourth, then got knocked in on a triple by Martinez for the Mustangs' 10th run. Garcia reached on an error, bringing in Martinez to make it 11-0. Later in the inning, Pedro Mota reached on a fielder's choice in a pinch-hit opportunity, bringing in Garcia from third for a 12-0 Mustang advantage.
 
The Mustangs put together their final rally in the top of the fifth. Kristopher Salinas grounded out with the bases loaded, but knocked in Richard Vasquez for the 13th run of the day. Mota then reached on an error to bring in Garcia, and another error on a ball put in play by Fontana added one more run with Toribio coming home for the 15-0 lead. The Sharks got one run back in the bottom of the fifth, but it was not enough to extend the game.
 
Claudio Rodriguez was solid in the start, going three shutout innings with a strikeout and five hits allowed. Roman Dorosh got the win in relief with a scoreless fourth frame with one strikeout to improve to 3-0 on the year. Derek Perez took the loss for Suffolk after giving up eight earned runs in 2.2 frames to drop to 0-1.
 
Rodriguez finished 3-for-3 with an RBI, a run and a triple in the win. Paolucci went 2-for-2 with a pair of doubles, three runs scored and an RBI. Toribio hit 3-for-4 with three runs, two RBIs and a double. Garcia knocked in two runs and scored two himself after hitting 1-for-3. Sosa went 1-for-3 with a triple, an RBI and a run. Martinez scored three times and hit an RBI triple in a 2-for-2 effort.
 
The Mustangs are back on the road on Tuesday, April 6, when they head back out to Scranton, Pa., to take on Lackawanna College in an afternoon doubleheader. First pitch of Game 1 is set for 3 p.m.
 
ABOUT THE ATHLETIC PROGRAM AT MONROE COLLEGE
The athletic program at Monroe College encompasses a total of 36 teams competing across nine sports. There are 19 varsity and junior varsity programs, as well as club men's and women's rugby, the Monroe College marching band, and the newly added esports program, competing on the New Rochelle campus as the Mustangs (NJCAA Division I). The Monroe Express, based out of the Bronx campus, has 17 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 Mustangs Athletics), Twitter (@Monroe_Mustangs) and Instagram (@monroemustangs).