VIRGINIA BEACH, Va., April 27, 2021 – 13 was the lucky number for the Monroe College Mustangs baseball team on Tuesday, as the Mustangs scored exactly 13 runs in each of their two victories over Bryant & Stratton College (Va.). The Mustangs won the opener, 13-4, before coming back late for a 13-12 win in Game 2. The Mustangs improve to 27-4-1 overall with the wins, while the Bobcats drop to 16-20 overall.
 
Game 1: Monroe 13, Bryant & Stratton 4
The Mustangs got off to a solid start in Game 1, getting a one-out RBI single by Salix Felix to take a quick 1-0 lead in the top of the first. Felix later scored after the catcher threw the ball away attempting to pick him off at third, leaving the Mustangs up, 2-0.
 
Things changed in the bottom of the first, as the Bobcats rallied into the lead. Warren Bailey hit a three-run homer to put the home team ahead, and Carson Arguin later hit a solo homer to make it a 4-2 ballgame.
 
Felix helped out again in the top of the third with a one-out RBI single, scoring Miguel Toribio to get Monroe within a run. Anthony Fontana then blasted a three-run homer to right, thrusting the Mustangs into the lead, 6-4. Jared Paladino made it back-to-back, sending a solo home run over the left-field fence to give the Mustangs a 7-4 advantage.
 
The Mustangs had runners on second and third in the top of the fifth for Joshua Lopez, who came through with a single to right, plating Paladino and Dante Paolucci to push the lead to five runs.
 
Joan Sosa hit a one-out single in the top of the sixth, and then stole second to get into scoring position. Felix doubled him in to make it a 10-4 game, and then Fontana launched his second long ball of the game over the wall in center to put the Mustangs up, 12-4.
 
The Mustangs added one more run in the top of the seventh. Richard Vasquez led off with a single to right, and then Lopez doubled him in to reach the eventual final score of 13-4.
 
Anthony Vargas got off to a slow start in the bottom of the first, but managed to get through all seven innings, allowing just two earned runs with six strikeouts to improve to 4-0 on the season. John Hawley got the loss for the Bobcats to fall to 1-4.
 
Fontana hit two homers and knocked in five RBIs in a 3-for-4 outing in Tuesday's first win. Felix scored three times, knocked in three runs and doubled in a 3-for-5 outing. Lopez plated three runs after going 2-for-3 with a double. Paladino hit 1-for-4 with two runs, an RBI and a home run. Paolucci finished 2-for-3 with a run scored. Sosa hit 1-for-3 with a run and two stolen bases. Jose Martinez batted 1-for-4 with two runs scored.
 
Game 2: Monroe 13, Bryant & Stratton 12
Felix got the Mustangs off to another quick start in Game 2, hitting a solo homer to give the Mustangs an early 1-0 edge. The Mustangs then loaded the bases in the top of the second for Sosa, who drew a walk to make it a 2-0 game.
 
The Bobcats got runners on first and third in the bottom of the second. They went for a double steal, and John Garcia threw the runner from first out on the way to second, but that allowed Shane McCarthy to score and cut the deficit in half. The Bobcats then tied the game in the bottom of the third when an error allowed a runner from third to score.
 
The Bobcats took the lead in the bottom of the fourth. With two runners on, Micah Brown doubled to bring in the first run of the frame and put the home team ahead. Jose Cazorla then singled in another run, and McCarthy added another on a fielder's choice, leaving Bryant & Stratton ahead, 5-2.
 
The Mustangs marched right back in the top of the fifth. With the bases loaded, Daniel Palermo walked to get the Mustangs back within two. Garcia then delivered the big blow, a grand slam over the center-field wall, putting the Mustangs back on top, 7-5.
 
The home team did not stay down for long. A fielder's choice with runners on second and third brought in the first run of the inning for the Bobcats. Three batters later, a bases loaded single by Devin Geoghegan brought in a run, but an error in center field allowed two more to score, giving the Bobcats a 9-7 edge.
 
The Mustangs loaded the bases in the top of the sixth. A wild pitch then brought in Fontana, bringing Monroe back within a run.
 
Monroe came up clutch in the top of the seventh. Nathaniel Alvarez drew a one-out walk, moved to second on a passed ball, and then came to third on a wild pitch. After Martinez also walked, a wild pitch brought in Alvarez to tie the game at 9-9. The bases were loaded for Fontana, who drew yet another walk to put the Mustangs ahead. Paladino followed with a sacrifice fly to center, scoring Sosa to give Monroe a two-run lead. A passed ball brought in Felix, and then Paolucci doubled to center to score Fontana to leave Monroe in the lead, 13-9.
 
The Mustangs needed every one of those runs, as the Bobcats nearly tied the game in their final at-bat. With two runs already in, Lermit Pages hit a pinch-hit RBI double to get the home team within one with the tying run on second base, but the Mustangs managed to halt the rally from there to hang on to the 13-12 victory.
 
Adrian Batista picked up the win in relief for Monroe to improve to 2-0 on the season. Ian Barret yielded the lead in the seventh to take the loss for the Bobcats and fall to 2-3.
 
Garcia went 1-for-2 with a grand slam to help the Mustangs to victory in Game 2 on Tuesday. Paolucci finished 2-for-3 with a double, two runs and an RBI. After homering twice in Game 1, Fontana walked four times in Tuesday's finale, finished 1-for-1 with an RBI and three runs scored. Felix went 1-for-4 with two runs, an RBI and a solo homer.
 
The road trip continues in McHenry, Md., tomorrow, April 28, as the Mustangs challenge Garrett College in another doubleheader. Game 1 is set to begin at 2 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).