McHenry, Md., April 28, 2021 – It was a day for the history books for the Monroe College Mustangs baseball team on Wednesday, as they totaled 45 runs across two wins over Garrett College. Salix Felix set a new single-season home run record with three homers in Game 2, while Jose Martinez put up ridiculous numbers in Game 1. The Mustangs improve to 29-4-1 overall with the wins, while the Lakers drop to 25-20.
 
Felix came into the day two home runs shy of the previous Monroe College home run record of nine, set by Daniel Alfonzo back in 2019. Though he did not hit one over the fence in Game 1, he made up for lost time in Game 2 with a three-homer, nine-RBI game to surpass the record with his 10th long ball of the season, doing so in just 32 game. The freshman third baseman is now hitting .430 on the season with an OPS of 1.358, 50 RBIs and 45 runs scored.
 
Though Felix's Game 2 was all sorts of crazy, Martinez actually managed to eclipse his RBI total in Game 1. Martinez went a perfect 5-for-5 with a grand slam, two doubles, 11 RBIs, three runs scored and three stolen bases. Martinez actually opened the game with a bunt single before displayed his power the rest of the game, and his final hit was nearly his second grand slam of the day, but he settled for a two-RBI single off the left-field wall instead. Though he got off to a late start after opening the season with an injury, Martinez is batting .377 with seven home runs, a 1.323 OPS, and he is a perfect 21-for-21 on stolen base attempts.
 
Game 1: Monroe 24, Garrett 13 (5 INN)
The Mustangs wasted no time jumping out to a sizeable lead in the top of the first of Game 1. Martinez beat out a bunt single, then proceeded to steal second and third. Joan Sosa brought him in on a sacrifice fly to make it a 1-0 game. Felix followed with a single, and he later stole second with one out. Jared Paladino took advantage and singled him in to double the lead. Dante Paolucci singled into right to put runners on first and third, and then Pedro Mota doubled to the warning track in right-center to bring in both runners and put the Mustangs ahead, 4-0. After a John Garcia walk, Daniel Palermo beat out a grounder to short, allowing Mota to score and make it a five-run Mustang lead. Martinez then doubled on the very next pitch, scoring both runners to push the lead to 7-0. After chasing the starting pitcher, Sosa kept the rally going with a single to right-center, scoring Martinez from second to make it 8-0.
 
The game was clearly not over yet, as the Lakers took advantage of what was given to them to score seven runs on three hits in the bottom of the first to make it a one-run game.
 
The Mustangs were not going to let that stand, and continued to pound it on in the second. They immediately loaded the bases with nobody out, allowing a Mota single to bring in two runs to push the lead to three. Three batters later, with the bases once again loaded, Martinez hit a double down the line in left, clearing the bases to make it a 13-7 ballgame.
 
The offensive onslaught kept going in the top of the third for the Mustangs. Felix and Anthony Fontana opened the frame with a single and a double, respectively. Paladino then drove them both in on a single up the middle to push the lead to eight. Mota and Garcia were both hit by pitches with one away to load the bases, and then Palermo walked to bring in a run and make it a 16-7 game. Martinez continued a huge game in the next at-bat, crushing a grand slam over the wall in left to leave the Mustangs on top, 20-7.
 
The Lakers had two outs in the bottom of the third before a single, a walk and a hit-by-pitch loaded the bases. Elijah Hanible then sent a grand slam over the wall in left-center, making it a 20-11 game after three.
 
The Mustangs opened the fourth with a single by Paladino, a walk by Paolucci and a single by Mota to load the bases. Garcia drew a walk to bring in Monroe's 21st run of the game. Martinez nearly hit his second grand slam of the game, coming up a few feet short and settling for an off-the-wall single that brought in two runs to push the lead to 23-11.
 
Garrett got a couple runs back on a two-RBI single by Justin Fluhart in the bottom of the fourth.
 
The Mustangs got one more run in the top of the fifth. Paladino led off the inning with a solo homer to center, his third home run in as many days, to reach what proved to be the final score of 24-13.
 
Paladino and Mota went off in this one in addition to Martinez's huge game. Paladino finished 4-for-5 with a home run, four RBIs and five runs scored. Mota hit 3-for-4 with four runs, four RBIs and a double of his own. Felix went 3-for-4 and scored twice in the win. Garcia scored twice and knocked in another run in a 1-for-2 effort that included a double. Palermo hit 1-for-3 with three runs scored and a pair of RBIs.
 
Marcos Rodriguez picked up the win in relief on Wednesday to improve to 1-0. Garrett's Willie Rodriguez took the loss to drop to 0-1.
 
Game 2: Monroe 21, Garrett 3
Though the result was much the same as Game 1, things got off to a slower start for the Mustangs in Game 2. Martinez walked to open the game, and then stole second. Two batters later, Felix doubled him in to make it a 1-0 game. That was all the Mustangs could score in the opening frame, and then a leadoff homer by Quintin Smith tied the game for the Lakers in the bottom of the first.
 
Paolucci got a big second game started with a home run to lead off the second, giving the Mustangs a 2-1 edge. Joshua Lopez singled with one away, then moved to second on a wild pitch. Miguel Toribio then brought him in on a single into right to make it a 3-1 game. Martinez followed with another walk, and then Sosa singled to left, scoring Toribio from second to leave the Mustangs ahead, 4-1.
 
The Mustangs really broke things open in the top of the third. Paladino walked to start the inning, and then Paolucci sent his second straight homer over the wall in center, pushing the lead to 6-1. After a one-out walk by Lopez, Toribio came through again with an RBI single to left to make it a 7-1 score. Martinez then blasted a two-run homer to right to give the Mustangs an eight-run advantage. Sosa followed with a double, and then Felix hit his first dinger of the game, leaving Monroe up, 11-1.
 
The fourth looked much like the third, as the Mustangs strung together another big rally, all of which took place with two outs. Martinez drew a walk to keep the inning alive, and the Kristopher Salinas beat out an infield single. Felix then blasted his second homer of the game over the centerfield fence, tying the Monroe record and making it a 14-1 game. Mota, Paladino and Nathaniel Alvarez kept the rally going with three straight single to load the bases. Richard Vasquez then made the Lakers pay, hitting the Mustangs' second grand slam of the day, and third in three games, to give Monroe an 18-1 lead after four.
 
As if that was not enough, the Mustangs tallied a few more runs in the fifth. Toribio hit a leadoff double, and then Martinez reached on an error. With one out, Felix broke the Mustangs' single-season home run record with his third of the game, a three-run shot to right, putting Monroe past 20 runs for the third time in four games and giving the visitors a 21-1 lead. The Lakers picked up a pair of unearned runs in the bottom of the fifth before the game came to an end via the run rule.
 
Felix went 4-for-5 with three runs scored and a double to go with his three homers and nine RBIs in Game 2. Paolucci played only three innings and still managed to go 2-for-3 with two homers, three RBIs and two runs scored. Vasquez went 1-for-5, but made that one count with a grand slam. Martinez hit 1-for-2, scoring four times and knocking in two more runs while also drawing three walks, stealing a base, and hitting another home run. Paladino finished 2-for-4 with two runs, while Toribio went 3-for-4 with three runs, two RBIs and a double. Sosa doubled in a 2-for-3 effort that included an RBI and a run. Mota entered the game late, but still went 2-for-2 with a double and a run. Lopez hit 1-for-3 with two runs scored.
 
Not to be lost in the offensive showcase is another strong outing by starting pitcher Nicholas Feretic, who went the complete five innings in Game 2, allowing just one earned run with eight strikeouts to improve to 5-0 on the season. Noah Mankin took the loss for Garrett to drop to 0-2.
 
Having won five straight on their road trip this week, the Mustangs have their most important matchup of the trip tomorrow, April 29, as they take on East District foe from Region 20, Potomac State College, in a nine-inning matchup in Keyser, W.V. First pitch is scheduled 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).