CUMBERLAND, Md., April 30, 2021 – Capping off a road trip that could easily be called a power trip, the Monroe College Mustangs baseball team slammed another seven home runs on Friday en route to a 31-3, run-rule victory at Allegany College of Maryland. Friday's scheduled Game 2 was canceled due to incoming thunderstorms. The Mustangs improve to 30-5-1 to close out the regular season, while the Trojans fall to 22-18.
 
Traveling through Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia and back to Maryland from Monday to Friday this week, the Mustangs totaled a ridiculous 140 runs across seven games. The home run parade that was this past week included 33 home runs across those seven contests. To put that into perspective, the 2019 Mustangs, who made the team's second straight trip to the JUCO World Series, totaled 32 home runs in 52 games.
 
The Mustangs did not bat out in the top of the first until the 13th batter of the inning. The Mustangs hit their first three home runs of the day in the opening frame, as Salix Felix, Jared Paladino and John Torres all went yard to help the Mustangs take an 11-0 lead right off the bat.
 
Another seven runs came around to score for the Mustangs in the second. Four batters were hit by pitches, two of those with the bases loaded. Felix also had an RBI single to kick off the scoring in the inning. Dante Paolucci delivered the big blow for the inning, a two-out grand slam to right that made it an 18-0 game.
 
There were no homers in the top of the third for Monroe, but the Mustangs did plate three more runs. With two runners in scoring position. Joan Sosa doubled to center to bring them both in and make it a 20-run game. Felix then singled him in to bring the lead to 21 runs.
 
After Joshua Lopez walked to open the fourth, Torres launched his second homer of the day for the Mustangs' 22nd and 23rd runs of the game.
 
The foot was still on the gas in the top of the fifth, beginning with a three-run homer by Lopez. The Mustangs then loaded the bases, and brought in a run when Sosa drew a walk. Felix then blasted the Mustangs' second grand slam of the game, and their sixth in the past five days, for his second long ball of the game, making it a 31-0 score. The Trojans picked up three runs on a pair of hits in the bottom of the fifth, but that was it, as the game ended after five innings with Monroe up by 28 runs.
 
Olvis Genao did not give up a hit in four innings to earn the win on Friday and improve to 3-1. Noah Zimmerman took the loss for Allegany.
 
Felix blasted two more home runs to reach 13 on the season, finishing 4-for-5 with another nine-RBI game and three runs scored in the win. Torres homered twice as well, going 3-for-4 with five RBIs and four runs. Sosa doubled twice in a 3-for-4 outing, scoring five times and knocking in four more runs. Jose Martinez continued a red-hot streak by going 3-for-3 with four runs scored. Lopez batted 2-for-4 with three RBIs, three runs and a homer. Paladino knocked in four runs and scored twice after going 2-for-2 with a home run. Anthony Fontana went 2-for-3 with three runs and two RBIs. Paolucci went 2-for-3 with two runs and a grand slam.
 
The Mustangs are now finished with their regular-season slate, finishing 30-5-1 overall. The postseason looks a little different this year for Monroe, as they will now be part of the Region 20 Championship Tournament, hosted by Hagerstown Community College. The four-team, double-elimination tournament will be held from Friday, May 7, through Sunday, May 9. Monroe will enter the tournament as the No. 3 seed by default, and is set to open the weekend again No. 2 seed Hagerstown on Friday at 11 a.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).