NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y., April 2, 2022 – The Monroe College Mustangs baseball team picked up a big doubleheader sweep of Region 15 rival ASA College (NYC) Saturday afternoon at Dick Caswell Field. The Mustangs controlled the whole way to win, 7-2, in Game 1. Monroe trailed for most of Game 2 before a clutch rally in the bottom of the seventh gave the Mustangs a walk-off 2-1 win. Monroe improves to 3-0 in Region 15 play with the wins, while ASA drops to 0-3.
 
GAME 1: Monroe 7, ASA 2
A quiet couple of innings got Game 1 off to a slow start, but the Mustangs got the scoring started in the bottom of the third. Nathaniel Alvarez led off with a triple to deep center, and then Miguel Toribio brought him in on a sacrifice fly to center, putting the Mustangs ahead, 1-0. Pedro Crespo followed with a walk, and then Andres Castro reached on a catcher's interference. After a passed ball moved the runners into scoring position, another sacrifice fly by Dante Paolucci plated Crespo to make it a 2-0 game.
 
The Avengers responded quickly in the top of the fourth. Waldelmar Mateo led off the frame with a solo homer over the fence in left field to cut the deficit in half at 2-1.
 
The Mustangs packed it on in the bottom of the fifth. Alvarez and Toribio drew back-to-back walks, and then both moved into scoring position on a passed ball. Crespo brought them both in with a single to right-center, pushing the lead to 4-1. With one out and a runner on first, Salix Felix ripped a double into the gap in left-center, bringing Castro around to score and make it a 5-1 game. Jaison Andujar followed with a sacrifice fly to right, scoring Paolucci from third to bring the score to 6-1. Kristopher Salinas capped off the inning with an RBI single into right, scoring Felix to leave Monroe on top, 7-1.
 
ASA got one back in the top of the sixth. With two on and two outs, an error allowed Johan Sandoval to reach base and Mateo to score from third, cutting Monroe's lead to 7-2, but that proved to be the end of the scoring in Game 1.
 
Pedro Duran turned in five strong innings in the start for Monroe, allowing just one run on two hits with eight strikeouts to earn the win and improve to 1-2. Adrian Batista, James Vaughn, Angel Aviles and Carlos Peguero each threw an inning in relief, and none of them allowed an earned run. Johansel Gomez took the loss for the Avengers to fall to 1-2.
 
Crespo hit 1-for-2 with two RBIs, a run and a stolen base in the win. Alvarez batted 1-for-2 with a triple and a run scored. Felix finished 1-for-4 with an RBI, a run and a double. Salinas hit 1-for-4 with an RBI. Paolucci knocked in a run and scored another despite going 0-for-2.
 
GAME 2: Monroe 2, ASA 1
The Avengers got the early jump on the Mustangs in Game 2. Mateo singled with two outs to keep the inning alive, and then Alexander Cuevas hit another single to get two runners on. Sandoval hit a double into the left-center gap, scoring Mateo, but the Mustangs caught Cuevas at the plate to end the half inning with ASA ahead, 1-0.
 
Andujar led off the bottom of the seventh with a bunt single to get things going for Monroe. A wild pitch moved him to second, and then a passed ball put him on third. After Luis Villalba walked, Angel De La Cruz hit a pinch-hit sacrifice fly to left, plating Andujar to tie the game, but Villalba was caught between second and third and thrown out for the second out of the inning. Alvarez came up clutch with a triple to deep right-center, putting the winning run on third. Toribio wasted no time, pulling the first pitch he saw into the hole on the right side for a walk-off RBI single, giving Monroe the 2-1 comeback victory.
 
Peguero earned his first win with a scoreless seventh inning. Claudio Rodriguez went three innings in the start, allowing just one run with a pair of strikeouts. Anfernee Fernandez took the loss for ASA to fall to 1-2.
 
Toribio hit 1-for-3 with a walkoff RBI single in the win. Alvarez batted 1-for-3 with a triple and the game-winning run. Castro hit 1-for-3 with another triple for Monroe. Andujar went 1-for-2 and scored the tying run. Felix tripled in a 1-for-3 outing. De La Cruz knocked in a run with a sacrifice fly in his only trip to the plate.
 
Sunday's scheduled doubleheader to close out the weekend series has been postponed due to expected inclement weather. New dates for those games will be announced in the near future.
 
ABOUT THE ATHLETIC PROGRAM AT MONROE COLLEGE
The athletic program at Monroe College encompasses a total of 35 teams competing across nine sports. There are 21 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 and men's volleyball programs, competing on the New Rochelle campus as the Mustangs (NJCAA Division I). The Monroe Express, based out of the Bronx campus, has 14 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). Read Full Article