SCRANTON, N.Y., April 23, 2022 – The Monroe College Mustangs baseball team saw its winning streak come to an end at seven games on Saturday in a doubleheader split against Lackawanna College at Scranton High School. The Falcons picked up the Game 1 win, 4-2, but the Mustangs got right back on track in Game 2 with a 10-6 victory. The Mustangs move to 19-23 overall, while the Falcons go to 17-12.
 
GAME 1: Lackawanna 4, Monroe 2
The Mustangs had the early jump on the Falcons in Saturday's opener. With runners on first and second, a double steal led to an error on a throw down to third, bringing Nathaniel Alvarez home to make it a 1-0 game. Jaison Andujar then grounded out to second, bringing in Andres Castro to leave Monroe up, 2-0.
 
Lackawanna managed to tie the game with a two-run third inning. The Falcons later took the lead on an RBI double by Cody Fleischer in the bottom of the fifth. George Castro made it a 4-2 game with an RBI double down the left-field line in the sixth, and the Falcons held on in the seventh to pick up the win.
 
Aiden Starn picked up the win for the Falcons to improve to 2-2 on the season. Roman Dorosh shouldered the loss for Monroe to fall to 2-5.
 
GAME 2: Monroe 10, Lackawanna 6
The roles were reversed early on in Game 2, as Lackawanna scored a run in each of the first two innings to take a 2-0 lead. The Mustangs chipped away in the third when a wild pitch brought Alvarez home to cut the deficit in half.
 
Monroe then had a big fourth frame to take control of the game. Luis Tejada hit a one-out double, and then Kristopher Salinas singled him in to tie the game. Miguel Toribio and Alvarez hit two more singles, bringing in Salinas to put Monroe ahead, 3-2. A fielder's choice on a grounder by Castro scored Toribio to push the lead to 4-2. Salix Felix followed with another single, and then he and Castro pulled off a double steal to put two runners in scoring position. Luis Villalba came through with a single, and an error then allowed a second run to score, leaving the Mustangs on top, 6-2.
 
The Falcons got a run back in the bottom of the sixth, but the Mustangs did their best to put the game out of reach in the top of the seventh. After a walk by Tejada, Salinas doubled to right, where an error allowed him to go to third and Tejada to score and make it a 7-3 game. After walks by Toribio and Alvarez, Castro cleared the bases with a double to center, putting the Mustangs up, 10-3, heading to the bottom of the seventh. The Falcons threatened with three runs with just one out in the inning, but Adrian Batista came on to shut the door with the final two outs, helping Monroe hang on for the 10-6 win.
 
Pedro Duran picked up the win for Monroe after 5.1 innings and just two earned runs allowed, improving to 2-3 on the season. Batista earned his first save in the game. Ty Morris took the loss for the Falcons to drop to 2-2.
 
Castro knocked in four runs in Game 2 after hitting 1-for-3 with a double and a stolen base, also scoring a run in the win. Salinas scored twice in a 3-for-4 effort, adding a double and an RBI. Tejada hit 1-for-3 with a double and two runs scored. Villalba registered an RBI in a 1-for-3 outing. Alvarez scored twice and knocked in a run in a 1-for-3 game. Toribio hit 2-for-3 with two runs scored. Felix finished 1-for-5 with a run.
 
The Mustangs will wrap up the congested weekend on Sunday, April 24, with a road doubleheader in West Windsor Township, N.J., at Mercer County Community College. Game 1 on Sunday is slated for a 12 p.m. first pitch.
 
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