NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y., May 4, 2022 – After ASA College (NYC) forced extra innings with a ninth-inning comeback, Miguel Toribio ended the game for the Monroe College Mustangs baseball team in the bottom of the 10th with a walkoff single, lifting Monroe to a 7-6 victory over the Avengers. The win put the Mustangs one more win away from claiming the Region 15 Championships in the best-of-three series with the Avengers.
 
The Mustangs jumped out to a lead in the bottom of the second. Three straight singles by Jaison Andujar, Luis Villalba and Angel De La Cruz produced Monroe's first run of the day, with De La Cruz plating Andujar from second for a 1-0 lead. With two outs, Nathaniel Alvarez doubled into the left-center gap, plating Villalba to leave the Mustangs on top, 2-0.
 
The Avengers got right back in the game in the third. Jose Lojo walked, and then Fran Gross singled with one out, advancing on the throw to put two runners in scoring position. With two outs, a wild pitch brought in Lojo to get the Avengers within a run. After Louis Winter walked, a double steal attempt was successful, as a throw down to second allowed Gross to score and tie the game at 2-2.
 
Monroe took back the lead in the bottom of the fourth. Andujar was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning, and then a passed ball moved him to second. With one out, De La Cruz roped a ground-rule double that hopped over the fence in right-center, plating Andujar to put Monroe ahead, 3-2. Alvarez later hit a ground-rule double of his own to right, scoring De La Cruz to leave Monroe up, 4-2.
 
ASA cut the deficit in half in the top of the seventh. Fran Gross walked and then stole second with one away. He then came in on a ground-rule double by Ivan Santos, making it a 4-3 ballgame. The Mustangs then escaped trouble to hang onto the one-run lead.
 
The Mustangs bounced right back in the home half of the seventh. Toribio drew a one-out walk, and then Pedro Crespo beat out a grounder to short. Andres Castro then ripped a double into the left-center gap, scoring Toribio to make it a two-run lead for Monroe. After Salix Felix was intentionally walked to load the bases, Andujar dropped down a safety squeeze, bringing Crespo home to make it a 6-3 ballgame.
 
The Avengers managed to once again get right back in the game in the top of the eighth. With a runner on, Waldelmar Mateo homered straight down the right-field line, bringing in the score to 6-5.
 
ASA then extended the game in the top of the ninth. Santos led off with a double, and then moved to third on a passed ball. With one out, Elquin Rodriguez singled into right-center, scoring Santos to tie the game at 6-6. Adrian Batista was then able to get out of the inning by inducing a double play, sending the game to the bottom of the ninth all tied up. Monroe managed to load the bases with two outs in the ninth, but were unable to bring in the winning run, sending the game to extra innings.
 
De La Cruz led off the bottom of the 10th with a walk, and then advanced to second on a passed ball. A long fly ball to left by Kristopher Salinas allowed De La Cruz to tag up to third. ASA chose to intentionally walk Alvarez, leaving it up to Toribio with one out. Toribio came through with a line drive into the left-center gap, allowing De La Cruz to trot home and end the game.
 
Je-andrick Lourens picked up the win to improve to 4-2 on the season. He came on in the 10th, tossing a perfect inning with a strikeout. Roman Dorosh had a strong start, going six frames with nine strikeouts while allowing just two runs on three hits. Waldelmar Mateo came on in relief for the Avengers and took the loss to drop to 2-2.
 
Toribio's lone hit in a 1-for-4 outing could not have been bigger, as it was his game-ending single. He finished with one RBI and a run scored. Alvarez hit 2-for-5 with two doubles and two RBIs. Andujar batted 1-for-2 with two runs and an RBI. De La Cruz scored twice and knocked in two runs in a 2-for-4 effort that included a double. Castro hit 1-for-5 with an RBI and a double. Villalba finished 2-for-5 with a run scored. Crespo batted 3-for-5 with a run in the win.
 
Game 2 of the Region 15 Championship Series is set for tomorrow, May 5, at Dick Caswell Field, with first pitch set for 3 p.m. A win for Monroe would give the Mustangs the region title, while a win for the Avengers would force Game 3 on Friday.
 
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