HOUSTON, Texas, February 18, 2023 – Je-andrick Lourens was terrific on the hill, and the offense got just enough early on to help the Monroe College Mustangs baseball team defeat No. 6 San Jacinto College on Saturday by a score of 3-2. The Mustangs break a long streak against the Ravens, having been 0-12 in the history of the matchup prior to Saturday's win. Monroe improves to 2-6 on the season with the win, while the Ravens drop to 8-5.
 
Lourens allowed just one unearned run across seven frames in the winning effort on Saturday. He yielded just three hits while striking out nine batters in a brilliant performance on the mound. Carlos Peguero also earned his second save of the season, getting the final two outs of the game to protect a one-run lead.
 
The Mustangs got off to a hot start in the top of the first. After Ivan Santos drew a one-out walk, Pedro Vasquez launched a two-run homer over the fence in right-center, giving the Mustangs a quick 2-0 edge on the Ravens.
 
San Jac responded in the bottom of the first. Luke Nail hit a one-out double to right, and then a single by Jake Bennett brought him in to cut the deficit in half.
 
The Mustangs padded their lead in the top of the fourth. With two outs, Ronald Almanzar kept the inning alive with a single to right. A balk moved him up to second, and then Andres Castro took advantage with a double to left, scoring Almanzar to push the lead to 3-1.
 
The Ravens took advantage of miscues to give themselves a chance in the ninth. After Bennett drew a walk, a wild pitch that took a bad hop off the backstop allowed him to go all the way to third. Another wild pitch then brought him in to make it a one-run game. Trey Rucker also drew a walk, and then stole second with two outs. Peguero then got the last hitter to hit a grounder to first, and got over to the bag to make the play for the final out of the game.
 
Vasquez went 1-for-4 with his two-run homer, his second home run of the season. Castro finished 1-for-4 with an RBI double. Almanzar batted 1-for-4 with a run scored, while Jordy Batista also went 1-for-4 in the game. Jeremy De La Mota hit a double in a 2-for-4 effort.
 
The Mustangs can even close out the trip with a series split at San Jac on Sunday, Feb. 19, when the Mustangs and Ravens face off in Game 4 of the weekend series. First pitch is set for 1 p.m. EST.
 
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 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 11 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