NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y., April 3, 2023 – The Monroe College Mustangs baseball team produced its highest offensive output of the season on Sunday in a 17-1 victory over Rockland Community College at Dick Caswell Field. The Mustangs improve to 17-10 overall with the win, while the Hawks drop to 5-20.
 
The Mustangs wasted no time taking a big lead on the Hawks on Sunday. Diego Urreta got things going with a one-out single in the first, and then Jeremy De La Mota was hit by a pitch. Jordy Batista then reached on an error that brought in both Urreta and De La Mota for a quick 2-0 lead. Matthew Franco then doubled in Batista to go up by three. After Pedro Crespo was hit by a pitch, Trevor Dutra doubled to center, plating Franco to take a four-run lead. Yeremay Moreno followed with a. two-RBI single to push the lead to six. Ivan Santos drew a walk to get two runners on, and then Urreta drew another base-on-balls with two away to load the bases. De La Mota then knocked in two runs with a single to right, leaving Monroe on top, 8-0.
 
Monroe got right back to it in the second. Batista and Franco hit back-to-back doubles to bring in another run. Crespo single to right-center to put runners on the corners, and then Dutra singled to center to plate Franco for Monroe's 10th run. Moreno doubled to right to score Crespo, and then a groundout by Santos plated Dutra to put the Mustangs up by 12. Brian Cruz followed with an RBI single to left-center to score Moreno and leave the Mustangs ahead, 13-0.
 
Rockland got on the board in the top of the fifth when Jaison Mock hit a two-out RBI single with the bases loaded, but the Mustangs limited the damage to just that one run. They then made up for it in the home half of the fifth. Monroe had the bases loaded with two outs when a wild pitch brought in Ronald Diaz, who had singled in a pinch-hit opportunity to lead off the inning, leaving the Mustangs ahead, 14-1.
 
Monroe delivered the final blow in the bottom of the sixth. Cruz led off with a single, and then Urreta tripled him in for a 15-1 lead. Diaz followed with a single into right to bring Urreta home for a 16-1 edge. With one out, a wild pitch and then a passed ball moved Diaz to third. Franco then brought him in on a groundout to second to bring the score to 17-1.
 
Jose Luis Monegro had a stellar start on the hill for the Mustangs, allowing just one run on five hits across six frames with nine strikeouts for his first win. Pedro Duran pitched a scoreless seventh in relief. Trent Spence took the loss for Rockland.
 
Seven Mustangs had multi-hit games on Sunday. Moreno hit 2-for-3 with a double, three RBIs and two runs scored in the win. Franco doubled twice, plated three runs and scored twice in a 2-for-4 outing. Dutra knocked in two runs and scored twice himself after going 2-for-3 with a double. Urreta went 2-for-4 with a triple, two runs and an RBI. Cruz hit 3-for-5 with an RBI, a run and a double. Crespo went 2-for-4 with two runs scored. Diaz batted 2-for-2 after pinch-hitting, scoring twice and bringing home a run. Batista finished 1-for-5 with a double and two runs scored in the win. De La Mota went 1-for-2 with two RBIs and a run.
 
The Mustangs will hit the road on Tuesday, April 4, to visit SUNY Sullivan in Loch Sheldrake, N.Y. Tuesday's matchup is set to begin at 3:30 p.m.
 
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