HOUSTON, Texas, February 17, 2024 – A pair of tough matchups on a day in which the Mustangs had to travel to two different locations to play two different teams saw the Mustangs drop both contests to Galveston College and No. 13-ranked San Jacinto College on Saturday.
 
GAME 1: Galveston 8, Monroe 3
The Whitecaps scored all eight of their runs in Saturday's game in the first two innings, taking an 8-1 lead with Monroe's only run coming on an RBI double by Jose Fernandez in the top of the second. The Mustangs put together a late rally in the eighth inning, bringing in two runs on a wild pitch and a Ronald Almanzar RBI double, but it was not enough to erase the seven-run deficit.
 
John Alkire picked up the win for Galveston to improve to 2-1 on the season. Yowendy Paulino shouldered his second loss of the season in the game. Relievers Emmanuel Ramos and Orlando Lozada totaled seven innings of relief without allowing an earned run.
 
Jose Fernandez and Almanzar each went 1-for-4 with an RBI double in the game. Anthony Fernandez finished 1-for-4 with a double and a run scored.
 
GAME 2: No. 13 San Jacinto 8, Monroe 4
Monroe got off to a quicker start in Saturday evening's game at San Jacinto. With two runners on and one away in the top of the first, Pedro Vasquez ripped an RBI double to right to quickly give Monroe a 1-0 lead.
 
The Ravens tied the game in the bottom of the second with a bases-loaded walk, but the Mustangs jumped ahead once again in the third. Diego Urreta was hit by a pitch, and then Jeremy De La Mota sacrificed him over to second. Vasquez came through with another RBI double to score Urreta and put the Mustangs back on top, 2-1.
 
Monroe's lead disappeared in the bottom of the fifth when the Ravens rallied to put three runs on the board. With two errors in the inning, all three runs were unearned, but the Mustangs nonetheless fell behind.
 
With a run in the sixth and two in the seventh, the Ravens held a 7-2 lead before Monroe got back on the board in the eighth. With the bases loaded and two down, Eli Gries-Smith singled to right, bringing Urreta and De La Mota home to make it a 7-4 ballgame, but the Mustangs rally ended after Gries-Smith's hit. San Jac brought one more run across in the home half of the eighth to secure the 8-4 win.
 
Ty Roman went five innings to earn the win for the Ravens. Brailyn Cruz allowed just one earned run across four frames in the game, but still suffered his second loss of the season.
 
Vasquez doubled twice and plated two runs in a 2-for-5 effort in the game. Gries-Smith finished 1-for-3 with two RBIs. De La Mota batted 1-for-3 with a run. Urreta scored twice after going 1-for-4. Keldrin Rodriguez hit a double in a pinch-hit opportunity late in Saturday evening's matchup.
 
Monroe concluded its trip to Texas on Sunday, Feb. 18, against Alvin Community College.
 
ABOUT THE ATHLETIC PROGRAM AT MONROE COLLEGE
The athletic program at Monroe College encompasses a total of 28 teams competing across nine sports. There are 20 varsity and junior varsity programs, as well the Monroe College marching band, competing on the New Rochelle campus as the Mustangs (NJCAA Division I). The Monroe Express, based out of the Bronx campus, has seven 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 (@MonroeMustangs) and Instagram (@monroemustangs). Read Full Article