NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y., March 19, 2024 – The Monroe College Mustangs baseball team unfortunately saw its 10-game winning streak, and 19-game home win streak, come to an end with a Game 1, 4-2 loss to Lackawanna College on Tuesday, but the Mustangs bounced back in a big way in Game 2, defeating the Falcons, 16-6, in six innings to split the doubleheader. Monroe moves to 13-11 overall after Tuesday's results, while the Falcons go to 7-12.
 
GAME 1: Lackawanna 4, Monroe 2
The Mustangs got a good jolt in the bottom of the first when Diego Urreta hit a leadoff double to the wall in left. The Mustangs chose to play small ball, with a sacrifice bunt by Gilbert Gomez moving Urreta over to third. Keldrin Rodriguez then grounded out on a slow chopper to second, but it was enough to score Urreta from third and leave Monroe on top, 1-0.
 
A pair of walks had two runners on for the Falcons in the top of the third. David Baltrusaitis then hit a ground-rule double to left-center, bringing a run home to tie the game at 1-1.
 
Chase Fischer drew a walk to lead off the fourth for Lackawanna. Brooks Henderson then ripped a triple off the fence in left, bringing in a run to put the Falcons ahead, 2-1. Two more walks loaded the bases, allowing another run to come home on a fielder's choice by Nick Matson to make it a 3-1 game.
 
Urreta was hit by a pitch to lead off the sixth. An error by the catcher then moved him to second. A balk advanced him to third, and then a two-out grounder to third by Jeremy De La Mota was bobbled, allowing the run to come home and leave Monroe down, 3-2.
 
Brayden D'Amico led off the seventh with a single into right for the Falcons, but was awarded second after colliding with the first baseman. Henderson then dropped a double down the left-field line with one out to bring D'Amico home and push the lead to 4-2.
 
Mason Sike allowed two runs (one earned) on one hit across six innings to pick up the win for Lackawanna. Hayden Klyver earned the save with a scoreless seventh. Frangel Rodriguez shouldered the loss for Monroe to fall to 3-2.
 
Urreta finished 1-for-2 with a double and two runs scored. Jose Fernandez batted 1-for-3 with a double.
 
GAME 2: Monroe 16, Lackawanna 6 (6 INN)
The Mustangs once again got on the board quickly in Game 2. Urreta led off with a walk, and then Gomez roped a double off the fence in left to bring Urreta home for a 1-0 lead. Gomez then came home on an RBI single into right by Keldrin Rodriguez to push the lead to 2-0. With two down, De La Mota lined a double down the left-field line, bringing Rodriguez home to leave Monroe up, 3-0.
 
The lead did not last long after Lackawanna put together a big rally in the second. A couple hits and a walk loaded the bases, and then back-to-back singles brought in two runs. Matson then delivered the big blow for the inning when a line drive got past the diving center fielder, resulting in an inside-the-park grand slam that left the Falcons on top, 6-3.
 
The Mustangs stormed back in the bottom of the third. Gomez reached on an error to lead off the inning, and then immediately came home on a triple by Rodriguez to make it a 6-4 game. Jose Fernandez then reached on another error that brought Rodriguez home to get the Mustangs within a run. Anthony Fernandez walked, and then De La Mota singled past the shortstop to bring Jose Fernandez home and tie the game. After a walk by Fraelyn Rosario Pena with two outs, Vianney Goris singled into right, plating De La Mota to leave the Mustangs up, 7-6.
 
The Mustangs loaded the bases with one out after Rodriguez walked, Jose Fernandez was hit by a pitch and Anthony Fernandez singled through the right side. De La Mota drew a walk, bringing Rodriguez home for an 8-6 Monroe lead.
 
Monroe then exploded in the home of the fifth. Urreta was on second with two outs after a walk and a stolen base. Rodriguez then ripped his second triple of the game into deep right field to plate Urreta for a 9-6 lead. A dropped fly ball in left off the bat of Jose Fernandez brought Rodriguez home for a four-run edge. Anthony Fernandez then singled into right to score Jose Fernandez to go up by five. Monroe later loaded the bases for Pena, who drew a walk to make it a 12-6 game. Goris then hit a high-fly ball into no man's land between three Falcons resulting in a bases-clearing double that left the Mustangs up, 15-6.
 
One finally rally got going with a Rodriguez leadoff double in the bottom of the sixth. Jose Fernandez then singled through the left side to put runners on the corners. Anthony Fernandez walked to load the bases. With one out, Eli Gries-Smith walked it off for the Mustangs with a line-drive single into left, plating Rodriguez to reach the 10-run mercy rule for a 16-6 victory.
 
Marcos Santiago picked up his first win of the season in relief for Monroe in Game 2. He tossed three scoreless innings without allowing a hit, striking out six batters in the process. Samuel Herrera pitched a scoreless sixth inning with two strikeouts. Landon Brandt took the loss for Lackawanna.
 
Rodriguez had a huge game in Tuesday's finale, finishing 4-for-4 with two triples, a double, five runs scored and three RBIs. Goris went 2-for-4 with a double and four RBIs. De La Mota batted 3-for-4 with three RBIs, two runs and a double of his own in the win. Anthony Fernandez hit 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored in the game. Gries-Smith had a 1-for-3 outing with a run scored and a walkoff RBI single. Jose Fernandez scored twice and knocked in a run after going 1-for-4. Gomez scored twice and plated a run in a 1-for-5 effort.
 
The Mustangs have a big road trip coming up this weekend, taking on a few of their recent rival schools down in Maryland and West Virginia. A six-game weekend begins on Friday, March 22, when the Mustangs visit Harford Community College for a doubleheader in Bel Air, Md. Friday's opener is set for a 12 p.m. first pitch.
 
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