BEL AIR, Md., March 22, 2024 – Taking on East District foe Harford Community College for the first two times this season on Friday, the Monroe College Mustangs dropped both ends of a doubleheader in Bel Air. The Mustangs dropped a close 4-1 decision in Game 1 before falling, 15-2, in the finale. Monroe's record falls even at 13-13, while the Fighting Owls improve to 20-6.
 
GAME 1: Harford 4, Monroe 1
The Mustangs and Fighting Owls went scoreless through the first three frames in Game 1 before the Mustangs ended the drought in the fourth. With two outs, Jeremy De La Mota launched his third home run of the season over the wall in left-center, giving Monroe a 1-0 advantage.
 
De La Mota's home run must have woken up the Fighting Owls, as they put together a rally in their next at-bat. With runners on first and third, a passed ball allowed Alec Welshans to score and tie the game. Later, Yariel Rodriguez hit an RBI single that put the home team in the lead. With two down, Robert Phelps doubled in Rodriguez, leaving the Fighting Owls on top, 3-1.
 
The Fighting Owls had the bases loaded with two outs in the bottom of the fifth. Rodriguez was then hit by a pitch, bringing in the fourth and final run of the game for Harford.
 
Joe Rauscher went the complete seven innings for the Fighting Owls to pick up the win and improve to 4-0 on the season. Brailyn Cruz allowed four runs in five innings with six strikeouts to take his second loss of the year. Marcos Santiago tossed a hitless sixth inning for Monroe.
 
De La Mota finished 1-for-3 with his solo home run. Each of Jose Fernandez and Eli Gries-Smith also hit 1-for-3 in the game.
 
GAME 2: Harford 15, Monroe 2 (6 INN)
The Fighting Owls took a quick lead in Game 2 when an RBI double by Jessie Jaconski and an RBI triple by Manny Santana made it a 2-0 lead for the home team after one.
 
Things got worse in the bottom of the third when the Fighting Owls rallied for seven runs. After three runs came in, Harford loaded the bases for Phelps, who came through with a grand slam, leaving Harford ahead, 9-0, after the third.
 
Keldrin Rodriguez reached on an error to lead off the fourth for Monroe. Jose Fernandez walked to get two runners on. With two outs, Gries-Smith doubled to left, scoring Rodriguez to make it a 9-1 game.
 
Christian Carratala led off the fifth with a single into left. He moved to second on a ground out, and then a wild pitch put him on third. A passed ball then allowed him to come home, making it a 9-2 score.
 
Harford turned in one more big inning in the sixth to eventually walk it off. With the bases loaded, Welshans hit a two-RBI double to left to make it an 11-2 game. After a hit-by-pitch loaded the bases again, Simmi Whitehill hit a grand slam, surpassing the 10-run rule by making it a 15-2 score to end the game.
 
Tre Benjamin tossed four innings with just one run allowed to earn the win for Harford. Emmanuel Ramos took the loss for Monroe.
 
Carratala went 2-for-2 with a run in Game 2. Gries-Smith hit 1-for-3 with a double and an RBI.
 
The Mustangs will look to bounce back tomorrow, March 23, when they visit another East District opponent in WVU Potomac State College in Keyser, W.V. Saturday's doubleheader is set to begin at 1 p.m.
 
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