SELDEN, N.Y., April 17, 2024 – Through rainy conditions out on Long Island, the Monroe College Mustangs baseball team picked up a 7-3 victory Wednesday afternoon at NJCAA Div. III No. 14 Suffolk County Community College. The Mustangs improve to 19-16-1 overall with the win, while the Sharks drop to 20-13.
 
The Mustangs grabbed the lead over the Sharks in the top of the second. After the first two batters of the inning failed to reach base, Anthony Fernandez doubled to keep the inning alive. Eli Gries-Smith then beat out an infield single that brought Fernandez home, while an errant throw resulted in Gries-Smith advancing all the way to third. Melvin Laracuente then singled in Gries-Smith to leave the Mustangs up, 2-0.
 
Monroe added to the lead in the next frame. Gilbert Gomez led off with a single, and then a failed pickoff attempt moved him all the way up to third. Pedro Vasquez then singled him in to make it a 3-0 lead for the Mustangs. With runners on the corners after a Jose Fernandez single, Anthony Fernandez doubled to right-center to bring Vasquez home for a 4-0 Mustang advantage.
 
Suffolk got a run back in the bottom of the third. Joseph Lomonaco led off the third with a double to right-center. With runners on second and third later in the frame, a ground out by William Winter brought Lomonaco home to make it a 4-1 ballgame.
 
Jose Fernandez and Anthony Fernandez both singled to open the fifth for Monroe. Gries-Smith then reached on an error by the pitcher, bringing Jose Fernandez home for a 5-1 edge.
 
The Sharks had runners on second and third with two outs in the bottom of the seventh. Dominic LaFroscia then singled up the middle, bringing in both runners to cut Monroe's lead to 5-3.
 
The Mustangs added some insurance in the top of the ninth. Jose Fernandez reached on an error with one out, and then Gries-Smith later doubled him in with two down to extend the lead to three. Laracuente followed with a double of his own to bring in Gries-Smith and reach the eventual final score of 7-3.
 
Frangel Rodriguez earned his fifth win of the season on Wednesday after tossing 6.2 inning with just three runs allowed. Samuel Herrera took over in the seventh and threw the final 2.1 frames without allowing a baserunner, striking out three to earn his third save of the year. Jack Turner took the loss for the Sharks.
 
Gries-Smith continued his scorching hot run on Wednesday, hitting 2-for-5 with a double, two runs and two RBIs in the win. Anthony Fernandez went 3-for-5 with a pair of doubles, one RBI and one run. Laracuente hit 2-for-5 in his varsity debut with two RBIs and a two-bagger. Jose Fernandez scored twice after hitting 2-for-4. Gomez batted 2-for-5 with a run scored, while Vasquez finished 1-for-5 with an RBI and a run.
 
The Mustangs continue a busy week tomorrow with a home game against NJCAA Div. III No. 3 Rowan College South Jersey-Gloucester at Dick Caswell Field. Thursday's game is set for a 3:30 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