SCRANTON, Pa., April 30, 2024 – The Monroe College Mustangs baseball team played its final road regular season game on Tuesday against Lackawanna College at Scranton High School. The Mustangs were defeated by the Falcons, 10-4, in a game that ended in the eighth inning due to lightning. The Mustangs fall to 28-20-1 with the loss, while the Falcons improve to 25-21.
 
The Falcons got the early jump on the Mustangs with a run in the bottom of the first on a sacrifice fly by Michael Rickert. Monroe bounced right back to take the lead in the second. Two errors and a walk loaded the bases for the Mustangs. Diego Urreta then doubled in two runs to put Monroe on top, 2-1.
 
The Mustangs added to the lead in the third. After a one-out double by Keldrin Rodriguez, Jose Fernandez moved him over to third with a ground out to first. A wild pitch then brought Rodriguez home for a 3-1 lead.
 
The Falcons turned things around in the home half of the third. With runners on second and third, an error by the pitcher brought in two runs to tie the game at 3-3. A single by Jacob Simpson plated another run to give Lackawanna a 4-3 lead. Simpson then came home after a pair of wild pitches to leave the home team up, 5-3.
 
The Falcons added to the lead in the fourth. A pair of RBI doubles by Nick Matson and Rickert brought in two more runs to push the lead to 7-3.
 
A new pitcher came on for the Falcons in the top of the sixth. The first batter he faced was Anthony Fernandez, who took him deep to right field to cut the deficit to 7-4. Lackawanna later padded its lead in the seventh. An RBI double by Brooks Henderson IV made it an 8-4 game, with a two-run pinch-hit homer by Michael Miller helping the Falcons reach the final score of 10-4.
 
Frangel Rodriguez shouldered the loss for the Mustangs in Tuesday's contest. Kirk Stensrud earned the win for the Falcons in relief, while Hayden Klyver tossed the final three innings to earn his first save.
 
Anthony Fernandez finished 1-for-2 with his solo homer and two runs scored in the game. Urreta batted 1-for-4 with a two-RBI double. Keldrin Rodriguez hit 1-for-4 with a run and a double, while Eli Gries-Smith went 1-for-4 as well.
 
The Mustangs close out the regular season at home tomorrow, May 1, with a matchup against NJCAA Div. III No. 1 Rowan College South Jersey-Gloucester at Dick Caswell Field. Wednesday's first pitch is set for 3 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