BEL AIR, Md., May 6, 2024 – For the first time since 2018, the Monroe College Mustangs baseball team will host the East District Championship, as the Mustangs completed a perfect run through the Region 20 Championship tournament by defeated top-seeded Harford Community College, 13-7, Monday afternoon to claim the tournament title. The Mustangs went an undefeated 3-0 down in Maryland to become Region 20 Tournament Champions and earn the right to host this year's East District Championship against the Region 10 Champion.
 
The Mustangs last hosted the East District Championship back in 2018, which also marked the first time the Mustangs ever won the East District Title. The Mustangs made it back-to-back years winning the East District Championship in 2019, earning the team's first two trips to Grand Junction, Colo., for the JUCO World Series. The Mustangs missed the East District Championship in 2023 after playing in the tournament for seven straight seasons dating back to 2015.
 
The Mustangs entered the day a with a 2-0 record in the Region 20 Championship, while Harford stood at 1-1 after the Mustangs defeated them on Saturday. Monroe needed to win just one game Monday to claim the tournament title, while Harford would have needed to win twice. The Mustangs ultimately did not allow the tournament to go to a winner-takes-all Game 5.
 
Monroe got off to a hot start in the top of the first on Monday. Diego Urreta led off the game with a walk. Two batters later, Anthony Fernandez quickly gave the Mustangs a lead with a two-run blast to right-center, putting Monroe on top, 2-0.
 
The Mustangs' lead disappeared in the bottom of the third without the Fighting Owls registering a hit. Three batters walked to load the bases, and then a ground out to second by Joey Pagano brought in the home team's first run. A wild pitch then allowed one more run to score, tying the game at 2-2.
 
Harford then took the lead in the bottom of the fourth. With a runner on second and two outs, Ehi Okojie singled up the middle to bring in Rueben Livingston to give the Fighting Owls a 3-2 lead. They later added to their lead in the fifth when Pagano hit an RBI single to bring Tariq Talley home from third, making it a 4-2 edge for the Fighting Owls.
 
The Mustangs came storming back in the top of the sixth. Eli Gries-Smith led off with a walk, and then Anthony Fernandez singled into right. A wild pitch moved both runners up, and then Pedro Vasquez roped a double down the left-field line, clearing the bases to tie the game at 4-4. Keldrin Rodriguez followed with a single to right-center, plating Vasquez from second to put Monroe back on top, 5-4. With two outs, Gilbert Gomez delivered another big blow with a triple to right-center that brought Rodriguez home for a 6-4 lead. Fraelyn Rosario Pena then singled to center to bring Gomez across, leaving the Mustangs ahead, 7-4.
 
Monroe's lead looked to be in danger in Harford's next at-bat. After a Yariel Rodriguez leadoff single, Okojie homered over the wall in left, cutting Monroe's lead to 7-6 heading to the seventh.
 
The Mustangs stayed hot in the top of the seventh while taking advantage of what was given to them. Urreta was hit by a pitch, and then Gries-Smith doubled to left to put both runners in scoring position. Anthony Fernandez was also hit by a pitch to load the bases. Vasquez came through with a single into right to bring Urreta home for a two-run lead. Rodriguez then cleared the bases with a double down the right-field line, pushing the Mustangs' lead to 11-6.
 
The Mustangs added to their lead once more in the top of the ninth. After a leadoff double by Rodriguez, Jose Fernandez launched a two-run shot over the high wall in left to extend Monroe's advantage to 13-6.
 
In the bottom of the ninth, Robert Phelps hit a one-out double to left for the Fighting Owls. He then stole third, and then came home when the throw went into left field, cutting Monroe's lead to 13-7. The Mustangs then got the final two batters out, securing the six-run victory and the tournament championship.
 
Brailyn Cruz went five innings in the start to pick up the win and improve to 5-4 on the season. Sammuel Urena then came on for the final four frames, securing Monroe's lead while allowing just one unearned run on two hits to earn his third save. Harford starter Tre Benjamin took the loss to fall to 6-2.
 
Several Mustangs hitters had big days on Monday. Anthony Fernandez finished 3-for-4 with three runs, two RBIs and his team-leading sixth home run of the season in the win. Rodriguez batted 3-for-5 with four RBIs, two runs and a pair of doubles. Vasquez doubled, knocked in three runs and scored twice in a 2-for-5 effort. Gries-Smith doubled twice and scored three times after hitting 2-for-4. Jose Fernandez hit a two-run homer, his fifth long ball of the year, in a 1-for-5 outing. Jeremy De La Mota batted 2-for-4 in the win. Gomez tripled, plated a run and scored once himself after going 1-for-5. Pena also hit 1-for-5 with an RBI.
 
The Mustangs now await the results of the Region 10 Championship to see who they will host in this weekend's East District Championship. The series is tentatively scheduled to be played on Friday, May 10, and Saturday, May 11. Friday will feature the first two games of the series, with Game 3 scheduled for Saturday if necessary. Stay tuned on MonroeCollegeMustangs.com and the Mustangs' social media accounts for more updates on the East District Championship this week.
 
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