BRONX, N.Y., May 2, 2018 – Monroe Express Baseball tallied eight extra-base hits, including three home runs, and came-from-behind to defeat Borough of Manhattan Community College, 17-12 in the final game of the season on Wednesday at Roberto Clemente State Park.
 
After Devon Marrero led off the top of the first with a walk, and Harold Valdez followed with a hit-by-pitch, Edwin Santiago gave the Express a three-run lead, crushing a three-run homer to center. And after Emanuel Veras walked and Jesus Hilario reached on a throwing error, Raymond Pichardo tallied his first of five hits, driving in Veras with an RBI single to right field.
 
Pichardo finished the day 5-for-5 with a walk, double, home run, three runs scored and two RBI, reaching base in all six of his plate appearances for the Express. Santiago, whose first-inning home run was the first of his career, would finish the day 3-for-6 with a home run, run scored and three RBI.
 
Kelvin Paulino earned the start for the Express, and although he allowed a one-out single in the bottom of the first, Hilario caught Jayson De Los Santos stealing third, and Paulino got out of the first unscathed. De Los Santos was one of five base runners Hilario and the Express would catch stealing against the Panthers.
 
But after the Express went scoreless in the top of the second, BMCC got on the board against Paulino in the bottom of the frame. Josue Martinez scored the Panthers' first run of the game on a double steal, before Esteban Castro made it 4-2 with an RBI single to center.
 
Pichardo extended Monroe's lead in the top of the third with a solo shot, making it 5-2, and Paulino worked another scoreless inning, striking out the side in the bottom of the third.
 
Once again though, after the Express went scoreless in the top of the fourth, BMCC got things going, scoring eight runs on three hits in the bottom of the fourth to take a 10-5 lead. Dwayne Thomas' bases-loaded walk tied the game at five, before two singles, a double and a sacrifice fly made it 10-5 heading to the fifth.
 
The Express responded on Alvin Vasquez' RBI single to center in the top of the fifth, scoring Jose Santiago from second. And after Hafel Payano, who relieved Paulino in the fourth, worked a scoreless fifth, Monroe retook the lead in the top of the sixth.
 
Valdez led off the inning with a walk, and after Veras reached on error, Hilario cleared the bases with a three-run homer to center, cutting BMCC's lead to just one. And after the Panthers made a pitching change, Pichardo doubled and scored on Santiago's single to right, tying the game at 10.
 
Vasquez drew a two-out walk, before Marrero smashed a double to left, scoring two and giving the Express' a 12-10 lead. Marrero tallied three hits on the day, including two doubles, one of four Express players with three or more hits. He finished the day 3-for-6 with two doubles, two RBI, a walk and a run scored.
 
BMCC came right back to tie the game in the bottom of the sixth, scoring the game-tying run on Randy Berroa's groundout, but the Express responded to take the lead for good in the top of the seventh.
 
With one-out, Veras lined a single to right, and advanced to third on Hilario's double. Veras scored on a wild pitch to give Monroe a 13-12 lead, before Julian Ovalles-Garcia's RBI groundout scored Hilario, making it 14-2. Hilario would finish the day 3-for-6 with a home run, double, two runs scored and four RBI.
 
After Pichardo stole second and advanced to third on a balk, Santiago knocked him home with a single to center, and the Express led 15-12. Santiago moved to second on a passed ball and scored on a throwing error, and the Express led 16-12 heading into the seventh-inning stretch.
 
From there, Payano shut the Panthers down on the hill, working around a two-out walk in the seventh, a leadoff walk in the eighth, and a two-out walk in the ninth, to keep BMCC scoreless over the final three frames.
 
Hilario knocked in another run with an RBI single, scoring Valdez, in the top of the eighth, and then caught De Los Santos stealing once again to end the bottom of the ninth, finishing off a 17-12 Express victory.
 
Payano (2-0) earned the victory for the Express, pitching six innings out of the bullpen while striking out seven to earn his second victory of the season. Matthew Leonte (1-4) took the loss for BMCC.
 
Four Express players: Marrero, Hilario, Pichardo and Santiago, each recorded three or more hits, while Santiago, Veras, Pichardo and Valdez each scored three runs apiece for Monroe.
 
With the win, the Express finish their inaugural season 2-26 (2-22 Region XV), having won two of their last four.

ABOUT THE ATHLETIC PROGRAM AT MONROE COLLEGE
The athletic program at Monroe College encompasses a total of 26 teams competing across nine sports. There are 18 varsity and junior varsity programs, as well as club men's rugby, and the newly added club women's rugby team, competing on the New Rochelle campus as the Monroe Mustangs (NJCAA Division I). The Monroe Express, based out of Monroe's Bronx campus has six teams competing at the NJCAA Division III level beginning with their inaugural seasons in the fall of 2017.
 
For more information about the Monroe Express, please visit us at www.MonroeExpress.com or follow us on social media: Facebook (Monroe Express), Twitter (@MonroeExpress) and Instagram (@MonroeExpress).