NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y., March 17, 2019 – The Monroe Express baseball team was swept by the Raritan Valley Community College Lions on Sunday in a doubleheader at Dick Caswell Field, falling 6-2 in game one, and 12-4 in a run-rule shortened six innings in game two. The Express fall to 0-6, while the Lions move to 2-4.
 
GAME 1: RARITAN VALLEY 6, MONROE 2
Edward Mata kept the Lions' bats silent over the first three innings, stranding three and striking out one, before the Express struck first in the bottom of the third.
 
With one out, Devon Marrero drew a hit-by-pitch, stole second and scored on Jesus Tejada's RBI double, giving Monroe a 1-0 lead.
 
The Express doubled their lead in the bottom of the fourth. Rafael Hidalgo and Julian Ovalles-Garcia drew back-to-back two-out walks, before Marrero knocked in another run, making it a 2-0 lead.
 
Raritan Valley broke through in the top of the sixth against Mata to knot the score a two. Sal Assante led off the sixth with a single, stole second, advanced to third and scored on a wild pitch to cut the Express' lead in half. Andrew Grasso walked and came around to score on an error to tie the game at 2, but Chris Dominguez, who relieved Mata, got Idris Zor to line into a double play, keeping the score tied at two.
 
Mata took a no-decision in the loss, allowing two runs (one earned) on three hits, striking out one and walking three over 5.0 innings pitched.
 
In the bottom of the sixth, the Express loaded the bases, but Matt Piro stranded all three with a fielder's choice and a walk, giving Raritan Valley a chance to take their first lead.
 
The Lions strung together four runs on two hits and an error in the top of the seventh inning to take the lead, and Piro worked around a leadoff hit-by-pitch in the bottom of the inning to finish off the 6-2 victory.
 
Dominguez (0-1) took the loss for the Express, while Piro (1-0) earned the win for Raritan Valley.
 
Marrero led the way for the Express, going 1-for-3 with a stolen base, run scored and RBI, while Tejada recorded the game's lone extra-base hit, going 1-for-4 with an RBI.
 
GAME 2: RARTIAN VALLEY 12, MONROE 4 (6)
Jason Veras struck out Christopher Lombardi to leave the bases loaded in the top of the first inning, but Raritan Valley still struck first, as Assante scored on a wild pitch in the top of the second to give the Lions a 1-0 lead.
 
In the bottom of the second, Jesus Hilario and Esteban Perez led off with double and a single, but Lions' starter Ian Smoke stranded both to keep Raritan Valley's lead.
 
Raritan Valley then extended their lead in the top of the third. With the bases loaded, Dylan Forbes grounded into a fielder's choice to score a run, before a throwing error brought home another, extending the Lions' lead to 3-0.
 
The Lions struck for two more in the top of the fourth on Joseph DeRosa's two-run single, before breaking out in the fifth, tallying four runs on three hits and two errors to take a 9-0 lead.
 
The Express responded with three runs in the top of the fifth. Miguel Reicino led off the inning with a single and scored on Nicanor Marte's RBI single. Marte came around to score on Juan Jorge's fielder's choice, before Michael Ramos scored on a wild pitch to make it 9-3.
 
However, Raritan Valley tacked on three more in the top of the sixth on back-to-back singles, and Smoke held the Express to just one run in the bottom of the frame on Marte's double to finish off the 12-4, run-rule victory.
 
Veras (0-2) took the loss for Monroe, while Smoke (1-0) earned the win for Raritan Valley.
 
Marte led the way Express, going 2-for-3 with a double, run scored and two RBI.
 
The Express will be back in action on Thursday, March 21 when they host Union County College at 3:30 p.m. at Dick Caswell Field in New Rochelle, N.Y.
 
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 19 varsity and junior varsity programs, as well as club men's and women's rugby, competing on the New Rochelle campus as the Monroe Mustangs (NJCAA Division I). The Monroe Express, based out of the Bronx campus as of the fall of 2017, has nine varsity and junior varsity teams competing at the NJCAA Division III level.

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).