NORTH BRANCH, N.J., May 2, 2019 – The Monroe Express baseball team dropped a pair of games at Raritan Valley Community College on Thursday. The Express, 15-5, in a run-rule shortened five innings in game, and 12-5, in game two. With the two losses, Monroe falls to 8-25 on the season, while the Lions move to 8-20-1.
 
GAME 1: RARITAN VALLEY 15, MONROE 5 (5)
The Express struck first with four runs in the top of the first. A.J. Torres led off with a single and Juan Jorge followed with another single, advancing to second on the throw to put runners on second and third. Jesus Tejada and Bianyor Germosen then went back-to-back, as Tejada hit a three-run homer and Germosen hit a solo shot, to give the Express a 4-0 lead.
 
But the Lions responded with 14 runs on nine hits and an error in the bottom of the first to take the lead. Doubles by Jason Cuba, Andrew Grasso, Joseph DeRosa and Ryan Galpin capped off the 14-run inning, giving Raritan Valley a 14-4 lead.
 
Raritan Valley added another run in the bottom of the second on Paul Hamilton's sacrifice fly, extending their lead to 15-4.
 
In the top of the fourth, the Express scratched out a run on Albert De Los Santos' RBI single, scoring Jesus Hilario from third to cut Raritan Valley's lead to 15-5.
 
But Jorge lined into a double play to end the threat, and Scott Ducey worked around a pair of singles in the top of the fifth to keep the Express off the scoreboard and finish off the 15-5, run-rule victory.
 
Rafael Hidalgo (0-1) took the loss for Monroe, while Ducey (2-4) earned the win for the Lions.
 
Tejada tallied a team-high three RBI, going 1-for-2 with a home run, his fourth of the year, a run scored and three RBI. Germosen knocked his team-leading fifth home run of the year going 1-for-3 with a run scored and an RBI.
 
De Los Santos and Marrero each recorded a team-high two hits, with De Los Santos going 2-for-2 with an RBI, and Marrero going 2-for-3.
 
De Los Santos also pitched three innings in relief, allowing one run on three hits, striking out two.
 
GAME 2: RARITAN VALLEY 12, MONROE 5
Monroe again struck first, taking advantage on an error to plate a run in the top of the second. Emanuel Veras walked and took on an error on a failed pickoff attempt. Miguel Reicino then walked and stole second, and Veras came home on the errant throw to second to give the Express a 1-0 lead.
 
The Express added to their lead in the top of the third. Jorge singled and stole second. With two outs, Jorge stole third and scored on a throwing error, giving Monroe a 2-0 lead. Up next, Germosen singled up the middle, stole second and advanced to third on a wild pitch. Veras brought Germosen home with an RBI single, and then Reicino homered to left, extending the lead to 5-0.
 
A.J. Torres cruised through the first three innings, allowing just one hit, but ran into trouble in the bottom of the fourth. A pair of singles by Hamilton and Galpin, as well as a fielding error, put runners on second and third with two outs. Idris Zor walked to load the bases before Ducey singled to right, scoring a pair to cut the Express' lead down to 5-2. Zor then came home on a wild pitch, and Ducey scored on Cuba's RBI single, cutting the lead to just 5-4.
 
And after the Express went scoreless in the top of the fifth, leaving a runner on, Raritan Valley plated two to take the lead in the bottom of the inning. Garraso led off the frame and took second on a wild pitch. Next Hamilton reached on an error, allowing Grasso to score from second and tie the game at five. Hamilton took second on a wild pitch and third on a groundout, before Christopher Lombardi gave the Lions the lead with an RBI single to center.
 
Monroe once again went scoreless in the sixth, before Raritan Valley extended their lead with six runs in the bottom of the inning, capped off by Zor's grand slam home run.
 
Down 12-5, the Express threatened, putting two runners on in the top of the seventh, but Matt Piro worked out of the jam to give Raritan Valley the 12-5 victory.
 
Piro (2-5) earned the win for the Lions, while Hafel Payano took the loss for the Express.
 
Reicino led the Express at the plate, going 2-for-2 with a home run, two walks, a run scored and two RBI.
 
The Express will be back in action on Friday, May 3 when they host Borough of Manhattan Community College at 4 p.m. at Roberto Clemente State Park.
 
ABOUT THE ATHLETIC PROGRAM AT MONROE COLLEGE
The athletic program at Monroe College encompasses a total of 30 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 11 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).