MIDDLETOWN, N.Y., April 13, 2022 – There was plenty of offense to go around up in Middletown on Wednesday, as the Monroe College Express baseball team and Orange County Community College partook in a back-and-forth, high-scoring affair, seeing the Express come out on top, 16-12. The win improves the Express to 11-14 overall, while the Colts fall to 4-11.
 
Despite that final score, it took until the third inning for either team to get on the board on Wednesday. The Express broke through first, turning in the first big frame of the game with six runs in the top of the third. Salomon Lluveres and Ernie Farrell each hit a two-RBI single in the inning to help the Express bring six runs across.
 
The Colts began their pursuit to get back in the game in the home half of the third, bringing three runs across to cut the deficit in half. Monroe expanded its lead in the top of the fourth when Lluveres hit a two-RBI double that made it an 8-3 ballgame. Orange got a run back in the bottom of the fourth to bring the score to 8-4.
 
After a scoreless fifth, the Colts had their big explosion in the bottom of the sixth. They rallied for eight runs in the inning, jumping into the lead, 12-8.
 
The Express then completely reciprocated that run in the top of the eighth. Jose Arrieta brought in the first two runs with a two-run homer. Later, Randy Diaz drew a walk with the bases loaded to tie the game up at 12-12. Quinn Kilroy knocked in Farrell with a fielder's choice to put Monroe in the lead, and then Joseph Rosario blasted a three-run homer, bringing the score to 16-12.
 
Moises Figueroa picked up the win in relief for the Express after 2.1 scoreless innings to close out the game, improving him to 1-2. Jacob Connolly took the loss for the Colts to drop to 0-2.
 
Lluveres' big day resulted in him hitting 4-for-6 with a double, four RBIs and two runs scored. Arrieta hit 3-for-5 with a home run, two RBIs and three runs. Juan Jorge scored three times in a 2-for-5 outing that included a triple. Diaz went 2-for-4 with two RBIs and a run. Ruben Ogando went 2-for-3 with a run, and then Rosario took over for him in right field and hit 2-for-2 with a three-run homer and two runs scored. Farrell finished 1-for-5 with two RBIs and two runs scored.
 
The Express will look to carry this momentum into the conclusion of their series with Region 15 foe Nassau Community College this Friday and Saturday. The next game takes place at Roberto Clemente State Park on Friday, April 15, when the Express host the Lions at 12 p.m.

ABOUT THE ATHLETIC PROGRAM AT MONROE COLLEGE
The athletic program at Monroe College encompasses a total of 35 teams competing across nine sports. There are 21 varsity and junior varsity programs, as well as club men's and women's rugby, the Monroe College marching band, and the newly added esports and men's volleyball programs, competing on the New Rochelle campus as the Mustangs (NJCAA Division I). The Monroe Express, based out of the Bronx campus, has 14 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).