BRONX, N.Y., April 30, 2022 – After two sizable victories over Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC) earlier this week, the Monroe College Express baseball team kept that momentum rolling on Saturday with two more convincing victories over the Panthers at Roberto Clemente State Park. The Express won with scores of 24-6 and 21-5 on Saturday, improving to 19-19 overall and 12-8 in Region 15 play. The Express also honored their sophomores in a Sophomore Day ceremony before first pitch.
 
GAME 1: Monroe 24, BMCC 6 (5 INN)
The Express wasted no time in Game 1, with Joseph Rosario providing a two-run homer in the bottom of the first to get the scoring started. Jose Arrieta then brought in Salomon Lluveres on a sacrifice fly, and Jose Ramirez followed with his own two-run homer to make it a 5-0 Express lead after one.
 
Monroe's big inning came in the bottom of the second. Joseph Rosario hit an RBI single, followed by an Ernie Farrell two-RBI double. Arrieta provided another RBI single, and then Ramirez blasted his second homer of the game to push the lead to 11-0. A double steal saw Randy Diaz score, and then Rosario hit a three-run home run shortly after to make it a 15-0 game. Arrieta later reached on an error that saw Farrell score, and then Ramirez doubled in Arrieta to leave the Express up, 17-0, with a 12-run inning.
 
The runs kept coming for Monroe in the third. Lluveres brought in a run with a bases-loaded walk, and then Farrell doubled in two more. Arrieta knocked in another with a sacrifice fly, and then a fielder's choice by Ruben Ogando allowed another run to score. Anthony Gonzalez Jr. added one more with an RBI single, making it a 23-0 ballgame.
 
The Panthers picked up their first run of the game in the top of the fourth, but an RBI double by Arrieta canceled that out in the home half of the fourth. The Panthers rallied for five in the top of the fifth, but it was not enough to extend the game.
 
In another bullpen day for the Express, Samuel Tejada picked up the win with two innings in the start, striking out five without allowing a hit to improve to 2-0. Alexander Miranda took the loss for BMCC to drop to 0-4.
 
Rosario homered twice and led the Express with six RBIs and four runs scored after hitting 3-for-3 in the win. Ramirez hit two homers himself, as well as two doubles, finishing 4-for-4 with five RBIs and two runs. Farrell went 4-for-4 with four doubles, four RBIs and three runs. Lluveres scored three times and knocked in a run with a double in a 3-for-4 outing. Juan Jorge scored three times after hitting 1-for-3.
 
GAME 2: Monroe 21, BMCC 5 (5 INN)
The Panthers managed to take an early lead on the Express in Game 2, putting three runs on the board in the top of the first. The Express did not remain down for long, though, beginning with an RBI groundout by Rosario in the bottom of the first. Lluveres then homered to get the Express within one. Quinn Kilroy then hit a two-RBI single with the bases loaded, leaving the Express up, 4-3.
 
The second frame got off to a big start for Monroe when Farrell hit a bases-loaded, three-RBI double. Arrieta then doubled him in, and then an error on Arrieta's steal of third brought him home to put Monroe up, 9-3. A double steal helped Kilroy come home later in the inning, and then Jorge hit an RBI double to make it an 11-3 game after two.
 
BMCC brought three more runs across in the top of the third to get back within six of the Express. After a scoreless home half of the third for Monroe, the Express put the game well out of reach in the bottom of the fourth. Jorge and Rosario hit RBI singles, and then both later scored on a pair of balks. Farrell hit his sixth double of the day to score Lluveres, and then Arrieta knocked in Farrell. Kilroy plated Monroe's 18th run with a sacrifice fly. Denis Garcia, in his only at-bat of the season, hit a two-RBI double, and then Jorge added one more RBI double to make it a 21-5 score.
 
Alex Aviles came on in relief in the first inning and went the rest of the way for Monroe, allowing just two runs with five strikeouts in five innings to improve to 1-1. Richard Suriel took the loss for BMCC to fall to 0-8.
 
Jorge went a perfect 5-for-5 with three doubles, three RBIs and three runs scored in Game 2. Farrell hit 3-for-4 with another two doubles, four RBIs and three runs scored. Arrieta finished 2-for-3 with three runs, two RBIs and a double. Kilroy hit 2-for-2 with three RBIs and two runs scored. Lluveres hit a solo home run and scored three times after hitting 1-for-3. Rosario batted 1-for-2 with two runs and two RBIs.
 
The Express will wrap up the regular season on Sunday, May 1, when they visit Quincy College in Quincy, Mass. The doubleheader is set to begin at 1 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).