NEW ROCHELLE, NY – Monroe Express baseball made their long-awaited home debut for the 2023 season, hosting the Suffolk County Community College Sharks, facing a sweep in the noon doubleheader. Game one concluded with a score of 15-5, and game two with a final of 6-2. The Express fall to 13-14 on the season, and 2-4 in Region 15 play.

Game 1: Suffolk Sharks 15, Monroe Express 5

The Express watched the game slip away early and was unable to recover in a 15-5 loss to the Sharks in the day's opening ball game. 
Suffolk County Community College got on the board in the first inning when AJ Walker hit a solo homer to left field. Monroe broke the ice in the bottom of the first, after Billy Beltre crossed home plate on a double down the middle hit by Randy Diaz. A batter later, Diaz scored a run of his own. The Express then tallied three runs in the second inning, as the rally was led by a single by Diaz and a sacrifice fly by Beltre. 

The Express were unable to put more tallies on the board after the second, allowing nine more Shark runs, ending the game at 15-5.

Dominic Lafroscia earned the victory on the mound for Suffolk. Lafroscia allowed five hits and five runs over three and two-thirds innings, striking out five. Luke Buyes threw two and a third innings in relief out of the bullpen.

Franklin Caminero took the loss for the Express. The hurler went one-third of an inning, allowing five runs on one hit.

Suffolk socked two home runs on the day. Walker had a long ball in the first inning and Riquelme had a four-bagger in the fifth. Diaz led Monroe with three hits in four at bats.

Suffolk tallied ten hits in the game, as Knopf, Oviedo, and Walker all collected two hits for the Sharks.

Game 2: Suffolk Sharks 6, Monroe Express 2

The Express kept it close in game two, but were unable to breakthrough in their 6-2 defeat. 

Suffolk opened up scoring in the first inning where Dioscar Cuello doubled on a 2-2 count, scoring one run. 

In the bottom of the second inning, Monroe tied things up at one when Camilo Rodriguez scored after Hecxiel Perez singled up the middle. 

The Sharks pulled away for good with two runs in the third inning. In the period, Cuello homered on a 3-2 count, scoring two runs. In the seventh, Riquelme and Lucas Quinlan, both drove in runs in the inning to lead their team.

Walker led the Sharks to victory on the pitcher's mound. The hurler surrendered two runs on four hits over seven innings, striking out seven and walking zero.

Alex Bello-Rodriguez took the loss for Monroe. Bello-Rodriguez surrendered five runs on six hits over six and a third innings.

Diaz, Rodriguez, and Hecxiel Perez each managed one hit to lead the Express, while Cuello went 2-for-4 at the plate to lead Suffolk hits.

The Express take a brief break and return to Region 15 play on Wednesday, April 13th against the Kingsborough Community College Wave inside Roberto Clemente State Park in Bronx, NY. First pitch is slated for 4 PM.

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).