SELDEN, N.Y. – The #2-seed Monroe University – Bronx baseball team won two elimination games on Saturday afternoon to earn the right to play in a winner-take-all contest of the Region 15 Championship Round. The Express defeated #3-seed Nassau Community College in the first game, 8-0, to earn a berth in the Region 15 Championship. Later in the day, the Express defeated top-seeded and nationally ranked No. 6 Suffolk County Community College, 7-5, in Game 1 to force a second and deciding game for the Region 15 Title. Both games took place at Middle Country Park.

Monroe and Suffolk County will play the final game of the Region 15 Championship Round on Sunday, at Middle Country Park, beginning at 11:00 a.m. 

The Express (30-15) avenged a Region 15-Tournament opening loss to Nassau that put Monroe in the loser's bracket of the regional double-elimination tournament. After defeating fourth-seeded Bronx Community College in the Express' first elimination game this past Thursday evening, Monroe earned the rematch with Nassau (21-16).

The second contest against the Lions in the regional postseason started off as a pitchers' duel. Anthony Sanchez of the Express and Joseph Lynn of the Lions matched zero for zero during the first 3 1/2 innings under windy conditions. Monroe got on the board in the bottom of the fourth as Christopher Marlin hit a sacrifice fly to shallow left center which scored Robert Herrera from third to give the Blue and Gold a 1-0 lead.

Monroe – Bronx added three more runs in the bottom of the fourth, highlighted by an RBI single each by Yan Ortiz Torres and Edwin Minaya Jr., to inflate the Express' benefit to 4-0.

Sanchez continued to shut down Nassau's lineup throughout the afternoon.

In the bottom of the seventh, Monroe had runners on second and third with one out. Herrera stepped up to the plate and singled up the middle to score both runners and inflate the Express' cushion to 6-0. Two batters later, Marlin drilled a double to right which scored Herrera to extend Monroe's advantage to 7-0. During the next at-bat, Marlin advanced to third on a wild pitch. Elijah Andino was at the plate, and he dribbled the ball to third. Hustling down the line, he beat the throw at first which allowed Marlin to score the game-clinching run and punch Monroe's ticket to the Region 15 Championship Round for the fourth year in a row.

For the Express, Sanchez earned the shutout victory on the mound as he struck out five batters and gave up just four hits in six innings pitched. He advances his record to 6-1 this year.

At the plate, Herrera drove in three runs and scored a trio of times. Marlin and Minaya Jr. each produced two hits.

In the Game 1 victory over Suffolk County in the Region 15 Championship Round, Pablo Aquino ripped a double in the top of the second to drive in two runs to give Monroe an early 2-0 lead.

The Sharks (39-12) countered with a pair of runs in the bottom of the fourth to tie it, highlighted by an RBI single off the bat of Jake Tannenbaum. 

In the visiting half of the sixth inning, the Express loaded the bases with two outs. Ortiz Torres and Herrera both came through in the clutch with back-to-back RBI singles to help Monroe jump out in front, 4-2. Up next was Minaya Jr. who drilled a double to the gap in right-center field which cleared the bases and increased the Blue and Gold's benefit to 7-2.

In the bottom of the seventh, the Sharks loaded the bases with nobody out. Isaul Lara came up big on the mound by forcing the opposing hitter to ground into a 4-6-3 double play. That scored a run for Suffolk County, but Monroe was able to get the third out two batters later to escape the jam with minimal damage.

The bottom of the eighth was a different story as the Sharks worked four walks and a hit by pitch, all with two outs, which allowed them to score two runs and pull them to within 7-5. Luis Roman was able to get out of the pickle by getting the opposing hitter to groundout to third, keeping Monroe's two-run lead.

Roman completely shut down Suffolk County's lineup in the bottom of the ninth, retiring the side in order to clinch the win for the Express and force a winner-take-all game on Sunday for the Region 15 Championship.

Herrera went 3-for-5 for Monroe, while Ortiz Torres produced a double as part of his two-hit performance. Marlin worked two walks. Sanchez singled twice and came around to score two times. 

On the mound for the Express, Marcus Rodriguez got the win by going six innings, giving up just three runs, and striking out a pair of batters. Lara pitched a scoreless inning and Myles Pleasants retired two batters out of the bullpen. Roman struck out a hitter in an 1 1/3 to earn his fourth save of the season.

For the Sharks, Patrick Donahue pitched three shutout innings in relief, striking out three batters in the process.

For updates regarding the rubber game of the Region 15 Championship Round between Monroe – Bronx and Suffolk County, check out www.MonroeExpress.com, as well as our social media channels.

ABOUT THE ATHLETIC PROGRAM AT MONROE UNIVERSITY
The athletic program at Monroe University encompasses a total of 31 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 University 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 seven 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/X (@MonroeExpress), Instagram (@MonroeExpress), and Threads (@MonroeExpress). Catch us on YouTube at www.YouTube.com/MonroeExpress.