BRONX – It was a monumental day for the Monroe University – Bronx baseball team on Tuesday afternoon at Roberto Clemente State Park. The Express earned an important Region 15 victory over defending regional champion Suffolk County Community College by a score of 14-5.
It marked Express Baseball Coach
Bryan Diaz's 74
th career win at the helm for Monroe – Bronx which moves him into sole possession of first on the program's all-time wins list for head coaches. He passes his mentor John Torres who earned 73 wins during his time with the Express from 2019 until 2023.
For the season, the Express remain undefeated in regional play, moving up to 13-0, while bumping their overall record to 21-7. Monroe extends its overall winning streak to 17 games.
The Sharks remain in second place in the regional standings, falling to 11-2 against region opponents and 17-15 overall.
"This was an all-around team win," Diaz said. "Great job by our pitching staff keeping us in the lead and throwing up zeroes in order to give our offense time to respond."
The Express' bats produced four home runs during the afternoon.
Each team had opportunities early on but were both held scoreless to start. That changed in the bottom of the second.
Pablo Aquino stepped up to the plate for Monroe with runners on first and second, one out. He took the first pitch he saw and drilled it over the right-field fence for a 3-run homer and a 3-0 lead for the Blue and Gold. It marked Aquino's sixth home run of the year.
Adrian Hernandez, who started the game for Monroe, ran into trouble in the top of the third. Suffolk County was set up with runners on second and third, nobody out. However, Hernandez recovered and struck out the next batter swinging for the first out. Then, he got the next hitter to fly out to left. After that, he froze the opposing batter with a strikeout looking to get out of the jam without giving up any runs.
In the home half of the third, Monroe had runners on second and third, two outs.
Elijah Andino came up. He took a 3-2 pitch and hit it to short. He was able to reach first with an RBI single as
Anthony Sanchez scored from third to make it 4-0 in favor of the Blue and Gold.
The Sharks stormed back in the top of the fourth with three runs to cut the Express' advantage to just one.
Monroe added insurance in the bottom of the fifth as
Juan Carlos Salcedo scored on an RBI ground ball produced by
Derek Lebron (who reached on a throwing error by the shortstop) and then an RBI ground out by Aquino sent Andino home from third to inflate the Blue and Gold's advantage to 6-3.
In the bottom of the sixth, Salcedo crushed a solo home run to right which made it 7-3 in favor of Monroe. Later in the frame, Andino provided an RBI single and then eventually scored on a throwing error to increase the home team's surplus to 9-3.
Suffolk County got a couple of those runs back in the top of the seventh thanks to a two-run homer to left by Michael Iovino which sliced the Express' benefit to 9-5.
Monroe countered in the bottom of the seventh as a solo home run by
Adrian Nunez, his fourth long ball of the year, made it 10-5 in favor of the Express.
In the top of the eighth,
Isaul Lara came out of the bullpen. After he hit the first batter, Lara retired the next three hitters in order, including a strikeout, to keep Monroe's surplus at 10-5.
In the home half of the eighth, Monroe loaded the bases with nobody out. Aquino drilled a base hit which scored Andino.
Abraham Joaquin Taveras tried to score from second but was tagged out at the plate. That made it runners on first and third, one out.
Devyn Rolle came up. Aquino stole a base to make it second and third. Rolle took a 1-1 pitch and lined it to center. The ball went over the fence for a game-clinching three-run homer. It was Rolle's second round-tripper of the year, and it secured the 14-5 mercy-rule win for Monroe.
Leading the way for the Express during the afternoon was Aquino who went 3-for-6 with five RBIs, a double, and two runs scored. Nunez and Sanchez each went 2-for-4, with the latter drilling a double. Salcedo also went 2-for-4, scoring two runs, stealing two bases, and working a walk.
David Echavarria singled and scored. Andino produced two hits in four at-bats, scored four times, drove in two runs, and stole three bases. Lebron went 3-for-5 with an RBI, a run scored, and a stolen base. Taveras walked and scored a run.
On the mound,
Luis Green earned the win in relief as he bumped his undefeated record to 5-0. He struck out six batters, gave up four hits, surrendered two runs, and walked two batters in 3 1/3 innings pitched. Hernandez started the game and struck out two batters, allowed six hits, surrendered three runs, and walked two batters in 3 2/3 innings.
For Suffolk County, Eric Mohr started the game and took the loss. At the plate, Iovino went 2-for-4 with a double and a two-run homer.
Monroe – Bronx will battle NJCAA Division II Sussex County Community College, at Skylands Stadium, on Thursday afternoon. First pitch of the single game is set for 3:30 p.m.
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, 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.
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