NEW ROCHELLE, NY — Behind a pair of complete game shutouts from Osvaldo Duran and Xavier Bilodeau, the Monroe College baseball team extended its winning streak to nine games with a couple of identical, 3-0, victories over Orange County College in New Rochelle on Saturday afternoon. The team is now 9-1 on the season.
Duran tossed seven scoreless innings in the opener to earn his second win of the season. The righty has yet to allow a run in ten innings pitched this season. Monroe gave him enough run support in the third inning to win the game.
Michael Ramirez reached on a base hit to left. He moved to second on a balk. Two batters later, Ronald Jackson laced a triple into the right field corner, scoring Ramirez. Jackson came in on a groundout from Alex De La Cruz. The Mustangs added another run in the fifth on a pair of errors and an RBI single from Cam Crabbe.
Duran did the rest to secure the win. He scattered five hits, walked a pair and struck out five over the seven innings of work. Duran escaped a bases loaded jam in the fourth and was aided by a nifty defensive play from third baseman, Lewis Gonzalez, who dove to his left to make a diving stop.
Xavier Bilodeau threw another dominating performance in the second game as Monroe won by an identical, 3-0, score. He allowed just a pair of singles and also struck out five. The Colts didn’t get a runner into scoring position until the seventh inning.
The Mustangs scored one in the first and two more in the fourth to account for the runs. De La Cruz led off with a triple and came in on an RBI ground out from Isaiah Torres. In the fourth, Jackson reached on an error. Jose Pena followed with a single. De La Cruz reached on an error that scored Jackson, and Pena came in on an RBI double from Torres.
The Monroe College baseball team returns home on Sunday, March 13, when they host Suffolk Community College for a doubleheader. Game one with the Sharks is slated for noon.
