NEW ROCHELLE, NY — The Monroe College baseball team saw its season come to an abrupt end on Sunday when they fell 12-4 to Harford College in the Eastern District Championship.
Despite facing their second-straight game of the day, the Monroe bats showed no signs of fatigue early in the contest. The Mustangs took a 1-0 lead with three hits in the second. Endy Villalona led off with a single and moved to second on a failed pickoff attempt. John Russo got Monroe on the board with an RBI double to right. Cam Crabbe followed with the third hit of the inning, but they were both stranded.
The game took a turn for the worse in the bottom of the third inning, when Harford scored five times to take a 5-1 lead. The big blow was a controversial, three-run homer by the Fighting Owls, as Monroe contended that the ball was foul. Harford added two more in the frame, taking a 5-1 lead after three innings.
The Mustangs fought back fiercely, as they have so many times this season. Ronald Jackson led off with a double, then moved to third and scored on wild pitches. The score was 5-2 heading into the bottom of the fourth.
After Edwin Gonzalez allowed a pair of baserunners, Oliver Mailloux came in with runners on first and second with two outs. He gave up a pair of singles, which led to a Harford run and extended the Fighting Owls’ lead to 6-2.
Harford added three runs in the bottom of the seventh, bringing the score to 9-2. Monroe fought back again in the top of the eighth. Ramger Iglesias and Isaiah Torres each singled, and Alex De La Cruz walked. Endy Villalona hit a high chopper to first, scored Iglesias and made the score 9-3. Two batters later, John Russo drew a bases loaded walk to force home Torres and bring the Mustangs up to 9-4.
Harford countered with three runs in the bottom of the eighth and went on to win 12-4, ending the Mustangs’ season at the Eastern District Championship. For the 2016 campaign, Monroe finished with a 38-16 mark and won its second-consecutive Region XV championship.