NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y., April 17, 2021 – In two very different games on Saturday at Flowers Park, the Monroe College Express softball team showed an incredible amount of effort and resiliency to pick up a doubleheader sweep of Orange County Community College. The Express led the whole way in a 5-3 victory over the Colts in Game 1, and then they had to overcome a 10-run deficit to pick up an 11-10 win in the day's finale. The Express improve to 3-5 overall with the wins, while the Colts drop to 1-5.
 
GAME 1: Monroe 5, Orange 3
The Express got off to a hot start in Game 1. With one out, Paola Calderon ripped a line drive into the right-center gap that just kept rolling, allowing her to round the bases for an inside-the-park solo homer for a quick 1-0 lead in the top of the first. Nicole Peralta immediately followed with a triple down the right-field line, and then Genesis Duarte-Suarez brought her in on an infield single to put Monroe up, 2-0.
 
The Colts cut the deficit in half in the top of the second. They had the bases loaded with nobody out, Kayla McNamara hit into a double play, bringing in a run to make it 2-1, but the Express were able to escape from there.
 
The Express added to their lead in the bottom of the fourth. Brianna Sydney and Reileni Amarante reached on back-to-back errors, bringing in Sydney on the second one to make it a 3-1 game.
 
Calderon struck again for the Express in the bottom of the fifth. With Ashleigh Stewart on base, she hit another inside-the-park home run to right-center, pushing the Express' lead to 5-1.
 
The Colts fought back in the top of the seventh. With two runners on and two outs, Faith Faber hit a two-RBI single up the middle, making it a 5-3 game. But that was all the Colts scored, as the Express held on for the two-run victory.
 
Zahra Medina was great in the circle in Game 1, allowing just two earned runs across seven innings to pick up the win and improve to 2-1. Orange starter Emily Wangenstein took the loss to fall to 1-2.
 
Calderon finished 2-for-3 with two homers, three RBIs and two runs scored to lead the Express to victory. Peralta went 1-for-3 with a triple and a run, while Duarte-Suarez hit 2-for-3 with an RBI and a double.
 
GAME 2: Monroe 11, Orange 10
The Express fell into an incredibly deep hole early in the game, allowing five runs in each of the first two innings to go down, 10-0.
 
The resilient Express fought right back in the bottom of the second to get all the way back into the game. Sydney lit a fire under them with a leadoff solo homer to left. The rest of Monroe's damage came with two outs. With runners on first and third, a wild pitch allowed Arlenny Diaz to score, and then two more wild pitches brought in Medina to make it a 10-3 game. An error on a ball put in play by Duarte-Suarez brought in another run, and then Yashira Centeno beat out a single to short that also saw the ball get thrown away, bringing in another run to cut the deficit completely in half. Sydney came through again in her second at-bat of the inning, smacking a two-RBI single into right field to leave the Express down, 10-7.
 
Monroe played small ball in the bottom of the third to nearly tie the game. Diaz led off with a walk, then moved to second on a ground out by Ashleigh Stewart. Medina then beat out an infield single to get runners on first and third. After Medina stole second, a passed ball brought in Diaz to make it a two-run game. Later, Peralta grounded out to the pitcher, but Medina was able to score from third, leaving the Express down by a run at 10-9.
 
Duarte-Suarez walked to lead off the fourth for Monroe, then Centeno ripped a single up the middle. Reileni Amarante then grounded out to first, but a hustling Duarte-Suarez managed to score from second on the play, tying the game at 10-10.
 
Stewart singled to kick off the fifth for Monroe, then moved to second and third on a pair of wild pitches. Calderon then brought her home on a ground out to second, scoring what proved to be the winning run, as it put the Express ahead, 11-10.
 
Mia Colamarino got the win in relief after taking over with nobody out in the second inning. She pitched the final six frames, allowing just two earned runs, none from the third inning on, to earn her first victory. Wangenstein came on in relief for the Colts, but allowed the Express' final run to shoulder the loss.
 
Sydney hit 2-for-4 with a homer, three RBIs and a run scored in the win. Centeno also went 2-for-4, scoring a run as well. Calderon batted 1-for-2 with a run and an RBI. Medina scored twice after hitting 1-for-3. Stewart went 1-for-3 with a run scored.
 
The Express and Colts will go at it again two more times tomorrow, April 18, up in Middletown, N.Y. Game 1 is set to begin at 12 p.m.

ABOUT THE ATHLETIC PROGRAM AT MONROE COLLEGE
The athletic program at Monroe College encompasses a total of 36 teams competing across nine sports. There are 19 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 program, competing on the New Rochelle campus as the Mustangs (NJCAA Division I). The Monroe Express, based out of the Bronx campus, has 17 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).