MIDDLETOWN, N.Y., April 18, 2021 – The Monroe College Express softball team dropped both ends of a doubleheader at Orange County Community College on Sunday. They fell in the opener, 9-1, in six innings, before a tightly contested, extra-inning game went to the Colts in Game 2 by a score of 15-14. The Express fall to 3-7 overall with the losses, while the Colts improve to 3-5.
 
GAME 1: Orange 9, Monroe 1 (6 INN)
The Express got the early jump on the Colts in Game 1 with a run in the top of the first. A Nicole Peralta single put runners on the corners with Paola Calderon standing on third. Genesis Duarte-Suarez then grounded out to first, but it was enough to score Calderon and give the Express a quick 1-0 lead.
 
The Colts got on the board in the bottom of the second. Chloe Jamieson led off with a double, then Sonnymarie Davoren singled to left to put runners on first and third. Nicola Flynn then hit an RBI single to right to tie the game at 1-1. A passed ball later brought in Flynn to put the Colts ahead, 2-1.
 
The Colts added to their lead in the bottom of the third. The bases were loaded for Flynn, who capitalized on the opportunity with a two-RBI single up the middle to make it a 4-1 game. Another run scored when Emily Ganci drew a bases-loaded walk, and then a fielder's choice by Meghan Clune brought in Orange's sixth run of the day.
 
Jamieson reached on an error with two outs in the bottom of the fourth for the Colts. Davoren then singled her in from second to push the home team's lead to 7-1.
 
The Colts had the bases loaded with nobody out in the bottom of the fifth. Amanda Miller then grounded into a double play, but it brought in a run to give Orange an 8-1 advantage.
 
Tara Danilak led off the sixth with a double, and an error allowed her to advance to third, putting the Colts in position to end the game. Davoren then hit a one-out RBI single to left to score Danilak and end the game via run-rule at 9-1.
 
Zahra Medina took the loss for the Express in Game 1. Emily Wangenstein went all six innings for the Colts to earn the win.
 
Calderon, Peralta and Brianna Sydney each hit 1-for-3 in Sunday's opener, with Calderon scoring Monroe's only run. Medina and Yashira Centeno both went 1-for-2.
 
GAME 2: Orange 15, Monroe 14 (8 INN)
Just like Game 1, the Express got off to a quick start in the top of the first in Game 2. Calderon hit a one-out double, and then moved to third on a passed ball. Peralta brought her in on a ground out to second to put the Express in the lead, 1-0.
 
The lead did not last long, though, as the Colts put up a four-spot in the bottom of the first. The Express bounced back in their next at-bat after a walk by Sydney and a single by Ashleigh Stewart had runners on second and third for Monroe. Raileni Amarante came through with a two-RBI single to left, getting the Express back within a run at 4-3.
 
The Colts expanded their lead in the bottom of the second. After putting runners on second and third, Jamieson hit a two-RBI single to left, putting the home team ahead, 6-3.
 
The Express struck again in the top of the third. Calderon and Peralta hit back-to-back doubles to score a run and get back within two.
 
Monroe continued to chip away at the deficit in the top of the fourth. Amarante walked with one away, and then Melissa De Los Santos singled. With runners on the corners and two outs, Medina hit an RBI single to center to make it a 6-5 ballgame.
 
Some miscues by Orange helped the Express break through in the top of the fifth. Genesis Duarte-Suarez singled with one out, and then Sydney drew a walk. Stewart reached on a dropped pop up to load the bases, and then Amarante was hit by a pitch to tie the game at 6-6. De Los Santos reached on a fielder's choice that did not get anybody out, bringing in Sydney to give the Express the lead. With two outs, Medina reached on an error that brought in two more runs, and then a wild pitch scored Mia Colamarino from third to leave the Express ahead, 10-6.
 
The Express kept rolling in the top of the sixth. Duarte-Suarez drew a walk to lead off the frame, and then Sydney singled to right. Stewart was hit by a pitch to load the bases, and then Amarante doubled to right, scoring two runs to make it a 12-6 score. De Los Santos grounded out to second, but was able to score Stewart to make it a seven-run game. Medina then added one more on an RBI single to leave the visitors up, 14-6.
 
The Colts responded in their next at-bat, beginning with a walk by Catherine Canfield. Two wild pitches then moved her to third. Clune walked with one away, and then Miller, Faith Faber and Danilak hit three straight singles, bringing in three runs for the Colts. Flynn added another RBI single with two away to make it a 14-10 game.
 
With two runners on and two outs in the bottom of the seventh, Faber hit a three-run homer to center for the Colts to make it a one-run ballgame. Danilak kept the inning going with a walk, and then Jamieson singled her in to tie the game at 14-14, sending the contest to extra innings.
 
Canfield hit a one-out single in the bottom of the eighth for Orange. Rachael Ryder then came on to pinch run, and moved up on a wild pitch during the next at-bat. Another wild pitch put her on third, and then Clune drew a walk. One more wild pitch then brought in Ryder from third to end the game.
 
Stewart took the loss for Monroe in relief to fall to 0-1 on the season. Wangenstein picked up another win for the Colts, this time in relief, to improve to 3-3.
 
Amarante finished with a big game for the Express, knocking in five runs and scoring three times in a 2-for-3 effort that included a double. Sydney scored three times after hitting 1-for-3 with a pair of walks. Calderon scored twice after going 2-for-4 with two doubles. Medina knocked in two runs in a 2-for-6 outing.Duarte-Suarez hit 1-for-3 with a pair of runs. De Los Santos finished with two RBIs and a run while hitting 2-for-5.
 
The Express will look to get back on track on Tuesday, April 20, when they visit Sussex County Community College in Newton, N.J. The doubleheader is set to begin at 3:30 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).