NEWTON, N.J., May 4, 2021 – The Monroe College Express softball team and Sussex County Community College had a pair of competitive contests Tuesday afternoon, but the Skylanders managed to pick up a pair of two-run victories over the Express by scores of 7-5 and 4-2. The Express fall to 3-13 with the losses, while the Skylanders improve to 3-19.
 
GAME 1: Sussex County 7, Monroe 5
The home team got off to a quick start in the bottom of the first in Tuesday's opener. Cameron Brown led off with a walk and then stole second. Gianna Santiago then brought her in on a single to center to give the Skylanders an early 1-0 edge.
 
Sussex tripled its lead in the bottom of the second. With runners on second and third, Bella Costanza doubled to left, knocking in both runs to make it a 3-0 ballgame.
 
The Skylanders' lead grew again in the bottom of the third. They had runners on first and second for Dani Bayles, who hit an RBI single to make it a 4-0 score. Hailey Langenfeld then grounded out to first, but it was enough to bring in a runner from third to push the lead to five.
 
The Express got on the board in the top of the fourth. Genesis Duarte-Suarez singled to center to lead off the inning, and then moved to second on a wild pitch. Arlenny Diaz took advantage and singled her in to make it a 5-1 game.
 
The game got tighter with another Express rally in the top of the fifth. Ashleigh Stewart reached on an error to start the inning, and then Nicole Peralta singled to left. Zahra Medina then ripped a triple to right, plating both runners to get the Express within two. Paola Calderon then singled her in to leave the Express down by just a run at 5-4.
 
The Skylanders had runners on first and second with two outs in the home half of the fifth when Kassidy Little singled to center, bringing a run to push the lead to 6-4.
 
Brown was on third for the Skylanders in the bottom of the sixth when Ashley Romano reached on an error, bringing in Brown to bring the lead to 7-4.
 
The Express fought back in the top of the seventh. Stewart reached on an infield single, but Peralta then hit into a fielder's choice. An error then put Medina on base to leave runners on first and third for the Express. Calderon grounded out to third, but it brought in Peralta to get the Express back within two, but unfortunately that was all they could muster up in the final frame, falling by a score of 7-5.
 
Langenfeld went six frames and allowed three earned runs to pick up the win for the Skylanders. Samantha Fundell picked up a save after allowing one run in the seventh. Medina took the loss for the Express to fall to 2-5.
 
Medina batted 2-for-4 with a double, a triple, a run and two RBIs in Game 1. Diaz finished 2-for-3 with an RBI. Peralta scored twice after hitting 2-for-4. Calderon knocked in two runs in a 1-for-4 effort. Stewart hit 1-for-3 with a run, while Duarte-Suarez scored once after hitting 1-for-4.
 
GAME 2: Sussex County 4, Monroe 2
The Skylanders once again took an early lead in the bottom of the first in Game 2. With Brown on third, Ashley Romano hit a sacrifice fly to right to bring her in and make it a 1-0 game.
 
Both teams were quiet until the top of the fourth. Raileni Amarante led off with a single for the Express, and then moved to second on a wild pitch. Stewart then singled to put runners on the corners. Peralta then brought in Amarante on a sacrifice fly to center, tying the game at 1-1.
 
Sussex County had two runners on after a pair of walks in the bottom of the fourth. Costanza then doubled in both runners to give the lead back to Sussex, 3-1.
 
The Skylanders added to their lead in the bottom of the fifth when Sammy Jennings hit a triple with a runner on, bringing the home team's lead to 4-1.
 
Mia Colamarino and Stewart hit back-to-back one-out singles in the top of the sixth. Medina later hit a double to left, scoring Colamarino to make it a 4-2 ballgame, but that was it for the scoring in Tuesday's finale.
 
Fundell started Game 2 for the Skylanders and picked up the win after tossing four innings. Langenfeld then closed it out for the final three frames to earn the save. Medina started again for the Express, but took the loss after yielding three runs in 3.2 innings. Colamarino took over in the fourth to go the final 2.1 innings, allowing one run on three hits.
 
Medina finished 1-for-3 with an RBI double in Game 2. Stewart batted 2-for-3 in the game. Calderon hit 2-for-4. Amarante went 1-for-3 with a run scored, while Colamarino hit 1-for-1 with a run after coming in late. Duarte-Suarez batted 1-for-3 in the loss, while Adalianys Guzman hit 1-for-2.
 
The Express are set to wrap up the regular season this Saturday, May 8, with a doubleheader at Suffolk County Community College. Game 1 is set to begin at 1 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).