Fayetteville, North Carolina, March 11, 2022 – The Monroe Express Softball team collected the program's third-ever series sweep against Fayetteville Technical Community College taking Game 1 16-6 and scoring six unanswered runs in Game 2 to win 7-5. The Express extended their winning streak to three, improving to 4-2 and putting them over the .500 mark for the first time in program history. The Trojans fall to 0-10 with both losses.
Game 1: Monroe Express 16, FTCC 6
The Express bats went off in Game 1, tallying 17 hits with six players registering multi-hit games.
Genesis Duarte-Suarez (Queens, New York),
Juliana Vasquez (Queens, New York), and
Raileni Amarante (New York, New York) uncorked three hits each and
Paola Calderon (Brooklyn, New York),
Arlenny Diaz (New York, New York), and
Layla Ramos (Queens, New York) put up two hits each.
Monroe-Bronx exploded for 12 of their 16 runs in the first three innings scoring four in the top of the first, five in the top of the second, and three in the top three.
Diaz got things started in the top of the first, drilling a two-run single to right field on a 0-2 count.
Ramos stepped in the batter box next and singled down the third-base line scoring
Calderon and
Diaz, making it 4-0. Fayetteville Technical College cut the deficit down to two in the bottom of the first on a Hailey
Pait double to left field and came across for the second on an Elizabeth Greeson groundout to make it 4-2.
The Express bats continued to stay hot in the top of the second as
Calderon smacked a two-run single to center field to bring in
Medina and
Duarte-Suarez. Two batters later,
Ramos singled to center field, and Vasquez would score on an error before
Amarante singled to left field to score
Diaz making it 8-2, and then
Ramos was walked in to make it 9-2. The Trojans got a run in the bottom of the second when Angel Pearsall was hit by a pitch to make it 9-3, and then Elizabeth Greeson had a two-run single to cut the lead to 9-5 after two innings.
Monroe-Bronx was on top of the Fayetteville Tech pitching in the top of the third as
Vasquez and
Calderon opened up the inning with back-to-back singles before
Diaz singled to center field, scoring
Vasquez to make it 10-5. After
Calderon scored on a wild pitch,
Amarante followed up with a single to center field to make it 12-5 after three.
Vasquez singled to left field, scoring
Medina to extend the Express lead to 13-5, and Elizabeth Greeson singled to center field for game-high fourth RBI of the day to cut the lead down to 13-6.
The Express added three more in the top of the fifth as
Medina recorded an RBI on a sacrifice fly and a
Duarte-Suarez two-run single making it 16-6 for the Game 1 victory.
Ramos got the victory for the Express, allowing six runs on seven hits over four innings.
Toni Shawnee (Tulsa, Oklahoma) came in to throw one inning of relief out of the bullpen retiring three of the four batters she faced, and allowed one hit in 16 pitches thrown.
Hailey Pait took the loss for Fayetteville Tech Community College, lasting two and a third innings, allowing 12 hits and 12 runs while striking out one.
Game 2: Monroe Express 7, FTCC 5
The Express bats refused to cool in Game 2, registering 12 hits as
Cinthia Ramirez (Brooklyn, New York),
Layla Ramos (Queens, New York),
Zahra Medina (Bronx, New York),
Ashleigh Stewart (Brooklyn, New York) all recorded multi-hit games, with
Ramos and
Ramirez each collecting a team-high three hits.
Medina and
Stewart had two hits apiece.
Medina opened the scoring for the Express in the top of the first, scoring from second base on a wild pitch to make it 1-0. Fayetteville Technical College then scored five unanswered runs in the bottom of the first to make 5-1 after one. After starter Mia Colamarino (Bronx, New York) walked in the first run, Alexis Washenko connected on an RBI sacrifice fly to make it 2-1, and then Angel Pearsall scored on a wild pitch to make it 3-1, and Colamarino walked in the next two runs making it 5-1.
The Express post two runs in the top of the third to get the deficit down to two, 5-3 on a Diaz RBI single to right field and a Ramos single past second base. Monroe-Bronx took control in the top of the fifth inning, recording three runs as with two outs, Cinthia Ramirez smacked an RBI line-drive single to center. Then with the count 1-2, Medina uncorked a two-run single to put the Express in front for the first time, 6-5 going the bottom of the fifth.
Ramirez's one-out triple provided the Express insurance in the top of the seventh, making it 7-5 for the victory.
Colamarino got the start for the Express, surrendering five runs on two hits over two-thirds of an inning. Toni Shawnee (Tulsa, Oklahoma) got the win for the Express surrendering zero runs on three hits over six and a third innings, striking out four, and no walks.
Katie Cooper took the loss for Fayetteville Tech Community College. The right-hander allowed three hits and three runs over three innings, striking out one.
The Express will look for their fourth straight win Tuesday, March 15, in their home opening doubleheader against Orange County Community College at Flowers Park at 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. For more information Monroe Express Softball Schedule Page.
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).
