Dallas, North Carolina, March 7, 2022 – The Monroe Express Softball team split their opening day doubleheader at Gaston College on Monday at Martha Rivers Park. The Express fell in Game 1, 8-7, and shut out the Rhinos in Game 2, 9-0.
GAME 1: Gaston College 8, Monroe Express 7
The Express wasted no time getting their offense going in game one. Zahra Medina (Bronx, New York) led off with a walk, and then Paola Calderon (Brooklyn, New York) drilled a single, and Cinthia Ramirez (Brooklyn, New York) drove in Medina on a groundout make it 1-0. After a Nicole Peralta (New York, New York) walk, she stole second base on a pickoff of Calderon, which ended the top of the first with the Express up 2-0. Monroe-Bronx added three more runs in the top of the fourth to make it 5-0. Peralta drew a lead-off walk, then Layla Ramos (Queens, New York) and Juliana Vasquez (Queens, New York) followed suit before Ashleigh Stewart (Brooklyn, New York) connected on a two-run double to right field, and Medina had an RBI on a sacrifice fly. Monroe-Bronx put up two more in the top of the fifth as Vasquez unloaded a two-run single to center field to make it 7-0 Express. Serena Yalich's sacrifice fly RBI and Mckenzie Gates RBI in the bottom of the fifth and sixth innings made it 7-2 before Gaston College made a furious rally to steal Game 1 of the doubleheader. After the first batter of the bottom of the seventh struck out, Emily Matthews got aboard on a single to second base, and then Mia Colamarino (Bronx, New York) walked three straight batters walking in the third run. The Rhinos scored two runs on errors to make it 7-5, then Serena Yalich was hit by a pitch bringing another run across to make it 7-6. Raynee Redington's two-run double to right field capped the Rhino's comeback as Serena Yalich beat the throw to home for the 8-7 comeback victory. going one and two-third innings.
Ramos got the opening day start for the Express, going five innings allowing just one run on six hits and two walks while striking out four. Colamarino took the loss for Monroe-Bronx going an inning and two-thirds allowing two hits and seven runs while striking out four.
Raynee Redington earned the win for Gaston College. She went the distance going seven innings and allowing four hits and seven runs while striking out nine.
GAME 2: Monroe Express 9, Gaston College 0
Sophomore Toni Shawnee (Tulsa, Oklahoma) feasted on Gaston College batters for a new Express Single-Game Program record of 13 strikeouts in a Game 2 shutout 9-0. The Express moved to 1-1 on the season while the Rhinos fell to 1-11.
Shawnee's 13 strikeouts are the program's first-ever double-digit strikeout performance. Her mark passes the previous single-game record of seven strikeouts set by Yesennia Baez during Monroe-Bronx's inaugural season against Central Maine C.C. and in a doubleheader against Nassau Community College on April 16, 2019. She was brilliant on the afternoon, going the distance retiring 23 of the 25 batters she faced while allowing just three hits and two walks for a complete-game victory.
After grabbing two runs in the Top of the fourth and fifth innings, Paola Calderon (Brooklyn, New York) drilled a two-run single past the shortstop, and Zahra Medina (Bronx, New York)
cranked a two-run double to the left field. Monroe-Bronx put up another three runs in the fifth inning as Cinthia Ramirez (Brooklyn, New York) posted the first Express home run of the season, and Juliana Vasquez (Queens, New York) and Ashleigh Stewart (Brooklyn, New York) each had RBI singles in the frame. The Express scored their other two runs on an Error for a dominant 9-0 decision.
Serena Yalich took the loss for Gaston College. Yalich allowed four hits and four runs over four and a third innings, striking out six. Emma Sattison pitched an inning allowing two runs and two walks while striking out one, and Raynee Redington allowed three hits, three runs, and two walks while striking out one.
The Express will look to go over .500 on Wednesday, March 9, in another doubleheader against Southern Southeastern Community College, with Game 1 beginning at 1 p.m. and Game 2 at 3 p.m. For more information, please visit the 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).
