SELDEN, N.Y., April 23, 2022 – The Monroe College Express softball team showed tons of heart on Saturday, earning a Game 2 victory over Region 15 foe and No. 6-ranked Suffolk County Community College to split a road doubleheader with the Sharks. Suffolk won Game 1, 9-5, but the Express bounced back to hang on for a 5-4 conquest in Game 2. The Express move to 16-13 overall and 1-3 in Region 15 play, while the Sharks go to 15-4-1 and 3-1.
 
GAME 1: No. 6 Suffolk 9, Monroe 5
The Express jumped on the Sharks early in Game 1. Paola Calderon hit an RBI single in the top of the first, and then Cinthia Ramirez later scored on an error to leave Monroe up, 2-0. The Sharks then went on to score nine straight runs across the first three innings to take a big lead.
 
In the fourth, Ashleigh Stewart brought in Juliana Vasquez on a groundout to short to make it a 9-3 game. The Express got two more in the fifth, starting with an RBI double by Genesis Duarte-Suarez. She was later knocked in on a groundout by Vasquez to get Monroe within four, but that was the end of the scoring for the game.
 
Katelyn Lysogorski got the win for Suffolk after tossing four innings and allowing two earned runs. Layla Ramos took the loss for Monroe to drop to 4-4.
 
Nicole Peralta scored twice in a 2-for-4 outing in Game 1. Vasquez hit 2-for-4 with a double, a run and an RBI. Duarte-Suarez went 1-for-4 with an RBI, a run scored and a double. Calderon batted 1-for-3 with an RBI. Stewart knocked in a run in a 1-for-3 effort. Zahra Medina hit 2-for-3.
 
GAME 2: Monroe 5, No. 6 Suffolk 4
The Express once again grabbed an early lead on the Sharks in Game 2. In the top of the first, Ramirez grounded out to third with runners on second and third, bringing Medina in to score for the first run of the game. Arlenny Diaz then singled in Duarte-Suarez to make it a 2-0 ballgame.
 
The Express still held the Sharks scoreless heading into the fourth, when they went on to add to their lead. The bases were loaded for Duarte-Suarez, who came through with a two-RBI single to right, pushing the lead to four. A wild pitch then brought in Peralta to leave the Express ahead, 5-0.
 
The Sharks began to threaten late in the game. In the bottom of the sixth, Angelica Magliocco doubled in two runs, cutting the Express lead to 5-2. Then, in the bottom of the seventh, Antanina Yarusso hit a two-run homer with nobody out to make it a one-run game. Toni Shawnee then shut down the next three batters for Suffolk to wrap things up and hang on for a one-run victory.
 
Shawnee improved to 7-5 on the year after going all seven innings and allowing just two earned runs with five strikeouts for the Express. Gianna Postiglione took the loss for the Sharks.
 
Duarte-Suarez finished 2-for-4 with two RBIs and a run scored in the Game-2 victory. Ramirez batted 2-for-4 with an RBI, while Medina went 2-for-4 with a run scored. Stewart hit 2-for-3 with a double and a run. Raileni Amarante batted 1-for-2 with a run scored. Diaz knocked in a run in a 1-for-4 game. Vasquez also hit 1-for-4 in the win.
 
The Express head into the last week of the regular season with six more games on the docket. The week begins on Tuesday, April 26, with a doubleheader at Sussex County Community College, which was rescheduled from the April 19 postponement. Game 1 on Tuesday is set for 12 p.m.

ABOUT THE ATHLETIC PROGRAM AT MONROE COLLEGE
The athletic program at Monroe College encompasses a total of 35 teams competing across nine sports. There are 21 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 and men's volleyball programs, competing on the New Rochelle campus as the Mustangs (NJCAA Division I). The Monroe Express, based out of the Bronx campus, has 14 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).