NEWTON, N.J., April 26, 2022 – The Monroe College Express softball team totaled 23 runs across two games in a doubleheader sweep of Sussex County Community College on Tuesday. The Express picked up an 8-2 win in Game 1 before a 15-5, run-rule victory in Game 2. Monroe improves to 18-13 overall with the two wins, while the Skylanders drop to 5-22.
 
GAME 1: Monroe 8, Sussex County 2
The Express controlled Game 1 right from the jump on Tuesday. Nicole Peralta and Juliana Vasquez picked up back-to-back singles to lead off the game, and then a safety squeeze by Genesis Duarte-Suarez brought in Peralta to get the Express on the board. Cinthia Ramirez followed with an RBI triple to bring in the second run, and then Arlenny Diaz scored Ramirez on a groundout to third, leaving the Express ahead, 3-0.
 
Ashley Ulmschneider immediately got things going in the top of the second with a triple to center. Peralta later brought her home on a groundout to third, making it a 4-0 lead for the Express.
 
The Skylanders got a run back in the bottom of the third on a pair of singles, cutting the deficit to 4-1. The Express got that run back in the top of the fifth. After singles by Peralta and Vasquez, an error on a grounder by Duarte-Suarez allowed Peralta to score and make it a 5-1 game. Sussex County later got its final run of the game in the bottom of the sixth on a two-out error, making it a 5-2 score.
 
The Express added some comfort room in the top of the seventh. With runners on second and third, Ramirez reached on Sussex County's second error of the inning, bringing in two runs to make it a 7-2 lead for Monroe. With Ramirez on third and two outs, Paola Calderon singled her in, reaching the score of 8-2. The Express turned to Toni Shawnee in the circle to close out the game, and she did just that by striking out all three batters to end the game.
 
Layla Ramos got the win after going six frames without allowing an earned run and striking out six batters to improve to 6-5 on the season. Brooke Wannamaker took the loss for Sussex County to drop to 2-8.
 
Vasquez went 3-for-4 in the win with two runs scored, while Peralta hit 2-for-4 with an RBI and three runs. Ramirez hit 1-for-4 with two RBIs, two runs and a triple. Calderon batted 2-for-4 with an RBI. Ulmschneider went 2-for-3 with a run and a triple.
 
GAME 2: Monroe 15, Sussex County 5 (6 INN)
The Express picked up right where they left off in Game 2, seeing Peralta and Vasquez single and double, respectively, to open the game. Duarte-Suarez then reached on an error by the shortstop that allowed Peralta to score and make it a 1-0 game. Ramirez followed with a double to bring in Vasquez for Monroe's second run. With one out, Diaz hit a sacrifice fly to left, scoring Duarte-Suarez to leave the Express up, 3-0.
 
The Express kept rolling in the top of the second. Monroe loaded the bases with nobody out for Vasquez, who hit a sacrifice fly to left to score Ulmschneider and put the Express ahead by four. With the bases loaded again two batters later, Ramirez singled to left, plating Ashley Stewart and Peralta to make it a 6-0 ballgame. Calderon followed with a two-RBI double to left, pushing the lead to eight. With two outs, Raileni Amarante knocked in one more run when she reached on an error, leaving the Express up, 9-0.
 
The Skylanders had the bases loaded in the home half of the second when a wild pitch, followed by a fielder' choice, brought in two runs to make it a 9-2 game. In the top of the third, singles by Stewart, Vasquez and Duarte-Suarez resulted in a run, pushing the lead to 10-2. After Ulmschneider reached on an error in the top of the fourth, Stewart singled her in to leave the Express up, 11-2.
 
Sussex County put three runs on the board in the bottom of the fourth, which helped the Skylanders avoid a run-rule finish in the fifth frame. The Express changed that in the top of the seventh. With Ulmscheider on second, Stewart reached on an error that allowed a run to score and make it a 12-5 game. Peralta then singled on a bunt, and an error on the play by the pitcher brought Stewart home to push the lead to eight. Vasquez then singled in Peralta to make it a 14-5 score. Duarte-Suarez knocked in one more run with an RBI double, leaving the Express up big, 15-5.
 
Shawnee came on to throw the final 2.1 innings for the Express, earning the win in the process to improve to 8-5. She allowed just two hits with four strikeouts in her second relief appearance of the day. Hailey Langenfeld took the loss for Sussex County to drop to 2-7.
 
Duarte-Suarez batted 4-for-5 in Game 2, scoring twice and knocking three runs with a pair of doubles in the win. Vasquez hit 3-for-4 with two runs, two RBIs and a double. Peralta went 3-for-5 with three runs scored. Ramirez knocked in two and scored once herself after hitting 2-for-5 with a double. Calderon hit a double in a 1-for-5 outing, scoring a run while knocking in two more. Stewart finished 2-for-3 with three runs and an RBI, while Ulmschneider batted 2-for-4 with three runs scored of her own.
 
The Express are back at it on Thursday, April 28, when they head back into New Jersey to take on Raritan Valley Community College. The afternoon doubleheader is set to begin at 3 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).