NORTH BRANCH, N.J., April 28, 2022 – The bats stayed red hot for the Monroe College Express softball team on Thursday, as the Express totaled 31 runs across a doubleheader sweep of Raritan Valley Community College. The Express won the opener, 14-4, before a commanding 17-8 victory in Game 2. The Express improve to 20-13 overall with the wins, while the Lions fall to 3-13.
 
GAME 1: Monroe 14, Raritan Valley 4 (6 INN)
The Lions took the early edge in Game 1, putting three runs on the board in the first inning. The Express then slowly began their climb into the lead and beyond in the top of the second, beginning with Zahra Medina scoring on a wild pitch with the bases loaded. In the fourth, the Express tied the game up after Cinthia Ramirez scored on a wild pitch, and then Paola Calderon knocked in Medina on an RBI single.
 
It was all Express from that point forward. In the fifth, Juliana Vasquez singled into left, and an error allowed Nicole Peralta to score and put Monroe in the lead. Genesis Duarte-Suarez then singled in Vasquez, and Ramirez singled in Duarte-Suarez for two more runs to give the Express a 6-3 lead after five.
 
The Express then exploded in the sixth inning, starting with an RBI single by Vasquez. Duarte-Suarez knocked in two with a single to right to make it 9-3. Ramirez reached on an error to bring in Vasquez, and then Calderon brought in two more to put the Express up by nine. Arlenny Diaz made it a 10-run game with another RBI single, and then Peralta added one more run with one final RBI single to leave the Express up, 14-3, after an eight-run sixth. The Lions picked up a run in the bottom of the sixth, but it was not enough to keep the game going.
 
Layla Ramos improved to 7-5 overall after a six-inning start for the Express. She allowed just two earned runs with four strikeouts. Jillian Sims took the Game 1 loss for Raritan Valley to fall to 3-6.
 
Calderon went 3-for-4 in Game 1 with three RBIs and a run. Duarte-Suarez hit 2-for-4 with two runs and three RBIs. Ramirez batted 1-for-4 with two RBIs and two runs scored. Peralta scored twice after going 2-for-3, adding an RBI as well. Vasquez hit 2-for-5 with an RBI and two runs scored. Medina scored twice after hitting 1-for-4. Diaz went 1-for-3 with two runs and an RBI. Ashley Ulmschneider went 1-for-4 with a run.
 
GAME 2: Monroe 17, Raritan Valley 8 (6 INN)
The Express got the early lead in Game 2 when a wild pitch scored Peralta in the first, and then Medina knocked in Duarte-Suarez with a single, leaving Monroe up, 2-0. Raritan responded with two runs of its own in the home half of the first to tie the game. The Lions later took a 3-2 lead with a home run in the second.
 
The Express had their first big inning of the game in the top of the fourth. A double steal saw Raileni Amarante score to tie the game, and then Vasquez knocked in Peralta with a single to make it a 4-3 game in favor of the Express. Ramirez provided a two-RBI triple, and then Medina brought her in on an error to make it a 7-3 game. Another double steal brought Medina home to leave Monroe ahead, 8-3.
 
The Lions responded with two runs in the bottom of the fourth, but the Express fired back in the fifth when Ramirez hit an RBI single to make it a 9-5 game. Amarante then reached on an error in the sixth attempting to sacrifice bunt, resulting in Calderon coming home. Amarante then scored on a wild pitch. Duarte-Suarez later knocked in a run with a bases-loaded fielder's choice to make it 12-5. Ramirez then blasted a three-run homer to push the lead to 15-5. Calderon followed shortly after with a two-run homer of her own to leave Monroe up, 17-5, after an eight-run sixth. A home run for Raritan provided three runs in the home half of the sixth, but it was not enough to deny the run-rule finish.
 
Toni Shawnee went four frames with just one earned run allowed to earn the win in Game 2. Olivia Sims took the loss for Raritan to drop to 0-5.
 
Ramirez batted 4-for-5 with six RBIs, a homer, a triple and two runs scored in the Game 2 victory. Peralta scored four runs in a 3-for-5 outing. Calderon homered and doubled, and finished with two RBIs and two runs scored after hitting 2-for-5. Medina went 2-for-4 with two runs and an RBI. Vasquez hit 2-for-4 with a run and an RBI. Stewart hit 1-for-2 with a run scored.
 
The Express are set to wrap up the regular season on Saturday, April 30, with a dual Sophomore Day celebration with the Monroe College Mustangs at Flowers Park in New Rochelle. Game 1 of the doubleheader 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).