NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y., April 30, 2022 – The 2022 regular season as officially been put in the rear view for the Monroe College Express softball team, as the Express wrapped up the season with a doubleheader sweep of the Monroe Mustangs Saturday afternoon at Flowers Park. The Express honored their 10 sophomores in between games in a dual Sophomore Day ceremony with the Mustangs. The Express picked up victories of 10-2 and 7-6 over the Mustangs on Saturday, improving to 22-13 to finish the regular season, the program's first ever season above .500, and an impressive one to boot.
 
GAME 1: Express 10, Mustangs 2 (6 INN)
The Mustangs jumped out to a quick lead batting as the away team in Game 1. With runners on second and third, a passed ball allowed Nevaeh Gaynor to score and quickly make it a 1-0 game. Leiloni Pina then reached on an error, bringing in Thanysha Gil to leave the Mustangs up, 2-0.
 
The Express did not stay down for long after an early rally of their own in the home half of the first. Nicole Peralta led off the inning with a double, and then came home after stealing third and the throw getting away, cutting the deficit in half. Singles by Juliana Vasquez and Genesis Duarte-Suarez had two on for the Express, and then a dropped fly ball hit by Zahra Medina allowed Vasquez to score and tie the game. Two batters later, Raileni Amarante singled into left, scoring Medina to put the Express ahead, 3-2.
 
The Express added to their lead in the bottom of the third. With runners on first and third, Paola Calderon hit a sacrifice fly to left, bringing in Cinthia Ramirez to make it a 4-2 game.
 
The Express took a big lead in the fifth, beginning with back-to-back singles to by Duarte-Suarez and Ramirez. Medina doubled to left, scoring a run to make it a 5-2 game. Calderon then ripped a three-run homer down the left-field line to push the score to 8-2. Amarante followed with a double, and then Ashley Ulmschneider beat out a bunt single that allowed a hustling Amarante to come home, leaving the Express up, 9-2.
 
The game ended in the bottom of the eighth when a line drive to center by Duarte-Suarez snuck just past the center fielder, allowing her to touch them all for a walkoff homer for a final score of 10-2.
 
Toni Shawnee picked up the win for the Express with no earned runs allowed across six frames to improve to 10-5 on the year. Naidely Cabrera took the loss for the Mustangs.
 
Duarte-Suarez hit 3-for-4 with a solo home run, an RBI and two runs scored in the Game 1 win. Calderon finished 1-for-4 with a three-run homer, four RBIs and a run scored. Medina went 1-for-2 with a double, two runs and an RBI. Amarante batted 2-for-3 with a double, a run and an RBI. Ramirez scored twice in a 2-for-3 effort. Vasquez and Peralta each went 1-for-4 with a run scored, with Peralta's hit being a double. Ulmschneider and Stewart each hit 1-for-3.
 
GAME 2: Express 7, Mustangs 6
The Mustangs got the early edge on the Express once again in Game 2, this time batting as the home team. Zoe Rivera led off with a single, and Pina knocked her in two batters later with an RBI single, making it a quick 1-0 lead for the team from New Rochelle. Miralba Sandez followed with an RBI triple to center, and then Gaynor ripped a triple of her own to bring in one more run, leaving the Mustangs up, 3-0.
 
Mya Jack was on second with two outs in the bottom of the third when an infield single by Gil was enough to bring her around to score, pushing the Mustangs' lead to 4-0.
 
The Express began to chip away in the top of the third. Stewart dropped a triple down the right-field line, and then Peralta brought her in on a sacrifice fly, making it a 4-1 ballgame.
 
The Express got even closer in the top of the fifth. With Ulmschneider on second, Stewart singled to right-center, bringing her home to get the Express within two. Later in the frame, the bases were loaded for Duarte-Suarez, who was hit by a pitch to bring in another run and leave the Express down, 4-3.
 
The Express then took control of the game in the top of the sixth. Medina ended up on second after a dropped fly ball, and then moved to third on a wild pitch. Calderon plated her with a sacrifice fly to left, tying the game at 4-4. The Express had two in scoring position and two outs when Peralta hit a two-RBI single to left, putting the Express on top, 6-4.
 
An odd play gave the Express one more run in the top of the seventh. With two outs, Ulmschneider beat out a bunt single to the pitcher. The Mustangs tried to catch the runner going home, but the throw came in late and allowed the Express to add one more run and make it a 7-4 game. On the same play, Arlenny Diaz tried to go to third, but she was then thrown out on the play, ending the inning with the Express ahead by three.
 
The Mustangs nearly tied the game in their final at-bat. Rivera hit a one-out single, and then Gil doubled to right to put both runners in scoring position. With two down, Sandez ripped a single to left-center, scoring both runners to make it a one-run game. Gaynor then reached on an error to keep the inning alive, but she proved to be the Mustangs' final baserunner, as the Express held on to win, 7-6.
 
Layla Ramos picked up the win with six innings pitched in relief in Game 2, improving to 8-5 on the year. She allowed three runs while striking out two. Asia Gonzalez shouldered the loss for the Mustangs after giving up just two earned runs in 5.2 frames.
 
The Express are now set for the Region 15 Championship series against No. 6-ranked Suffolk County Community College. Suffolk will host the best 2-of-3 series beginning with a doubleheader on Saturday, May 7 (Time TBA). Should Game 3 be necessary, it will be played on Sunday, May 8, at Suffolk.

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).