DEWITT, N.Y., May 27, 2022 – A season that will go down in the record books illustrating the rapid growth of the Monroe College Express softball team will see a "W" at the end of the schedule, as the eighth-seeded Express defeated No. 6 Middlesex College, 3-0, on Friday at Carrier Park to head home with a seventh-place finish at the 2022 NJCAA Div. III Softball Championships.
 
Unhappy with the result on Thursday's contest against No. 4 Herkimer College, starting pitcher Toni Shawnee came out and dominated in Friday's season finale for the Express. She went all seven innings, allowing just two hits without a walk or a run and struck out nine batters for the complete-game shutout. She finishes her first season at Monroe with a 14-6 overall record.
 
The Express jumped out to a quick lead in Friday's contest. Nicole Peralta drew a walk to open the game, and then stole second base. A wild pitch put her on third, and then Cinthia Ramirez singled up the gut, bringing Peralta home for an immediate 1-0 edge.
 
The scoring did not pick up again until the top of the sixth. Zahra Medina reached on an error to lead off the frame, and the Express made sure to take advantage. After Medina stole second, Genesis Duarte-Suarez knocked her in with a single right, making it a 2-0 game. An error resulted in Duarte-Suarez advancing to second on the play, and then a groundout by Arlenny Diaz moved her to third. Ashleigh Stewart then hit a fly ball to right that was dropped by the fielder, bringing Duarte-Suarez home to give the Express a 3-0 advantage just six outs away from victory.
 
Duarte-Suarez finished 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored in the win. Ramirez also hit 2-for-4 with an RBI. Stewart knocked in a run in a 1-for-2 game, while Paola Calderon also went 1-for-2. Peralta scored a run in her 1-for-3 effort, and Juliana Vasquez finished 1-for-3 as well.
 
An historic season in the Bronx culminates in a 27-16 overall record for the Express, an unfathomable 24-win improvement from the 2021 campaign. The Express won their first-ever NJCAA Region 15 Championship this season, followed by their first-ever Northeast District Title, resulting in their first-ever appearance at the NJCAA Div. III Softball Championship. The grittiness and camaraderie of the Express women was evident for all spectators at Carrier Park throughout the week, leaving a lasting impression that big things can come out of the Bronx and that the Express were more than deserving of being part of the NJCAA Championship tournament.

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).