NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. – The Monroe College – Bronx softball team dropped both of its games to NJCAA Division II County College of Morris, by scores of 17-4 and 15-6, at Flowers Park Softball Field on Sunday afternoon.
 
The highlights for the Express (7-18) during the afternoon were an inside-the-park grand slam by freshman right fielder Jaliyah Rosario and an inside-the-park solo home run by rookie center fielder Ciara Harriott. Both of those big hits occurred during game two.
 
In the opening game, Monroe – Bronx trailed 2-0 before the team even got a chance to bat. However, the Express answered with a pair of runs of their own in the bottom frame. Freshman second-base player Sonia Rosa got it started by drilling an RBI single up the middle to score Harriott from third to put the Express on the board. After stealing second and then advancing to third on a wild pitch, Rosa eventually scored the tying run.
 
The Titans (7-7) pushed across the go-ahead run in the top of the third and then added four more in the fourth to take a commanding 7-2 hold. The Blue and Gold got a run back in the home half of the fourth thanks to an RBI single by sophomore infielder Hilda Sanchez which scored first-year third-base student-athlete Lauren Vuorinen from third after she tripled earlier in the frame. 
 
Morris tacked on four more runs in the fifth to go up 11-3. The Express stayed alive in the game thanks to an RBI groundout courtesy of Rosa which scored sophomore left fielder Herleen Castillo from third. However, Morris scored six runs in the top of the sixth on its way to the victory in game one.
 
At the plate for the Express, Sanchez went 2-for-3. Freshman catcher Brianna Talley reached base with a single and earned a walk. Castillo earned a base on balls, while Harriott stole a base. Freshman designated player Amandy Rodriguez produced a single.
 
For the Titans, sophomore pitcher Lauren Errante struck out three batters in six innings pitched to pick up the complete-game win in the circle. 
 
The Express got off to a good start in game two, scoring five runs in the second inning to take a 5-0 advantage. Sanchez worked a walk with the bases loaded to score sophomore first-base student-athlete Angelica Uribe-Perez from third for Monroe's first run. Then, Rosario cleared the bases with her inside-the-park grand slam to right-center field to extend Monroe's benefit to 5-0.
 
Unfortunately for Monroe, Morris had a big third inning, scoring 12 runs in the frame to jump out to a 12-5 hold. The Titans hit four inside-the-park home runs during their big inning. The visiting team scored three runs in the top of the fourth to pad its lead to 10 runs. 
 
In the bottom of the fifth, Harriott provided her inside-the-park home run to center but it was not enough for the Blue and Gold as Morris went on to earn the sweep. 
 
For Monroe – Bronx at the plate, Uribe-Perez went 2-for-3. Vuorinen singled, walked, and scored a run. Sanchez also came around to score. Freshman second-base student-athlete Brendalie Oliviery-Baker produced a single, while Rosa crossed home plate. 
 
For Morris, freshman pitcher Morgan Demm earned a complete-game victory to advance her record to 5-0 for the year.
 
Monroe – Bronx will battle Community College of Rhode Island, in a non-region doubleheader out in Warwick, R.I., on Tuesday afternoon. First pitch is set for 2:00 p.m.
 
ABOUT THE ATHLETIC PROGRAM AT MONROE COLLEGE
The athletic program at Monroe College encompasses a total of 31 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 seven 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/X (@MonroeExpress), Instagram (@MonroeExpress), and Threads (@MonroeExpress).