BRENTWOOD, N.Y. – The Monroe College – Bronx softball team captured its second Region 15 Championship in program history, in thrilling fashion on Saturday afternoon, by winning two games over top-seeded Suffolk County Community College by scores of 18-8 and 10-9 to win the series 2-1. The thrilling winner-take-all Game 3 took nine innings to complete and was played under cold, rainy, and windy conditions.
 
Monroe – Bronx (14-27) will now host nationally ranked No. 6 Community College of Rhode Island in the District Championship Series, which is best two out of three, on Saturday and Sunday at Flowers Park. Times are to be announced.
 
The Express trailed in the Regional Championship Series, 1-0, heading to Sunday's contests but won the second game to stay alive and force a rubber game. In the third and deciding battle, Monroe – Bronx earned the instant-classic victory in extra innings to capture the Region 15 Championship.
 
The Sharks (10-8) threatened in the bottom of the ninth of Game 3, as they had runners on second and third, with one out. However, sophomore pitcher Angelica Uribe-Perez was able to retire the next two batters, including the final out on a popup to freshman shortstop Sonia Rosa, to seal the regional championship for the Express.
 
"Amazing," Express Head Softball Coach Lauren Farina said. "The biggest thing is that we trusted our defense and we trusted our offense. They did exactly what they needed to. They played as a team. I'm so unbelievably proud of them!"
 
After the games, Farina was honored as the Region 15 Coach of the Year. Earning the Most Valuable Player of the Region 15 Championships was Express rookie third-base student-athlete Lauren Vuorinen who produced clutch hits and made great plays in the field throughout the tournament. Joining her on the All-Region Tournament team were Uribe-Perez, Rosa, freshman catcher Brianna Talley, second-year pitcher Hilda Sanchez, and sophomore second-base player Ciara Aviles. 
 
In the opening game on Sunday, the Express struck first as freshman left fielder Brendalie Oliviery-Baker scorched a triple down the left-field line. She eventually scored on an RBI groundout by Talley to give the Blue and Gold a 1-0 lead. 
 
Sanchez got off to a strong start in the circle, retiring the Sharks' lineup in the first and second innings without giving up a run or a hit. 
 
In the top of the third, Talley drew a walk and stole second with two outs. She came around to score on an RBI single to center courtesy of Uribe-Perez to increase Monroe's lead to 2-0. 
 
Suffolk County countered with a pair of runs in the bottom of the third to tie the game at two.
 
The Express answered right back with a big frame in the fourth, scoring five runs to jump out to a 7-2 hold. The highlights of the stanza were a two-run single by freshman center fielder Ciara Harriott and a run-scoring base hit courtesy of Uribe-Perez.
 
In the top of the fifth, an RBI groundout by Uribe-Perez that scored Rosa inflated Monroe's advantage to 8-2. However, the Sharks' lineup tallied three runs in the bottom frame to slice their deficit in half, at 8-5. 
 
The Express responded with a six-run sixth inning, highlighted by a two-run double to left by Rosa, a run-scoring base hit by Aviles, and a two-run double courtesy of freshman right fielder Amandy Rodriguez, to pad Monroe's benefit to 14-5. 
 
Suffolk County continued to fight back with a trio of runs in the bottom of the sixth to pull to within six.
 
Monroe – Bronx once again pulled further ahead in the top of the seventh, as an RBI double by Uribe-Perez and a run-scoring single by Rodriguez sparked a four-run frame to extend Monroe's lead to 18-8.
 
In the bottom of the seventh, Sanchez retired the side to clinch the victory in game two of the championship series to even it up at one game apiece.
 
Sanchez earned the complete-game victory for the Express by giving up just one earned run and striking out two batters in seven innings pitched. 
 
At the plate for the Express, Uribe-Perez went a perfect 5-for-5 with three runs batted in, two runs scored, and a stolen base. Talley drew two walks, stole a pair of bases, scored three times, and had two runs batted in. Vuorinen singled, scored twice, and earned a base on balls. Sanchez singled, scored twice, walked, and stole a bag. Rosa drilled two doubles, came around to score three times, earned two walks, and stole a base. Aviles crossed home plate twice, had two RBIs, walked, and stole a base. Rodriguez scored, drove in four runs, and worked a walk. Oliviery-Baker scored twice and earned a base on balls.
 
In the third and deciding game, the Express struck right away with two runs in the top of the first, thanks to an RBI single each by Talley and Vuorinen to put Monroe up 2-0. The Sharks answered right back with two runs of their own in the bottom frame to tie it up.
 
The Express' lineup continued to produce in the top of the second, this time scoring four runs to take a commanding 6-2 lead. It started when Uribe-Perez came up to the plate with the bases loaded and one out. She earned a walk to send Harriott home from third to allow Monroe to retake the lead at 3-2. Up next was Vuorinen who drilled a double to center which cleared the bases and extended the Express' benefit to 6-2. 
 
After Rosa drew a walk, the Sharks made the call to the bullpen as sophomore pitcher Laci Edwards stepped in the circle, the same pitcher who threw a no-hitter in game one on Saturday to give the Sharks a 1-0 lead in the series over the Express. She retired the next two hitters to keep it at 6-2. 
 
The next few innings were dominated by pitching as Uribe-Perez and Edwards matched zero for zero all the way until the bottom of the fourth. The Sharks scored two runs on a two-RBI single by sophomore center fielder Kaylin McDonald to slice their deficit in half at 6-4. 
 
The Express' bats still could not figure out Edwards who retired the side in the top of the sixth for another scoreless frame and kept Monroe's lead to just 6-4. 
 
In the home half of the sixth inning, Suffolk County broke through with two runs to tie it up at six. The home team still threatened with the go-ahead run on second and two outs. However, Uribe-Perez was able to counter by getting the opposing hitter to ground out to third which allowed Monroe to escape the jam with the game tied.
 
Uribe-Perez and Edwards each gave up a single in the seventh but nothing more, and the game remained tied at six after the seventh so extra innings were needed to determine the Region 15 Champions.
 
The Express had a runner on third, and two outs, in the eighth. They finally broke through against Edwards as Rosa laced a single through the left side to score Uribe-Perez and give Monroe a 7-6 lead. After that, Rosa advanced to second on a wild pitch. Sanchez took advantage at the plate by drilling a single to left which scored Rosa to give Monroe an important insurance run and an 8-6 benefit. Sanchez eventually came around to score on a muffed throw to pad the Express' advantage to 9-6 and that was the tally heading into the bottom of the eighth.
 
However, Suffolk County once again did not go down without a fight as freshman right fielder Kate Smith produce an RBI single, and then sophomore shortstop Brooke Bove lined a double to left-center field, which scored two more runs to tie the game at nine. The Sharks were on the verge of winning as the game-clinching run was in scoring position and just one out. Fortunately for the Express, Uribe-Perez remained calm in the circle and got the next two batters to fly out to right and ground out to third, respectively, to allow Monroe to stay alive in the game and keep the contest tied at nine runs apiece.
 
In the top of the ninth, Oliviery-Baker was hit by a pitch and then advanced to third on a bunt single to the hot corner by Talley. This set up the Express with runners on the corners and nobody out. Up next was Uribe-Perez who launched the ball deep to left. The catch was made but Oliviery-Baker tagged up and scored from third to give Monroe the lead once again, at 10-9, thanks to the RBI sacrifice fly by Uribe-Perez. 
 
The Express could not push across any more runs so Monroe took a 10-9 lead into the bottom of the ninth.
 
Suffolk County once again threatened as the Sharks had the game-tying run on third and the game-winning run at second with just one out. Once again, Uribe-Perez was at her best under pressure as she got the next batter to pop up to short. Rosa made the catch to make it two outs. It all came down to the final hitter. The Express were one out away from hanging on, while the Sharks were one base hit away from at least tying and most likely winning the championship. Uribe-Perez threw the pitch, and the batter popped it up to the middle of the infield dirt. Rosa came towards second base and made the catch to clinch the Region 15 Championship for the Express as the players came to the middle of the field and celebrated.
 
In the circle, Uribe-Perez earned the impressive complete-game victory for the Express by going nine innings and striking out five batters.

For Suffolk County, Edwards went 7.2 innings out of the bullpen, gave up just three earned runs, and struck out three batters but took the hard-fought loss. 
 
For Monroe at the plate, Vuorinen went 3-for-4, drove in four runs, and earned two walks. Rosa went 2-for-4 with a run scored, two walks, and a stolen base. Uribe-Perez singled, scored twice, and drew a pair of walks. Talley produced two singles, crossed home plate two times, earned a base on balls, and stole a bag. Oliviery-Baker and Harriott each scored twice with the latter earning a walk and stealing a base. Sanchez walked and stole a bag. Aviles singled and picked up a stolen base. Rodriguez lined a single.
 
For more information regarding Monroe's District Championship Series against No. 6 Rhode Island this weekend, check out MonroeExpress.com as well as our social media channels. 

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.
 
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