BRONX – The Monroe College – Bronx softball team will compete against nationally ranked No. 6 Community College of Rhode Island, in the Northeast District Championship Series, on Saturday. It's a best-of-three series with Games 1 and 2 occurring at Flowers Park on Saturday at 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. Game 3, if necessary, will be on Sunday at Flowers Park at 1:00 p.m.
 
The winner of the Northeast District Championship Series will earn a berth in the NJCAA Division III Softball College World Series. 
 
Fans can follow the action this weekend via live streaming video at MonroeExpress.com/Watch. Live stats will also be available at MonroeExpress.com/SBLiveStats. 
 
The Express (14-27) punched their ticket to the District Championship Series by capturing the Region 15 Championship in the deciding third game over top-seeded Suffolk County Community College, 10-9 in nine innings, this past Sunday afternoon. Monroe rallied from a 1-0 series deficit by capturing both games on Sunday to win the regional title. 
 
The Knights (34-6) clinched the Region 21 Championship by going 7-0 during the season against Roxbury Community College to earn their matchup with Monroe.
 
Monroe – Bronx and Rhode Island played each other four times during the regular season, with the Knights winning all four games.
 
Leading the way for the Express this season has been sophomore first-base student-athlete and pitcher Angelica Uribe-Perez who is hitting .462 at the plate this season, while drilling three home runs and lining nine doubles on 43 total hits, driving in 38 runs, scoring 27 times, working 29 walks, and stealing six bases. In the circle, the All-Region first-team honoree struck out 60 batters and earned five victories, including a nine-inning complete-game win over Suffolk County that clinched the Region 15 Championship for the Express.
 
Also propelling the Express this season has been rookie third-base player Lauren Vuorinen who was named Most Valuable Player of the Region 15 Championships. The All-Region first-team member is producing a .424 batting average this year. She has scored 24 times, produced 42 hits, driven in 23 runs, worked 18 walks, and stole nine bases. In the field, she has produced 73 putouts and 54 assists, plus a fielding percentage of .962, and earned the Region 15 Gold Glove Award. In Monroe's thrilling extra-inning victory over Suffolk County that clinched the Region 15 Championship, Vuorinen went 3-for-4, drove in four runs which included a three-run double, and earned two walks.
 
For Rhode Island, sophomore catcher Ashley Klingberg is hitting .470 with seven home runs, 10 doubles, five triples, 48 runs batted in, 41 runs scored, and 16 stolen bases this season. 
 
In the circle for the Knights, rookie pitcher Janina Mazzulla is 10-0 with an earned run average of 1.25, while striking out 64 batters this year.
 
For updates throughout the Northeast District Championship Series, 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.
 
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).