LINCROFT, N.J., April 22, 2018 – The Monroe College softball team showed incredible resilience in a doubleheader at Brookdale Community College on Sunday, erasing early deficits in both games to pick up a sweep of the Jersey Blues. Monroe came back from two runs down late in the game for a 4-3 win in Game 1, and then erased an eight-run deficit, and worked out of seventh-inning hole to snag a 14-13 victory in the finale. Monroe improves to 19-14 overall with the sweep, while the Jersey Blues fall to 24-15.
 
Game 1: Monroe 4, Brookdale 3
Brookdale got its first run of the day in the bottom of the second in Game 1. Katrina Hand beat out an infield single with the bases loaded, bringing in Bridget Coulahan to take a 1-0 lead.
 
The Jersey Blues doubled their lead in the bottom of the third on a leadoff homer by Paige Eckert, making it a 2-0 game.
 
After Abigail Cancilla hit a single to kick off the top of the fifth, Luna Hernandez flashed her power with a two-run homer to left, tying the game at 2-2. The Mustangs kept the rally going with a walk from Kimberly Zapata. With two down, Selena Aguirre smacked a double to left, scoring Zapata to give Monroe a 3-2 lead.
 
Brookdale managed to rally back in the bottom of the fifth. Lizzie Dorsa hit a double to left, and then Coulahan followed with a double of her own to score a run and tie the game at 3-3.
 
Cancilla hit a two-out single in the sixth to keep the inning going. Hernandez then reached on an error, and another error on the play put runners on the corners. Zapata took advantage with a single into center field, which knocked in what proved to be the game-winning run, as the Mustangs went up, 4-3.
 
Brianna Casiano picked up the win in Game 1 to improve to 8-3. She tossed the complete seven frames, allowing just two earned runs. Brookdale starter Rachel Hrevnak took the loss after allowing four runs in six innings.
 
Hernandez went 1-for-3 with a two-run homer in Game 1. Aguirre batted 3-for-4 with an RBI double. Cancilla finished 2-for-3 with two runs, while Zapata hit 1-for-3 with an RBI and a run.
 
Game 2: Monroe 14, Brookdale 13
Nothing could go right for the Mustangs in the first inning in Game 2, as a number of miscues and tough plays allowed eight runs to score for the Jersey Blues, giving the home team a sizable lead early on.
 
Staring a run-rule defeat right in the face, the Mustangs found their rhythm in the top of the fourth. Aguirre and Veronica Casanova hit back-to-back singles to start the inning, and then Hernandez reached on an error to load the bases. Casiano came through with a single up the middle, plating Aguirre and Casanova to make it an 8-2 game. Kortney Semper then came up to pinch hit, drawing a walk to load the bases once again. Zapata singled to right, scoring Hernandez for the Mustangs' third run of the inning. Brooke Boechler then drew a walk, bringing in another run to make it 8-4.
 
Chantel Winstead kept the big rally going in the next at bat, doubling to left to score two more runs, nearly scoring a third before Boechler was thrown out at the plate, but the Mustangs got back within four. Aguirre walked to put runners on the corners, and then Casanova sent a double into left, bringing Winstead home to make it a three-run game. Hernandez showed off her power stroke once again, blasting a three-run homer to center to miraculously put the Mustangs on top, 10-8, after the top of the fourth.
 
The momentum then swung back in the favor of the home team in the bottom of the fourth, as the Jersey Blues rallied for five runs to go back up, 13-10.
 
Winstead stood on first with one away in the fifth when Aguirre doubled to left to put two runners in scoring position. A wild pitch then brought Winstead in to score, getting the Mustangs back within two, but they were unable to tack on any more runs in the fifth.
 
The game headed to the seventh with the same 13-11 score. Boechler hit a one-out single to get things started for Monroe, but the Aguirre later came up with the Mustangs down to their final out. She managed to draw a walk to keep the inning going. Casanova then provided the big blow of the game, hammering a three-run homer over the left-field fence, lifting the Mustangs to a 14-13 lead. Monroe then got the Jersey Blues to go down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the seventh to hang on for an unbelievable comeback victory.
 
Casiano was stellar in three innings of relief, not allowing a hit, a walk or a run to give Monroe a chance to win, eventually earning the victory and improving to 9-3 on the year. Hrevnak came on in relief for Brookdale in Game 2, and was tagged with the loss after giving up five runs in the final 3.1 innings.
 
Casanova went off for four RBIs and three runs scored after going 3-for-5 with a double and a home run in Game 2. Hernandez went 2-for-3 with three RBIs, two runs and a homer to cap off a big day for the Mustangs' shortstop. Boechler hit 4-for-4 with an RBI, a run and a double. Winstead went 1-for-5, but made her opportunities count, hitting a double, scoring twice and knocking in two more runs. Casiano helped the cause by going 2-for-4 with two RBIs and a run.
 
The Mustangs do not get long to celebrate their impressive day, as they head down to Randolph, N.J. tomorrow, April 23, for a rematch of Saturday's doubleheader split against County College of Morris. First pitch of Game 1 is set for 3:30 p.m.
 
ABOUT THE ATHLETIC PROGRAM AT MONROE COLLEGE
The athletic program at Monroe College encompasses a total of 26 teams competing across nine sports. There are 18 varsity and junior varsity programs, as well as club men's rugby, and the newly added club women's rugby team, competing on the New Rochelle campus as the Monroe Mustangs (NJCAA Division I). The Monroe Express, based out of the Bronx campus, has six teams competing at the NJCAA Division III level as of the fall of 2017.
 
For more information about the Monroe Mustangs, please visit us at www.MonroeCollegeMustangs.com or follow us on social media: Facebook (Monroe College Athletics), Twitter (@Monroe_Mustangs) and Instagram (@monroemustangs).