NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y., March 20, 2019 – Anessa Quiroz had herself a day on Wednesday, as she blasted four home runs in two games to help lift the Monroe College Mustangs softball team to a doubleheader sweep of SUNY Orange in the team's home opener at Flowers Park. The Mustangs picked up a 19-0 run-rule victory in Game 1 before defeating the Colts, 12-5, in the finale. Monroe improves to 7-6 on the year with the win, while Orange falls to 2-2.
 
GAME 1: MONROE 19, ORANGE 0 (5 INN)
Chantel Winstead led off the bottom of the first for Monroe with a bloop single to right. With two outs later in the inning, Samantha Mancillas blasted a two-run inside-the-park home run over the left fielder's head, giving the Mustangs a quick 2-0 lead. Macie Kuppenbender and Baudy Alba then drew back-to-back walks, and then both moved into scoring position on a wild pitch. Anessa Quiroz smacked a single into right-center, plating Kuppenbender and Alba to push Monroe's lead to 4-0.
 
The Mustangs packed it on in the second, pushing the lead to double digits. Mancillas got the scoring going with a two-RBI single up the middle. Kuppenbender later brought in Mancillas when she reached on an error. Alba then blasted a two-run homer over the right fielder to push the lead to nine. Marissa Vanduzer later knocked in Lucy Rivera-Duval with an RBI single, and Winstead knocked in Vanduzer with a single to left. Megan Soto added an RBI single, and then Mancillas knocked in another two runs to leave the Mustangs up, 14-0.
 
Quiroz hit a two-run homer to right-center in the third to make it a 16-0 game. Kaylynn Lopez later knocked in two runs with a bases-loaded single to left, and then Katherine Garcia brought in Stacy Hernandez later in the frame with a ground out to short, pushing the Mustang lead to 19 runs.
 
Kuppenbender improved to 5-4 on the season with the win, going the complete five innings and allowing just one hit with nine strikeouts. Karlee Weeden dropped to 1-1 for the Colts with the loss.
 
Mancillas fell a triple shy of the cycle, going 3-for-4 with six RBIs and two runs. Quiroz batted 2-for-3 with four RBIs and a run. Lopez finished 3-for-3 with two RBIs and two runs scored. Winstead went 2-for-3 with three runs and an RBI. Alba batted 1-for-1 with two runs and two RBIs. Mancillas, Alba and Quiroz all homered in the win.
 
GAME 2: MONROE 12, ORANGE 5
The Mustangs got things going quickly again in the bottom of the first. Lopez roped a one-out triple to left-center, and then Soto singled her in to give Monroe an early 1-0 advantage.
 
The Colts scored their first runs of the day in the top of the second. Megan Clune hit a leadoff single to left-center. She then stole second and moved to third on a wild pitch. Olivia Guh followed with a walk, and then stole second to put both runners in scoring position. Weeden then smacked a double to right-center, plating both runners to put Orange on top, 2-1. Victoria Crozier later hit an RBI single into left, scoring Weeden to leave the Colts ahead, 3-1.
 
The Mustangs quickly rallied to tie the game in the home half of the second. Quiroz singled to lead off the inning, and pinch runner Alyssa Alfaro quickly moved to third after a wild pitch and a passed ball. Vanduzer brought her in with a sacrifice fly to center to get back within a run. With two outs, Keira Matos singled through the left side to keep the inning going. Winstead followed with a single of her own, and then a single into left by Lopez plated Matos to tie the game at 3-3.
 
The Mustangs were able to regain the lead in the bottom of the third. Mancillas beat out an infield single to lead off the inning, and moved to second on a passed ball. Alba then singled her in from second to put the Mustangs back on top, 4-3. Quiroz followed with an inside-the-park two-run homer to right, pushing Monroe's lead to 6-3.
 
Quiroz added to the lead in the bottom of the fifth when she blasted a long fly ball into the left-center field gap, allowing her to touch all the bases for another inside-the-park home run. Abigail Cancilla hit a solo homer of her own with a long fly ball over the left fielder, pushing Monroe's lead to 8-3.
 
Olivia Guh led off the top of the sixth for Orange with a triple to deep center. Weeden then dropped down a bunt between the pitcher and catcher for an RBI single, bringing the Colts back within four. Later in the frame, Crozier beat out a grounder to shortstop, allowing Weeden to score and make it an 8-5 game.
 
Quiroz hit yet another home run in the bottom of the sixth, a two-run inside-the-park four-bagger to left, putting the Mustangs back up by five. After back-to-back singles by Vanduzer and Cancilla, Kuppenbender hit a two-RBI single to left, leaving the Mustangs up, 12-5.
 
Kuppenbender earned her second win of the day to improve to 6-4 on the season. She came on in relief, tossing five innings and allowing just one earned run with eight strikeouts. Weeden shouldered her second loss of the day for the Colts to fall to 1-2.
 
Quiroz went 4-for-4 in Game 2 with three home runs, five RBIs and three runs scored. Cancilla finished 2-for-4 with a home run, two runs and an RBI. Lopez batted 2-for-4 with an RBI, a run and a triple. Kuppenbender hit 2-for-3 with two RBIs after subbing in after the second inning. Soto knocked in a run after hitting 2-for-3. Vanduzer scored a run and plated another in a 1-for-3 effort. Alba did the same after going 1-for-4. Mancillas went 1-for-4, scoring twice in the game. Matos hit 1-for-1 before exiting the game, while Winstead finished 1-for-4.
 
Having won seven of their last eight games and riding a four-game winning streak, the Mustangs will look to keep their momentum going on Friday, March 22, when they host Brookdale Community College for a doubleheader at Flowers Park. Game 1 is set to begin at 1 p.m.
 
AB­OUT THE ATHLETIC PROGRAM AT MONROE COLLEGE
The athletic program at Monroe College encompasses a total of 28 teams competing across nine sports. There are 19 varsity and junior varsity programs, as well as club men's and women's rugby, competing on the New Rochelle campus as the Monroe Mustangs (NJCAA Division I). The Monroe Express, based out of the Bronx campus as of the fall of 2017, has nine teams competing at the NJCAA Division III level.
 
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).