NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y., April 24, 2019 – In the team's final home contests of the 2019 season, the Monroe College Mustangs softball team swept a pair of games against the Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI) Wednesday afternoon at Flowers Park. The Mustangs picked up a 12-4 win in Game 1 before wrapping up the day with a 7-2 victory. The Mustangs improve to 21-12 on the year with the wins, while the Knights drop to 10-10.
 
GAME 1: MONROE 12, CCRI 4 (5 INN)
The bottom of the first was a sloppy one, but it worked out well in favor of the Mustangs. Chantel Winstead led off with a single into center, but the ball got through the center fielder, allowing Winstead to come all the way around to score and make it a 1-0 game. Keira Matos followed with a single through the left side. Kaylynn Lopez then attempted a sacrifice bunt, but the throw by the pitcher was low, allowing Lopez to reach and Matos to score and make it a 2-0 game. Samantha Mancillas then blasted a long fly ball to left-center for a two-run homer, pushing Monroe's lead to four. Two batters later, Macie Kuppenbender walked, and then stole both second and third base. Megan Soto followed with an RBI single, leaving the Mustangs up, 5-0.
 
The Knights got back in the game with a rally in the top of the third. With Mackenzie Doyle on second, Victoria Passaretti singled into left, bringing in Doyle to make it a 5-1 game. Madison McDonald later hit an RBI single that scored Passaretti to get CCRI within two. Hannah Caliri followed with a two-run homer to right-center, leaving the Mustangs up by just a run at 5-4.
 
The Mustangs got a couple runs back in the home half of the third. Mancillas led off with a walk. Anessa Quiroz then attempted a sacrifice bunt, but the throw got away from the second baseman covering first. The throw home to get Mancillas was late, and then the catcher's throw to second went into center field, allowing Quiroz to come all the way home and leave the Mustangs up, 7-4.
 
Winstead opened the bottom of the fourth with a single to short. She then stole second and advanced to third when the shortstop slipped and lost the ball. Winstead then scored on a wild pitch to push the score to 8-4.
 
Soto led off the fifth with a triple to right-center. Alexis Cruz then pinch hit and was hit by a pitch. Marissa Vanduzer then beat out a bunt single to the third baseman, bringing Soto home to go up by five. Winstead followed with an RBI single to left to score Cruz. Three batters later, a passed ball brought in Winstead to make it an 11-4 game. Mancillas then grounded out to short, but she still managed to knock in Matos to make it an eight-run game and end the game via the run rule.
 
Kuppenbender picked up the win to improve to 18-9 for the Mustangs. Caliri took the loss for the Knights to drop to 6-5.
 
Mancillas batted 1-for-2 with a home run, three RBIs and two runs scored in the win. Winstead hit 3-for-4 with three runs scored and an RBI. Soto went 2-for-3 with a triple, an RBI and a run. Matos scored twice after hitting 2-for-3. Vanduzer went 1-for-3 with an RBI.
 
GAME 2: MONROE 7, CCRI 2 (5 INNINGS)
The Mustangs once again got on the board quickly in Game 2. Matos hit a one-out single in the bottom of the first, and a wild pitch moved her to second. Lopez grounded out to short, but moved Matos over to third in the process. Mancillas then reached on an error, allowing Matos to score and make it a 1-0 lead for the Mustangs.
 
Soto led off the home half of the second with a solo inside-the-park home run to right to put Monroe up by two. Abigail Cancilla reached on an error, then stole second base. Stacy Hernandez dropped down a sacrifice bunt that was dropped by the second baseman covering first, allowing her to reach safely and Cancilla to score from second to push the lead to three. Vanduzer then laid down another sacrifice bunt, but after Hernandez took off for third, a wild throw by the second baseman allowed her to score and make it a 4-0 game.
 
CCRI got back in the game with a third-inning rally. The Knights put runners on second and third with one away, setting up Passaretti for an RBI single up the middle to get the Knights on the board. Hannah Northup then reached on a fielder's choice that saw Passaretti get thrown out at third, but brought in Mackenzie Doyle to bring the score to 4-2.
 
Lopez singled up the middle to lead off the bottom of the third for the Mustangs. A wild pitch found its way over toward the CCRI dugout, allowing Lopez to move all the way to third. A second wild pitch then brought her in to put the Mustangs back up by three.
 
Cruz pinch hit again in the bottom of the fourth, this time drawing a one-out walk. A pair of wild pitches moved her to third, and then a third on ball four to Vanduzer scored Cruz to make it a 6-2 game. Winstead followed with a single, and then a sacrifice bunt by Matos brought in Vanduzer from third to leave Monroe up, 7-2.
 
Kuppenbender picked up another complete-game victory for the Mustangs in Game 2 to run her record to 19-9 on the season. Samantha Muller took the loss for the Knights to drop to 0-1.
 
Winstead's fourth-inning single was more important than it originally seemed, as it pushed an incredible hitting streak to 22 games. Soto went 1-for-2 in the game with a solo homer. Matos also went 1-for-2 with an RBI and a run. Lopez scored a run after going 1-for-3.
 
The Mustangs will take to the road on Saturday, April 27, when they visit County College of Morris in Randolph, N.J. for a doubleheader with the Titans. Game 1 is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m.
                         
AB­OUT THE ATHLETIC PROGRAM AT MONROE COLLEGE
The athletic program at Monroe College encompasses a total of 30 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 11 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).