NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y., April 7, 2019 – A pair of one-run decisions both went the way of the Monroe College Mustangs softball team on Sunday, as the Mustangs picked up victories of 5-4 and 13-12 over Harford Community College at Flowers Park. The Mustangs improve to 15-12 overall with the wins, while the Fighting Owls drop to 1-26.
 
GAME 1: MONROE 5, HARFORD 4
After a pair of scoreless innings to start the game, the Mustangs did most of their Game 1 damage in the bottom of the third. Chantel Winstead led off with a single, and then stole second base. Keira Matos followed with a single of her own to left, which got by the left fielder, allowing Winstead to come around and score and make it a 1-0 game. A fly out allowed Matos to advance to third, and then a triple by Samantha Mancillas pushed Monroe's lead to two. Two batters later, a ground out by Megan Soto was enough to bring in Mancillas from third, leaving the Mustangs up, 3-0.
 
Mancillas helped the lead grow in the bottom of the fifth with a leadoff inside-the-park homer to right-center, making it a four-run game. Macie Kuppenbender then beat out a bunt single, and Stacy Hernandez doubled with one away to put two runners in scoring position. Marissa Vanduzer grounded out to second, but managed to bring in Kuppenbender on the play to take a 5-0 lead.
 
Harford then began to chip away at the Mustangs' lead, starting with an RBI triple by Erica James in the sixth that made it a 5-1 game. The Fighting Owls then rallied in the seventh to bring the game down to the wire. With two runners on and two outs, Jenna House hit a three-run homer to right, making it a one-run game at 5-4. Lexi Buchanan then singled to right, and moved to second on a passed ball. James then drew a walk, but Buchanan was thrown out stealing third during the next at-bat to end the game.
 
Kuppenbender picked up the win in Game 1 to improve to 13-9 on the season. Sam Beeler took the loss for Harford to drop to 0-5.
 
Winstead and Matos had matching 3-for-4, one-run efforts in the Game 1 win. Mancillas went 2-for-2 with two RBIs, two runs, a triple and a home run. Kuppenbender hit 1-for-2 with a run, while Hernandez batted 1-for-3 with a double.
 
GAME 2: MONROE 13, HARFORD 12
The Mustangs fell into an early hole in Game 2, as the Fighting Owls put up a three-spot in the top of the first. In the bottom of the inning, an error on a suicide squeeze attempt by Matos resulted in Winstead scoring from third to bring in Monroe's first run of the game. Mancillas then grounded out to second with Matos standing on third, bringing her in to make it a 3-2 game.
 
The Fighting Owls built upon their lead in the top of the second. House hit a solo homer to left to make it a 4-2 lead for the visitors, and then Olivia Gallimore later hit an RBI single to push Harford's lead back to three.
 
It was not long before the Mustangs managed to even the score. In the bottom of the second, Alexis Cruz grounded out to third with runners on second and third, plating Soto to get back within two. After a walk, Winstead hit a two-RBI single into left, bringing in Hernandez and Alyssa Alfaro to tie the game at 5-5.
 
The Mustangs took their first lead of the game in the bottom of the third. With Mancillas on second, Soto homered to left-center, putting the Mustangs on top, 7-5.
 
Things quickly turned back in the Fighting Owls' favor in the top of the fourth. With two on and one out, Beeler hit a three-run homer to left-center, putting the visitors back in the lead, 8-7. Amanda Sullivan then hit a single, and Breanna Miller followed with yet another homer, making it a 10-7 game in favor of Harford.
 
The Mustangs were able to take advantage of some miscues in the bottom of the fifth to narrow the gap. With Soto on first after a one-out single, Hernandez caught a break when the first baseman dropped a foul pop up to keep her at-bat going. She then drew a walk to get two runners on. Cruz followed by reaching on an error by the shortstop to load the bases. Vanduzer then brought in a run with a sacrifice fly to right, getting Monroe back within two. Winstead then hit an RBI single to right-center to make it a one-run ballgame after five.
 
Kaylynn Lopez led off the sixth with a single to center for the Mustangs. Mancillas then continued a big day with a two-run homer to left-center, putting the Mustangs ahead, 11-10. Kuppenbender followed with a triple, and then Soto hit a sacrifice fly to left to put the Mustangs up by two.
 
Harford did not go down quietly in the top of the seventh. The Fighting Owls had runners on second and third with two outs when an error allowed both runners to score, tying the game at 12-12.
 
Winstead led off the seventh with a single into left. She was then sacrificed over to second by Matos. Lopez then reached base on a dropped fly ball in right field, allowing Winstead to score for the walkoff 13-12 victory.
 
Matos picked up the win in relief in Game 2 to improve to 2-3 on the season. Sullivan shouldered the loss for Harford to drop to 0-4.
 
Winstead followed a big first game with an even bigger second game, finishing 4-for-4 with three RBIs, two runs and a pair of stolen bases in the win. Mancillas also capped off a big day by going 2-for-3 with three RBIs, two runs and a homer in the Game 2 victory. Soto hit 3-for-3 with a home run, three RBIs, three runs scored and two stolen bases. Hernandez scored twice in a 1-for-2 outing. Matos knocked in a run and scored another after going 1-for-2. Lopez hit 2-for-5 with a run scored.
 
The Mustangs' scheduled doubleheaders at SUNY Orange and County College of Morris this week were both postponed to later in the month, so the Mustangs will play next on Sunday, April 14, when they host Rowan College of Burlington County at Flowers Park. Game 1 is set to begin at 12 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).