CLERMONT, Fla., March 5, 2022 – The Monroe College Mustangs softball team dropped two matchups on Saturday at Fortune Road as part of The Spring Games. Monroe fell to Kankakee Community College, 10-4, before dropping a 12-2 final in Game 2.
 
GAME 1: Kankakee 10, Monroe 4
The Cavaliers got off to a strong start in the bottom of the first in Monroe's first game of the day. With two on, Cori Sims hit a homer to center, putting Kankakee up, 3-0. The lead grew to five in the home half of the second when Claudia Morris hit a two-RBI double for the Cavaliers.
 
The Mustangs got a couple back in the top of the third. Nevaeh Gaynor and Mya Jack hit back-to-back bunt singles with one out. With both runners in scoring position and two away, Thanysha Gil came through with a two-RBI single to center, cutting the deficit to 5-2.
 
Kankakee added to its lead in the bottom of the fourth. Morris hit a two-run homer to push the lead to 7-2.
 
The Mustangs battled back in the top of the fifth. Singles by Angelina Perez and Gaynor had two runners on for Gil, who added another two RBIs with a two-run single to center, making it a 7-4 ballgame.
 
The Cavaliers added to the lead once more in the bottom of the sixth. With Brooke Hummel on base, Morris homered for the second time to make it a 9-4 game. Bailey Nay doubled, and then Brooke Brian brought her in on a sacrifice bunt to reach the eventual final score of 10-4.
 
Katie Lorscheider went the complete seven innings, allowing four runs to pick up the win. Naidely Cabrera took the loss for Monroe to fall to 0-3.
 
Gil had all four RBIs for the Mustangs in Saturday's opener, finishing 2-for-4 in the game. Gaynor hit 2-for-3 with two runs scored, while Jack scored once after her own 2-for-3 effort. Perez went 1-for-2 with a run after coming in later in the game. Genelly Cruz hit 1-for-3, while Zoe Rivera batted 1-for-4.
 
GAME 2: Heartland 12, Monroe 2 (6 INN)
Monroe got the early jump on Heartland in the bottom of the first. Jack led off with a bunt single, and then stole second and moved to third on an error by the catcher on the play. With two outs, Leiloni Pina brought her in with a single to left to put the Mustangs up, 1-0.
 
The lead did not last long, as the Hawks took a 6-1 lead after four runs in the second and then two more in the third. An error in the fifth allowed one more run to score for the Hawks to give them a 7-1 edge.
 
Alyssa Alfaro was hit by a pitch to lead off the home half of the fifth for Monroe. Jack sacrificed her over to second, and then Rivera knocked her in with a single up the middle to make it a 7-2 game.
 
The Hawks followed that up in the top of the sixth with five more runs. The 12-2 lead after six frames forced the game to end via the run rule.
 
Heartland's Blair Jacobus earned the win with four frames and just one run allowed. Hilda Sanchez took the loss for Monroe with four unearned runs allowed across two frames to drop to 0-2.
 
Jack hit 2-for-2 with a run and a stolen base in the game. Pina hit 2-for-3 with an RBI. Rivera knocked in a run after hitting 1-for-3. Miralba Sandez went 2-for-2 in the game.
 
The Mustangs wrap up their trip to The Spring Games tomorrow, March 6, at Diamondplex in Winter Haven, Fla. Monroe opens the day against Jackson College at 1:30 p.m., and finishes the week with a 3:45 p.m. matchup with West Virginia Wesleyan College JV.
 
ABOUT THE ATHLETIC PROGRAM AT MONROE COLLEGE
The athletic program at Monroe College encompasses a total of 35 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 14 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 Mustangs Athletics), Twitter (@Monroe_Mustangs) and Instagram (@monroemustangs). Read Full Article