BRENHAM, Texas, February 10, 2023 – The Monroe College Mustangs softball team gave itself a tall task to open the season by spending the first eight days of the 2023 campaign down in Texas. The Mustangs opened the trip on Friday by taking on Blinn College and Kilgore College at Hohlt Park. The Mustangs made a late comeback in Game 1 against Blinn, but ultimately dropped a 4-3 decision in extra innings to the host Buccaneers. Monroe then fell, 19-2, to Kilgore.
 
GAME 1: Blinn 4, Monroe 3 (8 INN)
Small ball got the Buccaneers on the board for the first run of the game in the top of the first. With one out, Alayna Calvillo singled to left for Blinn. After Layla Ramos struck out the next batter, Calvillo was able to steal both second and third during the next at-bat. Caitlyn Stevens then took advantage with a single into left, scoring Calvillo to put the home team up, 1-0.
 
The Buccaneers threatened again in the bottom of the second. With Madeline Stephenson on second after an error with two outs, Erynne Castillo singled into right, but Cinthia Ramirez fired home in time to get Stephenson at the plate and keep the Mustangs within a run.
 
The Mustangs had a chance to get on the board in the top of the fourth. Genesis Duarte-Suarez was hit by a pitch to open the frame. With one out, Thanysha Gil singled to center, and then Marissa Thalassinos then hit a grounder to third that was bobbled by the third baseman, loading the bases for the Mustangs with one away. Unfortunately, the Mustangs were unable to bring in any of the runners, keeping the score at 1-0.
 
Calvillo hit a one-out triple in the bottom of the fifth for the Bucs, looking to increase the home team's lead. Ramos did not lose her composure for the Mustangs, getting the next two batters to pop out to keep the Mustangs within a run.
 
The score remained 1-0 heading to the top of the seventh, with Blinn looking to close it out with three more outs. Paola Calderon quickly stole the Bucs' optimism with a leadoff triple to right. Ashleigh Stewart wasted no time after that, tying the game on the second pitch of the next at bat with a double on a liner into the left-center gap, bringing Calderon home to knot things up at 1-1. Zoe Rivera then came up to pinch hit, and that proved to be a great decision, as Rivera skied one between the right fielder and center fielder, dropping it in for an RBI triple, but the relay throw to third from the shortstop went wide, allowing Rivera to then come home and put the Mustangs on top, 3-1.
 
The Mustangs got the first out of the home half of the seventh, but Calvillo reached on a bunt with one away. Emily Kristynik then singled through the left side to get two runners on. The Mustangs made a change and called on Sarah Wall to take over in the circle. Wall got the next batter to fly out to right for the second out, but Skylar Shanahan doubled to the warning track in center field, clearing the bases to tie the game at 3-3. Wall then struck out the last batter to send the game to extra innings.
 
The Mustangs were unable to bring in a run in the top of the eighth, giving the home team a chance at redemption in the bottom of the inning. With Ripley Welker being placed on second to start the inning, Madison Dorrow sacrificed her to third. Kenley Strange then dropped down a squeeze bunt, allowing Welker to score from third to win the game.
 
Chloee Mason went all eight innings for the Buccaneers to earn her second win of the season, allowing three runs (two earned) on eight hits with nine strikeouts. Sarah Wall took a hard-luck loss for the Mustangs, tossing one full inning an allowing just one unearned run to start her season 0-1.
 
Stewart finished 2-for-4 from the dish with an RBI double and a run scored. Calderon hit 1-for-4 with a triple and a run, while Rivera also hit a triple in her lone at-bat, bringing in a run while scoring once herself. Duarte-Suarez and Juliana Vasquez each hit 1-for-3 with a double. Gil batted 1-for-3, while Mya Jack went 1-for-4.
 
GAME 2: Kilgore 19, Monroe 2 (5 INN)
Wall got the start for Monroe in Game 2 against Kilgore, shutting the Rangers down in order to open the game. The Mustangs then got to work quickly at the plate. Jack led off with a walk, and then Duarte-Suarez sacrificed her over to second. Ramirez then beat out a grounder to short, but the throw went past the first baseman, allowing Ramirez to advance and Jack to score for a quick 1-0 lead. Gil then dropped a fly ball into right, scoring Ramirez to make it a 2-0 ballgame after one.
 
Emalynn Redmann drew a one-out walk for Kilgore in the top of the second. Brooklyn Malone then doubled to center, bringing Redmann all the way home from first to cut the deficit in half. Wall settled down from there, stranding runners on second and third to hang onto a one-run lead heading to the third.
 
A trio of walks saw the Rangers load the bases with two away in the third. The Mustangs then caught a break, as a would-be wild pitch ricocheted off the backstop to Duarte-Suarez, who flipped to Wall covering home plate to tag a runner out trying to score, ending the inning without any damage.
 
Things unraveled for the Mustangs in the fourth and fifth innings. The Rangers tallied 11 runs in the fourth, and another seven in the fifth, forcing the game to end after five via the run-rule.
 
Kilgore's Alissa McClennan picked up the win with three innings of work in relief without a run allowed. Wall unfortunately took her second loss of the day in the game.
 
Gil hit 1-for-2 with an RBI in the game. Ramirez batted 1-for-2 with a run scored. Jack scored a run after going 0-for-2 with a walk.
 
After shaking off the rust on Friday, the Mustangs will look to get into the win column on Saturday when they head over to Galveston, Texas, for another two matchups. They open Saturday's action against host Galveston College at 12 p.m. EST, and then close out the afternoon with a 4 p.m. EST first pitch against the University of St. Thomas.
 
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 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 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 Mustangs Athletics), Twitter (@Monroe_Mustangs) and Instagram (@monroemustangs). Read Full Article