PORT ARTHUR, Texas, February 14, 2023 – The Monroe College Mustangs softball team earned its first victory of the 2023 season and the first win at the helm of the program for head coach Connor Moriarty on Tuesday, taking Game 1 in a doubleheader split at Lamar State College Port Arthur. The Mustangs picked up a 15-7 run-rule victory over the Seahawks in Game 1 before the home team bounced back with a 5-2 win over Monroe in Game 2. The Mustangs are now 1-7 on their season-opening trip to Texas, while the Seahawks move to 7-6.
 
GAME 1: Monroe 15, Lamar State College Port Arthur 7 (5 INN)
The early innings of Game 1 saw both teams trade the lead back-and-forth a number of times. The Seahawks got on the board first in the bottom of the first Rhyan Stewart hit an RBI double for a 1-0 lead. Two batters later, Ashley Rojas doubled her in to put the home team up, 2-0.
 
The Mustangs bounced back in the top of the second. Cinthia Ramirez led off with a single to right, and then Marissa Thalassinos drew a walk. A passed ball on ball four moved Ramirez over to third, so Thalassinos then stole second during the next at-bat. Zoe Rivera then hit a sacrifice fly to left, bringing in Ramirez to cut the deficit in half. Juliana Vasquez then brought in Thalassinos on a ground out to third to tie the game. Ashleigh Stewart kept the rally going with a single to right, and then Mya Jack drew a walk. Genesis Duarte-Suarez then came through with a single into center, scoring Stewart to put the Mustangs in the lead. A passed ball then allowed Jack to score from third, leaving the Mustangs up, 4-2.
 
The lead did not last long for the Mustangs, as the Seahawks struck back in the home half of the second. A pair of singles had two runners on with one away when an error on a grounder by Haley Lupian brought in a run for the Seahawks. Jasmin Benitez then beat out a bunt single to score another run and tie the game. With two outs and runners on second and third, a wild pitch brought in the leading run, and then a double scored another to leave the home team up, 6-4.
 
The pendulum swung right back to Monroe in the top of the third. Thanysha Gil and Ramirez both singled to open the frame, and Thalassinos drew a walk to load them up. Rivera followed with a single into center, bringing Gil and Ramirez home to tie the game. A wild pitch put Thalassinos and Rivera into scoring position, and then a ground out by Vasquez once again brought in a run to put the Mustangs on top. With two outs, Jack drew a walk and then stole second to put two runners in scoring position once again for Monroe. Duarte-Suarez brought them both in with a single to right-center, leaving the Mustangs ahead, 9-6.
 
The Mustangs kept that momentum going with a little help in the top of the fourth. A hit-by-pitch and an error had Gil and Ramirez on second and third. Thalassinos then plated Gil on an infield single to push the lead to four. With the bases loaded and one away, Stewart was hit by a pitch to bring in Monroe's 11th run. Two batters later, Duarte-Suarez drew a walk to plate another run, and then Paola Calderon was plunked to bring another home to make it a 13-6 ballgame.
 
The Seahawks got a run back in the bottom of the fourth when an Ashley Rojas fielder's choice brought in Hannah Murchison from third, but the Mustangs stymied the rally from there to maintain a six-run lead.
 
Ramirez once again reached on an error to lead off the fifth for Monroe, and then Rivera hit a one-out single, eventually putting both runners into scoring position after Rivera swiped second. A wild pitch then allowed Ramirez to score and make it a seven-run affair. Stewart later brought in Rivera on a ground out to second, giving the Mustangs the eight-run lead they needed to end the game via the run-rule after shutting down the Seahawks in the bottom of the inning.
 
Sarah Wall earned her first victory as a Mustangs in Game 1. Allie Armstrong took the loss for the Seahawks after allowing nine runs (eight earned) in three frames.
 
Duarte-Suarez went 3-for-3 with four RBIs in the win. Ramirez batted 2-for-4 with four runs scored. Rivera hit 2-for-3 with three RBIs and two runs. Vasquez and Stewart had matching lines, with each going 1-for-3 with two RBIs and a run scored. Thalassinos finished 1-for-3 with three runs and an RBI. Gil scored twice in a 1-for-3 outing. Jack did not register a hit, but managed to score twice after drawing two walks in the game. The Mustangs also combined for eight stolen bases in the win.
 
GAME 2: Lamar State College Port Arthur 5, Monroe 2
Game 2 was not as fruitful as the previous contest for the Mustangs on Tuesday. The Seahawks tallied three runs in the bottom of the first and never looked back in this one. They added another run in the second to take a 4-0 advantage on Monroe.
 
The Mustangs battled back a bit in the top of the fourth. Thalassinos beat out a bunt toward third with one out. Ramirez then blasted her second homer of the year, a two-run shot over the wall in center, cutting the deficit in half at 4-2.
 
Unfortunately, the top of the fourth was the only inning the Mustangs brought runs across in. The Seahawks added one more in the home half of the fourth to take a 5-2 to lead, which proved to be the final score in a lower-scoring affair.
 
Zora Brice picked up her second win of the season for the Seahawks after allowing just two runs in seven innings of work. Layla Ramos gave up just three earned runs in six frames, but still took her second loss of the year.
 
Ramirez hit 2-for-3 with a two-run homer in the game. Thalassinos scored once after hitting 1-for-3. Vasquez batted 1-or-2 with a double, and Gil got a hit in a pinch-hit opportunity late in the game.
 
The Mustangs head back to Galveston, Texas, to take on the Whitecaps for the final four games of their Texas trip. The Mustangs and Whitecaps will play a doubleheader tomorrow, Feb. 15, beginning at 3 p.m. EST.
 
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