NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y., March 12, 2023 – The Monroe College Mustangs softball team made its 2023 home debut at Flowers Park with a doubleheader against NJCAA Div. III No. 1 Corning Community College on Sunday. The Mustangs dropped a 7-4 decision to the Barons in Game 1 before Corning picked up a 21-5 win to close out the day.
 
GAME 1: Corning 7, Monroe 4
The Mustangs got on the board first in Sunday's opener with a rally in the third inning. Ashleigh Stewart and Ashley Ulmschneider reached base on back-to-back errors, and then a ground out to second by Mya Jack brought in Stewart for the first run of the game. Genesis Duarte-Suarez then bunted toward first, and the throw home was too late to get Ulmschneider, putting the Mustangs up, 2-0.
 
After four shutout innings, the Barons could not be shut down for much longer. In the top of the fifth, the visitors loaded the bases without anybody out. Grace Vondracek then singled in two runs to tie the game at 2-2. A sacrifice bunt by Lexi Wood brought in Emma Loomis to put the Barons on top, 3-2. With runners on second and third later in the frame, a wild pitch allowed Vondracek to score and leave Corning up, 4-2.
 
The visitors struck again in the top of the sixth. With runners on second and third, Vondracek struck again, launching a home run to right to make it a 7-2 ballgame.
 
The Mustangs tried to work their way back into the game in the home half of the sixth. Thanysha Gil and Cinthia Ramirez hit back-to-back singles to open the frame. Marissa Thalassinos reached on a fielder's choice that saw Ramirez get thrown out at second, but left runners on the corners for Monroe. Zoe Rivera then hit a sacrifice fly to left to bring in the pinch-running Maria Perez to make it a 7-3 ballgame.
 
Monroe looked to rally one more time in the bottom of the seventh. The Mustangs had runners on first and third for Paola Calderon, who singled up the middle to score Jack to bring the score to 7-4, but that was all they could muster up in the final frame.
 
Jayden Hill picked up the win for Corning to improve to 3-2 on the season after tossing the complete seven frames. Sarah Wall shouldered the loss after also throwing all seven innings for the Mustangs.
Duarte-Suarez and Thalassinos each hit 1-for-3 in Game 1, with Duarte-Suarez also knocking in a run. Calderon went 1-for-4 with an RBI. Gil finished 2-for-4 in the game. Jack did not register a hit, but still managed to score a run and plate another.
 
GAME 2: Corning 21, Monroe 5 (5 INN)
Corning carried the late momentum of its Game-1 win into Game 2, immediately putting three runs on the board in the top of the first. The visitors then took a big lead in the top of the third when they added six more runs to take a 9-0 advantage.
 
The Mustangs got on the board for the first time in Game 2 in the bottom of the third. Jack ripped a single into center to lead off the inning, and then stole second. Duarte-Suarez beat out a bunt single to put runners on the corners, and then Calderon doubled to left to clear the bases and make it a 9-2 game.
 
Corning pushed its lead to 12-2 in the top of the fourth with another three runs in the frame. The Mustangs matched the Barons in the fourth. Calderon was up with the bases loaded, and brought in a run with a groundout to third. Gil then singled to right-center, scoring Jack and Duarte-Suarez for the fourth and fifth runs of the game for Monroe.
 
Corning then put the game away with a big nine-run fifth to reach the final score of 21-5.
 
Ciaran Iglesias earned her first win of the season for the Barons after tossing all five innings in Game 2. Layla Ramos shouldered the loss for the Mustangs.
 
Calderon hit 1-for-3 with three RBIs and a double in Game 2. Gil knocked in Monroe's other two runs in a 1-for-2 effort. Jack scored twice after going 1-for-3. Duarte-Suarez batted 1-for-1 with a pair of walks and a pair of runs scored. Angie Ordonez and Juliana Vasquez each went 1-for-3 in the game.
 
The Mustangs are back at it on Thursday, March 16, in a rescheduled doubleheader originally scheduled for this past Saturday against Orange County Community College. Thursday's doubleheader at Flowers Park is set to begin at 2:30 p.m.
 
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