SEWELL, N.J., March 22, 2023 – Pitching stole the show on Wednesday, as the Monroe College Mustangs softball team and NJCAA Div. III No. 6 Rowan College South Jersey-Gloucester had two low-scoring games come down to the very last batter. Unfortunately for the Mustangs, the Roadrunners came away with a pair of walk-off victories, picking up a 3-2 win in eight innings in Game 1 before handing the Mustangs a 1-0 defeat in Game 2.
GAME 1: RCSJ Gloucester 3, Monroe 2 (8 INN)
Both teams finally broke through in the fifth inning after four scoreless frames in Game 1. The Mustangs did so first in the top of the frame.
Angie Ordonez led off with a single to left, and then
Ashleigh Stewart singled to right with one away.
Mya Jack then reached on an error by the third baseman that allowed Ordonez to come home and put the Mustangs up, 1-0.
Nasyha Suarez started the threat for the Roadrunners with a one-out triple in the home half of the fifth. Anna Cirucci then flew out to left, long enough for a sacrifice fly to tie the game at 1-1.
Neither team was able to muster up much offense in the sixth and seventh frames, sending the game to extra innings. The Mustangs took advantage of the free runner on second base to start the eighth.
Genesis Duarte-Suarez executed as sacrifice bunt to move Jack over to third.
Paola Calderon then hit a sacrifice fly to right to score Jack and give the Mustangs a 2-1 advantage.
Anna Cirucci was the runner on second to start the eighth for the Roadrunners. Caitlin Jackson opened the inning with a single down the left-field line, advancing to second on the throw home to put two runners in scoring position. Emily MacGibeny then drew a walk to load the bases with nobody out. Morgan Fitzpatrick singled up the middle to bring in Cirucci and tie the game. Julia Petroski then drew a walk-off walk to end the game with a 3-2 score.
Despite the loss,
Sarah Wall threw a strong game, striking out six batters and yielding just five hits and two earned runs across seven frames. Janiece Robles picked up the complete-game victory for the Roadrunners.
Calderon finished 1-for-3 with an RBI for the Mustangs in Game 1. Ramirez batted 1-for-3 with a triple. Ordonez went 1-for-3 with a run scored, while Jack also scored a run despite not registering a hit.
GAME 2: RCSJ Gloucester 1, Monroe 0
Game 2 did not see a runner come home until the final at-bat of the day. Wall made her second start of the day for the Mustangs and did her best to carry the team on her back, but with two outs in the seventh, Paige Fox drew a walk for the Roadrunners to keep the inning alive. Fox then stole second to get into scoring position, which Flynn Blessing took advance of with a single to left, bringing Fox home for the Roadrunners' second walk-off win of the day.
Wall shouldered another hard-luck loss, going 6.2 innings and allowing just one run on four hits while striking out five more batters. Gemma Galloway was also stellar for the Roadrunners, keeping the Mustangs off the board despite no strikeouts, yielding just four hits.
Duarte-Suarez went 1-for-1 in Game 2 with a single, a walk and a hit-by-pitch. Calderon, Ramirez and
Ashley Ulmschneider each batted 1-for-3 in Game 2, with Ramirez's hit being a two-bagger.
The Mustangs will look to bounce back when they return home on Sunday, March 26, to host County College of Morris at Flowers Park. Game 1 of the twinbill is set for a 1 p.m. first pitch.
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).
