NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y., April 11, 2023 –
Cinthia Ramirez walked it off in extra innings in Game 1 to highlight a doubleheader split on Tuesday between the Monroe College Mustangs softball team and Suffolk County Community College at Flowers Park. The Mustangs won the day's opener, 10-9, in eight innings, but the Sharks evened the score with a 10-4 win in Game 2. Monroe moves to 15-19 on the season with the split, while Suffolk goes to 8-10.
GAME 1: Monroe 10, Suffolk 9 (8 INN)
Angie Ordonez and Ramirez opened the second with back-to-back singles, getting two runners in scoring position after Ramirez advanced on a throw to the plate.
Thanysha Gil then reached on an error by the shortstop that allowed both runners to come home and make it a 2-0 game.
Juliana Vasquez kept it going with a single to center, and then
Marissa Thalassinos reached on an error to load the bases. A wild pitch then brought Gil home from third to push the lead to 3-0.
Paola Calderon was hit by a pitch to lead off the third for Monroe. Ordonez sacrificed her over to second, and then a single through the left side by Ramirez made it first and third. The Mustangs then succeeded on a double steal to bring in Calderon for a 4-0 advantage. After Gil singled up the middle to once again put runners on the corners, a wild pitch plated Ramirez to put the Mustangs up by five. Thalassinos kept it going with a two-out single to put runners back on first and third, and then
Ashleigh Stewart was hit by a pitch to load the bases. A wild pitch brought Gil home again to make it a 6-0 lead for Monroe.
Brooke Bove and Gianna Postiglione drew back-to-back walks to open the fourth for Suffolk. Gabriella Vacchio then beat out a bunt down the first-base line to load the bases. With one away, Laci Edwards doubled down the left-field line, bringing in two runs to cut Monroe's lead to 6-2. Ciara Solomon then hit a sacrifice fly to right to bring Vacchio home to make it a 6-3 game. With two down, Jaden Thompson hit a home run to deep left field, tying the game at 6-6.
Calderon reached on an error with one out in the bottom of the fourth. Ordonez and Ramirez then hit back-to-back singles, bringing Calderon home to take the lead back. Gil added another RBI single to bring Ordonez in to and leave the Mustangs on top, 8-6.
Bove once again drew a leadoff walk in the fifth, and then a ground out moved her to second. Vacchio then doubled to left-center to bring in Bove and cut the deficit to one. Kaylin McDonald then hit a long fly ball down the right-field line, allowing her to touch them all for a two-run homer, putting the Sharks in the lead, 9-8.
Stewart was hit by a pitch with one down in the fifth.
Mya Jack sacrificed her to second and then a passed ball that ricocheted off the catcher's mask allowed Stewart to come all the way home and tie the game at 9-9.
After going to extra innings with the same score, Ramirez came up with two outs and nobody on in the bottom of the eighth. Ramirez ended the game with one swing, launching an inside-the-park home run well over the left fielder's head to walk it off with a 10-9 victory.
Varela Cappas was terrific in relief for the Mustangs, tossing 3.2 scoreless frames with four strikeouts to earn the win and improve to 2-1. Katelyn Lysogorski took the loss in relief for Suffolk after giving up Ramirez's walkoff homer in the eighth.
Ramirez finished a perfect 5-for-5 in the win with three runs, two RBIs and the walkoff home run. Gil hit 2-for-4 with two RBIs and two runs scored. Ordonez also hit 2-for-4, scoring twice in the game. Stewart batted 1-for-2 with a run. Vasquez went 1-for-3 in the game, while Thalassinos finished 1-for-4.
GAME 2: Suffolk 10, Monroe 4
Thompson led of Game 2 for the Sharks by taking the first pitch of the game deep to right-center for an inside-the-park home run, giving the visitors an immediate 1-0 advantage. With two outs, a grounder back to the pitcher by Vacchio was thrown in the dirt, allowing Bove to score and make it a 2-0 lead for Suffolk.
Jack led off with a single into left for the Mustangs in the bottom of the first. She then stole second and moved to third on a groundout. Calderon then knocked her in with a single just to the right of second base to make it a 2-1 score.
Suffolk padded its lead in the second. After Edwards was hit by a pitch with one out, Thompson singled up the middle and advanced on the throw to leave runners on second and third. With two outs, Emily Hess doubled down the right-field line to clear the bases and give the Sharks a 4-1 lead. Keelynn Kelly then doubled down the left-field line to plate Hess and push the lead to 5-1. Angelica Magliocco then singled just over the first baseman to bring in Kelly to make it a 6-1 score. After a single by Vacchio resulted in runners on second and third, singles by Alyssa Jones and McDonald brought in two more runs for an 8-1 Suffolk advantage.
With one out in the bottom of the second,
Ashley Ulmschneider hit a long line drive down the right-field line that just kept rolling, allowing her to sprint around the bases for her first home run of the season, making it an 8-2 game.
McDonald singled to lead off the fifth for Suffolk, and then Edwards reached on an error to put two runners in scoring position. Thompson then brought them both in with a single up the middle to make it a 10-2 score.
Down to potentially their final out, Calderon made sure the game kept going, stroking a long line drive into the gap in left-center for an inside-the-park home run, bringing the score to 10-3.
Ramirez drew a walk to lead off the sixth for Monroe. She then stole second, and later moved to third on a wild pitch. Thalassinos then singled her in, cutting the deficit to 10-4 heading to the seventh, but the Mustangs were unable to draw up a comeback in Game 2.
The decisions were reversed in Game 2, with Suffolk's Lysogorski getting the win for the Sharks, while Cappas took the loss for the Mustangs.
Calderon hit 2-for-4 with two RBIs, a run and a home run in Game 2. Ulmschneider went 1-for-2 with her solo homer. Gil batted 2-for-3 in the game. Jack finished 1-for-3 with a run scored. Thalassinos knocked in a run in a 1-for-3 effort.
The Mustangs are on the road this Thursday, April 13, when they visit Hudson Valley Community College in Troy, N.Y. The doubleheader is set to begin at 3 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 (
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