LINCROFT, N.J., April 16, 2023 – Sunday was truly a tale of two games, as the Monroe College Mustangs softball team faced off with NJCAA Div. III No. 2 Brookdale Community College in a doubleheader. Game 1 was a pitcher's duel that saw the Jersey Blues win, 1-0, on the final swing of the game, but then the Mustangs turned things around with a 9-5 victory in Game 2 for a split. The Mustangs go to 19-21 on the year, while the Jersey Blues go to 17-5.
 
GAME 1: Brookdale 1, Monroe 0
The pitchers shined in Game 1 from start to finish. Unfortunately for the Mustangs and starter Sarah Wall, the only hit and run of the game for the Jersey Blues came with the game one strike away from going to extra innings. With two outs and two strikes in the bottom of the seventh, Mallory Shelvin hit a high fly ball just over the fence in left-center for a walkoff solo homer, giving the home team a 1-0 victory in Game 1.
 
Gianna Praet danced around eight hits to pick up the complete-game victory for Brookdale in Game 1. Despite the loss, Wall was outstanding in Sunday's opener, going 6.2 innings while striking out 10 batters with just one walk.
 
Genesis Duarte-Suarez went 2-for-3 in the game. Ashleigh Stewart doubled in a 1-for-3 effort. Mya Jack, Thanysha Gil, Cinthia Ramirez and Angie Ordonez all also hit 1-for-3 in Sunday's opener.
 
GAME 2: Monroe 9, Brookdale 5
Sunday's second game looked entirely different than its predecessor, with the Mustangs getting off to a strong start. An error with one out put Duarte-Suarez on first. A double by Paola Calderon then put runners on second and third. Gil followed with another double, clearing the bases to put the Mustangs ahead, 2-0. An error on that play left Gil on third, allowing her to score on a sacrifice fly by Ramirez to leave Monroe up, 3-0.
 
Alyssa Sigler led off the first with a single for the Jersey Blues. Praet then homered to center, cutting the deficit to 3-2.
 
The Mustangs got those runs back and then some in the third. After a leadoff double by Calderon, Ramirez launched a two-run homer to left to push the Mustangs' lead to 5-2. The Mustangs continued flexing their power when Thalassinos went back-to-back with a long homer to center to make it a 6-2 game. Stewart later started a two-out rally with a single to center. Juliana Vasquez followed with a line-drive single to right, with a throw to third resulting in runners on second and third for Monroe. Jack brought them both in with a single into right, leaving the Mustangs on top, 8-2.
 
The Jersey Blues put two runners on with one out in the third. Nicolette Pavlik then hit an RBI single, cutting Monroe's lead to 8-3.
 
Ramirez quickly erased Brookdale's run in the top of the fourth. Calderon hit another leadoff double, and then moved to third on a groundout. Ramirez brought her in with a single up the middle to make it a 9-3 lead for the Mustangs.
 
Brittany Campbell led off the fourth with a triple to right for Brookdale. Two batters later, Ana Marziano reached on an error that brought Campbell home to make it a 9-4 game.
 
The Jersey Blues tried to string a rally together in the seventh. Pavlik hit a one-out triple to right, and then came home two batters later when Shelvin hit a two-out single to make it a 9-5 game. Wall made sure to halt the rally there and get the final out to end the game.
 
Wall got plenty of help on offense in Game 2 and got the job done with a complete game to even her record once again at 12-12. Shevlin took the loss in the circle for Brookdale.
 
Ramirez knocked in four runs and scored once in a 2-for-3 outing that included a two-run homer, her seventh of the season. Calderon continued an electric week, going a perfect 4-for-4 with four doubles and three runs scored in the win. Thalassinos finished 2-for-4 with her third home run of the year. Gil knocked in two runs and scored once herself after hitting 2-for-4 with a double. Jack knocked in a pair in a 1-for-4 outing, while also stealing a base in the win. Vasquez went 1-for-3 with a run, while Stewart hit 1-for-4 with a run scored.
 
The Mustangs get right back on the road on Tuesday, April 18, when they visit Mercer County Community College in West Windsor, N.J. 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 (Monroe Mustangs Athletics), Twitter (@Monroe_Mustangs) and Instagram (@monroemustangs). Read Full Article