SCRANTON, Pa., March 30, 2024 – The Monroe College Mustangs softball team split a doubleheader Saturday afternoon against Lackawanna College at Scranton High School. After a tough 10-2 defeat in Game 1, Monroe bounced back to win a Game-2 barn-burner, 16-14, to end Lackawanna's 13-game winning streak. Monroe moves to 9-19 overall, while the Falcons go to 21-8.
 
GAME 1: Lackawanna 10, Monroe 2 (5 INN)
The Mustangs fell behind in Game 1 after a big second inning for the Falcons. Mazzie Musgrave got it going for the home team with an RBI single to jump ahead. Shortly after, Madison Maloney hit a grand slam to leave the Falcons on top, 5-0.
 
The Mustangs got on the board in the top of the third. After Georgia Burr led off with a double, she advanced to third on a ground out by Aisling Wilson. Gabrielle Gonzalez then laid down a successful sacrifice bunt to bring Burr home and make it a 5-1 game.
 
Lackawanna got that run back in the bottom of the third on an RBI double by Allyson Lemerise to make it a 6-1 lead for the home team. The Falcons added to their lead again in the fourth. After a Musgrave leadoff single, Emmalee Mowery doubled to center, but an error on the play allowed both runners to come home to make it an 8-1 ballgame.
 
Monroe scored once more in the top of the fifth. Nathalie Mongrain led off with a single. With two outs, Gonzalez doubled to center, bringing Mongrain home to bring the score to 8-2.
 
Lackawanna concluded the game in the bottom of the fifth via the run rule. With runners on first and third, Mowery doubled to center, clearing the bases to put the Falcons up by eight at 10-2 to end the game.
 
Lemerise got the win in the circle for the Falcons in Game 1 after allowing just two runs across five frames. Sarah Wall shouldered the loss for Monroe to fall to 5-8 on the season.
 
Gonzalez finished 1-for-1 with two RBIs and a double in the game. Mongrain and Burr each hit 1-for-2 with a run, with Burr's hit being a two-bagger. Marissa Thalassinos also went 1-for-2.
 
GAME 2: Monroe 16, Lackawanna 14
A wild Game 2 saw the Mustangs catch a break in the top of the first for their first run of the game. With Angie Ordonez on third, a dropped fly in right off the bat of Amber Miltenberg brought Ordonez home for a quick 1-0 edge. Lackawanna then got that run back in the bottom of the first on a bases-loaded walk by Musgrave.
 
Burr and Nadyelly Bones hit back-to-back singles to open the top of the second. After both runners advanced on a ground out, Gonzalez hit an RBI single to score Burr to jump back into the lead. A double steal then brought Bones home for a 3-1 lead. Kayla Suleski then brought in Gonzalez on a ground out to third, leaving Monroe ahead, 4-1.
 
Lackawanna put together a big second to take the lead from the Mustangs. With four hits, including a pair of two-RBI doubles, the Falcons put six runs on the board to take a 7-4 advantage after two.
 
The back-and-forth battle continued in the third when the Mustangs rallied to jump back into the lead. With one out, Miltenberg got things going with a single to center. Maricela Colon then hit into a fielder's choice for the second out of the inning. Colon stole second, and then came home on an RBI single by Burr to make it a 7-5 game. Bones followed with another RBI single to get Monroe within a run. After a walk by Mongrain, Gonzalez doubled to left, bringing in both runners to put the Mustangs on top, 8-7.
 
That lead did not stand for long after another rally by the home team in the bottom of the third. The Falcons strung together six hits in the frame, bringing five runs across to go back on top, 12-8.
 
Both teams were held scoreless in the fourth, but then Monroe put together a huge fifth frame. Burr, Bones and Wilson hit a trio of singles with one out to load the bases. Walks by Gonzalez and Suleski then brought in a pair of runs to make it a 12-10 game. With two down, Wall singled to center to bring Gonzalez and Wilson home, tying the game at 12. Miltenberg followed with a two-RBI double to right, giving the Mustangs a 14-12 advantage. Colon then singled in Miltenberg to cap off a seven-run inning for the Mustangs that left them up, 15-12.
 
The Falcons battled back again in the bottom of the sixth. With two outs, Mowery kept the inning alive with a single to center, and then Maloney doubled to right to bring her in and make it a two-run game. Skylar Borthwick then reached on an error that brought Maloney home to make it a 15-14 game, but the Mustangs were able to halt the rally there to remain on top.
 
Wall hit a one-out double in the top of the seventh, and then moved to third on a wild pitch. Miltenberg then walked, leading to a double steal attempt by the Mustangs. Miltenberg was thrown out at second, but it allowed Wall to come home and give Monroe a two-run cushion.
 
Monroe managed to stay out of trouble in the bottom of the seventh. Gabriella Diaz got the first two batters to fly out and ground out before a single by Alexis Semanek. She then struck out the final batter of the day to help Monroe hang on for the 16-14 victory.
 
Diaz went the entire seven frames for Monroe to earn her fourth win of the season in Game 2. Reliever Aria Reyes took the loss for the Falcons after yielding the lead for the final time in the game.
 
A number of Mustangs had huge outings in Game 2. Gonzalez hit 2-for-2 with four RBIs, two runs and a double in the win. Bones batter 4-for-4 with three runs and an RBI. Wall subbed into the game and went 2-for-2 with a double, two RBIs and two runs scored. Burr scored twice and knocked in a run in a 3-for-4 game. Miltenberg plated a pair and scored once herself after going 2-for-4 with a two-bagger. Wilson also came in later in the game and went 1-for-2 with a run. Colon went 1-for-5 with a run and an RBI in the game. Despite finishing 0-for-3, Suleski contributed two RBIs and a run after walking twice.
 
The Mustangs are once again on the road this coming Tuesday, April 2, when they head down to Wye Mills, Md., to take on Chesapeake College in another doubleheader. Tuesday's action 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 28 teams competing across nine sports. There are 20 varsity and junior varsity programs, as well the Monroe College marching band, competing on the New Rochelle campus as the Mustangs (NJCAA Division I). The Monroe Express, based out of the Bronx campus, has seven 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 (@MonroeMustangs) and Instagram (@monroemustangs). Read Full Article