NEW ROCHELLE, NY — The Monroe College Softball team posted a 5-3 mark in their recent season-opening eight-game road trip in South Carolina. They picked up victories over Macomb Community College, Joliet Junior College, Henry Ford College, and Frederick Community College. They lost games to Joliet, Danville Area Community College, and Kaskaskia College.
The team opened the year with three games on March 9th. They lost their first game to Danville, 7-1. Despite scoring only one run against the Jaguars, the Mustangs managed ten hits. Brooke Boechler, Taylor White, and Breanna Kuhner each had two hits. Crystal Estrada had the lone RBI, while Kylie Bitz allowed just two earned runs in six innings of work. They rebounded with a win over Frederick later in the day. In the 9-1, six-inning win, Veronica Casanova drove in three runs, while Brooke Kane gave up just two hits in the complete game victory. Later, they fell to Kaskaskia College, 14-3. Gabrielle Placencia had a pair of hits in that game.
Monroe went 2-1 on the second day of the road trip, with victories over Macomb and Frederick and a loss to Joliet. White had three hits and scored the winning run in a 4-3 win over Macomb. Kane pitched another complete game to improve to 2-0 on the year. In the 5-4 setback to the Wolves, Brianna Casiano tossed a complete game. She struck out five in six innings of work. Monroe scored three times in the fourth, including a key double from Casanova. The final game of the day saw Monroe prevail over Frederick again, 8-0, in six innings. Bitz threw a complete-game two-hitter, and a Selena Aguirre double ended the game in the sixth via the eight-run-rule.
The final day of the road trip saw the Mustangs earn a pair of victories over Henry Ford (3-1) and Joliet (10-4). Against the Hawks, Kane improved to 3-0 with a complete-game three-hitter. Yeisy Cruz was a perfect 2-2 at the plate. Finally, in the 10-4 win over the Wolves, Toni Harris had three hits and three RBIs, while Kuhner connected on her first homer of the season. Bitz got the win in the circle.
Overall, the team started the year 5-3. They have a pair of home doubleheaders ahead of them this weekend, as they will host Rowan College at Gloucester County on Saturday at noon and Community College of Rhode Island on Sunday at noon.
