NEW ROCHELLE, NY — The Monroe College Softball team split a doubleheader with Suffolk County Community College on Sunday. They dropped the opener, 12-10, in extra innings, but won game two, 10-3. The team is now 8-6 on the year.
Monroe jumped out to a 2-0 lead with a pair of runs in the first. Gabrielle Placencia laced an RBI triple, and Kylie Bitz drove in the second run with a double. The Sharks pulled ahead in the second inning, making the score 3-2. The Mustangs evened the score at 3-3 in the third, when Bitz blasted a solo shot to left field.
Monroe doubled their score with three runs in the fourth. Crystal Estrada walked, stole second, and scored on a Taylor White RBI single. White stole second and came in when Placencia ripped an infield single to third. Placencia scored on a Breanna Kuhner double, making the score 6-3.
Monroe seemed to put the game away with three more runs in the sixth. Kuhner drove in White and Yeisy Cruz with a double to left. Kuhner advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on an RBI ground out from Toni Harris, making the score 9-3.
Suffolk had a strong seventh inning. They sent twelve batters to the plate and scored seven runs, turning a six-run deficit into a 10-9 lead.
Monroe answered in the bottom of the seventh to force extra innings. Selena Aguirre led off with a double, with Brooke Boechler running for her. Estrada attempted a sacrifice bunt, and the pitcher fielded the bunt but threw the ball wide of first, allowing Boechler to score the tying run. The game went into the eighth, even at 10-10.
Suffolk scored twice and won 12-10. In the game, White and Bitz each collected three hits. White also scored three runs. Brianna Casiano earned the start and was tagged with the loss.
The Mustangs rebounded to take game two, 10-3. Monroe took a 2-0 lead in the second. Harris opened scoring in the second with her first homer of the year. Casiano singled, stole second, and scored the second run off a Guerra RBI base hit.
Suffolk scored a run in the third, but Monroe got two more in their half to push the lead to 4-1. Kuhner and Bitz each connected on RBI singles to account for the runs.
Monroe scored five times in the bottom of the fifth. Kuhner reached on an error and scored on a Bitz double. Harris drove in Bitz with a triple. Casiano plated Harris with a single to right, then scored the fourth run of the inning on an error. Kortney Semper singled, then scored on an RBI groundout from White, making the score 9-1. The Sharks scored twice in the sixth, but Monroe closed out the scoring in the bottom of the inning when Harris brought in Bitz with a hit. Monroe won, 10-3.
The Monroe College Softball team will return to action on Friday, April 7th, in a doubleheader with Cumberland County College in Vineland, New Jersey scheduled for 3:30 PM.