FLORENCE, S.C., February 26, 2023 – Making his first start of the 2023 season,
Carlos Peguero twirled a gem for the Monroe College Mustangs baseball team, leading them to a Game 1, 1-0 victory over USC Sumter on Sunday at CarolinaBank Field. The Fire Ants went on to split the doubleheader with a 9-0 win in Game 2.
GAME 1: Monroe 1, USC Sumter 0
Serving as Monroe's closer so far through the first couple weeks of the season, Peguero took the hill to start Game 1 on Sunday and did not disappoint. Peguero took a no-hitter into the sixth inning, finishing with just two hits allowed in the shutout victory. He went all seven frames, striking out eight batters in the process to earn his first win of the season.
A fourth-inning, two-out solo homer by
Ronald Almanzar proved to be the difference in Sunday's Game 1 win. After a double play emptied the bases for the Mustangs in the top of the fourth, Almanzar made sure they were able to produce in the frame, launching his first home run of the season over the wall in right to bring in the only run of the game.
USC Sumter's Jeremiah Locklear took a hard-luck loss in Game 1, allowing just one run across five frames.
In addition to Almanzar's 1-for-3 outing,
Yosmil Diaz and
Pedro Crespo each went 1-for-3 in Game 1 for the Mustangs as well.
The Fire Ants had chances to tie in both the sixth and seventh frames. They had a runner on third with two outs in the sixth after Lane Tobin ended the no-hitter, but Peguero was able to get out of it with a strikeout. They once again had a runner on third with two away in the seventh before a game-ending groundout.
GAME 2: USC Sumter 9, Monroe 0
Game 2 was scoreless through three frames before things went sideways for the Mustangs. The Fire Ants rallied for eight of their nine runs in the top of the fourth with eight hits in the frame. They later added one more in the top of the seventh.
Wyatt Dodgens went six frames to earn the win for the Fire Ants and improve to 2-0. Je-Andrick Lourens shouldered the loss for the Mustangs.
Four Mustangs hit 1-for-3 in Game 2.
Gilbert Gomez,
Diego Urreta and
Brian Cruz each hit a single in the game, while Almanzar roped a double.
The Mustangs are back on the road next Saturday, March 4, to visit Prince George's Community College in Largo, Md. Game 1 on Saturday is set for a 12 p.m. first pitch.
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).
