WEST COLUMBIA, S.C., May 4, 2023 – The Region 10 Championship could not have gotten off to a better start for the No. 6-seeded Monroe College Mustangs softball team, as the Mustangs went a perfect 2-0 to advance through the tournament's Winner's Bracket. The Mustangs defeat No. 3 Harford Community College, 4-0, in the First Round, and then took down No. 2 USC Union in their first Winner's Bracket matchup, 6-1, to close out the day. The Mustangs will continue play on Friday in the Winner's Bracket section of the tournament.
FIRST ROUND: #6 Monroe 4, #3 Harford 0
Sarah Wall stepped up big time for the Mustangs in their tournament opener, flirting with a no-hitter before losing it with one out to go in the game. She finished with a complete-game one-hitter, striking out 12 batters to pick up the win, improving to 17-12 on the season, having earned the win in her last six starts.
After both teams went hitless through the first two frames, the Mustangs finally broke through in the top of the third.
Genesis Duarte-Suarez and
Paola Calderon hit back-to-back singles on the first two pitches of the inning.
Thanysha Gil moved them both up with a sacrifice bunt, and then
Cinthia Ramirez singled through the left side to bring them both home for a 2-0 lead.
Marissa Thalassinos followed that up with a triple just short of the fence down the right-field line, bringing Ramirez home for a 3-0 edge over the Fighting Owls.
Mya Jack's incredible speed led to another run for the Mustangs in the sixth. She hit a one-out bunt single back to the pitcher, and then quickly stole second. Jack advanced to third on a groundout by Duarte-Suarez. During the next at-bat, a pitch in the dirt squirted away from the catcher, and Jack took off for home, dancing around the catcher's tag to touch home and put the Mustangs up, 4-0.
Harford's Mackenzie Burton took the loss in Thursday's First-Round matchup after allowing three runs across 2.2 innings.
Ramirez batted 2-for-4 with two RBIs and a run scored in the victory. Thalassinos finished 1-for-4 with her RBI triple. Duarte-Suarez hit 2-for-3 with a run, while Jack batted 1-for-3 with a run and two stolen bases. Calderon scored a run in a 1-for-2 outing, while
Angie Ordonez went 1-for-3.
WINNER'S BRACKET: #6 Monroe 6, #2 USC Union 1
The Mustangs struck first in the top of the third. Jack easily beat out a bunt down the third-base line with one out, and followed that up with a steal of second. She went to third on a groundout by Duarte-Suarez, and then Calderon ripped a triple into the right-center gap to bring Jack home to put the Mustangs ahead, 1-0.
The Bantams caught a break to tie the game in the bottom of the third. Gracie Starnes led off with an infield single, and was then sacrificed to second. A wild pitch moved her to third, and then one more with two outs allowed her to score and knot things up at 1-1.
A pinch-hitting Ordonez led off the fifth by dropping a single into right-center.
Ashleigh Stewart followed with a single through the hole on the left side, sending Ordonez to third and then Stewart to second on the throw. Jack then beat out a bunt between the pitcher and first baseman, bringing Ordonez home to put the Mustangs back on top, 2-1. With one out,
Paola Calderon doubled off the top of the fence in center, bringing both runners in to take a 4-1 advantage over the Bantams.
Thanysha Gil then lined a single into right-center, plating Calderon for a 5-1 lead. Ramirez followed that up with a double to center, bringing the pinch-running
Ava Gillen all the way home to leave the Mustangs up, 6-1.
The Mustangs got another terrific start out of Wall, who went five frames, allowing just one run on two hits with another 10 strikeouts to earn her second win of the day and improve to 18-12.
Layla Ramos came on for the final two innings and shut down the Bantams as well. Alexandra Bell took the loss for USC Union to fall to 13-4.
Calderon was a home run shy of the cycle in Game 2, batting 3-for-4 with three RBIs, a run, a triple and a double. Jack went a perfect 3-for-4 with two runs, an RBI and a stolen base. Ramirez hit 1-for-3 with an RBI double. Stewart finished 1-for-3 with a run, while Gil batted 1-for-4 with an RBI.
Zoe Rivera went 1-for-3 in the game, while Ordonez went 1-for-1 with a run after pinch hitting in the game.
With a perfect 2-0 start, the Mustangs advance through the Winner's Bracket of the Region 10 Championship tournament. They are set to open Friday, May 5, against top-seeded Gaston College at 11 a.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).
