Duncan, SC – The #3-seed Monroe University softball team advanced to the winner's bracket of the 2025 Region 10 Tournament after a pair of convincing victories over #6-seed USC Salkehatchie (9-0) and #2-seed USC Union (4-1) on Thursday.
Pitching was the ex-factor for Monroe as freshmen
Zoey Zamora and
Kelsea Bauer both dominated the opposition. Zamora shutout the Indians in five innings, allowing just three hits, before Bauer limited the Bantams to one run (unearned) across her seven innings of work.
Matched with the clutch hitting of sophomore
Nathalie Mongrain, the Mustangs coasted to the winner's bracket, setting up a much-anticipated rematch against top-seeded Gaston College.
It started against Salkehatchie where the Mustangs made quick work of the lower seed. Mongrain set the tone with a bases-clearing triple in the second inning to put the Mustangs up 5-0. Freshman
Lizbeth Zambrano then tripled in Mongrain to cap off the five-run frame.
The duo was joined by freshmen
Yarializ Maldonado and
Reese Surratt, and sophomore
Maricela Colon with multiple hits in the tournament opener.
In the second round against Union, Monroe took a few innings to get rolling before a game-altering three-run fifth. A lead-off walk by Colon set the table for Mongrain to send a triple to the left center gap, putting the Mustangs up late into the affair.
Mongrain continued her blistering hot day at the plate with a RBI single in the seventh to put the Mustangs up 4-0. The Ontario native finished Thursday with six RBIs on five hits — two of which being three-baggers.
As was the case with Zamora in game one, Bauer left no doubt as Union ran out of time. The Bantams were able to get one run across home plate, but it was too little too late as the freshman earned her eighth win of the season.
Monroe is off to an impressive start to their postseason run. Riding an eight game win streak, the Mustangs will draw Gaston on Friday at 1:30 pm for an opportunity to move one win away from qualifying for districts.
ABOUT THE ATHLETIC PROGRAM AT MONROE UNIVERSITY
The athletic program at Monroe University encompasses a total of 26 teams competing across nine sports. There are 19 varsity and junior varsity programs, as well as the Monroe University 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.MonroeUMustangs.com or follow us on social media: Facebook (
Monroe Mustangs Athletics), Twitter (
@MonroeMustangs) and Instagram (
@monroemustangs).
