Keyser, WV – The #3-seed Monroe University baseball team earned an opening round victory in the 2025 Region 20 Tournament over #2-seed Potomac State College, 9-7, on Friday.
The Catamounts committed eight errors, allowing the Mustangs to be aggressive on the basepaths. Over the nine innings played, Monroe had a runner in scoring position in six of them — only scoring in three, but constantly putting pressure on the higher seed.
It all started with a two-run third aided by RBIs from sophomores
Anthony Fernandez and
Ronald Almanzar. A three-run fifth put the Mustangs up 5-0 as freshman
Kyle Mandirola continued to shut down the opposition.
Through his first five innings, Mandirola allowed no runs on two hits while striking out seven. Even though the Pennsylvania native ran into trouble in the sixth — giving the Catamounts their first lead — the offense quickly picked up in the next frame to set him up for the win.
A leadoff double from freshman
Juan Garcia led to an RBI single by fellow freshman
Gavin Marchese. Then, a wild play that saw Potomac State commit two errors resulted in two runs for the Mustangs. Marchese scored via a throwing error by the pitcher before freshman
Marcus Mercado rounded the diamond on a second throwing error, this time by the catcher.
More trouble came in the eighth as Potomac State trailed 8-7 with two runners on and no outs. Enter freshman
Victor Ceballos, who came in and retired three in a row to send the Mustang dugout into a frenzy.
Freshman
Nair Jamanika, who led the Mustangs with three hits, provided a much-needed insurance run in the ninth with a single up the middle, putting Monroe ahead 9-7.
Ceballos faced the minimum number of batters in his first save opportunity of the year and delivered, hurling two perfect innings to move the Mustangs two wins away from districts.
They will take on top-seeded Harford Community College on Saturday at 10:00 am with an opportunity to emerge from the round robin stage of the double elimination tournament with zero losses.
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).
