As all three Keys baseball squads watch the Ws roll in, Monroe County’s southernmost squad has yet to suffer a loss.
Key West kept its perfect record intact last week, but not without a fight, edging out two close games in a three-game series against Gulf Shores High School, a team visiting from Alabama. The teams had their first meeting at the Rex on March 5 in a five-inning mercy-rule romp for the Conchs. Donovan Thiery dominated on the mound, striking out seven, walking one and allowing just two hits in four innings. Cruz Holmes pitched one inning of relief to seal the win. When he was not busy fanning the Dolphins’ lineup, Thiery made good on two hits of his own and added two RBIs. Kade Maltz contacted twice, for a triple and a double, and the rest of the team contributed for a total of 10 hits. The 10-0 win made it look like the rest of the weekend would be a walk in the park for the Conchs.
Game two looked a bit different. The Conch bats delivered just two hits in seven innings, and stingy defenses from both teams led to a 0-0 tie until the bottom of the sixth, when Jackie Niles walked and Jackson Bernhard singled to put two on with no outs. Things looked great for the Conchs, but a double play put their prospects in jeopardy. Maltz’s steady bat added a single to score Niles’ courtesy runner, and Key West held on to the single run and their unblemished record for dear life. Maltz, Nelson Ong and Tyrone Cervantes teamed up on the mound for the shutout.
ROCKY GONET/Keys Weekly
Game three saw the Conchs fall behind in the second inning, but a patient Key West team pulled out all the stops to finish the job and protect their record. In the bottom of the third, the Conchs put together a hodgepodge to tie things up. The team capitalized on a walk, an error and a pair of struck batters to even the score, then the bats awoke. Auggy Davila tripled, followed by four Key West singles in the fourth inning to score a pair of runs.The defense then took over to finish off the Dolphins.
Patience was the key for Marathon on March 3, when they played a strong Ransom team at home. The Dolphins trailed from the first inning and did not put a run on the board until the top of the sixth, when four hits and three walks scored four runs. The Fins added one more in the seventh inning for good measure and held on to beat Ransom 5-2.
Dylan Williams was the starting pitcher for Marathon, striking out nine, walking two and surrendering a pair of hits and runs over four innings. Gabriele Cirina finished the final three innings and earned the win after six strikeouts and no walks with just one hit. Cirina also chalked up a pair of hits along with Roco Piscetello. Jack Chapman and Bradley Buigas added one hit each in the win.
Marathon hosted the Pirates of St. Edward’s on March 7 in a weekend doubleheader. In game one, Marathon pulled ahead with an early lead and never let up. A St. Edward’s rally in innings six and seven were too little, too late for the Pirates to make up the deficit, and the Fins won 11-6. Cirina earned the win on the mound, striking out eight over five and one-third innings. Chapman finished the game to preserve the win. Jason Stubblefield led the Dolphin offense with two doubles. Reef Rella singled and doubled and Chapman collected a pair of hits. In all, the Fins had 11 hits, eight walks and two hit batters.
Game two was played moments later, and a new Pirate pitcher proved hard to hit. The Fins’ bats struggled, producing only four hits, two from Williams and one each from Massimo Quargnali and Bradley Buigas. Williams started on the mound and pitched five innings, fanning nine and surrendering two hits. Rella and Roco Piscetello combined for the remainder of the game, striking out one each in the 7-0 loss.
Coral Shores hosted ABF Academy Hialeah on March 2 in a game that remained deadlocked until the third inning, when an error cost the ’Canes the shutout. The single run would be all ABF could muster, though, and Coral Shores put together a four-hit fourth inning to score two runs and take the lead.
NATALIE GOODWIN/Keys Weekly
Mason Clark had two hits and two RBIs while Riley O’Berry logged two doubles. Keller Blackburn singled and doubled and Maykol Bonito’s single made it seven hits for the Hurricanes. O’Berry earned the win for the Hurricanes, surrendering eight hits and one run in seven innings. He struck out five and walked one in the 3-1 victory.
The Hurricanes kept things rolling two days later when a visiting Somerset South Homestead could not measure up. The Hurricanes amassed 13 hits, including three each from Mailon Aguila and Keller Blackburn. O’Berry and Bonito each added a pair of hits in the 15-0 win. Glade Harrelson started on the mound for the Hurricanes, pitching two innings and striking out five. Bonito and Mason Clark teamed up for another five strikeouts, pitching one inning of relief each.
Their three-game win streak came to an end March 6, when a visiting Aubrey Rogers delivered a 12-1 mercy-rule loss to the Hurricanes. Brayden Turner went 2-2 against the Patriots and Bonito and O’Berry had one hit each. Harrelson, Andy Cone and Jack O’Keefe teamed up for five innings on the mound in the loss.
