CONCHS BASEBALL UNDEFEATED IN EARLY-SEASON SCHEDULE; MARATHON’S ZIELS THROWS NO-HITTER

Key West hosted North Fort Myers in its season opener, defeating the 5A Red Knights 5-0 on Feb. 23 and 7-2 the following night. In game one of the two game series, Jacob Burnham got the start on the mound, lasting 4 innings. Burnham struck out 8, walked 2 and allowed a pair of hits before Anthony Lariz took over. Lariz finished out the final 3 innings, striking out 5 with no hits and no walks. Lariz had a hit as well, singling for one of the Conchs’ 5 hits on the night. Roman Garcia, Noah Burnham, Sam Holland and Nelson Ong had the remaining 4. 

The next night, Key West chalked up 6 hits, with 2 each from Garcia and Jacob Burnham. Burnham’s hits included a double and a triple. Lariz and Nelson Ong both singled. The Conchs were perfect on defense without a single error over the course of 7 innings. Felix Ong got the start on the mound and dominated for 3-⅓ innings, striking out 6 of the dozen batters he faced, walking 2 and allowing no hits. Christian Koppal and Vinny Moline teamed up to finish out the game, which put the Conchs at a solid 2-0 start on the season as they head into a rare road game. 

A clash against NSU University School on Feb. 27 should serve as a litmus test for the Conchs this year. They will be back at Rex Weech Friday and Saturday, March 1-2 against Boca Raton’s Spanish River High School. 

Marathon started the regular season out the right way by winning its first two games, beginning with Everglades Prep on Feb. 20. Gavin Leal and Mason Thornton teamed up on the mound for a 20-0 no-hitter against the Panthers, walking 3 and striking out 7 between them. Thornton also registered a pair of hits and 2 RBIs to lead the Fins at bat. Leal also had a base hit, as did Bryan Broche, Dylan Ziels and Dylan Williams. Gabe Leal tripled and Jack Chapman doubled in the lopsided victory. 

It was more of the same for Marathon on Feb. 23 against Miami Country Day. The Fins won in 3-1/3 innings in a 15-0 mercy rule victory against the Spartans. Ziels, Marathon’s go-to pitcher, was perfect over 4 innings for the Fins. The senior righty faced 14 batters, fanning 12 of them with no walks, no hits, no errors and no question that Ziels is ready to make his senior campaign count. Ziels was also 3-3 at the plate with a pair of singles and a double. Broche, Gabe Leal and Leo Mendez each singled in the Fins’ win. 

Their Feb. 24 game did not have the result the Fins were searching for, though. The night started off in the right direction, with visiting Keys Gate and Marathon locked up in a defensive battle. In inning 4, Keys Gate’s bats came alive, and a trio of hits put the Knights on the scoreboard first. Marathon promptly took advantage of a 5-walk inning, which included a hit and a dropped third strike, to pull ahead 5-1, holding onto the lead until inning 6 when things began to fall apart. Mason Thornton started on the mound, striking out 5 over his 4 innings. Thornton also added a single and a double in a solid effort both offensively and defensively. Gabe Leal, Dylan Williams and Jack Chapman all had base hits in the 15-8 loss. The Fins’ next home game is scheduled for March 1 against Ransom Everglades.

The Hurricanes split the week with a loss on Feb. 20 to ABF Homestead. Junior Campbell Lavioe was 3-3 at the plate and Donovan Thiery, AJ Putetti, Keller Blackburn and Benjamin Friedman had one hit each in the 8-3 loss. Two nights later, the ’Canes turned things around against Keys Gate, defeating last year’s district champs 10-1. Thiery dominated the Knights, striking out 11 over 5 innings, allowing just 2 hits and walking 1 batter. Riley O’Berry held things down for the final 2 innings to secure the win. Lavoie racked up another hit, this time a double. O’Berry had a single and Grady Temkin added a pair of base hits in Coral Shores’ first win of the season. 

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