The ILS baseball team opened their 2021 season with a 5-4 victory over Coral Shores High School last Friday afternoon. The Royal Lions traveled down to Tavernier in the Florida Keys to pick up their first win of the season.

After having their 2020 season cut short by COVID-19, the ILS baseball team started their new slate of games in a strong fashion.

Sophomore Nico Perez Salah took the hill as ILS’s starting pitcher against Coral Shores. Salah pitched very well, throwing six innings and striking out three batters. He allowed only two earned runs.

Senior Sebastian Paz sparked the offense in this one. He went 4-for-4 at the plate, including a huge double and a run scored. Fellow senior Dominic Sorondo went 3-for-4 and scored a run as well. Nick Perez, the other senior in the lineup, went 1-for-3.

Sophomore Johnathan Rivero went 2-for-4 with a triple. The three RBI for the Royal Lions came from junior Anthony Castillo, sophomore Manuel Oquendo and freshman Mason Tejada.

The Royal Lions were able to run all over the Coral Shores Hurricanes. ILS recorded seven stolen bases in this one. Paz, Castillo and Oquendo each went 2-for-2 stealing bases, and Perez Salah swiped the other bag. That sort of aggressive base running put pressure on Coral Shores’ defense and helped the Royal Lions secure this victory.

The game moved quickly through the first four and half innings, with no runs scored. In the bottom of the fifth, Coral Shores took a 1-0 lead, but ILS responded. In the top of the sixth inning, the Royal Lions put up a crooked number, scoring five runs and taking a commanding lead.

Freshman Nick Pichel came in out of the bullpen and recorded the save in his first official action as part of the ILS baseball program. The Royal Lions won, 5-4.

“The boys came back from a late deficit to secure their first victory,” said ILS head coach Nate Gomez. “Good to see those traits from a young and inexperienced team, means they have a lot of fight in them and have room to grow.”

This week, the ILS baseball team plays Doctor’s Charter on 2/23. That’s a 3:30 first pitch at Tamiami Park. On 2/25, the Royal Lions will travel down to the Keys once again, this time to face Marathon High School. On 2/26, ILS hosts Northwestern at Tamiami Park, with first pitch set for 6 PM.

“We are lookin forward to this week with three varsity games in the mix,” said Coach Gomez.