Conchs pound CS, wrap up top seed in district

BY RALPH MORROW

MANAGING EDITOR

Pounding out hits and scoring runs was no problem for the Key West High baseball team Tuesday night as the Conchs defeated Coral Shores, 13-3, in six innings and wrapped up the top seed in District 16-4A in the process.

Coach Ralph Henriquez Jr.’s team collected 16 hits off three Coral Shores pitchers as the Conchs improved to 14-2 overall and 4-0 in the district in the game at Rex Weech Field. The Hurricanes dropped to 7-8 and 1-3 but may get to face Key West again in the district tournament at Ransom Everglades High School the fourth week of April.

Greg Veliz collected four hits, including a double; Stevie Wells hit a single, double and triple; Hugo Valdes ran out a triple and had two singles as well as a stolen base, while Darren Miller hit a long fly over the center field fence for his third home run of the season as well as hitting a double. Anthony Henriquez came off the bench and hit a pair of singles and Andy Perez and Chris Varela singled.

Jay Feathers started the game on the mound for the Conchs and left after two innings and a 7-3 lead. While he didn’t have his best stuff, freshman reliever Damon Taylor did, going three innings and allowing no runs on only one hit and a pair of walks. The tall righthander fanned four.

Veliz, who is scheduled to start Friday night’s 7:30 game against Merritt Island at Rex Weech Field, pitched the top of the sixth and hit a pair of batters and walked one, but struck out two and got a ground out to end the frame without Coral Shores scoring.

In the bottom of the sixth, needing two runs to end the game, Varela and Henriquez had back-to-back one-out singles and after Wells grounded out, Perez walked to load the bases. When Velez hit a slow grounder to short, Perez beat the play at second as Patrick Edwards, running for Varela, scored, leaving the bases loaded. Valdez then hit a high hopper to short and easily beat the throw to first to end the game – the Conchs’ sixth straight. Key West has lost only to Rockledge, 6-1, and to Stoneman Douglas, 9-6, both opponents whom Key West had defeated on the previous night.

[livemarket market_name="KONK Life LiveMarket" limit=3 category=“” show_signup=0 show_more=0]