Dillon Maya Pitches Coral Gables Past Coral Reef At Mark Light Stadium

Coral Gables’ Dillon Maya pitched a complete game with eight strikeouts at Mark Light Stadium on Monday night, helping the Cavaliers’ to a 7-2 win over Coral Reef, and doing something special for his mother on her birthday.

Maya’s mother celebrated her birthday watching her son go the distance on the mound, while he went 2-for-3 with an RBI double at the plate.

“This is just so exciting,” Maya said. “I gave my mom an awesome birthday present. It felt good having run support behind me.”

Every baseball season, the Alex Rodriguez Field at Mark Light Stadium hosts a few high school games. But Monday’s game held even more meaning for these two teams.

“We were all excited for this game because it’s kind of a friendly rivalry,” Coral Reef Barracuda coach Dave Bisceglia said. “I coached at Coral Gables for 15 years and coached their coach, Phillip Wisser.”

So the game had an intensity even before it began and in the first inning baserunning was the story. Gerson Sotolongo walked to open up the first. Alex Pinero singled to right field, and Sotolongo got on his horse and headed for third, diving in safely just under the tag. A Barracudas error on a first-and-third play allowed Sotolongo to score. But that’s all that Coral Gables could muster. The momentum was killed by three consecutive strikeouts by Reef starting pitcher Tim Reker.

The next inning, Gables broke it open with singles by Imad Reinoso, Roland Eusebio and Sotolongo, all of whom scored.

But Reker settled down for Coral Reef and started striking guys out, 14 in total on the night. He showed great control and blanked the Cavs through the middle innings. His offense gave him some help in the meantime. Carlos Ugalde and Alain Aguiar had doubles in the third, and Ugalde scored.

Ugalde then contributed an RBI in the fourth with a triple to deep right-center, making the score 4-2 going into the seventh.

Both pitchers were in control and the defensive play was tight, but Coral Gables was able to pad their lead and seal the deal in the end, as the Cavs scored three runs in the top of the seventh. Then Maya, with the help of his defense, finished off the Cudas. Second baseman Eusebio made a leaping grab for the last out of the game.

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