LaSalle Picks Up Signature Win Over Defending State Champs

In 2025, the LaSalle Royal Lions had one of their best seasons in school history, going 16-6, before losing 3-2 in the district finals, in a game where they outhit their opponent seven to five.

That opponent, Miami Springs, would go on to also have their best season in school history, culminating in a 3A state championship.

On Thursday afternoon, the two teams met again, this time early in the 2026 season, and the result was one filled with payback and irony.

The Royal Lions won a thrilling nine-inning game, by the same 3-2 score that took them out of the playoffs less than 12 months earlier.

“We knew coming in what type of opponent we were facing,” said LaSalle Manager Nate Gomez. “They are the defending state champs, and they do a great job over there of preparing their guys. We are in the same district, so we are familiar with them, and it was great to have a playoff-type atmosphere out there today. I am really proud of the way our team battled today.”

Early on it looked as though the offenses may rule the afternoon. Miami Springs jumped on top in the first when an Esaul Pena single drove in Kristopher Mederos.

LaSalle answered in the top of the second with two runs of their own. Daniel Gonzalez tied the game with an RBI single, and Jesus Cruz doubled in Gonzalez to give the Royal Lions the lead. Both hits came with two outs.

In the bottom of the third, a Jovani Zara double tied the score at two.

From their, the pitching for both teams took over. Darian Villabrille went 2.2 shutout innings, followed by a scoreless inning from Eisler Piloto for the Hawks.

On the other side, it was Jonny Quintana, who took over for Osvaldo Ozon in the fifth, and threw five, no-hit innings, striking out six along the way.

“Jonny is a senior this year, and he is our leader,” said Gomez. “We always look to him in big moments, and today he really stepped up throwing those five scoreless innings, after catching the first four innings.”

The game went five innings without a run, until Hector Sosa scored the go-ahead, and eventual winning run, in the top of the ninth.

The Royal Lions have now won two straight, after dropping their first two games of the season in tight fashion, to Goleman and Gulliver Prep. In the last two wins, LaSalle has outscored their opponents 15-5.

The key to the early season turnaround can be linked directly to defense, according to Gomez.

“The biggest difference-maker in the game today for us was the clean sheet on the defensive end of the game. High school games can get sloppy at times, and we were able to put up a zero in the error column, which gave us the chance to win it there at the end.”

LaSalle will get another chance to show they belong with the elite teams in the county on Wednesday, when they face an undefeated True North squad.

For the Hawks, the loss drops the defending state champs to 3-2. They will search for consistency in an uneven start to the year next week, when they face Southwest, SLAM, and COHEA.

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