Montalvo Leads Coral Springs To 7-3 Victory Over Zion

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When Mike Montalvo is on the mound, the Colts know they are a tough team to beat.

Now Zion Lutheran knows this too.

The Coral Springs ace set the tone for his club’s 2014 season with a dominant performance on Tuesday night, paving the way for a 7-3 victory over Zion Lutheran in the Colts First Pitch Classic at Coral Springs High. The right-hander tossed five no-hit innings to stymie the Lions and start his club off with a victory in their first game of this young new season.

Montalvo was particularly effective about hitting the inside corner of the plate, which helped to open up the outside part of the zone and work to keep the Lions hitters guessing all night.

“We’ve been practicing a lot on nailing the inside zone, and my coaches have been real strict about that,” Montalvo admitted. “I just try to stay focused and confuse the batters. I’m always focused on the mound and I trust that my coaches know what to call for me to throw.”

Montalvo threw 48 of his 78 pitches for strikes, finishing with eight strikeouts.

The Colts admit that they are loose and confident whenever Montalvo is on the mound, and it means a lot to them to give him run support when he is throwing the way he was on Tuesday night. Likewise, their workhorse has their backs and he loves being a part of this Colts family.

“We know he can put it in there,” shortstop Colton Smith said. “Every time Mike is on the mound we know we just have to play good defense and hit the ball and we can win, no matter what team it is.”

Coral Springs (1-0) added key hits in big moments to back their starter, scoring three runs in both the second and third innings. In both instances Colton Smith was right in the thick of it. The junior played a key role in helping the Colts plate their first runs of the contest, as he laid down a sacrifice bunt with two runners aboard in the top of the second to move them into scoring position. Cody Colon then held back on a pitch to drive it up the middle to score Davis Alessio and D.J. Brown and give them a lead they would not relinquish.

Colon also scored in the frame, coming in on a passed ball to put Coral Springs up 3-0.

The baseball gods rewarded Colton Smith’s selflessness in his next trip to the plate. Mason Stage walked and Alessio blasted the first pitch he saw into left field for a standup double, before Brown also drew a walk to load the bases and bring the team’s shortstop back to the dish.

“Bases loaded, no outs in a close game, I just knew I had to break the game open with one swing,” Colton said. “I got a triple into the gap and we scored all three runs. It brings the whole team and the fans up to do something like that, and after that we were able to break it open.”

Colton connected on a 2-2 pitch and nailed the ball deep to centerfield, racing all the way around the bases to slide in just ahead of the tag at third for the bases-clearing triple that gave Coral Springs the decisive runs.

“We got the job done,” said Colts Manager Frank Bumbales. “We had timely hitting and guys are stepping up and putting the ball in play when we need, and getting some huge hits. I didn’t expect it, but I guess it’s something that I can expect now. They have put some runs on the board for three straight games now. We’ve held the other team down pretty well and we’re playing good baseball.”

The Colts added another insurance run in the sixth when Matt Messina singled and eventually came home on a passed ball to put his club up 7-0.

“I think we came out a little flat, and we took a little while to get going,” said Lions first-year Manager Ray Ayala, who suffered the loss in his head coaching debut.

Although Ayala admits he is not a man who thinks much of moral victories, he was happy with the way the balls started to fall in the end. The Lions (0-1) went into the sixth inning without a hit, before they were able to rally for a few runs to make it a ball game again. The team wanted to break up the no-hitter very badly, and they buckled down and focused on getting on base in order to make that happen.

Jouseph Renovales was hit by a pitch leading off, and after Colton Smith made a nice leaping grab to snare a screamer off the bat of Manny Rojas, Jose Rodriguez sent a liner into right field to break up the no-hitter and put runners on the corners. Junior catcher Ivan Ortiz then delivered the biggest hit of the night for the Lions, as he stung a pitch deep to centerfield that fell just past the chasing outfielder and rolled to the wall. Ortiz raced all the way to third for the two-RBI triple that broke up the shutout and ignited his teammates.

The hit was even more rewarding for Ortiz, after the backstop fought to stay in the game despite suffering a bruised palm on his catching hand during the prior inning.

“I was confident in myself and my team. I wanted to do it for my team,” said Ortiz. “There were no outs and two men on, I got a pitch in the middle and it felt great getting that hit. I always tell my teammates don’t get angry at bad plays, stay calm and always be aggressive and stay happy. It’s a game, so have fun. Even if we are down by seven, keep in your mind to get a hit and try to win. If you are always in that mindset, you can become clutch.”

Ortiz followed his teammates home when Tito Calderon sent a roller bouncing off the pitcher’s glove to reach on an infield RBI single.

Although the Lions battled back to make it a closer contest, Ayala admits that the team still has some work to get where they want to be.

“We got the ball rolling a little bit in the end and I’m proud of the way these guys didn’t give up,” said Ayala. “We showed a little moxie in the end; we showed our spirit and didn’t give up. After we scored that first run, everything was possible after that. But this is not the finished product yet. I like my team and I like my staff. I have good guys and I think the future is bright for us.”

Part of the reason the Lions were excited to play in this tough tournament was to face tough opposition from teams like Coral Springs, and to face talented pitchers such as Montalvo. On Tuesday night they were able to find out up close just how tough a guy like Montalvo can be. The junior painted both corners of the plate and controlled the hitters all night long.

“That’s the way he’s got to pitch; that’s his game,” said Bumbales. “If he pitches like that, and we hit like that behind him, we can win a lot of games. I’ve got a lot of coaches here and they are doing a great job. Everybody is doing their job and the kids are all listening. It’s a good situation for us, but it’s going to get harder from here. Chaminade is a good ball club; we have them next and it’s not going to be easy.”

The Colts will face Chaminade on Thursday night in the winner’s bracket of the tournament.

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