San Pedro Town has always excelled in sports, and the San Pedro High School (SPHS) has contributed significantly by winning championships at the district and national levels. One of those disciplines is softball, which the island athletes continue to master. During the recent 2023 National Secondary School Sports Association (NSSSA) softball nationals, the SPHS male team (The Sharks) faced the best secondary schools from across the country, emerging victorious at the end of the challenging two-day tournament.
The high school softball teams convened on March 24-25 at the Rogers Stadium in Belize City. The SPHS team had been preparing for the national tournament and was ready with their solid squad. The players included Zion Conorquie, Mark Cal, Salvador Caliz, Darwin Robinson, Ernesto Lopez, Abie Aries, Andres Perez, Evandale Milligan, Jyroud Gongora, Francis Umania, Zamir Leal, Traevaun Gabourel, Allen Ramirez, Azeil Madera, Ryan Gonzalez, and Aden Casasola.
During the opening match on the tournament’s first day, the SPHS team overcame Sacred Heart College Hawks. Ramirez was one of the main contributors in this match after pitching a 29-2 win. Conorquie hit an in-the-park home run as they went on the attack, with Cal and Caliz scoring four runs each. Then Gabourel, Aries, Milligan, and Gongora each scored three runs, while Lopez and Perez netted two runs. Casasola and Gonzalez crossed the plate once. The first day’s victory was crucial as this allowed The Sharks to advance to the finals of the NSSSA softball tournament.
The Sharks took on the St. John’s College Wildcats on the championship day. SPHS pitcher Ramirez struck out 12 batters as the match extended to two additional tie-breaker innings. This came after Conorquie, Perez, Ramirez, and Casasola scored the runs. St. John’s took the lead at the top of the sixth inning, but the SPHS boys could tie the score at the bottom via a run completed by Caliz. The rival team again took the lead in the seventh inning, but San Pedro tied the score before they entered the eighth inning. During this crucial stage of the match (last inning), Ramirez slammed a run, and after crossing the home plate, it was all over with the final score of 8-7.
The SPHS technical team is proud of their team and shared that this is the sixth time they have conquered the NSSSA Softball national competition. With this new championship and a solid record in the sport, the coaching team claims they are the school with the most softball national championships in the country.
The island community congratulates The Sharks on this big win. The team thanks everyone for their continued support, and the school administration is proud of their team. They look forward to continuing the championship tradition and bringing home the big trophy again next year.
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