Riding the wave of three complete-game pitching performances — from seniors J.P. Dare and Colin Lewis, and junior Brixton Lofgren — the varsity baseball team recently won the Prospect Select Launch Spring Break tournament in Viera, Fla. 

The Raiders took down A3 Academy from Tampa, Greens Farms Academy from Westport, Conn., and district rival SLAM to finish last weekend’s tournament 3–0 and secure the championship.

Game 1 against A3 featured both strong eight-strikeout pitching from Dare and a powerful offense, scoring nine runs. Junior AJ Argudin was 2–3 with three RBIs, senior Milo Suarez 2–5, and senior Chris King 1–4 with two RBIs.

“Going into the tournament, our team had been working really hard in practice and didn’t want to let previous mistakes repeat themselves,” said senior catcher Erick Delgado. “We were confident, followed the game plan, and just trusted what our coaches told us to do.”

In the second game, the hitting took off while the defense consistently held back the out-of-state opponent, with Lewis also generating eight strikeouts. Delgado went 2–4, with two triples for three RBIs, and junior George Lombard and sophomore Ethan Puig both finished 3–4. Argudin, senior Will Bettridge, and junior Luca Tosca each knocked in an RBI.

“Our pitchers took the pressure off our hitters, [who] each day looked more comfortable in the batter’s box,” commented Head Coach Chris Leon. “Defensively, we made our routine plays and avoided long innings.”

In Game 3, Lofgren led the way for the championship, pitching all seven innings and notching four strikeouts. The offense put Gulliver ahead in the fourth inning and never looked back. Both Puig and Argudin went 2–3 with an RBI and Suarez continued to contribute offensively, with two hits. Lombard, senior Ty Roche, and junior Luca Mendez also each collected a hit. The team celebrated their Spring Break triumph with a trophy presentation before heading back to Miami. 

“It was a great team win, but it couldn’t have happened without the help of our pitching staff,” said Suarez. “We have a talented group of guys this year, and I really look forward to the rest of the season.”

The season resumes this week at home, as the Raiders take on NSU University School on Tuesday before a road trip to Doral Academy on Friday.