Before facing Cypress Lake Tuesday night, Cape Coral High hadn’t played a home game in the month of March. They hadn’t won a game, either.

Entering on a five-game losing streak, the host Seahawks got exactly what they needed — an all-around team effort and a 5-3 win over the Panthers.

“I don’t know anyone in the area that’s played the schedule we did over the past three weeks,” Seahawks coach Chris Kelley said. “We haven’t been able to get any momentum going.”

After a 5-1 victory over Ida Baker on Feb. 22, the Seahawks (4-8) dropped a home game against Mariner and then four road games against Gulf Coast, Barron Collier, Fort Myers and Lehigh.

They got going quickly Tuesday against Cypress Lake (7-7), scoring five runs in the first inning and held on with clutch pitching and defense.

“We came out and put some runs on the board and played good defense,” senior Jordan O’Day said. “Everyone put it together.”

Senior Anthony Torres pitched the first four innings to earn the win. Senior Chris Haberman struck out five in two relief innings, and senior Collin Metz finished it off in the seventh.

Offensively, the Seahawks chased Cypress Lake starter Joe Bocchino in the first inning.

Brock Rasmussen was hit by a pitch to start the inning. Miguel Rodriguez followed with a single and Travis Rosenkranz walked, loading the bases.

Brandon Mulloy picked up the first RBI on a groundout and the Seahawks got a two-run single from O’Day and a two-out, RBI single from Matt Cooker. Robbie Lawrence scored on a wild pitch, giving the Seahawks a 5-0 lead.

The Panthers were able to keep the Seahawks off the scoreboard the rest of the way behind relief pitchers Jonathan Ames and Billy Everding.

In the third, Rosenkranz led off with a double, but the Seahawks weren’t able to cash in. They also left the bases loaded in the fourth.

“It’s tough to win a game like that when you score five runs in the first inning and don’t score the rest of the game,” Kelley said. “What was great about this game was everybody contributed.”

The Panthers got back into the game in the third when they chose to play small ball. A pair of bunt singles by Kevin Bransfield and Casey Gibson helped load the bases. They scored three runs, cutting it to 5-3.

The Panthers tried a similar tactic in the fifth. After Gibson reached on an error, Jorge Delfin executed a bunt single and James Sharp followed with a sacrifice bunt.

The Panthers had two runners in scoring position, but Haberman struck out the final two batters of the inning.

In the seventh, the Seahawks brought in Metz, one of their top starters. He got three groundouts, including a sparkling, diving stop by third baseman Nick Gillogly to help preserve the win.

The Seahawks are back at home Thursday when they host East Lee County.

Cypress Lake 003 000 0 — 3 8 0

Cape Coral 500 000 x — 5 8 1

W — Anthony Torres L — Joe Bocchino

2B — Travis Rosenkranz (C), Brock Rasmussen (C)



Softball



Cape Coral 22, Cypress Lake 2: Cape High coach Dwayne Cornelius has seen steady improvements recently, and that continued Tuesday as the Seahawks routed Cypress Lake in five innings.

Shannon McBride pitched five innings and struck out four, notching her first win of the season. The Seahawks took advantage of wild pitching from Cypress Lake.

The Panthers walked six batters and hit two in the first inning, and the Seahawks put 11 runs on the board.

They cruised from there. McBride also contributed at the plate with a double, single and three runs scored and Erica Hoegler drove in five runs.

The Seahawks (4-8) host East Lee County Thursday.



Cypress Lake 0 00 02 — 2 4 2

Cape Coral (11)24 5x — 22 5 4

W — Shannon McBride L — L.Smith

2B — McBride



Girls Tennis



Mariner 5, Ida Baker 2: Brittany Wadsworth got past Amands Teets for the first time in her high school career as the Mariner senior helped lead the Tritons (5-5) to victory over Ida Baker Tuesday.

Brittany Wadsworth also teamed up with sister Adrienne Wadsworth to win in doubles.



Singles — Brittany Wadsworth (M) def. Amanda Teets 6-4, 6-2; Kjerstine Payne (IB) def. Adrienne Wadsworth 6-0, 6-1; Rachel Collins (IB) def. Sydney Bell 6-2, 6-3; Madison Fletcher (M) def. Brittany Scalzo 6-0, 6-2; Elizabeth Buchers (M) def. Sarah Leny 6-4, 6-4.

Doubles — Wadsworth-Wadsworth (M) def. Teets-Payne 6-4, 7-5; Bell-Fletcher (M) def. Amanda Feder-Scalzo 8-4.



Bishop Verot 4, Gulf Coast 3: Melanie Albert lost her first singles match of the year, but Bishop Verot prevailed over Gulf Coast to improve to 10-2.

Chloe Smith of Gulf Coast dominated Albert 6-1, 6-2 and Smith and Olivia Ainsworth beat Albert and Mariel Rickert in doubles 6-3, 7-6.

Verot is at Estero next week Wednesday.



Singles — Chloe Smith (GC) def. Melanie Albert 6-1, 6-2; Mariel Rickert (BV) def. Addie Fish 6-0, 6-1; Sara Lui (BV) def. Olivia Ainsworth 6-4, 6-2; Olivia Perez (GC) def. Danielle Puls 6-2, 6-2; Alex Nicodemi (BV) def. Rosa Rodriguez 6-4, 6-4.

Doubles — Smith-Ainsworth (GC) def. Albert-Rickert 6-3, 7-6; Lui-Puls (BV) def. Perez-Gaby Thomas 7-5, 6-4.



Cape Coral 6, Cypress Lake 1: Cape Coral Dropped just one match in dominating Cypress Lake.

The Seahawks (7-2) host East Lee County Thursday.



Singles — Renee Dean (CC) def. Sara Schultz 6-2, 6-3; Amanda Reyes (CL) def. Andrea Caputo 3-6, 6-3, 6-3; Danielle Carter (CC) def. Carolyne Glemeringer 6-4, 6-1; Maria Barbero (CC) def. Lacy Munson 6-3, 6-2; Aimee Dolorfino (CC) def. Carla Gonzalez 6-1, 6-3.

Doubles — Dean-Caputo (CC) def. Schultz-Reyes 8-3; Ella Baar-Caitlyn Dampier (CC) def. Gonzalez-Munson 8-1.