Justin Gubelman fought through a chilly night to start the season with a pitching gem as Ida Baker blanked North Fort Myers 7-0 Tuesday night.

Gubelman (1-0) allowed one hit and struck out eight while walking two.

“He was our bulldog tonight,” said Bulldogs coach Ryan Jackson. “Our pitching was outstanding considering (the temperature). It was a good way to start the season.”

Gubelman sat down the Red Knights 1-2-3 in four separate innings. Brandon Gutierrez got the Knights out in order in the ninth to finish it off.

“Our hitting came around after a while, and we were aggressive on the bases,” said Jackson.

The Bulldogs plated three runs in the third inning. After Robbie Pilgrim led off with a walk, Kelly Curran sacrificed him to second and went to third on a passed ball. Pilgrim (2-for-2) scored the first run on North’s only throwing error of the night on Rob Johnson’s grounder just inside the bag at third base. Johnson (3-for-4) wound up on third base himself on the play and scored on a single to right by Gutierrez, who was thrown out trying to stretch the hit into a double.

Jacob York (2-for-4) singled and scored all the way from first on a double to left by Justin Pinto (3-for-4).

“I was pleased with Pilgrim coming through with two hits out of the eight slot,” said Jackson.

The Bulldogs added single runs in the fourth and fifth innings, both with two outs. They added two more runs in the sixth, one scoring on a balk and the other on York’s second single.

“We didn’t hit well and gave up a couple of two-out walks which they capitalized on,” said Red Knights coach Gary Kamphouse.

North’s lone hit came in the third inning on a one-out infield single by Brandon O’Connor.

North (0-1) hosts LaBelle Thursday while Baker (1-0) visits South Fort Myers Friday.

North FM000 000 0 – 0 1 1

Ida Baker003 112 0 – 7 13 0

W – Gubelman (1-0). L – Mamott (0-1).

2B – Gulotta (IB), Pinto (IB).

Mariner 12, Island Coast 5: Island Coast answered Mariner’s three-run first-inning rally with a two-run home run by Chase Vogelbach, but the Tritons went on to earn a season-opening victory Tuesday night.

Audry Santana (2-for-3), Jayson Carmichael (3-for-4, 2 RBI), Alex Santana (3 RBI) and Daniel Alimonti (2-for-4, 2 RBI) paced the Tritons’ offense.

Taylor Renegar (2-for-2) contributed two RBI for the Gators (0-1).

Mariner (1-0) plays at Port Charlotte Thursday.

Mariner321 060 0 – 12 11 1

Island Coast202 010 0 – 5 4 2

W – Taylor Walker (1-0). L – Nelson Candelario (0-1).

2B – Audry Santana (M), Jayson Carmichael (M), Alex Santana (M), Taylor Renegar (IC). HR – Chase Vogelbach (IC).

Riverdale 9, Cape Coral 0: Riverdale scored runs in bunches Tuesday to shut out Cape Coral on one hit in the Seahawks’ Early Bird Tournament at Terry Park.

The Seahawks (0-1) take on Gulf Coast in the final round of the Early Bird Wednesday.

Riverdale200 232 0 – 9

Cape Coral000 000 0 – 0

Gulf Coast 15, Oasis 0: The season did not start well for the Oasis Sharks, who were handed a shutout defeat Tuesday in the Cape Coral Early Bird Tournament at Terry Park.

The Sharks (0-1), who did not get a hit in the game, face Riverdale as the Early Bird Tournament wraps up Wednesday.

Oasis000 00 – 0

Gulf Coast356 1x – 15

Softball

North Fort Myers 3, Ida Baker 1: Jasmine Santiago belted a two-run triple in the sixth inning to lift North Fort Myers to victory over stubborn Ida Baker Tuesday night.

Santiago’s hit came with two out and runners on second and third and broke a 1-1 tie that had stood since the third inning.

“Ida Baker played outstanding tonight,” said North coach Jeff Miner. “They are a very good team, well coached. We just got that clutch hit by Santiago with two out and two on, but left a lot of runners stranded on the bases, both teams did.”

North’s first run in the third inning was unearned due to a Baker error, but the Bulldogs tied it up immediately in the third on senior Ali Hare’s inside-the-park home run.

The Bulldogs (0-1) only got two hits off North ace pitcher Jackie Owen (2-0), who struck out 10 and walked one. Baker freshman Maddy Peres was tagged with the loss, but struck out five and walked four in her first varsity start.

North’s Lexi Schlotter was the only batter with two hits in the game, including a single ahead of Santiago’s game-winning hit in the sixth.

The Bulldogs play at Palmetto Ridge Wednesday. North (2-0) hosts Estero Friday.

North FM 001 002 0 – 3 6 1

Ida Baker001 000 0 – 1 2 3

W – Jackie Owen (2-0). L – Maddy Peres (0-1)

3B – Jasmine Santiago (NFM). HR – Ali Hare (IB).

Girls Tennis

Bishop Verot 5, Lemon Bay 2: Mariel Rickert and Linda Kornienko accounted for a pair of singles wins plus a doubles win to lead Bishop Verot to a season-opening victory over Lemon Bay Tuesday.

The Vikings are scheduled to play Dunbar Thursday, but the match might be rescheduled because Verot’s boys’ soccer team is playing in the state semifinals that evening.

Singles – Mariel Rickert (BV) def. Anita Vorlicek 6-0, 6-2; Linda Kornienko (BV) def. Andrea Vorlicek 6-0, 6-1; Nia-Marie Eddie (BV) def. Amber Pereta 6-0, 6-0; Caitlyn Powell (LB) def. Kayla Cheslosky 6-3, 6-2; Kathleen Norris (BV) def. Emily Hamsher 6-2, 6-0.

Doubles – Rickert-Kornienko (BV) def. Anita Vorlicek-Powell 8-3; Andrea Vorlicek-Peretz (LB) def. Eddie-Cheslosky 8-6.

Boys Basketball

Lee County Home School 48, Emmanuel Baptist 31: The Lee County Home School Ambassadors beat the Emmanuel Baptist on the Eagles’ home court Tuesday.

The Eagles (1-5) played the Ambassadors tough in the first half and led 21-19 with the help of three three-pointers. LCHS (6-4 overall, 6-0 conference) was without one of its starting guards and so had some trouble with ball handling.

In the decisive third quarter, the Ambassadors outscored the Eagles 23-6 to pull ahead 42-27. Three players scored in double figures for the Ambassadors – Caleb Coe had 14 points while Caleb Blikstad and Steve Santangelo each added 10. Coe and Blikstad also grabbed seven rebounds apiece.

Both teams host Gunnery Road Christian in their next game, the Eagles on Thursday and the Ambassadors on Friday.