Things looked good for the Jefferson baseball team Thursday when it led by three runs after 3 1/2 innings. But then the bottom of the fifth happened and the Indians plummeted to a 13-6 loss to South San Francisco at Orange Park.
The Warriors (8-15, 5-7 PAL-Ocean) sent 13 men to the plate in scoring seven fifth-inning runs. Jefferson (4-17, 2-10) made four of its six errors in the inning.
Such defensive lapses aren't abnormal for teams with only four seniors on the roster, two of whom are first-time players.
"That was a little rough," said Jefferson coach Cesar Vega, the veteran Indians baseball coach who is also Jeff's new football coach. "We kind of threw the ball around a little bit, too. We weren't necessarily throwing strikes and then when we got a ground ball we were throwing the ball around."
Trailing 5-4, South City got the first two men on base to open the fifth, including clean-up hitter Andrew Pelzl who led off with an infield single and went to second on an overthrow. Pelzl had two hits in the frame and knocked in two runs and the Warriors also got run-scoring singles from Clay Wayman and Jesus Jimenez and a two-run single by Tyler Keahi.
"We relaxed and took the pitches we needed to take and we took it to them," Pelzl said. "We just did our job."
Pelzl, the Warriors catcher, partially blamed himself for Jeff's early success, including a four-run fourth inning.
"They were swinging the bats OK in the first half (of the game) and I was calling pitches behind the dish that I shouldn't have and so I switched it up," Pelzl said. "I started putting down the right signs. The fastball outside did the job every time."
Jeff got to Warrior starter Josue Rangal in the fourth, aided by three South City errors and a couple of well-placed Indian bunts. Chris Jose and Yael Del Rio each had successful squeeze bunts for the Indians who also had a double steal for a run in the inning.
But South City got it figured out after that.
"Jefferson is building its program and they're a much-improved team," Warriors coach Daryl Semien said. "They weren't going away. They kept hanging around and it's actually been two tough games with them (Warrior victories Tuesday and Thursday). I tip my hat to Cesar and the job he's doing over there."
Semien said he was not surprised Pelzl was the catalyst in the seven-run fifth.
"He's been our guy all year," Semien said. "He's our best player and one of our leaders and he's been stellar behind the plate and in the batter's box too."
Pelzl is also a standout pitcher, but has only thrown twice this season -- including Tuesday's victory against Jeff -- due to inflammation in his pitching shoulder. Pelzl gave up four hits and one earned run in five innings on Tuesday to help lift South City to a 6-2 victory.
South City out-hit Jefferson 12-6 on Thursday, with every Warrior starter getting at least one hit. Keahi, Pelzl and Waynan all had two hits each for South City. Kevin Suarez and Edgar Franquez both had a pair of hits for the Indians.
The Warriors host San Mateo at 4 p.m. on Tuesday. Jefferson is at Sequoia.
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John Murphy may be reached at jmurphy@Prep2Prep.com and followed on Twitter @PrepCat
