George Jenkins Falls To Late Jupiter Rally

The Eagles celebrate after taking the lead in the top of the fifth inning. Photo by Olivia Mooney.

The Jupiter Warriors are no strangers to close ball games. Nearly every clash on the diamond has been a close battle, and that was once again the case on Wednesday afternoon against the tough George Jenkins Eagles. After falling behind in the fifth, the Warriors immediately answered back with a big inning that led the way to a gritty 5-1 victory.

Jupiter (7-3) rallied for four runs in the bottom of the fifth for the comeback win, giving the Eagles their first and only loss on their Spring Break trip to Palm Beach County. Jenkins (8-2) defeated Wellington and Royal Palm Beach earlier in the week.

The Eagles nearly earned the trifecta against the gritty Warriors, a team that very much emulates the same DNA and makeup that George Jenkins thrives on. So it came as no surprise that the game was a scoreless tug-of-war midway through.

Xavier Glover made the start and took the loos for the Eagles. He surrendered four runs but also recorded six strikeouts in four innings. Photo by Olivia Mooney.

Jenkins finally broke through to grab the lead with a run in the top of the fifth. Easton Nunez led off with a single to left, and he then stole second and advanced to third off a wild pitch. Eagles starter Xavier Glover then backed his own cause by lining an RBI singe to left that easily drove Nunez home for the 1-0 advantage.

But Jupiter answered right back in the bottom of the inning, as the first four batters all reached base to immediately amp up the pressure. Senior Gavin Marchese got it started when he drilled a 3-1 offering to left field for a lead-off double, and Jake Finnegan then reached on an error off a sacrifice bunt that allowed Marchese to come around and tie the game. Andrew Todd followed by lining an RBI single to right that gave Jupiter the lead, and Colton Schwarz put runners on the corners with a base hit to center.

The Warriors kept it going to extend the lead. Gabe Graulau lifted a sac-fly to center that drove home Todd, and Schwarz soon followed off a wild pitch.

Mason Barela lets it out after scoring a run for the Warriors. Photo by Olivia Mooney.

Jupiter added one last insurance run an inning later. Mason Barela was hit by a pitch and then made his way around the bases by advancing into scoring position on a wild pitch and then rounding third to score thanks to an RBI single from Finnegan.

Now staked with his first lead, Warriors starter Ethan Trivison did the rest of his part by going the distance on the mound. The sophomore left-hander allowed just one earned run on three hits and a walk to pick up his first win of the season. Trivison struck out five.

George Jenkins wraps it up, after they went 2-1 on their Spring Break road trip.

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