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Eagles’ defensive woes cost them in semifinal loss
Tc baseball 1 5-23-18
Micah Blomenkamp of Turlock Christian swings away as he gets a hit during Tuesday's 11-1 loss to Alpha Charter in the semifinal of the Division-VII Sac-Joaquin Section playoffs. - photo by EDDIE RUIZ/The Journal

It’s now win or go home for the No. 1 Turlock Christian varsity baseball team after they fell to No. 2 Alpha Charter in the semifinal of the Division-VII Sac-Joaquin Section bracket in an unexpected 11-1 mercy-rule loss.

“Baseball is a game of momentum and that first pitch, the first swing, momentum got in their dugout and they kept it going,” said TC head coach Bill York. “Credit to this team, they put the ball in play and it’s all I could say. Our kids were not nervous. It might have gotten away from us early, but then we came back with bases loaded a couple times.”

AC got on the board immediately and it started off with an error by TC, what would become the storyline.

The Eagles committed well over half a dozen errors for the game and unfortunate miscues that have not been common in their run to the semifinals.

TC baseball 2 5-23-18
Turlock Christian's Eli Roos throws the ball to first during Tuesday's Division-VII Sac-Joaquin Section playoff loss to Alpha Charter in the semifinal. - photo by EDDIE RUIZ/ The Journal

“We know we have a good defense, but this was by far the biggest struggles on defense… by far,” said York. “We have never struggled like that and obviously our record shows it and the score shows it as well.”

Four runs were scored by AC in the first inning alone.

They followed up by scoring one in the second and third, three in the fourth and one in the fifth and sixth to secure the mercy-rule victory.

AC scored at least one run or more in each of the six innings.

TC’s lone run came in the fifth inning after Will York smacked an RBI hit to drive in Jakob Skinner in the bottom half of the inning on a two-out rally.

TC’s Markie Delgadillo started the game and tossed four innings for the Eagles.

Will York came in to relieve Delgadillo in the fifth inning and he closed out the final two innings.

TC tried to rally in the sixth, but AC’s relief pitcher Rahmel Hinkle managed to get the final four outs, consecutively.

AC has now won three straight while they snap TC’s six-game winning streak heading into the game.

TC’s record is now 20-3 and AC goes to 18-6.

TC will next take on familiar league foe, Big Valley Christian, from Stagg High at 6 p.m. Thursday.

“Either way I was really hoping to play them, happy to play them again,” said York about facing BVC for the third time this season. “Just to give them another shot and they get another shot at us as well. They are a good baseball club and we are a good baseball club as well.”

TC is 2-0 against BVC this year so far.