Jags fall to Colts in SCT quarterfinals

JACKSON - Taking on second-seeded Christian Brothers Academy of Lincroft in the quarterfinals of the Shore Conference Tournament was a tall order, even for a Jackson High team that had collected 20 victories to that point in the season.

The Jags, the No. 10 seed, had relied on good pitching, solid defense and timely hitting for the majority of the season. The formula seemed to work well, as Jackson had put forth its best season in recent memory. Under coach Frank Malta, Jackson took a squad loaded with talented underclassmen and proved that they were one of the elite in the Shore Conference.

"It has been a good season," Malta said. "We've stressed the importance of pitching and defense here for the past couple of years. The kids have worked really hard at eliminating mental mistakes and making plays. It seems this season we were able to put all of it together."

Malta and his troops knew facing CBA was no easy task. With a loaded lineup and excellent pitching, knocking off the Colts was going to take a monumental effort.

Unfortunately, CBA's explosive offense jumped out to an early lead, which the Jags could not recover from. The end result was a 13-5 loss for Jackson, which closed its season with an overall mark of 20-8.

"They are a very good squad," Malta said. "They do all the little things well and of course they can put runs on the board."

After Jackson took a 1-0 lead in the top half of the first, the Colts responded with four runs of its own, courtesy of a grand slam by Jim Laufer, allowing CBA to take a 4-1 lead. CBA used the long ball again in the fifth to extend its lead. This time it was Dave Laufer, who smacked a three run shot.

Trailing 7-1 in the third, Jackson rallied for four runs to make it close. The Jags used a four-run third to draw within 7-5. But Dave Laufer's three-run blast two innings later gave the Colts more than enough insurance.

- Mike White