Ryan Jeffries said all he wanted to do was get a hit to tie the game. The San Carlos National first baseman-right fielder did a little better than that.
Jefferies hit a grand slam, a majestic fly that landed well beyond the center field fence at Highlands Park on Sunday, to give his 12-year-old all-star team a dramatic 5-2 victory over Palo Alto National in the District 52 All-Star Tournament.
San Carlos plays Foster City in a winner's bracket game Wednesday at 2:30 p.m., also at Highlands Park.
Jefferies, who also hit a home run in San Carlos' 4-1 win over Pacifica American on Friday at Arguello Park, had trouble hitting against Palo Alto starter Jonathan Gottlieb. Then again, nearly everyone else did too.
Gottlieb struck out eight batters and took a no-hitter into the fifth inning, when Lucas Billot singled sharply into the outfield. Shane Wallace, who also won the game in relief of starter Cole Spina, drove in San Carlos' first run.
Nolan Peterson led off the sixth with a walk, and that was the final batter for Gottlieb. Justin Folan followed with a single and Matt Smith hit a liner that the shortstop could not handle to load the bases for Jefferies.
"I just wanted to get a hit to tie the game," Jeffries said. "Right as I hit it, I knew it was gone. It was awesome."
Wallace retired all six batters he faced. Spina gave up two runs on five hits in his four innings.
In the 13-year-old Pony League all-star tournament, San Carlos lost in the championship game to South San Francisco, 13-10, on Sunday at Belle Aire School in San Bruno.
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