KEY WEST -- The Key West High baseball team drew its largest crowd of the season Friday night for its key District 16-4A matchup with rival Belen Jesuit and former coach Ralph Henriquez.

Unfortunately for the home fans in attendance, the Conchs were unable to climb back for the victory.

Key West fell, 5-3, to essentially fall out of the race for the top seed in next month's District 16-4A tournament, which will be played at Belen. With the win, the Wolverines (8-4, 3-0) are now the overwhelming favorite for the top spot in the tournament and have the inside edge for one of the district's two playoff spots. It also made for a happy homecoming for Henriquez, who won three state titles and is the second-winningest coach in Key West history.

"This is one that we felt like we let get away from us," said Key West coach Miguel Menendez, who was restricted to the dugout after the fifth for arguing with the home plate umpire. "I told them before the game, though, that this game won't make or break our season. We've still got a lot of work ahead of us."

Menendez, who played under Henriquez at Key West and won a state title in 1995, said it was strange seeing his former coach in the visitor's dugout.

"It was weird," Menendez said. "He's meant so much for Key West baseball and it was difficult to see him over there."

Despite falling behind late, the Conchs (6-6, 2-1) made things interesting in their final at-bat.

Down 5-2 entering the seventh inning, Key West put together a last-gasp rally attempt that fell just short. Nos. 8 and 9 batters Michael Abreu and Tommy Ruffennach drew back-to-back walks with one out, and D.J. Elomina ripped a single to left center to drive in Abreu and make it 5-3. The hit chased Belen starting pitcher Robert Baroniel from the game. Reliever Marcos Calderon, who led the Wolverines at the plate, came in and shut the door.

"We just didn't play well," Menendez said. "We knew we needed to play a clean game and not make mistakes and we didn't do it. It was just too many mistakes, and when you give a team like this an opportunity, they're going to take advantage of it."

Nolan Thomas started on the mound for the Conchs and allowed four runs -- three earned -- on nine hits in five-plus innings, during which he struck out nine and walked three. Michael Arencibia came in and threw the final two innings, allowing just one hit -- a solo homer by Calderon in the seventh. He struck out three.

With so much on the line in addition to the side drama of Henriquez's homecoming, the teams played tight through the first five innings.

Key West took a 1-0 lead in the fourth when Arencibia hit a two-out double and then came around to score on an RBI triple by Thomas.

The Wolverines made sure that lead would be short-lived, however. Sheehan Planas and Calderon hit back-to-back RBI singles in the fifth, and Planas came around to score on an errant pick-off throw to put Belen ahead, 3-1. The Conchs made it 3-2 in the bottom of the fifth when Elomina hit a two-out RBI single to drive in Michael Henriquez, who reached on an error to lead off the inning.

Belen tacked on another run in the sixth on an RBI sacrifice fly by No. 9 hitter Gio Ayala, and Calderon capped the scoring with his solo homer to the center field bleachers in the seventh.

Elomina, who finished 2-for-4 with 2 RBI, led the Conchs at the plate. Arencibia and Johnny Monsalvatge each finished with two hits, and Joseph Gandolfo and Thomas had one apiece.

Key West will return to action at 8 tonight against visiting Westminster Christian. The Conchs will hit the road Tuesday to take on district rival Mater Academy in a game that will likely determine the No. 2 seed.

"We've got to come out and do a better job," Menendez said. "We'll keep working and getting better and (tonight) is another day and we've got a big one coming up on Tuesday."

wjacobson@keysnews.com