San Marcos Emphasizes the Basics in 10-2 Victory

San Marcos High School baseball Coach Ron Layton called it good, fundamental, hit-and-run baseball. Nothing fancy, just solid hitting and smart baserunning.

Layton said he subscribes to this strategy and demands that his players do, too.

Friday, against Avocado League-rival Escondido, the Knights (5-2 in league, 10-7 overall) kept Layton smiling, as they totaled 14 hits in a 10-2 rout of the Cougars (3-4, 10-10).

“We don’t like to give up an out on a sacrifice,” Layton said. “We would rather run and have the batter hit the ball on the ground. Hit-and-run is our philosophy, and our kids believe in it.”

The Knights were hitless in the first two innings, but scored four runs on six hits in the third. Left fielder Steve Grod drilled a line single to right-center to lead off the inning and stole second base on the next pitch. Travis Beasley followed with a single to right, advancing Grod to third. With Grod and Beasley running, Jose Canedo drove a single to right, scoring Grod and advancing Beasley to third.

Escondido Coach Bill Kutzner blamed the San Marcos rallies in the third and fourth (four runs on five hits) on his pitching staff’s inexperience. Escondido’s top two pitchers, Andy Martin and Mike Hopkins, both have injures to their throwing arms.

Kutzner, after using most of his remaining pitchers in Wednesday’s 4-2 loss to San Pasqual, was forced to start Rob Esposito, a junior with only one previous start this season.

“I know that (Escondido) likes to hit and run, but our pitchers weren’t hitting the inside corners like I wanted them to,” Kutzner said.

Esposito was replaced by Oscar Lopez in the fourth, and his first pitched was driven for a triple down the right-field line by Tino Lozano. Lopez, however, was able to retire the side.

San Marcos starter Robert Griffin (5-2) allowed only two hits until the sixth inning, when he surrendered both Escondido’s runs and had the bases loaded before he was relieved by catcher Marc Villalobos.

“I know their team pretty well because we played winter ball together,” Griffin said, “but I couldn’t find the strike zone (in the sixth inning), and they were getting used to me.”

Villalobos retired the next three batters, striking out the first two, to get the Knights out of the inning. He said that he was tired after spending six innings behind the plate, but added that it helped to loosen up his arm.

“Robert (Griffin) said, ‘Pull me out of this’ as we was leaving, and that’s what I did,” Villalobos said.