High School Baseball Roundup : Escarcega Puts San Pasqual Over Top

On paper, the baseball teams from San Pasqual and Fallbrook high schools are nearly equal.

Coming into Wednesday’s Reyman Pirate tournament championship game, both were 8-2, 5-1 in the tournament. Last week, both were 2-1 in the Lions tournament.

Last year, San Pasqual finished 15-9, Fallbrook 14-10. And both have just one left-hander on their 16-player rosters.

Naturally, after four innings Wednesday at Miracosta Community College, the score was tied.

But San Pasqual has Mike Escarcega, who allowed just one hit over the final four innings as the Eagles defeated Fallbrook, 9-4, for their first Reyman Pirate title.

“They’re a good ballclub,” said Bill McAllister, San Pasqual coach. “But I think our kids are starting to believe were are a good ballclub too.”

Escarcega believes. But he doesn’t talk much.

He would rather let his numbers tell the story.

This season, Escarcega is 24 for 37 for a .649 batting average. He is the consummate leadoff hitter and has an 11-game hitting streak and 11 RBIs. Pitching, he is 4-1.

“I’m just hanging in there,” he said after going one for three with a walk and two runs.

“He’s incredible,” said McAllister. “I’m sure he doesn’t think about the streak. He just goes out and plays the game. He just enjoys playing the game. It’s nice to see that kind of kid do well.”

After a shaky start in which he allowed eight hits and four runs in three innings, Escarcega settled down. Fallbrook went down one-two-three in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings. Then, after a hit by Scott Rice to open the seventh, it was one-two-three again.

The Eagles, on the other hand, scored four runs in similar fashion in both the first and fifth.

In the first, San Pasqual sent nine batters to the plate, scoring four runs on two hits and three errors. In the fifth, it was eight batters, four runs, three hits and three errors.