3-A BASEBALL : Mira Mesa Showcases Its Talent

Mira Mesa had to take their anger out on somebody, so it might as well have been the winningest pitcher in the county.

Feeling ignored and insulted after the seeding meeting for the San Diego Section baseball playoffs, the Marauders showed Eric Nicholson and second-seeded Helix they were not the 15th best team in the 3-A division, defeating the host Highlanders, 6-3, and advancing to the second round.

“These kids were angry at the way they were treated Friday night,” Mira Mesa Coach Mike Prosser said. “They said: ‘Look coach, do they think we’re no good?’ I think they just wanted to prove to people that they’re a good baseball team.”

Ninth-ranked Mira Mesa (19-7) showed Nicholson (11-1) early that it meant business--scoring three-first inning runs on Phil Henry’s three-run, wind-aided homer. No. 4 Helix (18-9-1) tied it in the fourth, but Mira Mesa came back with two in the fifth and one in the seventh.

“They came out swinging and played real aggressive baseball,” Helix Coach Jerry Schniepp said. “They stole our game from us.”

Mira Mesa began the season as the team to beat with a 13-0 record. Its ace Mike Bovee was the pitcher to beat, winning his first seven decisions. But Bovee broke his ankle, and shortstop Beau Champeaux separated his shoulder before Mira Mesa began its league season. The Marauders finished 7-5 in the City Eastern League, a game behind Patrick Henry and Point Loma.

Apparently that was enough for the seeding committee.

“Everybody forgot about us, but these kids didn’t disappear,” Prosser said.

Rob Ippolito, who went three for three, got Helix back in the game with a two-run homer in the bottom of the first. The Highlanders got another run in the fourth, but they should have scored more. After loading the bases with no outs off Jamie Escamilla, all they managed was a sacrifice fly by Tom Grindle.

Escamilla, who replaced starter Marc Nielsen after three innings, proceeded to hold Helix to three singles the rest of the way.

Mira Mesa scored its go-ahead run in the fifth when Helix catcher Chad Young’s throw to second on an attempted steal was missed by shortstop Bobby Miller and went into center field, scoring Brendon Hause from third. Jason Payne’s sacrifice scored Mira Mesa’s second run of the inning. Drew Arnold, who went three for four, doubled in a run in the seventh.