Royal’s Rischel Tattoos Thousand Oaks

Jason Rischel already has made a name for himself. It’s tattooed on his back.

Now he’s doing it with a bat.

Rischel, a junior catcher for Royal High, hit a home run and a double in two at-bats Friday to lead the Highlanders to a 10-5 Marmonte League baseball victory over visiting Thousand Oaks.

After the game, the 6-foot-1, 210-pound Rischel peeled the jersey from his back, displaying his surname that spanned from one shoulder blade to the other.

“I just did it,” Rischel said with a shrug.

Rischel did in Thousand Oaks with a leadoff double in the second inning and a leadoff homer in the third as Royal (9-0, 2-0 in league play), ranked No. 1 in The Times’ regional poll, collected 11 hits and nine walks off four Lancer pitchers.

Rischel, who yields to a designated hitter in most games, was prepared to make the most of the opportunity to bat.

“[The coach] hasn’t been batting me,” Rischel said. “But he said I’ve been doing a good job lately, and ‘You deserve it.’ ”

Rischel’s second-inning double triggered a four-run rally that erased a 3-1 deficit and chased sophomore David Perry (0-1). Dorian Stitt capped the inning with a bases-loaded two-run single off reliever Robbie Cassel.

In the third, Rischel blasted Micah Weathers’ two-strike offering over the left-field fence to ignite a three-run rally.

“He’s been more selective lately,” Royal Coach Dan Maye said. “Usually, he swings at everything.”

Thousand Oaks (4-6, 2-2) tagged starter Mike Rainer for three first-inning runs, but was stymied for four innings by reliever Matt Pitstick, who replaced Rainer with one out in the second and runners at first and second.

Pitstick (2-0) retired the first 13 batters he faced before allowing a single to Steve Yeager and a two-run home run to Mike Lauer in the sixth.

“They did all the things you’re supposed to do to win a game,” Thousand Oaks Coach Bill Sizemore said. “They’re a very, very solid club, probably the best team we’ve seen all year.”