Top-Ranked Eagles Pound Pacifica

Top-ranked Santa Margarita got its 1998 baseball season off to a smashing start Friday by defeating Pacifica in five innings, 12-1, in the first round of the Loara Tournament.

The Eagles, ranked third in the USA Today poll, scored five runs in the third inning, sending 11 batters to the plate. Santa Margarita scored six runs in the fourth to put the game out of reach.

Second baseman Jeff La Rue drove in three runs for Santa Margarita with a home run and a sacrifice fly. Catcher Casey Grzecka also homered and drove in two runs. Designated hitter Andy Hopper had three hits.

But the Eagles did not have to work too hard. Pacifica, which looked tight and nervous, twice failed to cover the correct base on routine plays. Throwing errors by starter Andrew Bremer and catcher Phil Cardon provided the Eagles four unearned runs.

Bremer (0-1) also struggled with his control, with seven walks and two wild pitches in three-plus innings.

“We’re a veteran team, and we’re supposed to take advantage of young teams when they make mistakes like that,” Eagles Coach Tip Lefebvre said.

Pacifica Coach Jeff Davidson agreed that his team’s youth--only two of nine starters had any varsity experience--betrayed them.

“We got caught up in the moment of trying to play the No. 1 team,” Davidson said. “We didn’t really play that badly. But those two innings when we gave them 5-6 outs is where they hurt us. They are a very good, fundamentally sound team.”

Santa Margarita starter Tim Keef (1-0) pitched four innings, giving up one run and three hits. He walked three and struck out four.