Mental toughness was in the San Marcos baseball lineup on Saturday in the second game of the Channel League series with rival Dos Pueblos.
And it played a huge part for the Royals in an 11-4 bounce-back win following Friday’s crushing 3-2 loss at DP that was decided on a walk-off, two-run homer in the seventh inning.
“We came in and there was no way we were going to lose back-to-back games against DP,” said San Marcos’ winning pitcher Caden Hodina. “We really put the effort in today.”
Hodina picked up the win, pitching 5.1 innings and allowing two runs, seven hits and one walk. He struck out five.
The Chargers got a run off him in the first inning as Zach Gesswein led off with a double and scored on a two-out double by Jesse Di Maggio.
“Going into this game and giving a up a run in the first inning, it could go down hill pretty quickly from there,” said Hodina, the team captain and a three-year varsity starter. “But we came up big with a six-run third inning and that kind of put it away.
“I’m proud of this team and proud of the toughness for sure.”
Shortstop Mason Pettingill broke the game open for San Marcos with a three-run double in the third inning.
He said falling behind in the first didn’t bother the Royals. “We weren’t fazed. We have faith in Caden to get us out of it, which he did. He didn’t give up many hits. And we have faith in our offense to come back because we know we’re really strong and we’re a good team.”
Pettingill said the bases-clearing double “definitely pumped up our team and we were fired up. It was a great feeling.”
San Marcos coach Wes Ghan Gibson called Friday’s loss “a gut punch. And then you have to wake up in the morning and (Dos Pueblos) goes out and puts a one spot in the first.
“I told (the players), this is baseball and you have to be mentally tough to keep playing this game. It’s not always going to be these highs. It’s going to take a gritty performance and trusting yourself.”
The Royals could’t get anything going early against DP starting pitcher Kevin Wirtz.
“In the first time through (the batting order), Wirtz was fantastic and we were having a hard time,” said Ghan Gibson.
“I think he competed for those first two and half innings and just all of a sudden loses his feel a little bit there in the third,” said DP coach George Hedricks said of Wirtz. “We go to our bullpen with two outs and first pitch they did their job of clearing the bases.
“It’s kind of a dagger right there.”
Patrick Kelly led off the San Marcos third with a walk and moved to second on a sacrifice from Steven Bradley. Hodina followed with a double into the left-field corner for the game-tying run.
Owen Estabrook followed with a walk before Wirtz notched a strikeout for the second out. Brendan Cekada poked an opposite-field double to right for a RBI to put San Marcos into the lead, 2-1.
Darren Orlando drew a walk to load the bases and Bradley Cekada was hit by a pitch for a RBI and 3-1 advantage.
DP went to the bullpen and Pettingill hammered the first pitch for a bases-clearing double and a 6-1 advantage.
“Round Two (against DP pitching) we’re going to figure this out and we started putting some good swings on the ball, and good things happen when you do that,” said Ghan Gibson. “That just shows the toughness of this team. And that’s what we try to be. We show up at the yard to compete and be tough.
“I’m really proud of how these guys responded.”
Estabrook scored in the fourth on a double and a pair of wild pitches. The Royals added four more runs in the fifth, capitalizing on three walks and two hit batters.
Kelly had two hits and scored two runs for San Marcos, which improved to 5-1 in league and 7-4 overall.
Di Maggio hammered three doubles, had three RBIs and scored a run to lead Dos Pueblos (3-3, 4-8). His third double drove in two in the seventh.
“He’s just a tough out,” said Hedricks, who added he was pleased to see relievers Nathan Bojorquez and Charlie Potter pitch well at the end of the game.
“I was glad to see us have some life at the end,” said Hedricks.
Dos Pueblos’ next Channel League series is against Santa Barbara. San Marcos, which shares first place with Santa Barbara and Buena, plays Oxnard.