Knights in the News - Knights bullpen handles beginning and end (Story by John Maffei, UT Sports)

SAN MARCOS — As the No. 1 man out of the bullpen, left-hander Ernie Valencia figured there was a chance he’d get into the game.

Never in the first inning, though.

Buried deep in the bullpen after battling a skin condition and the strike zone, Max Barger hadn’t pitched in eight games. But he was called on in the bottom of the seventh inning with the bases loaded and a two-ball, no-strike count on the batter.

Both seniors pitched exceptionally well as San Marcos battled back from a three-run, first-inning deficit, survived a four-run bottom-of-the-seventh-inning rally that tied the game, and hung on to beat crosstown rival Mission Hills 8-7 in nine innings.

The victory gives San Marcos (17-7-1, 12-1), winner of 12 of the last 13 games, a sweep of the three-game series against Mission Hills (15-11, 7-6).

It also gives the Knights at least a share of the Avocado East League title. San Marcos is at Escondido on Monday for a game that will decide the league championship.

“Ernie’s the first guy up, so I figured we’d use him,” said San Marcos coach Jeff Dufek. “Max hasn’t pitched much at all lately. But we needed him today. Both guys saved us.”

Valencia entered the game with no outs, two runs in and the bases loaded in the first inning. He gave up a sacrifice fly for Mission Hills’ third run, got two more outs, then pitched five more shutout innings.

Mission Hills greeted him with a double and single to start the seventh. After a single, walk and hit batter, Dufek summoned Barger. He gave up an infield hit and a walk to tie the game but got a strikeout and a double play to get out of the inning.

The Knights pushed across the game-winning run in the ninth when Chase Bodman singled and scored on Jeremy Murphy’s double.

Barger pitched a scoreless ninth to nail down the win.

“I got the win, but this game belongs to Ernie,” Barger said. “This is a big rivalry, and you have to zone out all the noise.

“Ernie set the tone, and I was able to get it done.”

Valencia had worked six innings in relief in an extra-inning game earlier this season against Oceanside.

“As a reliever, you always expect to get into the game,” Valencia said. “I pay attention. I’m part of the game even when I’m not in. But I wasn’t expecting to get in the game in the first inning.

“It was all about pace, all about focus, staying on track.

“It’s never easy to beat Mission Hills. Give them a lot of credit for battling back.

“I’m glad we were able to get it done.”