OF THE TRIBUNE
With his club’s national title hopes on the line, and before the most important start of his career, Rene Garcia turned to the calming influence in his life.
“I called my mom before the game,” the Lubbock Christian pitcher said, “and told her I loved her.”
Then, with his nerves settled, he went out and produced a gem.
Garcia went the distance on the mound, stifling Point Loma Nazarene and propelling Lubbock Christian to a 5-1 triumph in Game 18 of the NAIA World Series on Thursday night.
Garcia tossed just 123 pitches, 79 for strikes, during his tidy outing. The junior right-hander ceded only seven hits and one walk while registering five strikeouts.
“He’s got that bulldog mentality,” LCU outfielder Will Stramp said, “and he’s done everything in his power to put us in the best possible position.”
The Lubbock Christian victory sets up a winner-takes-all bout tonight. The Chaparrals (51-8) will be gunning for their first national championship since 1983.
Point Loma was “talking about how today was going to be the last day,” Garcia said. “And we were like, ‘You know what? You’ve got another ballgame. You’re not just going to run us over — you’re going to have to earn it.’ ”
Garcia, a native of Tucson, Ariz., is a transfer from Pima Community College. He’s 11-1 this season and 2-0 in the Series. He’s tossed 15 innings in the tournament and has yet to allow an earned run.
Additionally, he’s issued only four walks and has 12 strikeouts, which is tied for the tourney lead.
Yet even as dominant as he’s been so far, Garcia still felt anxious before Thursday’s game.
“If you’re not getting nervous before a start like this,” he said, “then there is something wrong.”
But a mother, of course, can fix almost any problem. In Garcia’s case, she’s even good for a game of catch.
When Garcia was a young boy in Tucson, just beginning to grasp the finer mechanics of pitching, his mother, Diane Garcia, would serve as his catcher.
She lacked proper protective gear, though, so she strapped pillows to her body to protect herself from her son’s fastballs.
“When I come out here on the field, I think about my mom,” Garcia said. “I just think about how much she has done for me.”
Garcia was dialed in from the opening pitch, utilizing groundballs and flyouts to breeze through Point Loma’s lineup. The Sea Lions, in fact, managed to move runners into scoring position only three times the entire game. Twice, Garcia turned them away.
The lone exception came in the last inning, when, following a passed ball, Garcia yielded an RBI single, thus losing his bid for a shutout.
“It would have been amazing to keep the zero up there,” Garcia said. “But I’m just happy we came away with the W.”
Garcia’s mother was unable to make the trek to Lewiston for the Series. But she did catch Thursday night’s action from her Tucson home via the Internet.
“She was watching the game back home,” Garcia said. “I’m pretty sure she is happy.”
Which means she’ll probably sleep well tonight, and get to use her pillows for what they were originally intended.
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Breach may be contacted at mbreach@lmtribune.com or at (208) 848-2277.
