Southeast falls short in all-star game

By Jason McDaniel
Chronicle correspondent
The top players in the area celebrated their senior success at the Houston Area Baseball Coaches Association all-star games at Reckling Park.
But when the Class 5A Southeast all-star's showdown with the Northwest was in the scorebook last Wednesday, it was the players from the other side of town celebrating loudest thanks to a 12-4 win.
It was great," said Morton Ranch coach Jim Janczak, who led the Northwest all-stars to victory.
It was a good atmosphere, the weather cooperated, held off for us, and there's really not much coaching. You just put them in a lineup, an order, and get out of the way and let them perform."
The Southeast team was coached by Ben Pardo, who recently was named Pearland ISD's new athletic director. They quickly fell behind after the Northwest scored 11 runs in the first three innings.
The roster featured South Houston pitcher Jaime Esquivel, a Rice signee who was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft, and first baseman Rafael Santos.
Dobie pitcher Austin Abbott, who had a 2.54 ERA this past season, and Deer Park shortstop Clay Boone, a first-team all-district pick who had three home runs this year, also were on the team.
It's a good way for some of those kids to finish the summer in a high school-type setting," Janczak said. They'll still play their summer ball, but to be in a high school setting at a place like Reckling is a nice way to end the summer."
It was a little nicer for Janczak's players, who came from Katy, Cy-Fair and Klein ISDs.
Klein Oak 1B Garrett Harrison's three-run home run in the first set the tone for the Northwest all-stars.
A two-run double by Cy-Fair centerfielder Matt Cardamone highlighted the second and Klein 1B Eric Fisher's two-run double punctuated the third.