FRISCO — Luke Esquivel had never started a state semifinal game before, but the freshman showed no nerves, opening with three straight strikeouts.
After stepping off the mound, he glanced toward the opposing dugout, then lined a double to spark Grapevine’s offense.
The two-way phenom finished with two hits and no strikeouts at the plate while fanning eight batters and allowing just five hits on the mound. His dominant performance led Grapevine to a 2-0 win over Lovejoy in Game 1 of the Class 5A Division II state semifinals Thursday at Riders Field.
“I don’t think those guys get intimidated that easily,” Grapevine coach Jimmy Webster said. “But I think that first inning settled him in.”
Despite Esquivel’s strong outing, Lovejoy (31-7) pitcher Logan Corley kept the pressure on Grapevine (34-3). The TCU pledge struck out eight and allowed only five hits in the loss.
“Luke’s pretty good and Corley was great, but I’m glad Luke’s on our team,” Wester said. “He got two hits. And threw really well, so it was a good night for him.”
But, the game’s first run came when Grapevine’s Conner McDermott scored on a wild pitch from Corley.
The victory extended Grapevine’s winning streak to seven games, though it marked the first time they were held under four runs in six contests. Before Thursday, they had outscored their last six opponents 49-12. Their only postseason loss came against Joshua in the area round.
Esquivel, a LSU pledge, never let his intensity waver. In the sixth inning, he roared toward the Grapevine dugout after striking out a Lovejoy batter.
“That’s just who I am,” Esquivel said. “I play every day with ion for the game. I love this game and I’m always going to play it that way no matter what.”
Lale Esquivel, Luke’s older brother, hit a RBI single that helped McDermott score his second run of the game.
Lale, a Miami pledge, finished with a team-high of two hits and one RBI.
“We keep each other better,” Esquivel said. “We both push each other to be better every day and that’s my biggest inspiration. And I’ve looked up to him my whole life and he’s just the greatest big brother I could ever ask for.”
The teams will face off in the second game of the best-of-3 series on Friday.
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