Pegasus deserved to live

When your dad gives you a Mercury class Battlestar to command, what do you do?
Throw it away rashly to save him, pitted against a foe that outnumbers you four times or find a way to earth as your dad himself commanded?
Since when did human emotions cloud military strategies?
How did the creators of Battlestar Galactica choose to overlook on the above fact?

Situation:
The aging Battlestar Galactica is surrounded by 4 enemy Basestars and is taking one hell of a pounding. While the rest of the civilian fleet has been rescued and is jumping away, Galactica in a frantic attempt to cover their retreat, is on a sacrificing run. When all hope fades the wise all knowing admiral William Adama calls for a final 'all hands' call and says "Its an honor (to have lived and to die by your side)". Suddenly out of the thin blue his son's (Lee Adama's) Battlestar Pegasus jumps into orbit taking the nearest cylon Basestar out with salvo fire. As Bill orders priority repairs on Galactica's FTL drives, Pegasus sacrifices itself positioning right in the middle of the cylon fleet and guarding good old daddy's grand old Galactica.

Pegasus was worth more than 3 cylon Basestars and not to forget Battlestar Galactica.
What were the creators thinking when they had decided to scuttle Pegasus?

Being a Mercury class Battlestar did it take more frames to render on the television set?
Or did James Olmos suggest that managing two Battlestars was cumbersome as an actor?!
The reason is obvious.
They wanted to retain Galactica for the title they put up for the series.

The destruction of Pegasus was needless, even though you have to show so huge a sacrifice one needs to make to save mankind. The fleet with the Pegasus, as the one and only Battlestar would have been much stronger than it is of now.

Moral: Without Galactica there is no BSG :P