Hart played Burroughs today at Burroughs. It was a rare Foothill League game played on Thursday because the Hart Prom will be tomorrow. It started out like Hart was going to celebrate the Dance in Advance as they scored 3 in the first. In the 1st: Ryan Gagnon opened with a double. Matt Valaika singled to 3rd, and Shane Carlson was hit by pitch. Tyler Fick doubled down the right field line scoring 2. After a strike out, with Donny Williams up Burroughs pitcher Camron Collard uncorked a wild pitch scoring Carlson to make it 3-0. Williams walked putting runners on 1st and 3rd. Then Williams was picked off first. A walk by Brian Charnock followed but a fly out ended a potential big inning.

In the 2nd: With 1 out Gagnon walked, Valaika singled hard to left, and when the left fielder let the ball get away, Gagnon scored and Valaika went all the way to 3rd on his pulled hamstring. After a grounder to short, Valaika had to hold at 3rd. Tyler Fick then blooped a single to center scoring Valaika. Matt Sreden struck out but the catcher dropped the ball and Hart had 2 runners on, but another strikeout ended the inning.

In the 3rd, Pat Sarkissian singled with 1 out and stole second, but was stranded. Steve Burton took the 5-0 lead into the 3rd. With 1 out he gave up a single to deep short. He then got a strikeout for the 2nd out. A grounder to 3rd was gloved easily but an errant throw to first prolonged the inning. Then Burton couldn't get the next out. 2 walks followed scoring 1 run. Camron Collard singled in 2 runs. A wild pitch moved the runners up and Clayton Williamson singled in 2 more runs. Hart got a break however, on the throw to the plate, Hart catcher Pat Sarkissian seeing he didn't have a play at the plate came out towards the mound cutting off the relay and got Williamson at 2nd. All 5 runs were unearned. But Hart's 5-0 lead was now a 5-5 tie.

Valaika opened the 4th with his 3rd straight hit. Carlson lined out hard to center. Then came the BIG hit. Tyler Fick hit a monster homer to dead center over the screen hitting the North football grandstand for 2 runs. Matt Sreden singled but 2 easy outs followed. Hart had re-taken the lead 7-5. Nick Streit relieved Steve Burton to start the 4th and hit his first batter, but then got a nifty 6-4-3 double play. He walked the 8th place hitter and the # 9 hitter grounded what looked like a hit between first and second, but Shane Carlson made a great pick up and got a perfect throw to Nick Streit covering 1st to get the final out in the 4th.

In the top of the 5th Pat Sarkissian singled to short. Ryan Pettersen hitting for Jenzen Torres walked and Ryan Gagnon sacrificed the runners to 2nd and 3rd, and a bad throw to 1st by the pitcher had Gagnon safe on the error. Hart had the bases loaded and NOBODY OUT. Matt Valaika hit a shot towards 3rd, and the 3rd baseman turned it into a 3rd to home to 1st double play. An easy grounder to the pitcher, ended what could have been another promising inning for Hart.

Hart still led 7-5 going into the bottom of the 5th, but the Burroughs team and fans now felt they had tipped the momentum in their direction. Sure enough, Miguel Alvarez and Terrell Wong each singled hard to left. Hart then brought Freshman Jenzen Torres in from 3rd base to pitch in relief of Streit. It was Torres first appearance as a pitcher. Torres then got an easy pop-up to 3rd for the 1st out. Camron Collard then hit a perfect double play towards 2nd. Hart 2nd baseman Kevin Baker got the force play throw to shortstop Matt Valaika at 2nd but the throw to first got away from Donny Williams, and Alvarez going to 3rd on the force play was able to score. Hart protested that the runner Terrell Wong going into 2nd upended Hart shortstop Valaika, but the umpires conferred with each other and let the play stand.. A passed ball put the pinch runner Jose Balderas in scoring position, but Jenzen Torres was able to get an easy flyout to end the inning. The unearned run had cut the Hart lead to 7-6.

In the 6th Tyler Fick, a triple shy of the "Cycle" lined out to first. Matt Sreden hit a double deep to left center and moved to 3rd on a groundout by Donny Williams. Brian Charnock then got a "Clutch" hit to center scoring Sreden and Hart had answered back to extend the lead to 2 runs again 8-6. Pat Sarkissian was hit by pitch, but a strikeout ended the inning. Tyler Fick then came in to pitch in relief in the 6th to try and get the save on the 2 run lead. Kevin Baker moved to right field. After getting a fly to left and a strikeout the # 8 hitter Vince Hastings tried to bunt towards 3rd to get aboard. The bunt was foul. The next pitch from Fick then sailed over Hastings head. Fick then got wild and walked Hastings. Chad Brewster then was hit by pitch and the umpire went out to talk to Fick. Fick then had to face the leadoff hitter Miguel Alvarez who hit one towards the screen in right field. Kevin Baker made the catch to end the inning, but the Hart faithful had a definite scare.

Ryan Gagnon was hit by pitch to open the 7th and was sacrificed to 2nd. After a flyout, Tyler Fick walked but a fielders choice ended the inning and Hart took to 8-6 lead into the bottom of the 7th. The very first batter Terrell Wong walked, but Fick struck out # 3 hitter Bryan Jackson and cleanup hitter Camron Collard (both left handed batters). Fick then walked Clayton Williamson, putting the winning run at the plate. With the Hart crowd roaring Fick got Ian Disiere swinging to strike out the side and getting the save (his 2nd) in the 8-6 win.

Because Steve Burton did not go the entire 4 innings, he could not get the win. Nick Streit got the win, his 4th against 1 loss. Jenzen Torres pitched very well in his debut as a pitcher. Hart had 12 hits: Tyler Fick went 3 for 4 with a double, homer and 5 RBI. Matt Valaika was 3 for 4 with 3 runs scored. Matt Sreden and Pat Sarkissian had 2 hits.

Hart is now 12-6-1 and 5-3 in the Foothill League. Hart next plays Canyon AT Canyon on Tuesday April 26 at 3:15PM.

Narrative courtesy of Mike Gaber.