Hart played Canyon today at Hart. Donny Williams started for Hart and in the first, got the 1st 2 batters on easy ground outs on only 2 pitches. He walked the dangerous John Hay and after a battle got the more dangerous J.T. Adams to fly to left.

Hart started out like they were going to get to Crim right away. Ryan Gagnon singled to left, took 2nd on a fielders choice grounder to short. Shane Carlson walked. After a strike out, Matt Sreden walked to load the bases. Pat Sarkissian walked with the bases loaded scoring Gagnon. Brian Charnock then laced one between short and third but Canyon 3rd baseman Jake Miller made a great stab of the grounder to end a promising inning, but Hart led 1-0.

Hart threatened in the 3rd when Matt Valaika was hit by pitch took 2nd on a wild pitch and 3rd on an infield single by Tyler Fick. Fick then stole 2nd and Hart had runners on 2nd and 3rd with only 1 out but Crim struck out the next 2 batters. Donny Williams had Canyon batters befuddled through the 1st 3 innings and took a no hitter into the 4th. John Hay led off with a bloop singe to right and took 3rd on a single by J.T. Adams. Then, "strange things happened. A suicide squeeze by Tim Anderson scored Hay easily and Anderson easily beat out the bunt for a single. A wild pitch advanced the runners, then Scott Smith singled in Adams. Another suicide squeeze by Jake Miller scored Anderson. Vincent Juarez attempted a sacrifice towards 1st and beat it out loading the bases. With Josh Pipho batting a passed ball scored the 4th run. Pipho struck out but Williams then walked Blake McMartin loading the bases with only 1 out. Hart pitching coach Ruben Escobar removed Williams and brought in Steve Burton. Cody Crim then hit a shot to Shane Carlson at 3rd who turned it into a nifty 3rd to home to 1st double play and Hart escaped further damage in the inning but Canyon led 4-1.

Kevin Baker was hit by pitch, but Hart went down easily in the 4th with 2 strikeouts. After 4 innings Crim had struck out 6 and was sailing with a 4-1 lead. Canyon got started on Burton in the 5th. John Hay opened with a double, but then 2 great plays on infield grounders by Matt Valaika and Shane Carlson kept Hay from scoring, but then Scott Smith blooped a double down the right field line just out of the reach of the diving Tyler Fick to extend the Canyon lead to 5-1.

Matt Valaika hit a shot up the middle to open the 5th that deflected off the pitchers glove for a single. Cody Crim then proceeded to walk Shane Carlson, Tyler Fick, and Matt Sreden for a run making it Canyon 5-2. Jerrod Ferguson then relieved Crim and Pat Sarkissian worked him for a walk scoring Carlson making is 5-3. After a strikeout, Ryan Pettersen hit for Andrew Briggs and hit a perfect double play ball towards short that shortstop Tim Anderson booted and 2 runs scored tying up the game at 5-5. After another strikeout, Ryan Gagnon was hit by pitch. Matt Valaika then singled in 2 runs giving Hart the lead 7-5. Shane Carlson hit a bullet off the pitcher's leg for a single, and Ferguson was unable to pitch further due to the injury. Tommy Kimmerele relieved Ferguson and with the Bases loaded Tyler Fick hit a double down the right field line scoring 2 more runs making it 9-5. With men on 2nd and 3rd, Matt Sreden scorched a ball between 3rd and short, and once again 3rd baseman Jake Miller made a stellar play to save 2 more runs and close out the inning.

Hart had scored 8 runs on 3 infield singles 4 straight walks, a HBP, a big error and a big double. That's the biggest inning of the year for Hart, and they led 9-5. Burton got 3 quick outs in the 6th. Hart went 3 up 3 down in their half of the 6th. In the 7th, Burton was facing the heart of the Canyon lineup, but got Crim on a grounder, and struck out John Hay. With a 4 run lead, 2 out in the 7th, nothing is safe. Burton then walked J.T. Adams. Tim Anderson singled and Scott Smith was hit by pitch to load the bases. On a 3-2 count with the runners going, Burton then induced an easy grounder to short stop Valaika, but the throw was low and couldn't be scooped by Tyler Fick now playing 1st. So a run was in making it 9-6, bases loaded, lead run was now at the plate. Kyle Anderson then pinch hit in the 8th spot for Tommy Kimmerele. Anderson hit one hard but Matt Valaika picked it off at his ankles and Hart had pulled off the improbable win.

Steve Burton was the winning pitcher now 3-2 on the year. Hart only had 6 hits. Matt Valaika was 2 for 3, scored 2, 2 RBI. Tyler Fick 2 for 3 2 RBI with a double. Pat Sarkissian had 2 walks with the bases loaded. Hart received 7 walks and amazingly stole 7 bases. (The Hart Team single game stolen base record is 9). Ryan Gagnon scoring 2, was hit by pitch for the 9th time this year. The record in a year for HBP is 10, set last year by Nate Maddox.

Hart improved it's record to 14-6-1. (7-3 in the Foothill League). Hart plays Valencia, at Hart on Tuesday May 4 at 3:15PM. Both teams meet again Friday May 6th at Valencia at 3:15PM.

Narrative courtesy of Mike Gaber.