Hart went about their business today playing Bishop Amat at home and won 4-1. Hart scored 3 runs all after 2 out in the second inning off Bishop Amat starter Jim Jolicoeur, with a walk and 4 straight singles. Pat Sarkissian walked and Kevin Baker lashed a hard line drive single to right sending Sarkissian to 3rd. Ryan Gagnon grounded a single over 1st and down the line scoring Sarkissian and sending Baker to 3rd. Matt Valaika grounded a single between short and 3rd, scoring Baker, Gagnon stopping at 2nd. Shane Carlson also grounded a hard single between short and 3rd scoring Gagnon for the 3rd run and Hart had a 3-0 lead.

Bishop Amat only got 2 hits. Steve Burton [5-2], started for Hart and went 5 innings, giving up only 1 hit, striking out 5, walked 4. The run by Bishop Amat was unearned. The leadoff batter in the 4th, Mike Lugo hit a shot off Burton's leg. Burton scampered after the ball and had time to throw him out but threw it down the line allowing Lugo to get to 2nd. A wild pitch moved him to 3rd and he scored on a ground out by Pete Lavin. Burton got the side out with ease in the 5th.

Tyler Fick came on in the 6th and got 2 quick outs, one on a strikeout, but then walked Pete Lavin. Herbie Boswell then had a very good at bat as he fouled off pitch after pitch, and after 14 pitches he walked to put runners on 1st and 2nd, but Fick got out of trouble on an easy groundout to 2nd. Fick threw 37 pitcheds in the inning, so with only a 2 run lead the Hart faithful were a bit nervous. In the 6th with Hart leading 3-1, Ryan Petterson lined his first career homer to left center to make it 4-1 and give Hart a little cushion. In the top of the 7th Tyler Fick struck out the first 2 batters then gave up a soft single to right. He then closed out the game with a strikeout.

Hart batters struck out 10 times, and 7 were called strike 3 with the bat on their shoulder, and couldn't get a sacrifice bunt down successfully, otherwise this was almost a perfect win for Hart who now advances to the Quarter Finals for the 7th time in 19 years. Hart has gotten past the Quarter Finals only 3 times, one of those times was last year when they lost in the Semi Finals to El Dorado 3-2.

Hart faces Riverside Poly on Friday, May 27th at Hart for a 3:15 p.m. game.

Narrative courtesy of Mike Gaber.