Burrill Strikes Back as Hart Routs Canyon

Casey Burrill learned a little lesson Tuesday afternoon at Hart High: hitting well is the best revenge.

After being touched for 2 runs on 3 hard-hit balls in the top of the first inning, the Hart pitcher stepped up in the bottom of the first and slammed a 3-run home run that gave the Indians a one-run lead over Canyon.

It also gave Hart an emphatic start to a productive day. The Indians collected 12 hits and won the nonleague game, 14-4.

Burrill added a 2-run double in the second inning to give him 5 runs batted in and enough confidence to shut down Canyon after his rocky start.

“I was really nervous all day,” Burrill said. “But the home run felt good because then you know you’re ahead.”

There was no need to worry. The Indians, hitting .264 as a team entering the game, roughed up three Canyon pitchers for 5 extra base hits and at least a run in every inning.

“That pitching we saw today was a far cry from what we’ve faced all year,” Hart Coach Bud Murray said. “They’re really not very good.”

To be sure, Canyon (1-2) was not the caliber of team Hart faced when it won the prestigious El Segundo tournament last week. As a result, many Indians filled the score book with impressive statistics.

In addition to Burrill’s 2 hits and 5 RBIs, the Hart hit parade included Ray Gardocki, Darin Tsukashima and Chris Vasquez, who each had 2 hits and 2 RBIs. Add to this flurry of numbers Lance Migita’s 4 runs scored and it becomes easy to understand how Hart improved its record to 6-0 going into Foothill League play Friday.

For one-half of an inning, though, it looked as though a somewhat flat Hart team might settle for its first loss of the year. The Cowboys hit Burrill hard early and the junior seemed fortunate to escape with just a two-run deficit.

But the Hart offense posted 4 runs in each of the first two innings and put the game on cruise control after that.

It wasn’t until the fifth inning that near-slumbering fans were aroused when Murray pulled Burrill for junior Dave Margrave, a left-hander recently called up from the junior varsity. Margrave responded with two hitless innings.

“His mechanics are not quite right right now,” Murray said. “But I’ll tell you something, with a little work this kid’s going to be all right.”

Afterward, Murray looked ahead to Friday’s league opener against San Gabriel at home.

“I’m glad to get this over with,” he said about preleague play.