Sanchez Keeps Hart Running by Shutting Down Beverly Hills

NEWHALL — Right-hander Luis Sanchez had thrown a three-hit shutout to lead Hart to a 4-0 victory in the second round of the Southern Section Division II playoffs Tuesday, and what did he get? These words from pitching coach Bill Sizemore:

“Don’t touch a ball tomorrow,” he said. “We’re going to run your butt off.”

Sanchez nodded and slipped his right arm into an ice pack that looks like a sling.

“The coaches have told me I have to basically work my (behind) off in the playoffs,” said Sanchez, Hart’s good-luck charm on the mound. In three seasons the junior is 20-2. By defeating Beverly Hills, he improved to 7-2 and lowered his earned-run average to 2.49.

Sanchez struck out 10, walked none and was ahead in the count on 21 of the 25 batters he faced. He threw first-pitch strikes to 15 of them. But today he runs.

Hart (21-5), which plays Rio Mesa on Friday, scored twice in the first inning on three hits--including Jeremy Seipel’s leadoff double--and a walk, but the runs scored on a wild pickoff throw and a double steal. No. 9 hitter Aron Miyata drove in the other two runs on a sacrifice fly in the fourth and a double to left-center in the sixth.

Sanchez, meanwhile, baffled Beverly Hills (18-9), striking out five of the first six batters. Jeremy Booth, a Collegiate Baseball preseason All-American, had two of the Normans’ three hits. But Booth never came up with runners on base.

“I felt good the whole game,” Sanchez said, “and I really got my slider down for the first time.”