Baseball Roundup : Leg Work Helps USDHS Shut Out Escondido

Matt Siesel threw a one-hitter with his left arm, but it was his right leg that ensured host University of San Diego High School’s 3-0 victory over Escondido in Tuesday’s first-round San Diego Section 2-A playoff baseball game.

While trying to protect himself in the sixth inning, Siesel stopped the game’s hardest hit ball with the back of his leg. The play also ended Escondido’s biggest threat.

Escondido, which won the section title last year, finished at 15-12. USDHS (16-11) plays at City Central League champion Crawford in Thursday’s quarterfinals.

Siesel pitched five hitless innings before weakening in the sixth, his team ahead, 3-0.

With one out, Gary Larrabee lined a single to right field. Mike Scales flied out and up came Andy Martin, who had hit three home runs in two games against USDHS, including one against Siesel.

“We didn’t want him to hurt us,” USDHS Coach Dick Serrano said.

Siesel had hit Martin in the first inning and threw one strike before walking him in the fourth.

But this time, Martin got a good pitch and smashed it up the middle.

Siesel whirled toward left field--”I just didn’t want to get hit in the front,” he said--and the ball struck the back of his leg. He scrambled to the ball and threw Martin out.

Siesel (8-5), his leg sore, recorded 2 of his 5 strikeouts in the seventh.

Jeff Dejardins scored the first run when Tony Moeder’s looper eluded diving right fielder Jeff Hopkins for a triple. Moeder scored on Duke Gonzalez’s fly to Hopkins. In the fifth, Gonzalez hit a two-out single to score Siesel, who had doubled to center.